As Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell continues his first week in office, Republican state leaders say they are ready to turn the page on the state's relationship with its capital city. Gov. Bill Lee told reporters last week that he looks forward to working with O'Connell. Lee also said he spoke with O’Connell on election night and again since, and is working to schedule a more formal meeting. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, also said he looks forward to bolstering the state’s relationship with Nashville — even though the city and state may not always see eye-to-eye. "We've had conversations and we plan on having ongoing conversations and building the relationship," Sexton said. The Tennessean has more on the story.

Senate Speaker and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally confirmed to the Tennessee Lookout that he plans to run for re-election to the post in 2024. The Oak Ridge Republican, however, did not guarantee he would seek another term representing District 5, which contains Anderson and Loudon counties and a portion of Knox County. Some had expected McNally not to run for the leadership position again after facing down a no-confidence vote earlier this year. Leadership changes are being made by the House Democratic Caucus as Rep. Torrey Harris, D-Memphis, and Rep. Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville, have been elevated to floor leader and treasurer, respectively. Harris replaces the late Bill Beck of Nashville, and Glynn takes the spot of Rep. Gloria Johnson, who left her post to focus on a U.S. Senate campaign.

In filings released earlier this week, the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance found that from Jan. 1 to June 30, groups spent a combined $35 million on lobbying activity this year, a 66% rise since 2013 and nearly $4 million more than in 2022, reports Tennessee Lookout. The Tennessee Medical Association led spending during the filing period, paying out $330,322 to sway lawmakers. Their primary focus was a bill to address Tennessee abortion law, which initially didn’t provide doctors with exemptions to save the life of a mother. Republican lawmakers passed a narrow exemption bill. The Center for Individual Freedom, the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association, the Tennessee Hospital Association and the Tennessee Health Care Association rounded out the top five.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Senate Speaker Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, have announced the formation of a working group to examine the possibility of the state rejecting billions of dollars in federal education funding. Rep. Debra Moody, R-Covington, and Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, will lead the group. House members include Reps. Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville, Timothy Hill, R-Blountville, John Reagan, R-Oak Ridge, and William Slater, R-Gallatin. Senators joining the group are Raumesh Akbar, D-Memphis, Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, Bill Powers, R-Clarksville, and Dawn White, R-Murfreesboro. The state receives $1.8 billion annually from the federal government for K-12 education, the Tennessean reports.

A General Assembly subcommittee this week recommended extending the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth for another four years, just months after an effort to dissolve the commission failed, the Tennessean reports. The Joint Government Operations Subcommittee voted on the recommendation on Tuesday, opting to extend the commission, which focuses on child welfare and oversight of the Department of Children's Services. Republican leaders backed off of a bill to dissolve the commission after pushback from stakeholders in the child advocacy community, according to the paper.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, is planning to revive a bill aimed at stiffening sentences for serious juvenile crimes in 2024. The bill, which died during a truncated special session on public safety, seeks to classify children aged 14 and older as "serious youthful offenders" for certain offenses, allowing them to be transferred to prison through age 24. Critics argue that tougher sentences may not address the root causes of juvenile crime and could exacerbate problems such as the school-to-prison pipeline. Other bills, including those related to gun storage requirements, mass violence threats and child autopsy reports, are also expected to be reintroduced in 2024. The Tennessee Lookout has a comprehensive overview.

Gov. Bill Lee yesterday announced that long-time legislative director Brent Easley will step down next month to return to the private sector. Liz Alvey will succeed Easley in the role, effective Oct. 16. Alvey currently serves as legislative counsel. She previously worked with the Tennessee State Senate and was senior policy advisor to state Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris. Lee praised Easley, one of the longest-serving members of his senior team, for his work expanding access to education, boosting economic development, and modernizing transportation and infrastructure. Easley also served as a member of the COVID-19 Unified Command, coordinating the state’s response across executive branch agencies during the pandemic.

Gov. Bill Lee is calling his special-called legislative session on public safety a success that is giving him hope for the future of Tennessee, WSMV reports. He also said that while he does not have a plan for legislation he wants lawmakers to pass when they reconvene in January, he wants to keep talking about ways to keep Tennesseans safe. “This has been an important week for Tennessee, a difficult week, but a week that’s hopeful,” he said. In a video statement released last night, Lee thanked Tennesseans, especially family members from the Covenant School, for engaging in efforts to strengthen safety across the state. He also highlighted the four bills that passed the General Assembly during the special session, saying, “Significant funding was focused on issues that matter to public safety. We improved the background check system, attacked human trafficking, made more access for safe storage. We funded mental health resources across the state. We made progress.”

The Tennessee General Assembly adjourned sine die after reaching an agreement with Gov. Bill Lee to pass three bills aimed at public safety, the Tennessean reports. Before adjourning the special session, the Senate agreed to a House amendment requiring local courts to update records in the state’s background check database within 72 hours, a House amendment funding the Department of Safety’s ad campaign on gun safety and a House amendment for mental health workers. Republican and Democrats expressed frustration that the session is over. “I’m very disappointed that we didn’t get more done in this special session,” said House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland. “In the House, we had a lot of bills that got left on the table that I hope will still be taken back up in January to help families in Tennessee be safer.” House Minority Leader Karen Camper, D-Memphis, said, “People expected us to do something to make the public safer. We did nothing.”

Tensions between Republicans and Democrats were apparent after adjournment Tuesday afternoon, leading to confusion and shoving on the chamber floor. As House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, attempted to leave, Reps. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, and Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, confronted Sexton at the speaker's dais, holding handmade signs as the speaker exited the chamber. In related news, Davidson County Chancellor Anne C. Martin ruled Monday afternoon that recent House rules banning signs from the chamber's galleries and committee rooms will remain blocked, saying that the plaintiffs had shown a likelihood of success on the merits of their claims the new rule violated the First Amendment. The General Assembly will reconvene on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024.

A story in yesterday's issue of TBA Today misidentified state Rep. Justin Jones' district. He represents House District 52 in Davidson County.