Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898
Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898
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Senate focuses on improving outcomes for Tennessee children Updating Tennessee’s 2021 Literacy Success Act to strengthen student outcomes The Education Committee this week passed a bill that would update Tennessee’s Literacy Success Act law to allow for additional information to be considered when making 3rd grade retention decisions and provide more resources to help students as they learn to read. The law was first passed in 2021 to improve literacy rates in the state and get students on tra...
Major tax cuts proposed for Tennessee businesses and families The Tennessee Works Tax Reform Act of 2023 is advancing in the Senate and cleared the Senate Revenue Subcommittee with a positive recommendation on Tuesday. This legislation proposes a number of changes to Tennessee’s tax code to lower the tax burden on businesses, boost Tennessee’s economic competitiveness, promote entrepreneurship and small business formation, and provide targeted relief to families. This is one of Governor Bil...
Senate Transportation Committee passes legislation to address traffic congestion across the state Legislation to modernize Tennessee’s infrastructure and address traffic congestion, prolonged project delivery timelines, and the deteriorating revenue stream for road funding advanced in the Senate Transportation and Safety Committee this week. Senate Bill 273, dubbed the Transportation Modernization Act of 2023, is one of Governor Lee’s key legislative proposals this year, and seeks to add...
Legislation advances to crack down on TikTok use at Tennessee College Campuses The Senate Education Committee unanimously approved legislation to prohibit the Chinese-owned social media platforms TikTok and WeChat from being accessed on Tennessee public higher education institutions’ internet networks. These platforms pose serious national security risks to the United States. National security experts have warned that TikTok has the potential to allow the Chinese Communist Party to spy on A...
Conserving Tennessee’s natural resources The Senate is in full swing. Lawmakers are passing legislation on the Senate floor and advancing many bills through committees to ensure Tennessee remains a great place to live, work and raise a family. This week, Senate committees completed their first of five weeks of budget hearings and heard budget proposals from 18 different state departments and agencies. One of Gov. Lee’s legislative priorities to conserve Tennessee’s natural resources and envir...
Gov. Lee announces 2023 priorities in State of the State Address This week was highlighted by Governor Bill Lee delivering his fifth State of the State Address on Monday evening in a joint session of the General Assembly. In the speech titled ‘Tennessee: Leading the Nation,’ the Governor presented his $55.6 billion budget proposal and legislative priorities for 2023. Tennessee’s strong fiscal stewardship places the state in one of the strongest budgetary positions in history and allows for i...
Senate prioritizes legislation to protect children Health Committee advanced legislation prohibiting irreversible medical procedures to change gender identity of child Legislation that would prohibit minors from undergoing irreversible and harmful medical procedures to change their gender identity is one step closer to becoming law. Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and which I co-sponsored was approved in the Health Committee this week. The bill seeks to ban medica...
State Legislature sets the stage for 113th General Assembly Human trafficking prevention remains top priority for Tennessee legislature January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. This and every month of the year it remains a top priority of our General Assembly to bring an end to this terrible crime in Tennessee. Often described as a hidden crime, human trafficking includes both forced labor and sex trafficking. Not long ago, Tennesseans saw human trafficking as a third world...
State Legislature sets the stage for 113th General Assembly in organizational session Upon completion of organizational tasks, the General Assembly will get to work on issues facing Tennessee including some of the following issues. Abortion Laws On June 24, 2022, the United States Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This action returned abortion law to the individual states and triggered Tennessee’s Human Life Protection Act into effect. Alm...
Preview of the 2023 Legislative Session of the 113th General Assembly Upon completion of organizational tasks, the General Assembly will get to work on issues facing Tennessee. Budget Passing a balanced budget is the most important Constitutional duty of the Tennessee General Assembly and its only required task. The state is in great financial condition despite challenges including inflation, which is impacting not only Tennessee, but the entire country and world. For fiscal year 2022-2023, the...
7 Legislative Preview: Improving Juvenile Justice System We are preparing for a busy 2023 Legislative Session in Nashville where we will address a variety of important issues facing Tennesseans including improvements to Tennessee’s juvenile justice system. Following allegations of abuse and ongoing insufficient resources and facilities at the Wilder Youth Development Center, the Senate and House speakers formed the Joint Ad Hoc Committee on Juvenile Justice to examine the specific challenges...
7 Legislative Preview: Tennessee Department of Children’s Services will be top issue A top issue of the 2023 legislative agenda will be improving services, facilities, and record-keeping technology at the Department of Children’s Services (DCS), which is facing considerable challenges with staffing shortages and housing facility needs. An audit by the Tennessee Comptroller found that “the safety, permanency, and well-being of Tennessee’s most vulnerable children is in jeopardy” by the depar...
