Rep. Michael Curcio, R-Dickson, received the Rod Bragg Recovery Hero Award earlier this month during the Tennessee Association of Recovery Court Professionals Conference. Twenty third Judicial District Recovery Court Coordinator Kevin Batts presented the award, lauding Curcio’s “unwavering support and advocacy on behalf of the recovery courts across Tennessee.” Curcio this year introduced House Bill 215 which, according to Batts, “ensured safe and efficient treatment to centers and sober living facilities for the people we work with.” The Administrative Office of the Courts has more on the story.

Initiatives dealing with recidivism, state election law and criminal fines are among a series of new laws set to take effect on Jan. 1., the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. Portions of Gov. Bill Lee’s Reentry Success Act will soon go into effect, including a law that will allow victims or their representatives to submit electronic “impact statement” videos to be played at an inmate’s parole hearing. Another portion of the act will allow local correctional facilities to develop programs to reduce recidivism. Changes to the state’s election procedures will also begin on Jan. 1. Under those laws, absentee ballots must now include an official watermark that must be verified by a counting board official. Another measure expands the application of convenient voting centers – a practice authorized as a pilot project in 2020 in Monroe, Williamson and Wilson counties. Beginning Jan. 1, criminal fines must go toward victim restitution. Victims will have up to two years to file a claim for the criminal injuries compensation fund. Streamlining the way disorderly students are disciplined, starting the payment of compensation for college athlete, controlling prescription drug pricing and several other laws will also take effect in the new year.

State Sen. Katrina Robinson, D-Memphis, and two co-defendants have entered a plea deal in a federal case against them, the Daily Memphian reports. Robinson, alongside Katie Ayers and Brooke Boudreaux, will enter a pretrial diversion program to avoid prosecution on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Robinson will be monitored by a pretrial diversion supervisor and must attend work regularly at a lawful occupation. The three were indicted in January for allegedly using Robinson’s business, The Healthcare Institute, to defraud Bordeaux’s boyfriend out of $14,470 which Boudreaux claimed would pay her tuition for The Healthcare Institute. Boudreaux did not complete any classes and was issued a refund. Robinson is currently awaiting sentencing after being convicted of four counts of wire fraud earlier this year. Despite her conviction, Robinson has maintained her innocence.

State Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, has been granted a yearlong delay for his federal campaign finance trial, the Tennessee Journal reports. Originally scheduled to begin next month, the trial was reset by U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw to Jan. 23, 2023. The motion to delay the case was made by Kelsey’s legal team and was unopposed by the U.S. attorney’s office or co-defendant Josh Smith. Kelsey’s attorney Paul Bruno told the court that he is scheduled to go to trial in a quadruple homicide case in January and did not believe he had enough time to prepare for both trials. Kelsey faces charges of funneling campaign funds from his state account through other political action committees to the American Conservative Union, which then allegedly spent the funds on Kelsey’s unsuccessful bid for the 8th Congressional District in 2016. Kelsey has denied any wrongdoing.

The House Select Committee on Redistricting today voted to advance its own draft state map that would eliminate five House Democratic seats, the Tennessean reports. The proposal drew criticism from House Democrats, who argued Republicans reshaped the lines for political gain. Democrats released their redistricting plan yesterday. The committee also heard presentations on proposals submitted by the public, although most maps did not meet the House redistricting guidelines. Tennessee Lookout reports that a staff member for Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery was one of those submitting a plan, raising questions from some. Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, questioned whether the move was a conflict of interest since the attorney general’s office will have to defend the final maps if suits are filed. Slatery’s office said the staffer submitted the plan “on his own time and as a private citizen.” The committee is tentatively set to meet again the week of Jan. 10 to approve a new map for congressional seats.

Tennessee Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, is continuing to gather information in a series of statewide meetings focused on reforms to the bail system, Tennessee Lookout reports. Hearings held during the summer study session pitted criminal law reformers, who argued defendants are kept in jail only because they can’t afford to make bail, against victim advocates, who argued that dangerous defendants need to stay in jail to protect the public. Others expressed concern about no-bail or low-bail programs in some of the nation’s largest cities they say are causing a spike in violent crime. And bail agents expressed concern that their business would be in jeopardy under some of the proposed changes. Observers expect Haile to introduce new legislation in the new session.

Tennessee House Majority Whip Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville, has named Rep. Greg Vital, R-Harrison, as deputy whip for the 112th Tennessee General Assembly, Chattanoogan.com reports. In his new role, Vital will assist in counting votes as well as communicating with members about the party’s position on issues or important legislative initiatives. Vital joins other deputy whips Rebecca Alexander, R-Jonesborough; Tandy Darby, R-Greenfield; John Gillespie, R-Memphis; Tim Hicks, R-Gray; Eddie Mannis, R-Knoxville; Lowell Russell, R-Vonore; and Todd Warner, R-Chapel Hill.

A recent TBA Today item on new appointments to the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility misidentified state Sen. Richard Briggs' district. He represents District 7, which is a part of Knox County.

Tennessee Rep. Bruce Griffey, R-Paris, has filed legislation just ahead of next year’s legislative session that would eliminate K-12 education funding for undocumented immigrants, WATE reports. The legislation would challenge a 1982 landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Plyler v. Doe, which held that students cannot be denied a free public education due to their immigration status. Griffey says his proposal is not anti-immigrant but an effort to return power over funding decisions to the states.

A U.S. Senate panel this week advanced a bipartisan bill that would overhaul the federal judiciary's PACER electronic court record system and make the downloading of filings free for the public, Courthouse News reports. The bill now goes to the full U.S. Senate for consideration. The judiciary, which previously estimated it received $142 million in PACER fees last year, says it remains "concerned" about how the service will be paid for under the legislation. Users now pay $0.10 per page with a cap of $3 per document (with transcripts excluded). Advocacy groups have long called for free use of the database.