Campbell Confirmed As Tennessee Supreme Court Justice
Sarah Keeton Campbell is officially the newest justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court. Justice Campbell was confirmed today during a joint session of the Tennessee General Assembly, the final step in the appointment process, and took the oath of office. She was nominated by Governor Bill Lee on January 12 after being one of three […]
Judge John Campbell Confirmed To Court of Criminal Appeals
Judge John W. Campbell was confirmed by the General Assembly today as the newest member of the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals – Western Section. Judge Campbell was appointed by Governor Bill Lee on January 12 after being one of three candidates recommended by the Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments. He fills the vacancy left […]
Tennessee Needs at Least $61.9 Billion of Public Infrastructure Improvements
Tennessee needs at least $61.9 billion worth of public infrastructure improvements during the five-year period of July 2020 to June 2025—a $3.4 billion (5.7%) increase from the year before—according to a new report by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR). Of the $3.4 billion increase in infrastructure needs reported in this year’s inventory, […]
Tennessee Pioneers Permanent Program to Become a Teacher for Free, First State to Sponsor Registered Teacher Occupation Apprenticeship
Paving the way for teaching and educator workforce development nationwide, the Tennessee Department of Education announced today it has pioneered a new way to develop teacher pipelines, and is the first state to be approved by the U.S. Department of Labor to establish a permanent Grow Your Own model, with Clarksville-Montgomery County School System and Austin Peay State University’s Teacher Residency program becoming the first registered apprenticeship program for teaching in the country. Tennessee is the first state in the country […]
State Rep. Jeremy Faison’s Capitol Report
House Committees begin work, bill filing deadline set for Feb. 2 The pace picked on Capitol Hill this week as House members worked to finalize their legislative proposals before the Feb. 2 bill filing deadline. House committees began to meet as bills are being introduced and referred to their respective committees. Omicron COVID-19 and TANF […]
TN Attorney General, Commerce & Insurance Join CFTC to Stop $68 Million Precious Metals Scheme
The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office and the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) are participating in a consolidated enforcement action to stop a fraudulent precious metals scheme that resulted in solicitations exceeding $68 million from at least 450 investors nationwide. The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office- on behalf of the TDCI- joined the U.S. Commodity […]
Gov. Bill Lee Delivers 2022 State of the State Address
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee delivered his fourth State of the State address and presented budget and legislative priorities to a joint session of the General Assembly. Key highlights are noted below, and the full speech as prepared for delivery can be found on the Governor’s website. A budget overview can be found here. Due to Tennessee’s conservative […]
Unemployment Reaches Its Lowest Level Since January 2020
Unemployment in the state of Tennessee reached a two-year low in December, according to new data released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The state ended 2021 with an unemployment rate of 3.8%, which was 0.2 of a percentage point lower than the rate it recorded in November. Over the past year, Tennessee’s […]
Secretary Hargett Launches 2022 Statewide Poll Worker Recruitment Campaign
On National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, Secretary of State Tre Hargett launched a new statewide campaign, Be an Election Hero. Become a Poll Worker., to encourage Tennesseans to serve their community as poll workers for the 2022 election cycle. “We cannot run elections in Tennessee without poll workers. They are the most fundamental piece of […]
Attorney General Slatery Announces $1.8 Billion Settlement with Student Loan Servicer Navient
Nashville-Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III announced today that Navient, one of the nation’s largest student loan servicers, will provide relief totaling $1.85 billion to resolve allegations of deceptive practices in originating predatory student loans. This settlement, joined by a coalition of 39 attorneys general, resolves claims that since 2009, Navient steered struggling students into […]
Tennesseans Invited to Respond to Draft Public School Funding Framework by Tuesday, January 18th at Noon CT
After months of strong engagement and conversations about public education funding in Tennessee and years of consistent feedback, today the Tennessee Department of Education released an initial draft overview of a potential student-based funding formula, informed by input of thousands of Tennesseans– parents, educators, superintendents, elected officials, business and community leaders, and citizens from across the state– and is encouraging all […]
AG Slatery Sues to Block Federal Head Start Mandates
Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III has joined a multi-state lawsuit challenging the Biden Administration’s recent mask requirements for toddlers and COVID-19 vaccinations for staff and volunteers in Head Start Programs. “We have consistently opposed mandates in the context of education, defending state statutes passed by our General Assembly. This challenge is consistent with our past positions, […]
2021 Highlights: Accomplishments, Investments and Celebrating 225 Years of Statehood
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee released 2021 highlights that contributed to greater prosperity, freedom, and opportunity for Tennesseans. “From securing the largest economic investment in state history, to reducing the number of distressed counties to an all-time low, we have worked together with Tennesseans for one of the strongest years in state history,” said Gov. Lee. […]
2021 Tax Incentives Report Posted
By January 1 of each year, the Department of Revenue prepares a report of tax credits. The report includes tax credits claimed under Tenn. Code Ann. Sections 67-4-2009 and 67-4-2109 for tax periods ending during the previous fiscal year and contains the following: Name of tax credit Number of taxpayers claiming the tax credit during […]
Secretary of State Encourages Wise End of Year and Holiday Giving
As Tennesseans prepare to make end of year and holiday season charitable contributions, Secretary of State Tre Hargett cautions donors to be wary of scams. “This time of year, as we enjoy the holidays and look to the New Year, many Tennesseans are planning to support their community through charitable giving,” said Secretary Hargett. “It’s […]
VITAL POLICY – Governor Lee Signs Partisan School Board Elections into Law, Jefferson County Republican Party Calls Primary
Governor Bill Lee signed multiple bills into law late Friday that were enacted in the Third Extraordinary Session of the Tennessee General Assembly, among those House Bill 9072 authorizing partisan school board elections, supported by Representatives Jeremy Faison, Andrew Farmer, and co-sponsored by Senator Frank Niceley (SB9009). Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee, expecting Lee’s signature […]
