Senator Tom Hatcher District 2

Senator Tom Hatcher District 2 Progress for Today & Beyond
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I hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoys their Labor Day today! I am extremely thankful for the men and women who ...
09/07/2026

I hope everyone had a great weekend and enjoys their Labor Day today!

I am extremely thankful for the men and women who work so hard to keep District 2 beautiful and thriving.

09/05/2026

MAJOR TENNESSEE APPEAL: RES JUDICATA CANNOT SILENCE RELEVANT ABUSE EVIDENCE

Finally, an appellate case addressing res judicata in this context. First, appeals case of Abrial's Law.

TSPO has been raising this issue for years, and now we have a Tennessee Court of Appeals decision directly addressing it.

At trial, a pro se mother attempted to present evidence concerning Father's alleged sexual abuse of her daughter from a previous marriage. The trial court excluded the evidence, characterizing it as “moot and res judicata.” Then what happened next is what we see all the time: The trial court then changed custody, named Father the primary residential parent, and sharply reduced Mother's parenting time.

THE TENNESSEE COURT OF APPEALS REVERSED.

The appellate court held that excluding the evidence was an abuse of discretion. Specifically: “[T]he evidence Mother sought to introduce was not barred by the doctrine of res judicata.”

And the court explained why this matters. Whether a parent has abused another child can be “significant and relevant” when determining the best interests of the child whose custody is currently before the court. The appellate court found that excluding the evidence: “substantially impaired the trial court's ability to make an informed custody decision based on the best interest of th[is] [C]hild.”

The evidence was particularly relevant to statutory best-interest considerations involving:

1. Each parent's moral, physical, mental, and emotional fitness

2. Evidence of abuse involving the child, a parent, a sibling, or any other person (Added with Abrial's Law)

3. Whether a parent's custody or parenting time had previously been restricted and why (added with Abrial's Law)

And the court didn't leave the trial court guessing about what happens next.

“[O]n remand, the trial court must allow Mother to develop the record and to present evidence” concerning Father's alleged abuse.

A prior custody order cannot simply be transformed into a procedural shield that prevents a court from considering evidence that is directly relevant to a child's present safety and best interests.

For every parent who has been told, “That's already been decided.”

For every parent who has been told, “You can't bring that up.”

For every parent who has been told that a prior order or mediation means evidence concerning abuse is automatically off the table

For every parent who has been told previous family doesn't count

Know the law and this case

Because sometimes the answer from the appellate court is:

NO. THE LAW DOES NOT SAY THAT.

📚 Kenneth Lucas v. Heather Fifield, No. E2025-01429-COA-R3-JV (Tenn. Ct. App. Aug. 20, 2026). https://www.tba.org/?pg=Articles&blAction=showEntry&blogEntry=149846

Tennessee Bar Association State Representative Rebecca Alexander Senator Tom Hatcher District 2 Tennessee Senator Becky Massey

09/04/2026

Monroe County Lane Closures MONROE COUNTY, SR 68 between Sink Hole Road and Tate Mill Road: Motorists should be alert for
possible lane closures between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. through this resurfacing project. Motorists
should be alert for workers present, possible delays, and use extreme caution through this area.
MONROE COUNTY, SR 360 between SR 165 and Ball Play Road: Motorists should be alert for
possible lane closures between the hours of 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. through this resurfacing project. Motorists
should be alert for workers present, possible delays, and use extreme caution through this area.
MORGAN

09/04/2026

Road Closures in Blount County BLOUNT COUNTY, US 129/ SR 115 Tail of the Dragon: Due to the one lane condition of Interstate 40
near the Tennessee and North Carolina State Line as repairs continue from Hurricane Helene, this is a
reminder for commercial vehicles in Tennessee and North Carolina attempting to use US 129 as an
alternate around the I-40 work zone. No trucks with trailers over 30 feet in length, or single units
over 30 feet in length are permitted on US 129 “The Dragon” in Tennessee or North Carolina. Thru
truck traffic in Tennessee should follow I-81 North to I-26 East into North Carolina. These restrictions of
US 129 will be strictly enforced day and night.
BLOUNT COUNTY, US 321/SR 73 near Garrett Lane: Motorists should be alert for possible temporary
lane closures between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. as crews install turn lanes in this area. Motorists should be alert
for workers present, slow traffic, and use extreme caution through this area.
BLOUNT COUNTY, SR 162 Pellissippi Parkway between Cusick Road and SR 33: SR 162 is reduced
from two lanes to one through this project as construction crews perform bridge work in this area.
Motorists should be alert for possible brief rolling roadblocks between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
daily, as needed, for blasting operations. Motorists should be alert for changed conditions; workers
present and use extreme caution through this area.

09/01/2026

Happy September! Our 13th Annual Tom Hatcher Charity Golf Tournament is officially less than two weeks away and we cannot wait! Grab your buddies and plan to head to Lambert Acres Golf Course on Monday, September 14th, for our 8am and 1:30pm flights.

Each year, this tournament gives us the opportunity to raise money and awareness for two organizations that mean so much to us: Alzheimer’s Tennessee and the Boys & Girls Club of Blount County. We’re looking forward to another great day on the course supporting two incredible causes right here in our community. We’ll see you in two weeks!

08/31/2026

Here at Tom Hatcher Charity, we proudly host our Annual Golf Tournament in support of Alzheimer’s Tennessee and the Boys & Girls Club of Blount County. These two nonprofits mean the world to us, and we encourage you to learn more about them at https://bgctnv.org/blount-county/ and https://www.alztennessee.org/.

Tour of the Eagleton Ballpark Complex and Maryville Kiwanis dedicated a bench for Mayor Mitchell
08/29/2026

Tour of the Eagleton Ballpark Complex and Maryville Kiwanis dedicated a bench for Mayor Mitchell

Mayor Mitchell’s Retirement Reception
08/29/2026

Mayor Mitchell’s Retirement Reception

Comedy Night to Honor Brian Tuggle
08/29/2026

Comedy Night to Honor Brian Tuggle

Small businesses are an important part of the communities I represent, and I want to hear directly from the people behin...
08/27/2026

Small businesses are an important part of the communities I represent, and I want to hear directly from the people behind them!

This week, I kicked off my Small Business Tour across District 2 with a visit to Express Employment Professionals. They help job seekers find full-time, part-time, and temporary jobs while helping employers with staffing and workforce needs.

Over the coming weeks, I look forward to visiting more businesses throughout Blount, Monroe, Polk, and Bradley counties. If you’d like your business to be one of our next stops, email me at [email protected] or call me at 615-741-0981 with your business information and a contact person. I'd love to connect with your business!

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Maryville, TN
37804

Telephone

+18658503501

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