Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, has unveiled a new tool designed to enhance public transparency in the legislative process, Chattanoogan.com reports. In announcing the tool, Sexton said the dashboard “will also give every Tennessean the same access to the legislative process as their elected officials.” Members of the public will be able to view all House committee and floor calendars, legislation, amendments and video of all House legislative initiatives. To access the dashboard visit wapp.capitol.tn.gov and then log in or create an account.

A new bill has been filed that would require governing bodies to make meeting agendas and supplemental documents available at no charge 48 hours prior to a meeting, the Commercial Appeal reports. Supplemental documents would include proposed ordinances, contracts, resolutions − as well as written staff recommendations, reports, and other materials given to members before the meeting. The measure, SB27, was filed by Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, with Rep. Jerome Moon, R-Maryville, sponsoring in the House. “I've got a passion for this type of legislation − to make sure the public knows what's going on and has a chance to react to it,” Gardenhire said.

The 113th Tennessee General Assembly is now in session after it was gaveled in today by lawmakers, the Tennessean reports. The workload is expected to be light this month as new lawmakers settle into their offices, with committee work heating up in February. Speaker of the Senate and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, were today reelected to serve another session "I know we fuss, fight, bicker and argue at times in this building," Sexton said during his acceptance speech. "There is nothing wrong with a good and robust debate."

The 113th Tennessee General Assembly convenes tomorrow at noon CST for the first half of the two-year legislative term. Toll lanes, changes to the state abortion law and money for Memphis sports stadiums are some of the top items lawmakers will address during the new session, the Tennessean reports. The paper highlights six issues to watch and four lawmakers who likely will be making the news.

Tennessee Republican leaders are seeking to cut the size of the Nashville Metro Council in a move seen as retribution for its rejection of a bid to host the 2024 Republican National Convention, the Nashville Post reports. House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, and Senate Finance Committee Chair Bo Watson, R- Hixson, filed legislation today that would cap the size of metropolitan and municipal legislative bodies in Tennessee at 20 members. Though Nashville is not mentioned by name, its council is the only such body in the state larger than the proposed maximum. The bill does not prescribe how the city would reduce the size of the council, currently made up of 35 district representatives and five at-large representatives.

Tennessee state Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, has introduced legislation that would require the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to test rape kits within 30 days, WATE reports. Currently, law enforcement is required to send the kit to TBI within 30 days, but Tennessee code does not dictate the time frame for actually testing them. The legislation also would require the TBI to submit a plan for eliminating the current backlog within 45 days of the law taking effect.

Main Street Clarksville reports that state legislators are considering changes to the third grade retention law that will take effect next year, mulling new learning support for early grades and a minimum age to begin kindergarten. Based on last year’s test results, 73% of Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) third graders could face retention — just 27.4% of MNPS third graders met or exceeded proficiency requirements on tests last spring. MNPS was the last school district in the state to reopen for in-person learning in 2021. Lawmakers passed the third grade retention law during a special education-focused legislative session in 2021. It requires third graders who fail to “meet” or “exceed expectations” on the spring TCAP test to repeat the grade. Students can avoid retention by attending summer school or tutoring programs. English language learners and those who have already been held back a grade are not impacted.

Tennessee is trending opposite of the national rise of women serving in state legislatures. WPLN reports that there will be 2,376 women serving in state legislatures across the U.S. in 2023. That’s slightly above last year’s number, which set a record. A year ago 23 of the 132 members of the Tennessee General Assembly were women, and in the upcoming session there will be 19, which is the lowest amount since the 1998. Nationwide, close to 32% of state legislators are women, but in Tennessee only 14% of the General Assembly are women.

Metro Nashville Vice Mayor Jim Shulman expects to meet with Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, in the coming weeks to discuss rumored legislation that would decrease the size of Metro Council, the Tennessean reports. The potential legislation is allegedly in retaliation for councilmembers not supporting efforts to bring the 2024 Republican National Convention to the city. Metro Council’s 40-member size is one of the largest in the country. There is no set meeting between Shulman and Sexton yet, but Shulman says there is a need for “better lines of communication.”

U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper last week announced that a bill to name a Nashville post office after late state Sen. Thelma Harper had cleared the House and Senate and was headed to President Joe Biden’s desk. Harper was a Nashville Democrat who became the first African-American woman elected to the state Senate. She died in April 2021 at the age of 80. According to the White House, Biden signed off on the bill today and the U.S. post office at 2245 Rosa L Parks Blvd. has been renamed as the Thelma Harper Post Office Building.