TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Kate Prince on Dec 8, 2020

Gov. Bill Lee is considering calling a special session to prioritize legislation related to schools' pandemic challenges, the Tennessean reports. Lee’s office hasn’t confirmed whether he will call the special session, but it would likely be held within the regular session, similar to a February 2015 special session called by former Gov. Bill Haslam for a failed Medicaid expansion proposal. Multiple legislative officials confirmed discussions were being held to take that same approach to try and pass education-related bills early in the year to allow school districts time to plan accordingly. If the special session isn’t called, taking up those bills in regular session could delay passage until spring. Measures could include holding teachers and students harmless for standardized testing scores, ensuring schools receive adequate funding next year and providing resources to bring children back up to speed after months away from the classroom.