Image: House Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee Chair Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville-District 42) places HB0069 behind the budget due to $800K Fiscal Note. Image Credit: TN General Assembly
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A bill that would prevent Tennessee voter registration for illegal immigrants and convicted felons may be dead for the year.
House Bill 0069 (HB0069) sponsored by House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland-District 44) was placed behind the budget on Wednesday due to an $800 thousand fiscal note.
Lamberth stated yesterday that most of the note would be covered by a grant and said he has “high hopes” that the bill will make it back out.
HB0069 establishes “major safeguards to strengthen election integrity in Tennessee” by setting up new verification systems and requiring visual distinctions on the face of photo IDs.
The legislation would accomplish three main objectives by January 1st, 2028:
First, it requires that the Secretary of State work with local and state election officials to create a secure electronic portal for county election administrators to verify United States citizenship and voter eligibility.
Second, it requires that the coordinator of elections, in collaboration with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, to create a similar portal to verify whether someone is ineligible to vote because of a felony conviction.
Third, the legislation would require a visual distinction, such as a color or font on the face of a photo identification license, to differentiate the class designation for the purpose of voting.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
