Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature
Encyclopedia
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, providing students over with an education about Tennessee state government and a channel to express their opinions on state issues.
This model legislature convenes in the State Capitol for four days, typically in November. It consists of a Senate, a House of Representatives, and a Supreme Court as well as standing committees that discuss legislative bills that are also produced wholly by the students.
By the end of session, officers are elected to serve as an Executive Council that governs the organization for the following year. The Executive Council chooses from ten bills that have passed in both the House and the Senate and designates them as Priority Legislation to be presented to the Tennessee General Assembly
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
. Many of TISL's bills have become law.
TISL is a program of the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature Foundation, a 501(c)(3) educational corporation chartered by the State of Tennessee.
"Four days that will last the rest of your life..."
History
The history of the Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature is a story of students taking the initiative and providing leadership to organize themselves for learning about state government and expressing their views on state issues.In 1966, Dr. Douglas Carlisle, a political science professor at the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
at Knoxville, approached the Student Government Association with the concept of TISL. Dr. Carlisle was familiar with the North Carolina Student Legislature, which had been founded in 1937. He also helped to found the South Carolina Student Legislature in 1956, 10 years before TISL. Events of the 1960s were important to TISL's founding. President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's emphasis on student activism motivated young people across the nation before he was assassinated in 1963. His death heightened the resolve of many students to participate and make a difference.
Important federal laws under President Lyndon Johnson such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a landmark piece of legislation in the United States that outlawed major forms of discrimination against African Americans and women, including racial segregation...
, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other far-reaching programs were focusing attention on the role of government. Student activism over the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
was growing.
It was also an exciting time in Tennessee politics.
In Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, the Tennessee General Assembly was demonstrating the first stirrings of independence after decades under the control of the governor's office. The 1962 Baker v. Carr decision, a Tennessee case of national significance, led to the first redistricting of the legislature since 1900. This, in turn, produced a flood of new senators and representatives to change the political dynamic in the Capitol.
The legislature also began annual sessions after voters approved a constitutional amendment changing the legislative calendar. Consequently, Tennesseans were paying more attention to their state government than they'd paid in a long time. Republican Howard Baker
Howard Baker
Howard Henry Baker, Jr. is a former Senate Majority Leader, Republican U.S. Senator from Tennessee, White House Chief of Staff, and a former United States Ambassador to Japan.Known in Washington, D.C...
's election to the U.S. Senate in 1966 introduced two-party competition for statewide offices and raised interest in politics.
The UTK student most intrigued with the TISL concept was Phillip Moffitt. Together, Moffitt and Dr. Carlisle contacted other student government associations across the state. At Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
, they caught the interest of student Charles Bone. Bone and Moffitt were to become the first and second governors of TISL.
Records suggest that an organizational meeting occurred on the Vanderbilt campus in the spring or summer of 1966. The 1st General Assembly occurred in the fall at the State Capitol. Since that time, TISL has convened in nearly every academic year. The General Assembly has been displaced from the Capitol occasionally, usually because of construction. It has sometimes met in the auditorium of the War Memorial Building and in committee rooms of the Legislative Plaza.
The Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature Foundation was incorporated in 1976 under TISL Governor David Lillard Jr. and received a 501(c)(3) classification from the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
a year later as a further result of Lillard's work.
General officer duties
The eight-member Executive Council manages TISL through the year and prepares for the next General Assembly. Serving as an officer can be rewarding and expand your TISL experience.Officers are ambassadors for TISL, which means they frequently call on other campuses, university administrators and state officials. The best officers are self-motivated and self-confident as they initiate campus visits and other opportunities to advocate TISL.
In many respects, the Executive Council’s work throughout the year resembles a statewide political campaign with some of the same strategic planning scheduled execution.
Officers’ duties and responsibilities are enumerated in Article V of the TISL Constitution.
Officers are reimbursed for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses subject to an official expense policy.
Governor
CEO. Convenes Executive Council meetings and sets the agenda. The Governor is TISL’s primary ambassador to non-students such as alumni and state officials. The governor typically makes at least one statewide trip to visit colleges.Speaker of the Senate/House of Representatives
The speakers’ ability to preside over the Senate and House is a major factor in the success of the General Assembly. Speakers should be skilled in parliamentary procedureParliamentary procedure
Parliamentary procedure is the body of rules, ethics, and customs governing meetings and other operations of clubs, organizations, legislative bodies, and other deliberative assemblies...
