TennCare to Restart Renewals
Today, Congress passed legislation which will end the Medicaid continuous enrollment requirement related to the COVID-19 pandemic on April 1, 2023. At that time TennCare will be required to reverify the eligibility status of everyone receiving TennCare or CoverKids benefits. One of TennCare’s top priorities during this process is to make sure all eligible members […]
Gov. Lee Applauds Repeal of Federal Military COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee released the following statement on the repeal of the federal government’s overreaching COVID-19 vaccine mandate on members of the U.S. Armed Forces. The measure was included in the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which passed Congress and now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law. “For months, […]
Comptroller’s Office Studies Driver Education in Schools
The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability (OREA) has completed a review of driver education in Tennessee, including issues of availability and affordability, particularly for students in Title I high schools. The study was conducted at the request of the General Assembly. While past studies vary in their conclusions about the effectiveness of […]
Tennessee’s Jobless Number Holds Steady Ahead of the Holidays
The November statewide unemployment rate in Tennessee held steady heading into the holiday season, according to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). The seasonally adjusted jobless number for November 2022 remained unchanged at 3.5%. In a year-to-year comparison, the statewide unemployment rate is down 0.1 of a percentage point. Tennessee has recorded unemployment […]
Tennessee to Receive $13 Million from Settlement with Electronic Cigarette Manufacturer JUUL Labs, Inc.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a Complaint and Assurance of Voluntary Compliance relating to Tennessee’s settlement with electronic cigarette maker JUUL Labs, Inc. The settlement is the culmination of a two-year, bipartisan, 34-state investigation into JUUL’s marketing and sales practices. The total settlement payout will be $434.9 million, with Tennessee receiving approximately $13 million. […]
VITAL POLICY – Gentry vs. Speaker of the House, A Citizen’s Quest to Exercise Constitutional Rights and Improve Tennessee Government
John Gentry is asking the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives to schedule a time for him to orally “address” the house of representatives for a period of fifteen minutes at a time mutually agreed upon when a quorum is present. His aim is to persuade state legislators to make corrections to a system […]
The Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs Offers Consumer Protection Tips When Considering Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids
The Food and Drug Administration rules now allow the sale of over-the-counter (“OTC”) hearing aids. Consumers over the age of 18 may buy hearing aids directly from store shelves and online at lower prices. Finding the right OTC hearing aid may require consumers to try more than one device before finding the perfect fit, and […]
Participants in State’s Families First/TANF Program to Receive a One-Time Additional Payment of $500
The Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) is providing extra support to thousands of families who receive monthly cash assistance through the state’s Families First program. Households with a case in the Families First Program as of December 1, 2022, will receive a one-time additional payment of $500 on their existing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. This […]
State Veterinarian Urges Biosecurity to Prevent Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
The Tennessee State Veterinarian is issuing an alert for domesticated bird owners who also engage in bird hunting. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is prevalent in wild birds and is endangering backyard and commercial flocks in Tennessee. “HPAI detections among domesticated birds and wild birds have been on the rise.” Tennessee State Veterinarian Dr. Samantha […]
House GOP reelects Jeremy Faison as caucus chairman
Members of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus unanimously reelected State Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, as caucus chairman for the 113th General Assembly during a biennial organizational meeting held in Buchanan, Tenn. on Nov.22. Faison, who will serve his third term as caucus chair, was instrumental in successfully guiding Republican members to victory in several competitive races on Nov. […]
THEC Announces Record-Breaking Year of Tennessee Promise Students
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) recently launched a state-level vision and initiative to create a momentum-building year with key goals to increase the college-going rate and better align education to meet the state’s growing workforce needs. As an early indicator for the momentum year, a record-breaking number of students applied for Tennessee Promise program in the most […]
TN Attorney General’s Office Files Petition to Withdraw Federal Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare Workers
Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a coalition of 21 states in filing a Petition for Rulemaking, requesting that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) repeal the unlawful federal vaccine mandate for healthcare workers and withdraw related guidance. “Evidence continues to mount that the ongoing […]
Tennessee Continues Low Unemployment Rate in October
Tennessee continues to experience low unemployment, despite a slight uptick in October’s monthly rate, according to the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The seasonally adjusted number for the month increased by just 0.1 of a percentage point to 3.5%. The state has had unemployment rates at or below 3.5% since January 2022. In a […]
40 Attorneys General Announce Historic Google Settlement over Location Tracking
Attorney General Skrmetti today announced that Tennessee, along with 39 other attorneys general, has reached a $391.5 million multistate settlement with Google over its location tracking practices relating to Google Account settings. This is the largest multistate Attorney General privacy settlement in the history of the United States. Tennessee will receive $14,560,086.13 from the settlement. […]
Antibiotic Awareness Week
The Tennessee Department of Health is recognizing the critical importance of antibiotics to public health during Antibiotic Awareness Week, Nov. 18 to Nov. 24, 2022, and encouraging Tennesseans to avoid overuse of the infection-fighting drugs. “Antibiotics fight bacteria to stop serious infections and save lives,” said TDH Commissioner Dr. Morgan McDonald, MD, FACP, FAAP. “If you […]
Comptroller’s Office Releases First Review of Literacy Success Act
The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability (OREA) has completed its first annual review of the implementation of the Tennessee Literacy Success Act (LSA). Passed during the General Assembly’s 2021 Special Session on Education, the LSA seeks to ensure that students in early grades are on track to become proficient readers by the […]