New Year rings in enactment of several important new laws set to go into effect January 1 A collection of bills passed this year will become effective on January 1, 2023. Among them is key legislation that provides tax relief to farmers. That law exempts farmers from sales tax on items and services used for agriculture production, including building materials, repair services, and labor, among other expenses used in agriculture production. The tax reduction totals $2.8 million, and does not...
The ultimate Christmas gift and the importance of gift giving Christmas is a special time of year. It is a season of celebration, as we rejoice in the birth of Christ. It is a season of giving -- an expression of love and joy. When you give something away, you are making a sacrifice for another person because you care for them and desire to see them happy, comforted, or peaceful. Giving is important because it is the spirit of giving that fosters unity among mankind. More than 2000 years ago, Ch...
Tennessee in strong financial position despite challenges Passing a balanced budget is the most important duty of the Tennessee General Assembly. While the budget isn’t usually presented to the General Assembly until February, there’s plenty of pertinent information and news to be aware of. Departments are already announcing requests, economic statistics are being published regularly and experts are providing valuable testimony at recent meetings. The state is in great financial condition des...
ennessee Department of Education requests $350 million budget increase Tennessee’s Department of Education is requesting a recurring $353.3 million state budget increase starting in fiscal year 2023-2024. The request, which comprises 16 line items, was presented to Gov. Bill Lee and the state’s executive budget team during budget hearings in November. The hearings were an opportunity for government agencies to provide updates on their budgets and identify needs for the future. Education is alw...
Transportation infrastructure will be a highlight of upcoming 2023 legislative session The 2023 Legislative Session is set to begin on January 10, 2023. Lawmakers will address many different topics and issues in this first session of the 113th General Assembly. Governor Lee recently held budget hearings where government agencies provided updates on their budgets and identified needs for the future. Transportation funding and infrastructure needs emerged from these budget hearings as a...
Happy Thanksgiving and don’t forget to shop local on Small Business Saturday Thanksgiving is a special and truly American holiday. What started as a shared Autumn harvest among Plymouth colonists and Native Americans has evolved to include family reunions, delicious food, football and parades. But the heart of the holiday remains the acknowledgement to God for his bountiful blessings on our lives, and the precious gift of gathering with friends and family to celebrate. The celebration now r...
New legislation will protect minors from irreversible procedures to change their gender identity The Tennessee General Assembly is at the forefront of a fight to protect minors from irreversible elective procedures to identify as a gender different from their biological sex. New legislation filed proposes the strongest protections in the nation to prohibit physicians from removing healthy body parts on minors or medical interventions that alter a child’s hormonal balance. These practices are e...
Comptroller report highlights Tennessee workforce alignment accomplishments, goals The Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury this month released a comprehensive report on recent and potential efforts to align the workforce in Tennessee. In this column I will discuss several highlights of the report. Workforce alignment occurs when the supply of qualified workers matches up with employers’ demands. In other words, it ensures workers throughout the state possess the skills and qualifications emplo...
The General Assembly removed roadblocks to obtain a Commercial Driver License in Tennessee to help our economy and communities From school bus drivers to trucking, the lack of Commercial Driver Licenses (CDL) in the state of Tennessee is hurting our communities in many ways. Consumers everywhere have felt the effects of the backlog in moving freight across the country. As the holidays approach, which is a busy time for retailers, this issue is going to become more prominent. The American...
More money for Middle College Scholarship Program lowers financial burden of higher education for motivated high school students Too many young people believe that college is not an option, but for students in Middle College it isn’t a far-off dream – it’s a part of everyday life. Tennessee’s Middle College program has resulted in tremendous academic success for our best and brightest students and will change lives for generations to come. It was established in 2018 through legislation which I...
Vote Yes on 4: Repeal the ban on clergy serving in the General Assembly The 4th and final constitutional amendment on the November 8 ballot would remove an antiquated, unconstitutional and unenforced ban on clergy serving in the General Assembly. I urge voters to cast a “yes” vote on this amendment to officially repeal the ban. The amendment would delete article IX, section I of the Tennessee Constitution, which prohibits ministers of the gospel and priests of any denomination from holding a s...
Vote Yes on 1: Protect the Right-to-Work as a Tennessee Tradition Tennessee’s Right to Work law has been an essential driver of economic growth for Tennessee since it was first enacted in 1947. Since then, businesses have flocked to Tennessee for our pro-business environment that promotes economic growth and prosperity and avoids burdensome regulations. Tennessee’s law ensures workers cannot be forced to join a union and pay dues to keep their jobs. It protects workers’ choice and is attra...
Vanderbilt revelations highlight need for legislation to protect minors from gender transitioning procedures In September, political commentator Matt Walsh of the Daily Wire news outlet uncovered appalling videos of Vanderbilt University Medical Center officials acknowledging its pediatric transgender clinic performs irreversible gender transition surgeries on minors and that financial gain is a factor in pushing these procedures. Shortly after, Governor Lee announced an investigation into the...
