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2023 Tennessee legislative session
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2024 →
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| 2023 Tennessee legislative session |
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| General information |
| Session start: January 10, 2023 Session end: April 21, 2023 |
| Leadership |
| Senate President Randy McNally House Speaker |
| Elections |
| Next Election: November 5, 2024 Last Election: November 8, 2022 |
| Previous legislative sessions |
| 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
| Other 2023 legislative sessions |
In 2023, the Tennessee State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 10, 2023, and adjourn on April 21, 2023.
The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2022 elections. Republicans won a 27-6 majority in the Senate and a 75-23 majority with one vacancy in the House. The party also controlled the governorship, creating a Republican state government trifecta. At the start of the 2023 session, Tennessee was one of 18 state legislatures where the Republican Party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.
Leadership in 2023
Tennessee State Senate
- Senate president: Randy McNally (R)
- Majority leader: Jack Johnson (R)
- Minority leader: Raumesh Akbari (D)
Tennessee House of Representatives
- Speaker of the House: Cameron Sexton (R)
- Majority leader: William Lamberth (R)
- Minority leader: Karen Camper (D)
Partisan control in 2023
- See also: State government trifectas
Tennessee was one of 22 Republican state government trifectas at the start of 2023 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.
Tennessee was also one of 18 state legislatures where the Republican Party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.
The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Tennessee State Legislature in the 2023 legislative session.
Tennessee State Senate
| Party | As of January 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 6 | |
| Republican Party | 27 | |
| Total | 33 | |
Tennessee House of Representatives
| Party | As of January 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 23 | |
| Republican Party | 75 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 99 | |
Regular session
The list below shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2023 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2023. This information is provided by BillTrack50.
Standing legislative committees
A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.
At the beginning of the 2023 legislative session, there were 28 standing committees in Tennessee's state government, including three joint legislative committees, nine state Senate committees, and 16 state House committees.
Joint legislative committees
- Fiscal Review Committee
- Government Operations Committee
- Pensions and Insurance Committee
Senate committees
- Commerce and Labor Committee
- Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
- Finance, Ways and Means Committee
- Health and Welfare Committee
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate Government Operations Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- State & Local Government Committee
- Transportation and Safety Committee
House committees
- Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
- Calendar and Rules Committee
- Civil Justice Committee
- Commerce Committee
- Criminal Justice Committee
- Education Administration Committee
- Education Instruction Committee
- Finance, Ways, and Means Committee
- Health Committee
- House Government Operations Committee
- Insurance Committee
- Local Government Committee
- Naming and Designating Committee
- Naming, Designating and Private Acts Committee
- State Government Committee
- Transportation Committee
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods by which the Tennessee Constitution can be amended:
The Tennessee Constitution can be amended in two ways—through the legislative process, or a state constitutional convention.
Legislature
In Tennessee, the state Legislature must pass a constitutional amendment during two successive legislative sessions with an election in between. During the first legislative session, a simple majority vote is required in both legislative chambers. During the second legislative session, a two-thirds vote is required in both legislative chambers. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot. In Tennessee, amendments must be placed on general election ballots in which there is also a gubernatorial election.
The required legislative votes per session, assuming no vacancies, are listed below:
| Requirements to refer constitutional amendments in Tennessee | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session | Requirement | Senate | House | |||
| First | Simple majority vote | 17 | 50 | |||
| Second | Two-thirds vote | 22 | 66 | |||
Convention
According to Section 3 of Article XI of the Tennessee Constitution, the state Legislature can vote to refer a constitutional convention question to voters. A simple majority vote is required in the Legislature.
Historical partisan control
The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Tennessee.
Tennessee Party Control: 1992-2024
Five years of Democratic trifectas • Fourteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | D | D | D | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | S | S | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Historical Senate control
Between 1992 and 2022, partisan control of the Tennessee State Senate shifted in favor of the Republican Party. As a result of the 1992 elections, Democrats held a 19-14 majority. Republicans flipped the chamber in 2004 and, by 2022, expanded their majority to 27-6. The table below shows the partisan history of the Tennessee State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Tennessee State Senate election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Republicans | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 |
There was little change in the partisan balance of the state Senate between 1992 and 2002. In the 2004 elections, Republicans gained two seats and took control of the chamber. The largest movement in partisan balance occurred as a result of the 2012 elections, when Republicans picked up six seats. By 2022, the Republican majority had expanded to 27-6.
Historical House control
Between 1992 and 2022, partisan control of the Tennessee House of Representatives shifted in favor of the Republican Party. As a result of the 1992 elections, Democrats held a 63-36 majority. Republicans flipped the chamber in 2008 and, by 2022, expanded their majority to 75-24. The table below shows the partisan history of the Tennessee House of Representatives following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Tennessee House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 63 | 59 | 61 | 59 | 57 | 54 | 53 | 53 | 49 | 34 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 24 |
| Republicans | 36 | 40 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 45 | 46 | 46 | 50 | 64 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 73 | 73 | 75 |
Republicans made small gains in most elections between 1996 and 2006. In the 2008 elections, Republicans gained four seats and took control of the chamber. The following election, in 2010, was the most significant shift in partisan control between 1992 and 2022. Republicans gained 14 seats in 2010 and followed up those gains with another seven seats picked up in the 2012 elections.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job.
Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. But that's just the beginning of what it can do:
- Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments
- We translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language
- And because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan
See also
| Elections | Tennessee State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
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External links
Footnotes
