News

I am excited to announce that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will be my special guest this year at our 9th Annual Boots and Jeans, BBQ and Beans event being held on August 23, 2015 from 4-7 PM at the Factory at Franklin.  I hope you will be able to join us!  Reserve your tickets today. Sincerely,         … Read More

Education and jobs were the focus on Capitol Hill this week as Governor Bill Haslam unveiled his proposal to fund state government for the 2015-2016 fiscal year in his annual State of the State Address.  The $33.3 billion balanced budget makes strategic investments in education and workforce development, while continuing a thoughtful approach to making government work more efficiently and … Read More

The first Extraordinary Session of the 109th General Assembly adjourned on Wednesday after three days of legislative deliberations on Governor Bill Haslam’s Insure Tennessee proposal.  The action to adjourn came after the Senate Health and Welfare Committee voted 7 to 4 against giving the Governor authorization to enter into a contract with the federal government to expand the number of … Read More

Now that the Special Session is complete, the General Assembly will reconvene the regular session on Monday evening, when lawmakers will gather to hear Governor Bill Haslam’s fifth annual budget address.  Rising healthcare costs to the TennCare program combined with inflationary growth for the state’s Basic Education Program have compounded the state’s budget problems during the slow economic recovery.  These … Read More

Tennessee’s new Labor Education Alignment Program (LEAP) has been heralded as a model for other states to follow, according to a new report released on Tuesday by the Brookings Institute, a private nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and innovative policy solutions.  The competitive grant program provides for cooperative efforts between government, education and businesses to fill the skills gaps … Read More

A task force formed by Governor Bill Haslam meets Thursday in Nashville to continue studying the state’s sentencing structure and examine ways to reduce Tennessee’s high recidivism rate, or the number of people returning to prison within three years of being released.  The goal of the task force is to develop recommendations for the Governor and his cabinet in an … Read More

(NASHVILLE, TN), – State Senator Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) has been reappointed Chairman of the Senate Commerce and Labor.  The announcement was made by Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey as the General Assembly wrapped up a week of organization duties.   The Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over legislation concerning banking and lending institutions; communications; regulation and licensing of occupations; protections of trade … Read More

As the 2015 legislative session opens, citizens can access more information about the issues and proceedings through a redesigned and improved General Assembly website.  The redesign represents a substantial effort to make the website more usable, accessible and informative.   The new format supports all major mobile devices for streaming video, as the site will shrink, bend or move to … Read More

The opening week of the 109th General Assembly was also marked by re-election of two of the state’s constitutional officers, the treasurer and comptroller of the treasury.  The state’s constitution provides that the legislature selects the offices in a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives during the organizational session of each General Assembly.   Elected and sworn … Read More

With organizational tasks out of the way, the General Assembly can now get to work on the issues facing Tennessee.  Although state spending in a tight budget year will be the predominant driver for legislative action, other top issues on the legislative agenda in 2015 are jobs, education, public safety and legislation stemming from the ratification of the constitutional amendments … Read More