The special session of the Tennessee General Assembly opened Monday, October 18th, to undertake to formulate and expedite the requirements for the eventual establishment of the Ford Motor Company enterprise, aka Blue Oval City, at the Memphis Regional Megasite.
Several bills have been introduced in this regard:
— HB8001, (William Lamberth, R-Portland) and SB8001 (Jack Johnson, R-Franklin): This bill amends the prior definition of the Megasite.
— HB8002, (Lamberth) and SB8002 (Johnson): The bill will secure funding for the site’s first-year startup.
— HB8003, (Rusty Grills, R-Newbern): The bill attempts to guarantee that workers at the site be protected from work penalties relating to their vaccination history, or lack of it.
The Senate is keeping its regular committees in place for the special session, but House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) is appointing special panels to hear the Ford incentive bills and other legislation. Here are the special House committees: Commerce Chair: Nathan Vaughan (R-Memphis); Health and Safety Chair: Brian Terry (R-Murfreesboro); Finance, Ways, and Means Chair: Patsy Hazelwood (R-Signal Mountain); Calendar and Rules Chair: Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville).
Sexton also announced that legislation will be taken up that will, among other things, “establish uniform standards regarding facial coverings, vaccinations, and other restrictions relative to COVID-19; to address the enforcement and use of state funds by public and private entities for restrictions relative to COVID-19; to address adverse actions against an employee based on an employee’s vaccination status; to address the federal government’s commandeering of public and private resources relative to COVID-19; and to address the federal government’s penalizing, or taxation of, citizens of this state through enforcement of restrictions relative to COVID-19 …”
