In anticipation of inclement weather this weekend in Tennessee, the state legislature has made changes to its schedule. The Senate has cancelled committee meetings and floor sessions for all of next week. The House has delayed floor proceedings until Wednesday. The deadline for filing legislative proposals remains unchanged for Feb. 2. The Tennessee Journal reported on the change.

Republican state lawmakers have announced a wide-ranging immigration package that seeks to make Tennessee a model for immigration crackdowns across the country. According to The Tennessean, leaders announced a package of about 10 bills that include those requiring state and local governments to verify individuals' legal status before distributing food assistance and housing benefits, tracking grade school students' immigration status, offering driver's tests in English only and criminalizing being present in the state after a final deportation order has been entered. The effort is aimed at "preserving legal immigration" while "protecting tax dollars, reducing fraud and ending sanctuary loopholes," said House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville. At a press conference announcing the measures, Sexton thanked the White House, U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and President Donald Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller for their collaboration of the legislation. In response to the announcement, Senate Democratic Leader Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, criticized the federal immigration system and said the legislature should prioritize lowering grocery and child care costs. The paper has a breakdown of the proposals.

State Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, says she will bypass a repeat bid for Congress in favor of running for reelection to the state legislature, Axios Nashville reports. Behn ran for Congress last month in a special U.S. House election. She bested a competitive Democratic primary field but lost to Matt Van Epps by nine percentage points. In a recent Instagram post, Behn said the campaign took a physical and emotional toll after she received "a daily deluge" of violent threats. Her family also was harassed and stalked online. "This decision is about keeping myself and my family safe while continuing to care loudly for my constituents," she said in a press release. Behn also announced she will use the remainder of her campaign funds to "build organizing capacity in Tennessee while honoring our campaign commitment to fund a Davidson County organizer for the '26 cycle."

House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, will not run for reelection this year, he announced in a social media post on Jan. 15. "My time has come to say goodbye. My time has come to say, 'this is it for me.' At the end of 16 years, this November, I'll say goodbye to this legislature for the last time," he said. "I have nothing but respect, admiration and love for each one of you, and the greatest amount of respect and love for this institution." Faison represents Cocke County and parts of Jefferson and Greene counties. He was first elected to the state legislature in 2010. He has been chair of the House Republican Caucus since 2019. The Tennessean reports on the news.

A proposal to place Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) under a state-appointed oversight board is advancing in the Tennessee legislature, though lawmakers remain divided over how much authority such a board should have. Memphis Republican sponsors Sen. Brent Taylor and Rep. Mark White have proposed an oversight board of local residents empowered to make final decisions on the district’s budget and superintendent. Chalkbeat reports that senate leaders have pushed back on limiting local political input, while Democrats oppose the measure outright, citing failed past state interventions. SB714/HB662 is likely headed to a conference committee after both chambers declined to adopt each other’s versions, setting the stage for a compromise. Last year, Taylor and White's legislation made its way through the committee process and was voted on by the House and Senate, but the two chambers could not reach a resolution. In related news, according to the Commercial Appeal, the Shelby County Commission on Monday voted to keep all nine MSCS school board seats on the ballot for reelection. Five MSCS board members and the district in December sued the Shelby County Election Commission, arguing that new state and county election changes unlawfully shorten their four-year terms by forcing them onto the 2026 ballot.

Tennessee lawmakers opened the second session of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly at noon CST today. Immigration legislation and proposed expansion of Gov. Bill Lee's Education Freedom Scholarship program are expected to be at the forefront of the session, according to Axios. In addition, Knox News reports that Republican leadership is working with the Trump administration to introduce a slate of immigration bills. Last summer, Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, introduced legislation that would remove elected officials from office, and subject them to felony charges, if they release confidential information about immigration operations. The Nashville Scene has more about that bill and other items expected to be on the legislative agenda. Finally, the Tennessean reports that in a rare move, the House passed its first bill of the session. HB884 would add new restrictions around where "adult oriented performances," including drag shows, can be performed, banning such performances within 1,000 feet of any church or child care facility.

State Rep. Gabby Salinas, D-Memphis, has introduced legislation to allow people to shelter from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in schools and churches. HB1482 would bar ICE personnel from all pre-K through 12 school grounds and all religious institution properties without first providing notice. Last year, the Department of Homeland Security said it was ending Biden-era restrictions on ICE and Border Patrol activities near churches, schools and other “sensitive” areas. Salinas says she is filing the bill now in response to a fatal shooting this week in Minneapolis by an ICE officer. The Daily Memphian has more.

A Tennessee Senate panel has recommended a pilot program requiring detention officers at the privately run Trousdale Turner Correctional Center to wear body cameras following a 2025 riot at the facility, despite opposition from the state’s corrections commissioner, Tennessee Lookout reports. Lawmakers said body cameras could help protect officers and inmates and provide clearer evidence for criminal prosecutions, while Corrections Commissioner Frank Strada raised concerns about cost, privacy and the burden of reviewing video, instead promoting a central intelligence center using artificial intelligence and other technology. CoreCivic officials said the company would work with the state on policy but have not agreed to fund the equipment, as legislators continue to weigh oversight measures amid ongoing scrutiny of safety, staffing and violence at the prison.

Former Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, will avoid jail time for her role in the Phoenix Solutions affair, the Nashville Banner newsletter reports. After co-conspirators — ex-Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff, Cade Cothren — received presidential pardons, Smith filed a motion in federal court on Nov. 19 seeking reconsideration of her original sentence: eight months in prison and a $7,500 fine. Since turning government witness, Smith originally received a lighter sentence than Cothren (30 months, $25,000) and Casada (three years, $30,000). Prosecutors said in response to Smith’s motion that a year of probation with no conditions or fine was appropriate, and a federal court filing on Monday amended Smith’s sentence as such. She was originally scheduled to report to federal prison in West Virginia on Monday but will now remain free.

State lawmakers may consider imposing a statewide cap on how much local governments can raise property taxes this year, The Tennessean reports. If adopted, the proposal would allow local governments to seek larger property tax increases by triggering a voter referendum. A spokesperson for Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell said the city relies on the ability to adjust property tax rates as property values change to maintain financial stability. Nashville residents have seen two significant property tax increases in recent years, including a 34% increase in 2020 and a 26% increase last year. No bill outlining the proposal has yet been filed.