(The Center Square) – The Hamilton County Principals Association is opposing a bill that would give Tennessee school districts the authority to ban students who are in the country illegally.

Senate Bill 836 is on the Friday calendar for a Senate vote.

The association said Wednesday it is asking the Hamilton County School Board to pass a resolution that says it will give all Hamilton County children access to school.

“As educators, our mission is clear: we are dedicated to creating safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments where all students can thrive,” the association said. “Efforts to exclude children from school due to their immigration status undermine this mission, threaten the well-being of vulnerable communities, and harm the future of our nation.”

A coalition of Tennessee pastors, Christian faith leaders, and faith-based nonprofits are also encouraging lawmakers to defeat the bill.

“Access to education creates paths of opportunity and enables the dreams of children – regardless of their country of origin – to come into reach,” the group said in a letter to lawmakers. “We are calling on you to consider the impact of your vote and steward the influence you have to create welcoming communities for the neighbors Christ commands us to love as ourselves.”

Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, tied his bill to the increased cost of funding English learning programs, known as ELL.

“While ELL incorporates both documented as well as undocumented students, it is difficult or impossible to tease out the difference between the two,” Watson said. “And so I use ELL funding as a correlation as to what may be happening with the undocumented community.”

The House version of the bill, sponsored by Rep. William Lamberth, passed the House Government Operations Committee on Monday. It now goes to the Finance, Ways and Means Committee.

(The Center Square) – A controversial bill over the legal liability of pesticide makers was moved to 2026 by a Tennessee House committee a week after the Senate passed it.

The bill’s sponsors said the bill only pertains to the legal liability when it pertains to the warning label required by the Environmental Protection Division.

Opponents said they were afraid the bill would discourage people with legitimate complaints from suing chemical makers.

Lawmakers in both chambers heard hours of testimony from both sides.

Rep. Clay Doggett, R-Pulaski, moved a motion at a Tuesday meeting to move the bill to 2026 and possibly create a study committee.

“There’s a lot of questions that have been asked and a lot of information and I think folks would like to hear more from stakeholders,” Doggett said.

The Senate passed its version 21-7.

“The bill does not prevent anyone from suing,” said Sen. John Stevens, R-Huntingdon. “It does limit the liability in the event that there is a claim related to the label.”

Similar bills have been introduced in other states. A bill in Georgia is waiting on Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature. North Dakota, Florida and Missouri have bills moving through their legislatures.

Bayer, the maker of the weedkiller Roundup, has faced several lawsuits. Earlier this year, a Georgia jury awarded a man $2.1 billion in a lawsuit against Bayer. The man said the product caused his cancer.

(The Center Square) – Rep. John Clemmons, D-Nashville, made it clear that he was frustrated during the debate over a bill that would allow school districts to ban children illegally in the country.

House Bill 793, sponsored by Rep. William Lamberth, R-Portland, would also allow schools to charge tuition to students who could not provide documents that show they are citizens or in the country legally.

Clemmons said the bill is about “punishing innocent children.”

“I’ve given up on trying to compel people with empathy or heart, love, anything like that so I’m going to talk money,” Clemmons said. “This bill would drain over a billion dollars in federal funds from the state to carry out an unconstitutional policy. LEA’s would lose $70 million plus in TISA funding. If I sound frustrated, if I sound mad as hell, it’s because I am.”

LEA is an acronym for local education agency; TISA is an acronym for Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement.

When given a chance to respond, Lamberth said, “I am sure you spent some time over the weekend thinking about that and I appreciate you sharing it with us.”

Rep. Monty Fritts, R-Kingston, acknowledged the large crowd in the committee room that opposed the bill. They later booed him.

“We’re not talking about immigrants, we’re talking about illegals,” Fritts said to boos from the crowd. “There is a distinct difference.”

The crowd began to recite “The Lord’s Prayer” as the Committee Chairman Justin Lafferty, R-Knoxville, called for the vote. The committee recessed until the room cleared. 

The bill passed along party lines, with Republican Rep. Jeremy Faison of Cosby joining Democrats. Its next stop is the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee.

The scenario was similar to one that played out in the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee last week.

Several people started singing “Jesus Loves the Little Children” after the bill was passed. The committee recessed, and Tennessee State Troopers were called in to remove the protestors, who were holding signs in the committee room.

The Senate version of the bill has cleared all committees and could go before the full chamber this week.