Reducing the UT board and biblical curriculum in public schools: 5 things to watch in the legislature this week

The business of winnowing down legislation could start to take shape in week six of the legislative session.

Some of the governor's signature bills are hitting committees, and legislative leaders such as Lt. Gov. Randy McNally are still saying they expect the budget to pass by the first week of April.

This past week, Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixon, who is chair of the Senate Finance, Ways and Means committee, called the budget the rabbit that all the lawmakers are chasing.

He said once the budget is wrapped there will be more pressure to wrap up bills in committees.

"The Senate members are more prepared to look at the budget than they've ever been before," he said.

This week could feature discussions on campaign loan limits, Haslam's signature bill on reducing the University of Tennessee's Board of Trustees, revoking licenses for people who have defaulted on student loans, biblical curriculum in public schools and TennCare work requirements.

Here are five things to watch in week six of the legislative session.

Limits on campaign loans

Although the gubernatorial race is still heating up, several candidates have bolstered their campaigns with major loans totaling more than half a million dollars.

Under a new measure, campaigns would be limited to having a maximum of $100,000 in loans.

The legislation, sponsored Rep. Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville and Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, would not, however, have an impact on this year’s election. If passed, it would become law in 2019.

Given the fact that it’s an election year, and House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, is running for governor, the legislation will face an uphill battle.

The House Local Government Committee has placed HB 1770 on its Tuesday agenda, when the panel meets in House Hearing Room 2 at 9 a.m.

Shrinking UT's Board of Trustees

Haslam’s proposal to shrink the size of the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees will face its first hurdle this week.

The measure, which seeks to reduce the number of trustees in the UT system from 27 to 11, is supported by the school’s president.

But not all agree. Most the top-tier gubernatorial candidates are against the restructuring of the board.

The proposal, HB 2115, is set to be discussed in the House Education Administration and Planning Subcommittee when they meet Tuesday at 3 p.m. in House Hearing Room 4.

Revoked licenses because of student loan default

Last year, a New York Times investigation highlighted a Tennessee law that resulted in a nurse who defaulted on her student loans and lost her license as a result.

The woman defaulted on her loans because she lost her job after having epileptic seizures. To get her license back, she had to pay more than $1,500, which she could not afford.

The investigation noted Tennessee is one of the most aggressive states in the country for revoking licenses for those who default on student loans.

Four bills introduced this year seek to change the practice. Three of the measures would eliminate such license revocations for persons who default on their loans.

A fourth bill from Sen. Lee Harris, D-Memphis, and Rep. Ron Lollar, R-Bartlett, would create a “medical hardship exemption” to prevent such revocations.

Three of the measures are on the agenda when the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee meets in Senate Hearing Room 1 on Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.

Later that day, the House Business and Utilities Subcommittee is also set to take up two of the bills when the panel meets in House Hearing Room 2 at 3 p.m.

Biblical curriculum

Lawmakers on Wednesday are scheduled to consider a piece of legislation that would allow the state Department of Education to post Bible course curriculum on its website that could be adopted by local school systems.

The measure would require the department to alert school systems in writing no later than July 1 that they may provide an elective course and inform the agency of the methods for adopting one.

It won't be the first time legislators have tried to advance the Bible in state government. In 2016, Gov. Bill Haslam vetoed a bill that would have made the Bible the official book of Tennessee.

The bill, HB 2174, is scheduled to go before the House Education Instructions and Programs Subcommittee on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in House Hearing room II.

TennCare work requirements

Since the start of this legislative session, their has been no shortage on discussion of health care. On the first day of the session, Democrats and other advocates of Medicaid expansion rallied outside the two chambers, calling for both expansion and health care reform. Similarly, Gov. Bill Haslam as called for about $30 million to address the opioid crisis.

But from the Republican side, House Speaker Beth Harwell has filed a bill that would require able-bodied adults without young children to work if they want TennCare.

The proposal comes after an offer by President Donald Trump's administration to allow states to implement Medicaid work requirements.

The bill, HB 1551, is scheduled to come before the House health subcommittee on Thursday at 3 p.m. in House Hearing Room III.

Reach Reporter Jordan Buie at 615-726-5970 or email him at jbuie@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter @jordanbuie. Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.