“Once you learn to read, you will forever be free.” -Frederick Douglas
The big news of this week is Governor Lee’s State of the State address that happened on Monday night. He spoke for an hour to a packed audience on the House Floor and in the gallery. One of the most exciting areas he discussed dealt with our schools. Governor Lee wants to ensure Tennessee is recruiting, retaining, and training the best teachers in America. His budget puts more than $600 million in new money into education. Some of the major highlights he proposed include:
- Investing an additional $117 million in teacher salaries- an amount equal to a 4% increase in the state’s contribution
- Recommending moving the minimum teacher salary schedule over the next two years from $36,000 to $40,000
- Launching the Governor’s Teaching Fellowship to provide scholarships for over 1,000 future teachers per year
- Investing $4 million into professional development and career advancement opportunities for our current teachers and school leaders
- Creating the K-12 Mental Health Trust Fund through a $250 million one-time fund to support mental health services for students
He also talked about childhood literacy. The First Lady is a former teacher, so they understand the importance of early education. Problems really surface in high school if kids don’t have a strong foundation. We want to make sure all our students are reading by the third grade since studies show that children are likely to grasp and obtain more information during their early years.
Other budget items of interest are:
- Cutting $91 million from the current budget
- Cutting the remaining Professional Privilege Tax in half
- $100 million to counties and cities for infrastructure
- $50 million more in the Rainy Day Fund
- $25 million for broadband expansion
- $7 million more in the Ag. Enhancement Program
- Adding 80 more people in Driver License Service Centers
- Investing $6.5 million in recurring funds to the Health Care Safety Net
- Funding the 3rd year of the Rural Hospital Transformation Program
- Extending postpartum coverage for women on TennCare to 12 months
Tennessee was recognized as the #1 state in the US for fiscal management and is one of 13 states in the nation with a AAA bond rating. I am really proud to be a small part of this success.
I had a great time this past Friday evening attending the Lincoln County 4-H Banquet. There were 300-400 people there supporting Dan Owen’s great youth programs. Many awards and achievements were announced at the event and a wonderful meal was provided.
I want to congratulate both Bedford and Lincoln Counties on the addition of 2 new industrial development projects. Lincoln County added JCF Housements with 250 new jobs and Bedford County announced the expansion of Sanford Corporation and 115 new jobs. I want to thank the Fayetteville-Lincoln County Industrial Board and Leader Elaine Middleton for her hard work and dedication to grow jobs in the area. I also want to thank the Shelbyville-Bedford County Chamber and Leader Allen Pitner for working long and hard to help Newell Brands expand in our community. Governor Lee reported in his address that Tennessee had added 16,000 new jobs in 2019.
Now that committees are up and running, we are seeing more visitors to the Capitol. I had Herschel Thrasher from the Shelbyville Housing Authority come by for a visit and caught up on what is going on with his agency.
Tuesday was Disability Day on the Hill. Jennifer Murdock, from Lincoln County, met with Representtive Tillis and me to tell us about the International Dyslexia Association. They are working hard to try and change how our educators are teaching K-3rd grade students to read. This is a different process than what we are currently using and it is very interesting. If it works, it could drastically increase our kids’ reading skills and help us achieve our literacy goal. Anita Teague and Rachel Rudolf, from the Community Development Center in Bedford and Lincoln Counties, came by to let me know how their center is doing and to talk to all of us about disabilities across the state.
The Electric Co-Op Association also had their annual Day on the Hill on Tuesday. I had a nice meeting with their new Duck River Electric CEO, Scott Spence, and members of their board. They had a big reception that night at the DoubleTree Hotel and I was able to connect with people from around the state.
Things are starting to get busy around here, but that’s good. The faster we get going, the sooner we get done and get to go home. As always, I am honored to serve the 62nd District. Please feel free to stop by my office in the Cordell Hull Building (Suite 676) or give me a call if you have any questions or concerns. You can reach me at (615) 741-6824 or by email at [email protected].
