And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
-Colossians 3:17
The 2nd year of the 111th General Assembly started back in Session at noon on January 14th. We have a new Speaker of the House, Cameron Sexton, from Crossville. I know Cameron well and believe he will do a great job for the House of Representatives and for the State of Tennessee. Session is starting off slow while we allow the many bills to be introduced on the House Floor two times. Then they will start traveling through the committee system and our workload will increase greatly. The faster and harder we work-the quicker we can adjourn.
Last year, we saw a fiscally conservative budget that included more than $35.2 million in tax cuts for all Tennesseans. We added almost $240 million to our Rainy Day Fund which brings that total to over $1.1 billion.
I want to give you some of the big topics that I believe we will take up this Session.
- Education will certainly continue to be one of the priority topics. Improving early childhood literacy rates across the state is being pushed. And hopefully raising our teacher’s pay.
- Another important priority would be to further examine ways to create a health care system that improves access and quality of care available, while lowering costs.
- Criminal justice system reform is also a huge topic. We need to explore options that are smart on crime, but not at the expense of safer communities. We also need to touch on behavioral health and barriers to improve successful reentry programs.
Tennessee remains near record low unemployment levels. As of November 2019, statewide unemployment was 3.3 percent. Our income levels are increasing at the 2nd fastest rate in the Southeast. Tennessee has the lowest debt and is the most fiscally stable state in the entire country. The Volunteer State remains the best place in the entire nation to live, work, raise a family, and retire. I am proud and honored to be a part of this success.
Speaking of finances, the Treasurer keeps reminding us about Unclaimed Property in Tennessee. Unclaimed Property is money that’s been turned over to the state by businesses and organizations that can’t locate the owners. This includes old bank accounts, deposits, stock certificates, checks, unclaimed wages, refunds, and gift certificates. There is $976,800,000 waiting to be claimed across the state. Over $3.1 million just in our district! Last year, well over 400 claims were paid out to Bedford and Lincoln Counties resulting in almost $300,000 going back into your pockets. To check and see if you are on the list, visit ClaimItTn.gov. If you don’t have access to the internet, you can always give my office a call. We can help you find out if you are on the list.
The Tennessee Education Lottery (TEL) just reached their 16th anniversary this month. Since its inception in 2004, TEL has raised almost $5.3 billion for education. The lottery is self-sufficient and helps fund college grants, scholarships, Drive to 55 initiatives, and after school programs. Lottery players have won more than $14.5 billion and businesses that sell tickets have received more than $1.3 billion in commissions. This has made a large impact on our state and helped make college more affordable for a lot of people. Ticket sales are up this year, so it looks like we’ll continue to benefit from the Lottery.
This will probably be a short Session since it is an election year and we also got most of the big items handled last year. I’m honored to be here serving the 62nd District and do my best to make sure I represent the people of Bedford and Lincoln County. If you need to reach me, you can call my office at (615) 741-6824 or email me at rep.pat.marsh@capitol.tn.gov. You can also stop by my office in Suite 676 of the Cordell Hull Building if you are ever in Nashville.