. Each speaker will also select and appoint a Chief Clerk, Sergeant-at-Arms and other chamber officers.
The Speaker of the Senate uses the title "Lieutenant Governor" by custom, and is first in the line of succession to the governorship. The Speaker of the House is second in the line of succession.
Secretary of State
The Secretary of State is the official record keeper for TISL. He/She prepares minutes of each Executive Council meeting for prompt distribution to the Executive Council. The Secretary of State prepares and distributes legislation at the General Assembly and manages the flow of bills between committees, the Senate and the House.Attorney General
The Attorney General is the Executive Council’s expert about the Constitution and about other laws affecting TISL. The Attorney General works with the Supreme Court and administers elections at the General Assembly.State Treasurer
The Treasurer serves as TISL’s chief financial officer. He/She receives funds and deposits them in the bank, receives bills and expense reports and prepares checks to pay them, reconciles the bank account and otherwise oversees the finances.Speaker Pro Tempore of the Senate/House
The Pro Tempore of the House and Senate should be skilled in parliamentary procedure and effective in maintaining their respective chambers. Speaker Pro Tempore positions are next-in-command to the House Speaker and the Lieutenant Governor (Senate Speaker).Past Governors
Following is a list of the Governors of TISL and the schools they represented.| Year | Governor's Name | Governor's School |
|---|---|---|
| 1966-1967 | Phillip Moffitt | The University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
| 1967-1968 | Charles Bone | Vanderbilt University |
| 1968-1969 | Jonah Gray | East Tennessee State University |
| 1969-1970 | George DeJarnatt | Vanderbilt University |
| 1970-1971 | Chad McCullough | Tennessee Technological University |
| 1971-1972 | Frank Clement Jr. | The University of Memphis |
| 1972-1973 | David Fleming | Tennessee Technological University |
| 1973-1974 | Stephen Harris | East Tennessee State University |
| 1974-1975 | Roy Herron Roy Herron Roy Herron is the Tennessee State Senator for the 24th district. He was defeated as the 2010 Democratic nominee for U.S. Representative for November 2, 2010.... |
The University of Tennessee, Martin |
| 1975-1976 | Philip Sanford | Austin Peay State University |
| 1976-1977 | David Lillard Jr. | The University of Memphis |
| 1977-1978 | Jeff Wilson | The University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
| 1978-1979 | Douglas Littlejohn | The University of Memphis |
| 1979-1980 | David Mason | Austin Peay State University |
| 1980-1981 | Kem Morgan | The University of Tennessee, Chattanooga |
| 1981-1982 | Randy Wilmore | Tennessee Technological University |
| 1982-1983 | Tony Yates | Middle Tennessee State University |
| 1983-1984 | Mark Ross | Middle Tennessee State University |
| 1984-1985 | Mark Ross | Middle Tennessee State University |
| 1985-1986 | Nathan Poss | Cumberland University |
| 1986-1987 | Glenn Keesee | Vanderbilt University |
| 1987-1988 | Alan Crone | The University of Memphis |
| 1988-1989 | David Sanford | Lincoln Memorial University |
| 1990-1991 | Kevin O'Connor | The University of Memphis |
| 1991-1992 | Mark L. Sluder | Tennessee Technological University |
| 1992-1993 | Mark L. Sluder | Tennessee Technological University |
| 1993-1994 | Tre Hargett | The University of Memphis |
| 1994-1995 | Steven L. Denney | Tennessee Technological University |
| 1995-1996 | Russell A. Humphrey | The University of Memphis |
| 1996-1997 | Elizabeth G. Millsaps | Middle Tennessee State University |
| 1997-1998 | Jeffrey F. Wisdom | The University of Memphis |
| 1998-1999 | Ashley Woods | Walters State Community College |
| 1999-2000 | Emily Cline | The University of Memphis |
| 2000-2001 | Lee Scott | Lambuth University |
| 2001-2002 | Josh Trent | Union University |
| 2002-2003 | Elizabeth Shelley | The University of Memphis |
| 2005-2006 | Joshua Clarke | Union University |
| 2006-2007 | Amir Bahreini | Cleveland State Community College & The University of Tennessee, Knoxville |
| 2007-2008 | Kenneth Taylor | The University of Memphis |
| 2008-2009 | Micah Roeder | Union University |
| 2009-2010 | Gian Gozum | The University of Memphis |
| 2010-2011 | Cory Higdon | The University of Memphis |