By Nicole June

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – State Representative Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville) has sponsored fifteen bills (the limit is 15) this legislative session.

Updates will be provided on the progress of these bills in the system.

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Among these bills are:

Hiring Preferences for Veterans – House Bill 165/Senate Bill 209 (Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) was brought to local leaders by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Pitts said many companies would like to give special consideration for hiring veterans because of their unique skill sets, proven work ethic, and reliability, but may be hesitant to do so out of concern of being sued under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

However, Pitts said Title VII, Section 11 of the Civil Rights Act contains a carve-out that exempts veterans’ preference processes that are authorized by state statute.

“This legislation was killed last year by the Consumer and Human Resources Sub Committee by a voice vote,” Pitts said. “I feel that our veterans have earned this preference and I intend to work very hard for its passage this year.”

Property Tax Relief for Veterans, Disabled and Elderly Homeowners – House Bill 20/Senate Bill 23 (Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) is an attempt to undo the changes made to this program in 2015 by the passage of the “Save the Tax Relief Act”, sponsored by Rep. John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge).

Some of the changes have been undone, but the one component that was not is market value of the home. In 2015, the market value was lowered from $175,000 for veterans to $100,000 and for the disabled and elderly from $25,000 to $23,500. This legislation, if passed will raise the market value of the home back to the limit it was in 2014.

“I am hopeful the Tennessee General Assembly realizes we needlessly complicated and derailed a successful program in 2015,” Pitts said. “Given the current budget surplus, we should turn the clock back on this mistake and enact this change.”

DUI Memorial Sign Program – House Bill 21/Senate Bill 17 (Sen. Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield) was requested by a Scott County woman who had applied for a memorial sign in honor of her deceased daughter, Shadow “Shada” Brooke Lowe who was killed by a drunk driver.

Pitts said the woman’s request was denied because previous legislation passed by Pitts (Tyler Head Memorial sign bill) required the drunk driver to have been convicted of DUI.

In her situation, the drunk driver was killed in the same crash, so there was no conviction. This legislation known as the Shadow “Shada” Brooke Lowe will allow for families of victims of drunk drivers where the drunk driver was also killed to be able to have a sign erected in their family member’s honor.