Tennessee House Republican leadership yesterday asked Gov. Bill Lee to block the Department of Health from "distributing, promoting or recommending" the COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5, the Tennessean reports. Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, authored the letter to Lee, which was co-signed by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, and Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby. In the letter, the group asks Lee to block distribution of the vaccine until "more clinical evidence is available." Zachary said parents who want the vaccine could seek it out from a private doctor but called on Lee to block local health departments from administering the shot to children under 5. Lee’s office acknowledged it had received the letter, but offered no further comment.

The Dickson County Commission last night voted to make attorney Brian Ragan the interim state representative for House District 69, the Tennessean reports. Ragan will temporarily replace former Republican Rep. Michael Curcio, who resigned from the House in May and recently joined lobbying firm Talbert Government Relations. Ragan is with the law firm Reynolds, Potter, Ragan & Vandivort and also serves as county attorney for Dickson County. He will serve as interim representative until the November election.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, planned to honor victims of violent crime and their families in Chattanooga today during a ceremonial signing of their recently passed Truth in Sentencing bill. The law requires people convicted of eight specific crimes, including second-degree murder and carjacking, to serve 100% of the sentences imposed by a judge or jury. The Chattanooga Times-Free Press has more.

The Tennessee Black Caucus is making stops across the state as part of a listening tour that allows constituents to guide legislative proposals for 2023, WPLN reports. Rep. Vince Dixie, D-Nashville, who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, says the discussion will be used to guide what laws and investments are proposed for communities during the next legislative session. Lawmakers will also be looking to hear from Nashville residents to find commonalities affecting other people across the state, such as gun violence. Stops have already been made in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville. The caucus will be in Memphis at the National Civil Rights Museum on June 16 at 6 p.m. CDT. Additional stops will be planned for July.

Tennessee Rep. Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville, says he plans to sponsor a bill in 2023 requiring handgun buyers to register with the state, Tennessee Lookout reports. The legislation would be modeled on a North Carolina law that requires handgun purchasers to obtain a pistol purchase permit from a local sheriff. The requirement would also apply to private sales, gifts and inheritances, but it would not apply if the individual has a concealed handgun permit from the state. In the wake of recent shootings, Dixie says this should be the “bare minimum” for people who want to buy handguns. “We need to stop the sale of guns to people who should not have them.”

The state will not appeal a federal court ruling striking down a transgender bathroom sign mandate on businesses, Nashville Business Journal reports. The law had required many businesses to post signs if they allowed transgender people to use their restrooms but Judge Aleta A. Trauger of the U.S. District Court of the Middle District of Tennessee ruled last month that the act was unconstitutional. Read more about Trauger's decision in the Tennessean.

Gov. Bill Lee signed new legislation this week aimed at protecting the elderly population in the state, Action News 5 reports. Backed by the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability, HB630/SB439 creates a searchable registry of unlicensed facilities and increases the penalty for operating a facility without a license. “This law will provide transparency for Tennessee families as they look to find care for a loved one and deter habitual unlicensed operators who seek to take advantage of our most vulnerable,” said commission director James Dunn. The state’s Elder Abuse Task Force reported in 2022 that elderly and vulnerable adults residing in unlicensed facilities are especially susceptible to neglect, abuse and financial exploitation.

Gov. Bill Lee on Friday signed a the campaign finance and ethics bill into law, the Associated Press reports. The bill, which was opposed by several influential advocacy groups, requires politically active nonprofits to disclose spending totaling at least $5,000 within 60 days of an election on communications that contain a state candidate’s name or likeness. It also requires political committee leadership to provide identification. “I think that transparency is a good idea,” Lee said earlier this month. “I think that whenever we have transparency into organizations that politically lobby, that’s a good thing.” Opponents of the bill include Americans for Prosperity, Tennessee Right to Life and the National Rifle Association.

In-person CLE programming at the TBA’s Annual Convention will include a 2022 Legislative Update with the TBA Government Affairs team. Worth 2.25 hours of general CLE, the session will provide a live recap of the legislation that is impacting lawyers from the most recent session of the Tennessee General Assembly. TBA Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs Berkley Schwarz and TBA lobbyist and Adams and Reese attorney Brad Lampley will talk to a panel of legislators that will include Rep. Bill Beck, D-Nashville; Rep. Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville; House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland; and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin. Read more on all in-person programming here.

Tennessee lawmakers were quick to condemn the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, this week, Axios Nashville reports. Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, during a press conference Wednesday urged Gov. Bill Lee to call a special legislative session to "work together and take action on the public health crisis." He also called for a pause on gun purchases without background checks. NewsChannel 5 reports House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, rebuked the idea of a special session but, along with other Republicans, expressed interest in increasing funding for Student Resource Officers (SROs).