TDOE Awards Funding for High-Quality Early Learning Opportunities in More Than 900 Classrooms
Education Commissioner Candice McQueen announced today that 18,320 students in 916 classrooms across the state will benefit from the Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) program in the 2018-19 school year. Nearly 95 percent of districts in Tennessee will receive VPK funding designed to serve 4-year-olds who are at-risk and those in high-priority communities. In an effort to […]
Advocates Praise Passage Of Legislation Protecting Tennessee Children
Safety advocates this week praised passage of five bills that help protect Tennessee school children from educator sexual misconduct. The bills were filed after several weaknesses were revealed in a Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury report earlier this year. All five bills passed on the House floor with bipartisan support. They include: • House Bill […]
House Republicans Renew Commitment To Tennessee Teachers, Students, And Schools
Before completing business for the year, House Republicans renewed their commitment to Tennessee’s teachers, students, and schools in a successful effort to ensure they are held completely harmless in the wake of last week’s TNReady testing problems. Wednesday night, House members passed House Bill 75 and House Bill 2426 with unanimous support from lawmakers. The […]
Republicans Focus On Jobs, Education, Opioids; Adjourn In Timely Manner
In the final few days of this year’s legislative session, the House of Representatives passed Tennessee’s annual budget with a near unanimous vote. The bill’s passage and official adjournment was the culmination of months of tireless work crafting a fiscally responsible and balanced budget. The $37.5 billion budget builds on previous legislative priorities by making […]
Unemployment Situation Improves in Nearly all Tennessee Counties
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) today released the March 2018 unemployment rates for each county in Tennessee. The newest statistics highlighted improved rates during March for the majority of the state’s counties. Eighty-two of Tennessee’s 95 counties experienced lower unemployment rates when compared to February 2018. The rates in nine counties […]
Haslam Encourages Tennesseans To Partcipate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today joined Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson to encourage Tennesseans to make an impact on the state’s opioid crisis by cleaning out their expired or unwanted medications on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The biannual event urges citizens to find […]
March 2018 Revenues Less than Expected, While Year-To-Date State Revenues Remain More than Budgeted
Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Larry Martin today announced that Tennessee tax revenue fell short of budgeted estimates in March. Overall March revenues totaled $1.1 billion, which is $84.1 million more than the state collected in March of 2017, but $2 million less than the budgeted estimate for the month. “Sales tax revenues for […]
State Unemployment Rate Remains Near Historic Lows, Holds Steady From February
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips today announced the March 2018 statewide unemployment rate for Tennessee remained near historic lows and matched the revised rate from the previous month. The preliminary, seasonally adjusted rate for March was 3.4 percent, which mirrored the revised rate for February and […]
Initiative Promoting High Paying Jobs In Tennessee Passes
House Republicans passed a measure that promotes high paying jobs in Tennessee this week on the House floor. House Bill 1917 continues the Go Build Tennessee Program through 2024 in order to raise awareness about an abundance of high paying jobs available in communities across the state. The measure strengthens existing partnerships so that students […]
Over 10,000 Adults Have Applied For Tennessee Reconnect Scholarship
This week, House Republicans joined with Governor Haslam to announce that over 10,000 adults have applied for Tennessee Reconnect, the state’s program for adult learners to earn an associate degree or technical certificate tuition-free. The application for Tennessee Reconnect opened on February 15 of this year and 10,497 applications had been submitted as of April […]
Tennessee Stolen Valor Act Passes In General Assembly
Wednesday morning, House members unanimously passed a measure to strengthen identity protections for our military veterans. House Bill 2130, also known as the Tennessee Stolen Valor Act, is designed to safeguard the identities of Tennessee veterans who serve the state and nation by cracking down on instances of theft and fraud involving those who attempt […]
Advocates Applaud Passage Of New Adoption Legislation
House lawmakers joined together this week for the unanimous passage of House Bill 1856. The bill streamlines the adoption process in Tennessee, adding updates to the law desperately needed to serve children and families across the state better, advocates say. House Bill 1856 simplifies the surrender form — which was previously very complicated — and […]
House Republicans Pass ‘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. This week, House Republicans passed legislation to combat the state’s opioid problem head on: Tennessee Together. Tennessee Together is a multi-faceted plan comprised of legislation, $30 million in funds through the […]
Working Group Releases Recommendations; Puts Forth Plan To Significantly Increase Funding For School Safety & Security
The working group organized to make recommendations for immediate enhancements to school safety across the state officially released their proposals this week in Nashville. The working group identified three immediate priorities: 1. A review and risk assessment of all school facilities to identify vulnerabilities; 2. An increase in available resources to help secure school resource […]
House Moves Forward With Bills To Strengthen Tennessee’s Law Banning Sanctuary Cities
The House moved forward this week with two bills designed to strengthen Tennessee’s law prohibiting sanctuary cities. The first bill, House Bill 2315, ensures that state and local government entities are prohibited from adopting or enacting sanctuary policies, whether they are in written form or not, which shield illegal aliens from state and federal immigration […]
It’s Pothole Season
Winter weather extremes lead to an increase in potholes on state highways and bridges. Potholes form when moisture seeps into cracks in the pavement, then freezes and thaws causing the cracks to expand. The constant pounding of traffic loosens the pavement which causes it to crumble, creating potholes. Severe swings in temperature followed by periods […]
