HB0056/SB0039: Another Unnecessary Bill in Tennessee’s Playbook of Performative Legislation

Tennessee’s Republican supermajority has a habit of introducing bills that sound strong but lack the teeth to be truly effective—laws that make headlines but do little to bring about real change.

However, HB0056/SB0039 is a different kind of unnecessary legislation. Instead of being a bill that tries to look effective while accomplishing little, this bill tries to be effective when it doesn’t even need to exist in the first place.

 The legislation proposes allowing county commissions to remove their own appointees with a two-thirds vote, but here’s the problem:

County commissions already have this power under Robert’s Rules of Order or by passing their own governing procedures.

So why is this bill even necessary?

 Under Robert’s Rules of Order, which governs parliamentary procedures, appointees can already be removed through established mechanisms:

 1.     If the county commission made the appointment, they typically have the authority to remove that appointee.

2.     If an appointment was made by an individual (e.g., a mayor), that authority generally rests with the appointing individual.

3.     County commissions have the power to pass their own local rules governing appointment removals, ensuring that they maintain control over the process without needing state intervention.

 This means that any county commission that wants a process for removing appointees can already create one—no new state law is needed.

 So, why is HB0056/SB0039 being introduced? What problem is it trying to solve that isn’t already covered by existing rules?

 HB0056/SB0039 does not create new authority—it only reaffirms powers that county commissions already have.

 If a commission wants to remove an appointee, it can already:

• Introduce a motion and vote on removal
• Rescind an appointment with a majority or two-thirds vote, depending on circumstances
• Modify their own local rules to set a removal process

 This raises the bigger question:

 If removals are already possible, what is the real reason for this bill?

 Unlike the many bills passed in Tennessee that appear strong but are deliberately designed to lack enforcement, this bill wants to be effective but doesn’t need to be.

That raises two key concerns:

1.     Why introduce a bill that grants power the county commissions already have?

2.     What’s the real motivation behind this legislation?

 If the legislature’s goal was to fix a broken system, this bill would make sense. But there’s no broken system—there’s already a clear process for removal through Robert’s Rules and local commission policies.

 Looking at the context of the bill, it’s clear this legislation was brought forward for political reasons, not practical governance.

 Instead of using already available removal processes, this bill seeks to legislate a new process that allows for politically motivated purges. If county commissions already have the power to remove appointees, then HB0056/SB0039 serves no real purpose except to create an unnecessary state mandate that could be weaponized for political gain.

 Tennessee voters have seen countless Republican-backed bills that claim to take a stand but are written with no enforcement mechanisms—bills that exist to generate headlines rather than results.

HB0056/SB0039 is something even more ridiculous. It doesn’t just lack impact—it is entirely unnecessary.

If county commissions already have the ability to remove appointees, then why does this bill exist?

• It doesn’t grant new powers.
• It doesn’t solve an actual problem.
• It is more about political maneuvering than governance reform.

Tennessee lawmakers should stop wasting time on legislation that serves no purpose and start passing bills that actually make a difference—because right now, this bill is just another example of performative politics, and Tennessee voters deserve better.

The bill slated to be heard in State & Local Government Committee on 2/19/2025. Please reach out to your legislator to express your views on this or any other piece of legislation passing through this current session.

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