|
106th General Assembly Enters Final Stretch
Dear Friend,
I hope you are doing well. The last week has been
challenging as we have seen many of our friends and
neighbors face tough times from area flooding.
Robertson County was very fortunate compared to our
neighboring areas, however we still have many
families and businesses in our community that have
experienced great loss over the last five days. I know
that we will continue to lift these individuals, and all
those hurting across Tennessee, up in prayer in the
days ahead. Last night we paused for a time of
silence and prayer on the House floor as we
remembered those hurting and in need. It is times
like these we see the greatness of our state as
people come together to help one another.
I know it has been several weeks since my last
update. This session, as it transitioned from a
special session on education reform to our second
regular session, has been extremely busy. I have
been working hard to read and listen to your calls and
e-mails, and represent your interests in Nashville.
There have been many important issues we have
dealt with, many of which I've included details on
below; these include being at the top of my class in
fundraising, Tennessee receiving nearly $500 million
in Race to the Top education funds, deployment of our
local troops to Iraq, key pro-life and secondment
amendment votes, and much more.
The weeks ahead will be fast paced and tough as we
face a large budget shortfall and deal with other
looming issues. Tennessee is better positioned to
deal with these issues than many of our neighboring
states, because of its history of planning and fiscal
conservatism. As we deliberate on these issues and
others, your feedback and input mean a tremendous
amount to me. I hope to hear from you.
As always, it is an honor to serve you in this capacity.
If I can assist you in anyway, please do not hesitate to
contact me.
Yours in Service,

Robertson County Republican Party Reagan Day Dinner
"Returning to our
Values"
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Springfield TN National Guard Armory
5255 Highway 76 East
Across from Springfield High School
Ralph Bristol, Supertalk 99.7 WWTN, Master of
Ceremonies
Gubernatorial and 6th Congressional Candidates -
All Invited to Speak
5:30 p.m. - Special Reception with Photo
Opportunity
7:00 p.m. - Dinner & Program
Contact Shari Douglas at 615-405-4326 for tickets or click here for additional information
Department of Labor gives update on unemployment trust fund
The Tennessee Department of Labor and
Workforce Development gave the House Consumer
and Employee Affairs Committee a snapshot of
where
the state's unemployment compensation fund
currently stands. A representative from the
department
said the fund currently has a balance of approximately
$8 million, but is in the process of receiving first
quarter taxes from employers and should have about
$221.4 million by the second quarter of this year. The
state had taken in 58,569 claims by the end of
January, a decrease of about 36 percent from January
of 2009.
Tennessee has a $120 million line of credit with the
U.S. Department of Labor, and to date has only
tapped
$20 million of those funds. On March 3rd, the
governor
requested a loan from the U.S. Secretary of Labor due
to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce
Development's promise that the $20 million will be
paid back in the next couple of weeks.
The legislature voted last year to save Tennessee's
Unemployment Trust Fund from federal intervention,
saying that the move was necessary to keep the
federal government from completely taking over the
nearly insolvent fund. The fund was approaching
insolvency after the state unemployment rate jumped
to 10 percent in 2009, and with the continuously rising
percentage of Tennesseans out of work, the fund is
being drained of resources. Many legislators
supported the move, on the condition that a series of
triggers allow unemployment taxes to decrease if the
fund's balance reaches a certain threshold.
Unemployment numbers improve across
state
Despite continued reports of a weak economy,
Tennessee's unemployment numbers improved
slightly in the month of March, according to recent
reports. Eighty-five of the state's ninety-five counties
saw their unemployment rate decrease. Overall,
unemployment in the state dropped to 10.6 percent,
compared to 10.7 in February.
According to the Tennessee Department of Labor and
Workforce Development, 6,600 job gains occurred in
leisure and hospitality; 5,200 in mining and
construction; 4,800 in trade, transportation and
utilities; and 4,700 in administrative, support, and
waste services.
House leaders denounce $85 million tax increase
House Republican leadership this week
denounced a tax increase proposal floated by
Governor Phil Bredesen as a way to balance the
budget. The administration proposed an additional
$85 million in tax increases by increasing the sales
tax on single article sales.
