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State Senate Okays Legislation To Protect Workers’ Freedom, Enhance School Security

This information comes from 28th District State Sen. Joey Hensley, MD, R-Hohenwald, who represents Giles, Lewis, Marshall and Maury counties, Tennessee Senate Protects Workers’ Freedom The Senate has reaffirmed its commitment to protect workers’ freedom by passing legislation to prevent coercion in union-organizing elections and secure workers’ rights to secret ballot union elections.

When a workers vote on unionizing, it is often done in an open election with workers’ choices made public to union organizers.

Due to the lack of privacy of the vote, many workers are subjected to a public pressure campaign by union officials seeking to unionize the workplace. That process is called card check. Senate Bill 650 would require employers that accept state incentives to honor employees’ rights to a secret-ballot union election and end card check practices.

Workers deserve to make that choice privately based on what’s right for them and not due to unrelenting pressure from union officials. Workers should never have to worry about their decision being used against them in the workplace. Tennessee awards taxpayer dollars to businesses and initiatives to incentivize growth and economic prosperity and provide quality jobs for Tennesseans.

With secret-ballot elections, workplaces receiving state taxpayer dollars can focus on what they were entrusted to do: create opportunities for Tennesseans to make a living, serve their communities, raise their families and keep the Volunteer State a beacon of prosperity. Senate passes enhanced school safety legislation As part of comprehensive measures to strengthen security at Tennessee schools, the Senate approved enhanced school safety legislation to improve safety standards and protocols at public and private schools.

Senate Bill 274 requires every public and private school to keep doors locked at all times while students are present and develop annual safety plans that must include a newly required incident command drill for school leaders and law enforcement to prepare for various emergencies. It authorizes local law enforcement to take corrective action against schools that fail to lock their doors. The legislation also creates new hardware security requirements for newly-built and remodeled schools. Any new schools built will have to: • Install classroom door locks that lock from the inside.

• Have security vestibules for visitor entry.

• Install a clear bullet-resistant or entry-resistant film on the glass panel of any exterior entry or basement-level window to prevent unauthorized individuals from entering.

• Have camera systems to continuously monitor each entrance hallway and communal area.

This legislation was proposed months ago, has been worked on throughout the session and results from input of every committee and an unwavering commitment to do all we can to prevent future tragedies like the one at Covenant School.

The important safety measures outlined in the bill will go a long way to ensuring our schools are secure. Removing violent students from classroom - If a student is involved in an act of violence, whether school related or not, the student is placed in alternative school.

"Senate Bill 1069, which I sponsored, grants directors of schools discretion to prevent further violence, " Hensley said.

"If a director of a school believes placing a student in an on-campus alternative school will endanger other students or staff, the bill allows them to instead place the student in a virtual alternative school." Ensuring fairness in girls’ sports "Senate Bill 1237, which I sponsored, would further protect girls’ sports in Tennessee by requiring private school students who compete in school sports or events as part of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) to do so in accordance with their sex at birth," Hensley said.

Legislation applying to public middle and high school interscholastic sports activities was approved by the General Assembly in 2021. State Sen. Hensley may be contacted at 425 Rep. John Lewis Way N., Suite 742, Nashville, TN 37243, at 615-741-3100, toll free at 1-800-449-8366 ext. 13100, or by fax at 615-253-0231. His district address is 855 Summertown Highway, Hohenwald, TN., 38462. His telephone number is 931-796-2018, his cell phone is 931-212-8823, and his email at: sen.joey.hensley@capitol.tn.gov


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