The 114th Tennessee General Assembly is officially open for business
- Democratic legislation to cut TN’s grocery tax is expected to be among the early bill filings.
- You can see new bills as they get posted here.
How did Election Day change the Tennessee General Assembly? It didn’t.
- Gerrymandering prevails. Republican-rigged election maps for U.S. Congress and the Tennessee legislature produced the intended results — artificially boosting Republican control of government.
- Some evidence to consider: Trump got 64% of the vote in Tennessee, yet Republicans won:
- 89% of TN’s congressional districts…
- 82% of State Senate Districts…
- 76% of State House Districts…
- That’s not luck. It’s gerrymandering.
- Here’s the kicker: Fair maps would not erase the Republican Party’s legislative advantage, but fair maps would produce better representation.
- Context: The Tennessee Supreme Court heard arguments last month in a case challenging the constitutionality of Tennessee’s Republican-drawn state House and Senate maps.
Health, DCS & Environment: Governor continues budget hearings with departments marked by controversy
- The full schedule is included below and you can watch these meetings live at www.tn.gov/budgethearings
- I’ll call out some points of interest to consider under some departments:
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
9:00-9:30 Department of Health
- Republican “parental consent” laws are causing mature teens to be denied preventative care
- Once a point of pride, Tennessee’s child vaccination rates are going the wrong way.
- Tennessee would reduce state spending by offering TennCare coverage to low-income workers through ObamaCare
9:45-10:15 Department of Children’s Services
- The deep and persistent issues at Children’s Services are well known – from kids sleeping on office floors to kids being kept in dangerous conditions at DCS-aligned homes.
10:30-11:00 Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services
11:15-11:45 Department of Human Services
1:00-1:45 Department of Environment & Conservation
- Last year, the department received a $3 million grant to develop Tennessee’s first-ever plan to cut climate pollution.
- The department then submitted applications for climate grant funding, but lost.
- The demand for Tennessee water and drought is creating problems.
- A court recently halted development of a 32-mile natural gas pipeline through rural Tennessee.
- Developers want to relax the rules protecting Tenn. wetlands.
- TN Cities: Solid waste disposal a growing statewide issue
2:00-2:45 Department of Safety & Homeland Security