Honorable John Tidwell Honorable Doug Jackson Sir's I am writing you both in-regards to the the below e-mail that was sent to me. As I am the first Generation that was not born in Humphreys on Hurricane Creek since 1797 or of Dickson County on Barton's Creek, since 1803. I get back home about ever 5 years to place a flower on my Grand mothers and Great Grand Parents graves. These graves are mostly on private property and this will create a great hardship on me to locate the owners of these Grave Yards. (Cemeteries) Not only will it effect me but numerous cousin's that come home to visit as the number two hobby of folks in the United States is finding their relatives, genealogical research. The number one hobby is fishing, So how many folks and cousin's are you and you colleagues, going to make mad on this bill. By reading the below: in order to place a flower on My Grandmothers Grave I am going to have to write my self a permission slip to get to visit MY GRANDPARENTS or GREAT GRANDPARENTS grave sites and then locate the Land owner's so I can visit MY GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT GRANDPARENTS Graves. As you can see this e-mail is being sent to many COUSIN's that are researching our families in Dickson and Humphreys County Tn., a lot of them still live in these Counties and can still VOTE there. I can not as I am in Oregon. In reading this I wonder what my Fore fathers, the founders on the State of Tennessee and Cities of Rogersville, Nashville, McEwen, Camden, Bruceton, would think of You-all putting restrictions on family visiting their graves Thanks You For Taking the Time to read this Tony L. Johnson Researching the CLAN: Reverend Elvin Johnson of Hurricane Creek Humphreys County to Hudson Johnson of Hawkins County to Barton's Creek Dickson County Eli Thomas Curtis of Hurricane Creek McElyea's of Dickson and Humphreys County Tn. Patrick's of Dickson and Humphreys Co. Tn. Rev. Thomas Murrell of Dickson Co. Tn. Lawson's of Humphreys Co. Tn. Wheeler's of Humphreys Co. Tn. Simpson's of Humphreys Co. Tn. Wannamaker's of Humphreys County Tn. Mayo's of Humphreys and Dickson Co. Tn. Matlock's of Humphreys and Dickson Co. Tn. Bell's of Barton's Creek in Dickson Co. Tn, Turner's of Dickson and Humphreys Co. Tn. General James Randolph Robertson of Barton's Creek Dickson Co. Tn. Hatcher's of Dickson County, Williamson County, and Humphrey's County Tn. Farmer's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphrey's Co. TN., Elam's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn Burton's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn, Ward's Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn Minor's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn, Cocke's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn De Montague's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn. Clarke's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn,and Montgomery County Tn. Byrd's of Williamson Co. Dickson Co. and Humphreys Co. Tn. and all Cousin Lines. . Here's an update on the pending cemetery legislation. Please! let's call, write, e-mail our representatives, now. This has been placed on the Senate Regular Calendar for Monday, 7 May. There are no more hearings on the Senate side only debate. I have been told the most likely outcome will be a vote on Monday. If passed, this bill will be very restrictive to all of us who work to record, protect, and preserve cemeteries in Tennessee. For copies of both the House and Senate bills, and the amendments which were passed, unanimously in both committees, last week, please go to <http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/>>> http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/<http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/>> and click on Legislation in the left index column. Enter SB1804 and then HB1353, to read both the original bills and the amendments. The Senate amendment changes the duty of owners of private property owners to allow ingress and egress to encourage owners to allow ingress and egress. It took out the wording about a visitor having to be specifically designated in writing but now adds that any maintenance or a grave site or cemetery, including the manner of such maintenance, must be approved in writing by the landowner. And many times, the current landowner is not a family member, nor may he be aware he doesn't own the cemetery. The House amendment is still very restrictive, imo. The House amendment still includes Section 4 (a) "In order for a family member, descendant or the designee of a family member of a deceased person, or a person engaging in genealogical research to exercise the right of ingress and egress to a cemetery or to graves on private property as eligible persons, such friend or researcher must have been specifically designated in writing as such by a member of the family or a descendant of the deceased." [bold is my emphasis] There's more, please take time to read these bills and amendments and speak with your representative!! Jill Hastings-Johnson Montgomery County Archives P. O. Box 323, Clarksville, TN 37041-0323 mcarchives@montgomerycountytn.org<mailto:mcarchives@montgomerycountytn.org<mailto:mcarchives@montgomerycountytn.org<mailto:mcarchives@montgomerycountytn.org>> office - 931.553.5159 fax - 931.553.5158

Great job, Tony! May I suggest that you contact ALL members of the State Legislature. (I sent my email to all committee members last week but they seem to have ignored it---now it goes to every member.) Also, please forward to everyone and every list---we need to get this stopped while letting the legislature know just how many people come from out of state to do research in Tennessee and what a hardship this creates for them! Thanks, Sandy Ellis