Senate backbenchers: Two can play at that game
Not to be outdone by House backbenchers filing the bulk of the bills in the ongoing special session on dialing back COVID-19 mandates, a handful of Senators who otherwise have little legislative clout have followed suit in a big way.
Sen. Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) is sponsoring 27 bills, Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) has 12, Sen. Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) as signed on to 11, and Sen. Frank Niceley (R-Strawberry Plains) is backing 10. Together, the four senators account for 60 of 84 bills filed before the deadline, or 71% of the total.
Here’s full breakdown.
- Mark Pody (R-Lebanon): 27
- Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma): 12
- Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald): 11
- Frank Niceley (R-Strawberry Plains): 10
- Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge): 9
- Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville): 4
- Mike Bell (R-Riceville): 2
- Paul Rose (R-Covington): 2
- Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis): 2
- Ed Jackson (R-Jackson): 2
- Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield): 1
- Steve Southerland (R-Morristown): 1
- Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville): 1
