Tennessee General Assembly
General information
Type:	State legislature
Term limits:	None
Session start:	January 14, 2020
Website:	Official General Assembly Page
Leadership
Senate President:	Randy McNally (R)
House Speaker:	Cameron Sexton (R)
Majority Leader:	Senate: Jack Johnson (R) House: William Lamberth (R)
Minority Leader:	Senate: Jeff Yarbro (D) House: Karen Camper (D)
Structure
Members:	33 (Senate), 99 (House)
Length of term:	4 years (Senate),2 years (House)
Authority:	Art III, Tennessee Constitution
Salary:	$22,667/year + per diem
Elections
Last election:	November 6, 2018
Next election:	November 3, 2020
Redistricting:	Tennessee General Assembly has control
Meeting place:

In 2020, theTennessee State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 14 and adjourn on June 19.

Several state legislatures suspended their sessions or otherwise limited legislative activity in response to thecoronavirus pandemic. TheTennessee State Legislature suspended its session, effective March 19, 2020, until June 1, 2020. The legislature adjourned on June 19, 2020. A special session convened on August 10, 2020, and adjourned on August 12, 2020.^[1]

Republicans had aveto-proof supermajority this legislative session, just as they did in2019. Following the2018 election, Republicans had a 28-5 supermajorityin the Senate and a 73-26 supermajorityin the House. The party also controlled the governorship, creating a Republicanstate government trifecta.

Click the links to read more about the 2020state Senate andstate House elections.
Click the links to read more about the 2018state Senate andstate House elections.

Partisan control in 2020

See also:State government trifectas

Tennessee was one of 21 Republicanstate government trifectas at the start of 2020 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 22 state legislatures where one party had aveto-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 aveto-proof majority or, sometimes, asupermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures,click here.

The following tables show the partisan breakdown of theTennessee State Legislature in the 2020 legislative session.

Tennessee State Senate

Between 1992 and 2020, 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 in2004 and, by2018, expanded their majority to 28-5. The table below shows the partisan history of the Tennessee State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2018. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin'sParty Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

There was little change in the partisan balance of the state Senate between 1992 and2002. In the2004 elections, Republicans gained two seats and took control of the chamber. The largest movement in partisan balance occurred as a result of the2012 elections, when Republicans picked up six seats. By 2018, the Republican majority had expanded to 28-5.

Tennessee House of Representatives

Between 1992 and 2020, 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 in2008 and, by2018, expanded their majority to 73-26. The table below shows the partisan history of the Tennessee House of Representatives following every general election from 1992 to 2018. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin'sParty Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Republicans made small gains in most elections between 1996 and2006. In the2008 elections, Republicans gained four seats and took control of the chamber. The following election, in2010, was the most significant shift in partisan control between 1992 and 2018. Republicans gained 14 seats in 2010 and followed up those gains with another seven seats picked up in the2012 elections.

Leadership in 2020

Tennessee State Senate

• Senate president: Randy McNally (R)
• Senate president pro tempore: Ferrell Haile (R)
• Majority leader: Jack Johnson (R)
• Minority leader: Jeff Yarbro (D)

Tennessee House of Representatives

• Speaker of the House: Cameron Sexton (R)
• Majority leader: William Lamberth (R)
• Minority leader: Karen Camper (D)

Regular session

The following widget shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2020 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 2020. This information is provided by BillTrack50.

Standing legislative committees

See also:Standing committee andList of committees in Tennessee state government

Astanding committee of astate 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 2020 legislative session, there were38 standing committees in Tennessee's state government, including15 joint legislative committees,9 state Senate committees, and14 state House committees.

Joint legislative committees

Senate committees

House committees

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 forreferring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states,initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are alsomany other types of statewide measures.

The methods by which the Tennessee Constitution can be amended:

See also:Section 3 of Article XI of the Tennessee Constitution andLaws governing ballot measures in Tennessee

TheTennessee Constitution can be amended in two ways—through the legislative process, or a state constitutional convention.

Legislature

See also:Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

In Tennessee, thestate 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:

Convention

See also:Convention-referred constitutional amendment

According toSection 3 of Article XI of theTennessee Constitution, thestate 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.

See also

Elections	Tennessee State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
Tennessee State Senate elections, 2020 Tennessee House of Representatives elections, 2020	Tennessee General Assembly Tennessee House of Representatives Tennessee State Senate Governor of Tennessee Tennessee Supreme Court	State legislative elections, 2020 State legislative special elections, 2020 State legislative elections, 2018 State legislative elections, 2016	State government trifectas State government triplexes Veto overrides in state legislatures State executives State courts Ballot measures The State Legislative Decade

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Tennessee General Assembly homepage

Footnotes