Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature
The modern version of the official seal was designed by Tonya Kelley from The University of Memphis.
|
|
| Abbreviation | TISL |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1966 |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee |
|
Membership
|
Every accredited institution of higher education in Tennessee |
|
Governor
|
Kara Gilliam |
|
Lt. Governor
|
Ronald Elliott |
|
Speaker of the House
|
Nick Lembo |
|
Chief Justice
|
Breydon Horton |
| Website | www.TISLonline.org |
The Tennessee Intercollegiate State Legislature (TISL) is an annual legislative session conducted by college students from across Tennessee, 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 and a House of Representatives, which debate bills that are produced wholly by the students. The Supreme Court consists of judges and lawyers participating in the Appellate Moot Court Collegiate Challenge (AMC3). Students also have the option to work as lobbyists or members of the media.
During each General Assembly, officers are elected to serve on the 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. Many of TISL's bills have become state law.
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 at Knoxville, approached the Student Government Association with the concept of TISL. Dr. Carlisle was familiar with similar programs in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Events of the 1960s were important to TISL's founding. President John F. Kennedy'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, 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 was growing.
It was also an exciting time in Tennessee politics. In Nashville, 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 state senators and state representatives to change the political dynamic.
...
Wikipedia