Last week, Bredesen and his senior staff outlined a
plan to remove the sales tax cap on single article
sales. At present, the value of individual items over
$3,200 are taxed at seven percent. The governor
wants to increase this to 9.75 percent.
The leaders expressed their disappointment in the
Governor for showing what they called "blatant
disregard for the challenges small business owners
and average Tennesseans face," and added that
small businesses would be the driving force behind
an economic recovery.
The $85 million tax increase would be in addition to
$50 million the administration has called for by
increasing taxes on cable television, cable television
boxes, business telephone services, and free hotel
breakfasts. In total, Bredesen has proposed over
$130 million in new taxes this year alone.
Bills to limit impact of federal healthcare takeover move forward amid contentious debate
House members were successful in moving
forward with the "Health Freedom Act" this week, as
the bill moved out of the House Commerce
Committee by a 19 to 11 vote. The panel approved the
measure in a bipartisan manner, which is aimed at
protecting the right of an individual to purchase-and
the right of doctors to provide-lawful medical
services without penalty. The bill would also require
the state Attorney General to take the necessary steps
to defend these rights.
The bill, which has been debated at length throughout
the committee process, hit a snag Thursday morning
in the House Calendar and Rules Committee. The
committee is responsible for setting the House floor
calendars and scheduling legislation for
consideration on the House floor. On Thursday
morning, opponents attempted to stall the legislation
once again, using parliamentary tactics to hold the
legislation in the committee indefinitely. Eventually,
the
bill was referred back to the Finance, Ways and
Means Committee despite having an insignificant
price tag. The legislation will appear in the Budget
Subcommittee next week.
Other states have passed similar legislation, and
many are already in the process of filing a lawsuit
against the federal government regarding the
healthcare overhaul.
Concerned that expanding government programs are
rarely effective solutions to complex issues,
proponents of the "Health Freedom Act" have argued
the federal government takeover of healthcare will
only
prove to balloon the cost of healthcare services to the
states.
The bill has been debated at length by both the
Industrial Impact Subcommittee and the full House
Commerce Committee. Because there is no price tag
of significance on the legislation, it is expected to
make one more stop in the House Calendar and
Rules Committee before a vote on the House floor.
Similar to House Bill 3433 in context, House Joint
Resolution 745 cleared another hurdle this week by
moving out of the Commerce Committee, but faces
Tennessee's lengthy constitutional amendment
approval process, which can take up to four years.
A constitutional amendment must be approved by one
General Assembly by a majority, and a subsequent
General Assembly by a two-thirds vote. Following its
passage by the legislature, the amendment goes on
the ballot in the next gubernatorial election, and must
receive approval from a majority of those voting in the
gubernatorial race.
A related measure also achieved passage this week.
House Bill 2681, which aims to keep tax dollars from
funding abortions, was passed by the State House
Monday night after a contentious debate by a vote of
70 to 23. The legislation will now move through the
State Senate.
The specific language in the legislation states
that, "No health care plan required to be established
in this state through an exchange pursuant to federal
health care reform legislation enacted by the 111th
Congress shall offer coverage for abortion services."
Lawmakers said the measure was necessary to
clarify this point because tax dollars are sometimes
used to indirectly pay for abortions. The final vote was
a bi-partisan one.
The same night, the House considered and passed a
resolution that expresses opposition to the federal
takeover of healthcare with a vote of 66-29. After nearly
two hours of contentious debate, House Joint
Resolution 704 also won bipartisan approval. The
joint resolution must now make its way through the
Senate for approval.
Committee tightens restrictions on traffic cameras
The Transportation Committee moved forward a
proposal on Tuesday that places tough restrictions on
the controversial traffic surveillance cameras utilized
by cities across the state. House Bill 3024 will, among
other things, require a law enforcement officer review
the video evidence and prohibits the company
operating the cameras from sending notices of
violations.
The state's Attorney General also released an opinion
this week that said the cameras are constitutional. A
lawmaker asked the Attorney General to decide
whether or not the cameras violate the Sixth
Amendment's confrontation clause, which allows the
accused to confront any witnesses against them. The
AG opinion stated, in response, "The confrontation
clause embraces testimonial statements.
