Tennessee House Democrats, who have been calling for a special session to expel Rep. Jeremy Durham, R-Franklin, over allegations that he sexually harassed at least 22 women, are now trying to block him from receiving a lifetime pension. Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Stewart said today that Durham will automatically qualify for a pension starting at $300 per month in November, even if he loses his primary next month, unless the legislature acts. Humphrey on the Hill has more.

Rep. Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, has announced that he is filing legislation to repeal a new law that was intended to prevent frivolous lawsuits, Humphrey on the Hill reports. Mitchell argues that the law could be used to discourage sexual abuse claims. “Under this new law, should you sue the state and a state employee and lose, you could be forced to pay their attorney’s fees,” Mitchell said. “Not all lawsuits are successful, but that doesn’t mean that they are frivolous.”

Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, has announced the immediate implementation of a new workplace harassment policy for the Tennessee General Assembly. The new policy expands the current focus on sexual harassment to include all workplace harassment and includes for the first time a transparency component, which will require that a public report be issued for any elected official or staff member found to be in violation of the policy. The new policy is the result of recommendations from a committee appointed by Harwell. Humphrey on the Hill has more from speaker's office and a link to the policy.

Rep. Jeremy Durham, R- Franklin, today suspended his campaign, the Tennessean reports. In a late afternoon press conference, Durham denied most of the allegations against him but said “a handful of interactions’ were true. Yesterday, Durham responded to a special committee’s investigation into his conduct through his attorney. A statement from lawyer Bill Harbison questioned why no one involved had ever filed a sexual harassment complaint and dismissed allegations “from witnesses whose identity is completely anonymous.” GOP leaders continued today to call for him to step down. “Representative Durham’s denials are insulting to the brave women whose testimony was detailed in the report," House Speaker Beth Harwell said. "Representative Durham needs to make absolutely clear he is not seeking re-election."

State Republicans and Democrats weighed in late yesterday and today with reactions to Rep. Jeremy Durham’s conduct and an investigative committee’s decision not to recommend expulsion of the Franklin Republican. House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, called Durham’s acts “repulsive and unacceptable,” while Lt. Gov. and Senate leader Ron Ramsey called Durham “despicable” and said he would push for a special session to expel him if he wins reelection this fall. Fellow Franklin-area legislators also expressed dismay. GOP Caucus Chairman Glen Casada said Durham “lied to me" and Republican Sen. Jack Johnson called Durham’s actions “abhorrent” and “completely unacceptable.” Democrats began calling last night for a special session to consider Durham’s expulsion, with Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Mary Mancini saying Durham is a “serial sexual harasser.” The Tennessean and Humphrey on the Hill have more.

A special legislative committee today found that state Rep. Jeremy Durham, R-Franklin, engaged in “disorderly behavior” that warranted expulsion, but decided to leave it up to voters to determine whether he should continue serving, the Tennessean reports. Before making its decision, the committee heard the results of Attorney General Hebert Slatery’s inquiry, which found that Durham had engaged sexually with 22 women, including current and former female legislative staff, interns, lobbyists and others between 2012 and 2016. Read the committee's report or follow how the news unfolded today on this timeline of Twitter posts.

State Sen. Doug Overbey, R-Maryville, has been elected chair of the Southern Legislative Conference’s (SLC) Human Services and Public Safety Committee. The election was held during the group’s annual meeting, Humphrey on the Hill reports. Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, said Overbey’s “tremendous knowledge and experience in mental health and human services … will be of great benefit to his fellow legislators and this organization." Overbey has served on both the House and Senate Health committees. He currently is chair of the Senate Ethics Committee and a vice chair of the Judiciary and Finance committees.

Tennessee state Rep. Jeremy Durham, R-Franklin, filed suit Friday against House Speaker Beth Harwell and Attorney General Herbert Slatery to block release of an investigative report into his conduct. The AG's ad hoc committee created to investigate Durham is scheduled to meet Wednesday. A hearing on Durham’s motion will take place Tuesday afternoon. Slatery’s office is expected to respond to the motion today. Durham’s political opponent has called on him to drop the suit, saying he should not delay the release of the report. The Tennessean has more on both stories.

Tennessee state Rep. Steve McDaniel, R-Parkers Crossroads, who chairs the ad hoc committee investigating alleged misconduct by Franklin Republican Jeremy Durham, says he expects Attorney General Herbert Slatery to have a report to the panel “in the near future,” the Tennessean reports. The conclusion of Slatery’s investigation is expected to factor into whether the House of Representatives moves forward with possible expulsion proceedings over allegations of misconduct and disorderly and inappropriate behavior.

A controversial law that charged new mothers with assault if they took opiates during pregnancy and their babies were born addicted has expired. Critics of the measure, including the ACLU and Addiction Campuses, argued that the law made women afraid to reach out for help. News Channel 5 has more.