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After Weeks Of Debate, We're Watching Governor Haslam's Veto Pen

The Tennessee General Assembly adjourned for the year late Friday, though there was some discussion about keeping the session going in case of a veto.
Chas Sisk
/
WPLN
The Tennessee General Assembly adjourned for the year late Friday, though there was some discussion about keeping the session going in case of a veto.

WPLN's Chas Sisk and Blake Farmer discuss which bills could be vetoed and why the legislature considered keeping its session going just in case.

Tennessee legislators were running out of Cheetos and cold coffee by the end of the session, which dragged on a couple of days longer than expected. One of the final debates was about whether to adjourn at all, just in case Governor Bill Haslam decided to issue another veto.

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In 2014, Governor Haslam said he could not support a total repeal of the Hall tax.

It doesn't sound like Haslam will veto the bill allowing therapists to pass on clients who they can't in good conscience treat.

Allowing guns on college campuses will get extra scrutiny.

UT's diversity office was stripped of its fundingfor one year, and the money won't go to "In God We Trust" decals.

There is some question about whether Haslam can actually veto a resolution, not a bill. And the proposal to sue the federal government over refugee resettlement is a resolution.

The last debate was about whether to formally end the session or leave open the option to come back and override a veto. But eagerness to hit the campaign trail and start raising money won the day.

Copyright 2016 WPLN News

Blake Farmer
Blake Farmer is WPLN's assistant news director, but he wears many hats - reporter, editor and host. He covers the Tennessee state capitol while also keeping an eye on Fort Campbell and business trends, frequently contributing to national programs. Born in Tennessee and educated in Texas, Blake has called Nashville home for most of his life.
Chas joined WPLN in 2015 after eight years with The Tennessean, including more than five years as the newspaper's statehouse reporter.Chas has also covered communities, politics and business in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. Chas grew up in South Carolina and attended Columbia University in New York, where he studied economics and journalism. Outside of work, he's a dedicated distance runner, having completed a dozen marathons