Joel Ebert

USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

As lawmakers return to Nashville this week they will cover a variety of topics, including beginning an investigation into one of their colleagues and a host of different gun bills. Here are a few issues to watch this week:

Ad hoc committee on Durham

Last week formed House Speaker Beth Harwell created an ad hoc committee tasked with investigation into Rep. Jeremy Durham.

The committee will explore the possibility of expelling Durham from the General Assembly for his actions. The measure comes after a Tennessean investigation found three women who said they had received inappropriate text messages from Durham's cellphone. Durham has said he doesn't remember sending the messages, and denies sexually harassing anyone. But he has resigned as House majority whip, resigned his position within the House Republican Caucus and is in the midst of a two-week self-imposed hiatus in the wake of the investigation.

Harwell committee to lead Jeremy Durham investigation

Although the four-member committee will technically lead the investigation, they’re expected to ask Attorney General Herbert Slatery to spearhead the investigation.

The committee will meet at 4 p.m. Monday.

School vouchers

The House is set to vote on Monday on a bill that would create a limited school voucher system in Tennessee. The bill has been one of the more controversial pieces of legislation this session. Proponents of the effort call it an important final step in a larger effort to reform the state’s education system. Opponents argue the measure would take funds out of public education and offer inconclusive evidence on whether it improves children’s education.

Lawmakers on both sides of the issue are expecting a very close vote and a lengthy debate that could last for several hours.

The house begins its floor session at 5 p.m. and the vouchers bill is the only thing on the chamber’s regular calendar.

Vehicle emissions

After being delayed several times, members of the House are scheduled to discuss a bill that would eliminate the requirement for cars less than 3 years old to go through emissions tests.

When the bill hit the Senate floor last month, it sparked some debate in light of the Volkswagen scandal. Last year the company admitted that about 600,000 diesel vehicles were sold with illegal software created to trick emissions tests.

State Senate votes to end emissions tests for new cars

The House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee is scheduled to take it up Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Gun, guns and more guns

A host of gun bills is scheduled to be discussed in two separate committees. One, advanced by Gov. Bill Haslam, would reduce the amount a person would pay for a gun permit while at the same time increase the length of the permit’s validity.

Gov. Haslam's 2016 agenda: education, abortion, gun permits

Another would allow a gun owner the ability to sue a property owner with a gun free zone.

Bill allows suits over gun-free zone incidents

A third bill would allow private schools the ability to create a policy that would permit them to decide who could carry a handgun on school property.

Bill would allow private schools to allow guns on campus

Yet another would allow full-time employees of public universities or colleges to carry a handgun while on campus.

Bills would expand ability to bring guns on campus

The Senate Judiciary Committee will take up its share of gun bills Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.

The House Civil Justice Subcommittee will discuss several gun bills at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

A skunk bill

Lawmakers will discuss a stinky topic when the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee meets this week.

A “skunk” bill filed last month seeks to “delete the criminal offense that prohibits importation, possession or transfer of live skunks so that skunk ownership and propagation may be regulated by the wildlife resources commission under its rules for Class II wildlife."

A dog came into the legislature last week to help convince lawmakers of the necessity of a bill. Let’s hope the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, doesn’t pull a similar move when the committee meets on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.