Office of Open Records Counsel Finds 538 Statutory Exceptions to the Tennessee Public Records Act
The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office of Open Records Counsel (OORC) has released a new report detailing a list of statutory exceptions to the Tennessee Public Records Act. Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) and Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) asked for the list to help evaluate which exceptions may need to be removed or placed in sunset. […]
State Representative Andrew Farmer Introduces Legislation That Cuts Costs For Tennessee’s Farmers
State Representative Andrew Farmer (R-Sevierville) today introduced legislation designed to cut costs on permit fees for Tennessee’s farmers. House Bill 1796 exempts operators of farm trucks weighing more than 9,000 pounds from obtaining farm or other seasonal operating permits when their vehicle is used to move horticultural, agricultural, and dairy products or livestock from the […]
Keep Con Artists Out of the Driver’s Seat When Using A Tax Refund to Buy a Car
The arrival of tax season has many auto dealers putting their sales promotions into high gear. Unfortunately, auto scammers don’t have consumers’ best interests in mind. The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Consumer Affairs and the Tennessee Motor Vehicle Commission, a part of TDCI’s Division of Regulatory Boards, reminds consumers to […]
TDCI Consumer Affairs Releases 2017 Top 10 Consumer Complaints
The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Consumer Affairs announces the top 10 complaint categories for 2017 by Tennessee consumers. For the second consecutive year, the home improvements category ranked as the No. 1 complaint category with more than 400 consumer complaints. The Division of Consumer Affairs received a total of 3,599 […]
Phil Roe’s Thoughts About the Bipartisan Budget Act
This week, the House and Senate reached a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on a long-term budget. While this agreement is by no means perfect, it is a huge step forward on a number of important fronts. Over the last 8 years, our national defense budget shrunk to the point that there were fears our defense capabilities […]
Haslam Appoints Gass Judge for Circuit Court in 4th Judicial District
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today appointed James L. Gass of Dandridge as Circuit Court Judge in the 4th Judicial District, filling a temporary appointment that had been made last October. On October 18, Haslam appointed Gass as special judge to fill a temporary vacancy due to the illness of Judge Richard R. Vance. Judge Vance […]
Senator Kelsey’s Constitutional Amendment to Ban Hall Tax Passes Judiciary Committee
A proposal by State Senator Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) to amend the Tennessee Constitution to ban the Hall income tax passed the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 7-1 yesterday. Senate Joint Resolution 494 proposes additional language in Article II, Section 28 of Tennessee’s Constitution which would eliminate state and local governments’ authority to levy […]
Haslam: Tennessee Will Lead the Nation in Jobs, Education and Government Efficiency
In his final State of the State address to the General Assembly, Gov. Bill Haslam this evening challenged all Tennesseans to lead the nation in creating high-quality jobs, improving the education of our students, and providing the most efficient and effective state government services. “Seven years ago we raised our expectations. We became the kind […]
Welfare Reform Initiative Gains Support From House Republicans
This year, House Republicans are leading efforts to reform Tennessee’s welfare system. Last fall, the Haslam Administration announced an initiative to reinstate the work requirement for able-bodied adults without dependents who rely on the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for assistance. By reinstituting work requirements, approximately 58,000 able-bodied adults who are not currently meeting […]
Republican Leaders Unveil ‘Tennessee Together’ Plan To Help Combat Opioid Epidemic
While the federal government has only just commenced conversation about the opioid epidemic, Tennessee leads the way in fighting the situation here at home. On Monday afternoon, Governor Haslam joined with Republican leaders to unveil a new initiative to combat the state’s opioid problem head on: Tennessee Together. Tennessee Together is a multi-faceted plan comprised […]
DICKERSON, FAISON INTRODUCE MEDICAL CANNABIS ONLY (MCO) ACT
State Sen. Steve Dickerson (R-Nashville) and Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) today introduced the Medical Cannabis Only Act of 2018, legislation that would allow Tennessee patients with specific health conditions access to safe, regulated medical cannabis oil-based manufactured products only. Dickerson and Faison led the Medical Cannabis Task Force for the Tennessee General Assembly this fall, […]
Roe Issues Statement on Government Shutdown
Today, Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-Tenn.) released the following statement after Senate Democrats voted to shut down the government last night: “I joined my House Republican colleagues in fulfilling one of Congress’ most basic duties, which is to keep the government open. It is unconscionable that Senate Democrats prefer shutting down the government instead of […]
Haslam Announces Tennessee Ends 2017 With 28,000+ New Jobs, Unemployment Rate Nearly 2 Percentage Points Lower Than 2016
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips today announced Tennessee ended 2017 with more than 28,000 new jobs across the state in the last year and an unemployment rate nearly 2 percentage points lower than 2016. In 2017 a total of 28,700 nonfarm jobs were created across the […]
Consumer Update: Takata Airbags Recall Continues to Expand
42 million vehicles are now part of a recall the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) calls “one of the largest and most complex in U.S. history.” Takata Corporation, an automotive parts company based in Japan, has recalled airbags installed in vehicles from 19 different automobile manufacturers. These airbags can explode when deployed, causing serious […]
Tennessee Department of Education Releases New State Report Card
Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen has unveiled the latest version of the state Report Card, which is now available on the department’s website. This annual snapshot of school, district, and state performance offers users the ability to view multiple achievement and growth measures – in addition to metrics such as student enrollment, HOPE scholarship eligibility, school […]
State Rep. Jimmy Matlock Introduces Legislation To Defund Planned Parenthood In State
On Tuesday, Jimmy Matlock (R-Lenoir City) announced he would be introducing legislation to outlaw funding of Planned Parenthood in the state of Tennessee following the federal appeals court decision to uphold the 2014 vote on Amendment 1. “A false narrative exists in Tennessee that Planned Parenthood doesn’t receive Tennessee tax-payer dollars. Media and professional politicians […]
