Lawmakers scramble to conclude Tennessee legislative session

Friday, April 15, 2016, Vol. 40, No. 16

NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee lawmakers are scrambling to try to conclude their business for the year on Wednesday.

The House started the day with a lengthy list of bills pending, including efforts to cut the Hall tax on investment income, to overhaul sentencing for gang violence and increase penalties for texting while driving.

The Senate also had a number of measures to consider, including one that would strip the University of Tennessee's Office of Diversity and Inclusion of state funding and use the money for minority scholarships.

Pending bills also included a proposal that would strengthen penalties for authority figures who commit statutory rape and a tax credit for small business investors.

With the state's $33.9 billion spending plan passed last week, lawmakers had already met their most important constitutional requirement.