Tennessee Leger

Sen. Bill Ketron (R-13) filed the following Bills to legalize the sale of wine in grocery stores. This legislation is an extraordinarily popular measure among voters, and could create thousands of new jobs for Tennesseans.

SB0316 would create an additional class of licenses allowing the sale of wine at certain retail food stores; requires person purchasing wine at certain retail food stores to present photo identification.

SB0317 would allow the sale of wine in retail food stores where sales of alcoholic beverages for on premises consumption has been approved, but does not allow sale of wine in retail food stores where sales of alcoholic beverages in retail package stores has been approved.

SB0318 would allow local jurisdictions to hold a referendum concerning the sale of wine in retail food stores; creates license for sale of wine in retail food stores.

SB0319 would create an additional class of licenses allowing the sale of wine at certain retail food stores; requires person purchasing wine at certain retail food stores to present photo identification. This Bill is identical to SB0316, but broadly captioned for all of Title 37 (Intoxicating Liquors).

SB0320 would allow retail package stores to sell ice, soft drinks and fruit juices, mixes normally associated with alcohol beverages, glassware, and corkscrews and other wine-related items, in addition to alcoholic beverages.

SB0322 would allow sale of wine in retail food stores where sales of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption has been approved but does not allow sale of wine in retail food stores where sales of alcoholic beverages in retail package stores has been approved. This Bill is identical to SB0317, but broadly captioned for all of Title 37 (Intoxicating Liquors).

Sen. Andy Berke (D-10) filed SB0279 which would require the state board of education to develop a green jobs vocational and technical education program.

Sen. Andy Berke (D-10) filed SB0272 which would require corporations to file statements of contributions and expenditures when using corporate funds to aid in either the election or defeat of a candidate; requires corporations to disclose such corporate paid-for public communication when it expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate.

Sen. Andy Berke (D-10) filed SB0271 which would create new lottery scholarship programs for students preparing to become teachers; requires THEC, TBR, and UT to assist colleges in establishing joint teacher preparation programs with nonprofit organizations and LEAs to meet the requirements of one of the scholarships.

Sen. Andy Berke (D-10) filed SB0270 which would create a rebuttable presumption that price-gouging has occurred if, upon proclamation of or during a state of emergency, there is a price increase of twenty-five percent (25%) or more on certain goods or services from the average price at which the same or similar goods or services were offered in the seller’s usual course of business during the thirty (30) days prior to the declaration of a state of emergency.

Sen. Andy Berke (D-10) filed SB0269 which would enact the “Drinking Water Access and Resources Planning Act” to better insure all Tennesseans have access to safe drinking water.

Sen. Andy Berke (D-10) filed SB0268 which would provide for erection of directional signs for the Children’s Holocaust Memorial at Whitwell Middle School on Interstate 24 in Marion County.

Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey (R-2) filed SB0256 which would require the TBI to conduct background investigations for persons appointed by the speaker of the senate or the speaker of the house. Currently only the governor and chief justice are permitted to request such background checks on candidates for the following positions:

(1) Attorney general and reporter;
(2) Clerk of the supreme court (appellate court clerk);
(3) Administrative director of the courts;
(4) Executive director, Tennessee lawyers’ assistance program;
(5) Chief disciplinary counsel, board of professional responsibility;
(6) Executive director, Tennessee commission on continuing legal education and specialization; and
(7) Executive director, Tennessee lawyers’ fund for client protection.

Sen. Jim Tracy (R-16) filed SB0267 which would create a sales and use tax exemption for purchase of building supplies for construction of storm or tornado shelters purchased between July 1, 2011, and December 31, 2011. The exemption is similar to that already made for flood recovery.

Sen. Jim Tracy (R-16) filed SB0266 which would require people to give notice to department of revenue when title to a motor vehicle is transferred; relieves responsibility of seller of a motor vehicle for actions taken by purchasers of such motor vehicles.