Tennessee Senate advances large batches of bills on first and second consideration; places SJR543 on tomorrow's consent calendar

Nashville — The Tennessee Senate on the floor moved to advance large groups of bills on both first and second consideration and to place a Senate resolution on the next day's consent calendar, Senate leadership said.

Leader Johnson, speaking on the floor, moved that, “pursuant to Senate Rule 32 in Article 2, Section 18 of the Constitution of the State of Tennessee,” designated Senate bills be passed on first consideration. The motion was approved “without objection,” and the bills were recorded as passed on first consideration.

Leader Johnson later moved, citing Senate Rule 33 and Article 2, Section 18 of the state constitution, that another set of Senate bills be passed on second consideration and either referred to the appropriate standing committee or held on the clerk's desk. That motion also carried without objection.

On resolutions, Leader Johnson asked the Senate to suspend the rules so that Senate Joint Resolution 543, which the floor said had passed out of the Judiciary Committee the previous day and designates January as human trafficking awareness month, could be placed on tomorrow's consent calendar. The motion to suspend the rules and the motion to place SJR543 on the consent calendar were both approved without objection.

Chairman Powers laid out the consent calendar of memorializing and congratulatory resolutions, and Senators called attention to several items honoring late constituents and public servants. The clerk called the vote on the consent calendar; the tally announced on the floor was 42 in favor and no recorded "no" votes. The presiding officer declared the consent calendar passed.

No contested roll-call votes on individual bills or resolutions were recorded on the floor transcript for this session. Several procedural motions and referrals were handled unanimously or by unanimous consent, and the Senate adjourned until 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

What happens next: Bills passed on first consideration will return to the calendar for further consideration as required by Senate rules; the resolution placed on the consent calendar is scheduled for consideration on tomorrow's consent calendar, per the motion approved on the floor.