Senate passes toll road legislation
Sen. Tim Burchett, a Knoxville Republican, says he introduced the bill for national security reasons.
The Legislature last year approved a pilot program that would allow one toll road and one toll bridge project in Tennessee. No project has yet been approved.
The House Transportation Committee is scheduled to take up the companion bill on Tuesday.
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The state Senate has voted unanimously make it a crime for illegal immigrants to use falsified federal identification to gain employment.
Without debate, the Senate unanimously passed the bill and another that would make it a misdemeanor for anyone who manufactures the falsified documents.
The companion bills have yet to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee.
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The state Senate has passed a bill to increase penalties for drunken drivers if children riding in their cars are injured or killed.
The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed the bill sponsored by Sen. Mark Norris, a Collierville Republican. The measure would classify drunken driving accidents that cause injuries as vehicular assault, which would cause first-time convicted drivers to lose their licenses for a year in addition to any prison time.
Drunken-driving accidents that cause the death of children would be classified as vehicular homicide, which would allow a judge to strip the driver’s license for three to 10 years. The bill does not address current laws for hurting people in other cars in a DUI accident.
The companion bill has been assigned to a subcommittee of the House Finance Committee.