TDCI Warns Parents of the ‘100 Deadliest Days’ for Teen Drivers
Summertime traditionally brings family vacations, relaxation, and plans for a new school year. But AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety reports a more perilous side to summer as over 1,050 people were killed in auto crashes involving a teen driver in 2016 during the 100 Deadliest Days, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day. That’s an average […]
June 2018 Revenues Experience Moderate Growth
Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Larry Martin today announced that Tennessee tax revenue exceeded budgeted estimates for the month of June. Overall, June revenues totaled $1.4 billion, which is $31.4 million more than the state collected in June of 2017, and $31.3 million more than the budgeted estimate for the month. “June reported revenues […]
TDCI: New Consumer Protection Laws Protect, Empower Tennesseans
Tennesseans now have greater protection from military impersonators, improved assistance when recovering from identity theft and cannot be charged by credit reporting companies when enacting security freezes, among other new protections. Those improvements are courtesy of several consumer-oriented laws passed earlier this year by the Tennessee General Assembly. “I am grateful for the Legislature’s passage […]
Governor Haslam, Commissioner Rolfe Announce 70 Community Development Block Grants
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe recently approved nearly $28 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which assist communities with infrastructure improvements, health and safety initiatives and façade improvements in downtown commercial districts. “Congratulations to the 70 Community Development Block Grant recipients,” Haslam said. “It’s always great to […]
Weekly East Tennessee Construction Report for July 5-11, 2018
ANDERSON COUNTY, SR 62 between Union Valley Road and SR 162: Motorists should be alert for possible lane closures nightly on Sundays through Thursdays between the hours of 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. the following morning through this resurfacing project. This project is estimated to be complete on or before July 31, 2018. Motorists should be […]
Pair of New Boating Regulations Became Effective July 1
Two new laws concerning recreational boating became effective July 1 that are hoped to help increase safety on Tennessee waters. As of July 1, a requirement similar to the “Move Over” law on land will go into effect. As written, the new law will require boaters to slow to no wake speed within 100 feet […]
SFMO Urges Parents to Practice Fire Safety During Summer Months
The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) is reminding parents and caregivers of the necessity of child fire safety education this summer in light of a recent analysis of state fire data that reveals an ongoing increase in child fire fatalities during the months of June and July. Data from the Tennessee Fire Incident Reporting […]
Construction Won’t Slow July 4th Travelers in Tennessee
Road construction won’t slow motorists across Tennessee over the July 4th holiday. The Tennessee Department of Transportation will suspend all construction-related lane closures on interstates and state routes beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Friday, June 29th through 6:00 a.m. on Thursday, July 5th to provide maximum roadway capacity for holiday travelers. “Over 831,000 motorists are expected to travel […]
TDCI Urges Consumers To Be Wary of Scammers Ahead of New Medicare Cards
With new Medicare cards slated to arrive in Tennessee sometime after June, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) is warning Medicare beneficiaries to be wary of scammers who might use the cards’ pending arrival as an opportunity to fleece unsuspecting consumers. Federal laws enacted last year required the removal of Social Security numbers (SSNs) […]
Haslam Appoints David Rausch as Director of TBI
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced the appointment of David B. Rausch as director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). Rausch, 55, has served as chief of police for the Knoxville Police Department (KPD) since 2011, overseeing an agency of more than 500 employees, including some 400 sworn police officers. Rausch joined the KPD […]
Tennessee Continues To Experience Historically Low Unemployment
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips announced today that Tennessee’s May 2018 statewide unemployment rate of 3.5 percent marked the eleventh consecutive month the figure has been 3.5 percent or lower. While the May unemployment rate represents a slight uptick of 0.1 of a percentage point compared […]
Education Department Announces TNReady Changes, Will Recompete Testing Contract
Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced several new steps today to improve the state’s TNReady student assessment, including recompeting the state’s current testing vendor contract. These improvements are being made after ongoing conversations with teachers, parents, education leaders, and policy-makers over the past several weeks and are aimed at addressing a number of areas of concern. […]
Unemployment Rates Drop In Every County Across Tennessee
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips today announced county unemployment rates decreased in all 95 counties across Tennessee in April and all counties are at or below 5 percent. “Our investments in education and workforce development are showing results in all corners of the state and to […]
Op-Ed From Speaker Beth Harwell and Representative Jeremy Faison
Tennessee is open for business. With low taxes and sensible, yet limited regulations, that is the message state leaders in Tennessee have been sending to the rest of the country. But are we open to business for everyone? That’s a question we have been asking ourselves in the Tennessee House of Representatives. In the past, […]
Division of Consumer Affairs Offers Tips for a Scam-Free Summer Vacation
With Memorial Day (May 28) kicking off the unofficial start of summer vacation season, the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s (TDCI) Division of Consumer Affairs urges consumers to be on the lookout for scammers and identity thieves who target summer travelers. “Summer travel is a great opportunity to make fun memories with family and […]
April 2018 State Revenues Higher than Expected, Show Increase from Previous Year
Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Larry Martin today announced that revenues for April exceeded the monthly revenues from the previous year. State revenues for April were $1.9 billion, which is a growth of 3.76 percent more than last year and $128.3 million more than the state budgeted. “Total revenues in April reflect significant […]
