Rep. Dan Howell, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, and Speaker of the Tennessee House Glen Casada
The 111th session of the Tennessee General Assembly completed its organizational meeting on Thursday, with the appointment of committees. District 22 State Rep. Dan Howell was selected to serve as chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
The House and Senate Transportation Committees work closely with the Tennessee Department of Transportation which is a multimodal agency with statewide responsibilities in roadways, aviation, public transit, waterways, and railroads.
In making the appointment, Speaker of the House Glen Casada said, “Rep.
Howell is going to make a terrific chairman for the House Transportation Committee. Our infrastructure is one of our most vital assets and there’s no one I trust more to oversee it than him.”
Speaker Casada noted that TDOT’s mission is to provide a safe and reliable transportation system for people, goods, and services that supports economic prosperity in Tennessee. “Dan and his committee will be a great partner in fulfilling that mission.”
“I am grateful for Speaker Casada’s confidence in me and humbled to be selected to chair the House Transportation Committee” Rep. Howell said. “I have a great team to work with and we will pursue good policy to assist TDOT in being as productive and efficient as possible.”
Chairman Howell noted that the Tennessee Legislature has invested a lot of money in the state’s expanding infrastructure since 2009. He said, “However these investments will not stop our existing infrastructure from aging. There is an on-going need for repairs and modernization to keep up with the state’s dramatic population growth. In recent years Tennessee has come to be known as one of the best places to do business; one of the best places to vacation or retire or raise a family. As chairman I want Tennessee to be known as the state with the best infrastructure. I look forward to the challenge.”