Tennessee Senate adopts schedule, suspends rules for two House joint resolutions and reconvenes later this week

The Tennessee Senate opened, established a quorum (31 members present), and moved through routine organizational business including the adoption of next week’s schedule. Leader Johnson moved adoption of the schedule, the chamber said "aye" without recorded opposition and the schedule was adopted.

Leader Johnson then moved to suspend the rules for immediate consideration and adoption of House Joint Resolution 741, which sets observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and reconvening times; the rules were suspended and the resolution was adopted without objection. He later moved suspension of the rules and adoption of House Joint Resolution 742, which calls for a joint convention to hear the governor’s state-of-the-state address and sets related transmittal and filing dates; that motion also carried without objection.

The leader also moved — pursuant to relevant Senate rules cited on the floor — that a list of senate bills be passed on first consideration and that another group be passed on second consideration and referred to appropriate standing committees or held on the clerk’s desk; the motions were accepted without objection.

Before recessing for ethics training, Leader Johnson moved the Senate’s annual ethics training be led by Bill Young and his staff; the motion carried and the body recessed. After the training the Senate returned and adjourned until 8:30 a.m. Wednesday next.