Photographs are not testimonial statements."
Although the opinion did not directly address many of
the issues the legislature is examining, it indicated
there are certain areas that could be open to scrutiny.
The opinion also stated that certain restrictions the
legislature is considering placing on the cameras
would be constitutional, as long as the restrictions
were "reasonable."
The bill also requires cities to determine the crash
rate based on the last three years of crash history, to
review signal timing, and to calculate the violation rate
for motor vehicles running intersection red lights.
Certain standards-in addition to those listed above-
must be met in order for a city to either keep or install
the traffic cameras. The legislation will be heard in the
Budget Subcommittee next week.
Numerous bills were filed this year to either ban or
lessen the impact of traffic cameras in Tennessee,
after public outcry reached a fever pitch. Cities and
counties in Tennessee have increasingly turned to the
automated systems for surveillance of intersections
and roadways. The Tennessee General Assembly
has studied the use of traffic cameras over the
summer and fall. Lawmakers echoed criticisms from
constituents that in addition to a violation of rights, the
motivation behind the cameras is money, not safety.
Proponents of the cameras argue that safety is the
priority in using the cameras. The committee
determined if safety is the primary concern, the
restrictions in House Bill 3024 are reasonable.
Bill banning sexual predators from practicing medicine passes unanimously
On Monday evening, the House unanimously
passed legislation that prohibits the Board of Medical
Examiners from issuing a license to practice
medicine in Tennessee to anyone convicted of and
registered as a violent sexual offender. The bill
passed the Senate unanimously in late March.
In addition to prohibiting violent sexual offenders from
practicing any kind of medicine, the bill also requires
the board to hold a hearing regarding any application
to practice medicine from a non-violent sexual
offender. During the hearing the medical board has to
consider the extent to which the applicant poses a risk
to patients before determining whether or not to grant
a medical license.
Tennessee awarded millions in "Race to the Top" funds
The United States Department of Education
announced Monday that Tennessee has been chosen
to receive millions of dollars from the federal
government's "Race to the Top" program. Only two of
16 finalists-Tennessee and Delaware-were
ultimately selected. Tennessee hoped to receive $500
million, and early reports indicate the state stands to
receive approximately that amount. The Tennessee
General Assembly met for two weeks in early January
for an Extraordinary Session to pass a bi-partisan,
comprehensive education reform plan.
Lawmakers stood together Monday and praised the
efforts of everyone involved who had worked together
toward true education reform. Tennessee presented
their plan to a panel of independent evaluators in
Washington, D.C., who reportedly were impressed by
the strong accountability measures in Tennessee's
proposal.
The "Race to the Top" competition is designed to
reward states that are leading the way in
comprehensive, coherent, statewide education reform
across four areas:
- Adopting standards and assessments
that prepare students to succeed in college and the
workplace;
- Building data systems that measure
student growth and success, and informing teachers
and principles how to improve instruction;
- Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and
retaining effective teachers and principles, especially
where they are needed most; and
- Turning around their lowest-performing
schools.
Ultimately, Tennessee prevailed over 40 states and
the District of Columbia who submitted applications
for the first phase of grants. Tennessee and Delaware
were selected from among 16 finalists who presented
their proposals earlier this month.
Race to the Top allocations to school systems announced
The Tennessee Department of Education
released
tentative totals this week as to how much money each
school system in the state can expect as a result of
winning the "Race to the Top" program. Robertson
County is set to receive approximately $1.38 million
dollars. State officials said the numbers are tentative,
as they will be traveling to Washington soon to finalize
the details regarding the specific dollar amount the
state will receive.
The state is set to receive approximately $500 million.
About $250 million of that will be divided between
school systems across the state. Each individual
school system must decide what the money will be
used for, although the program does have certain
restrictions. Funds cannot be used for facilities,
capital projects, buses, or raises.
House members fight for English Only, English in the Workplace bills
The Transportation Committee approved
the "English
Only" legislation this week, which would require
driver's license exams to be given only in English. The
sponsor argued that House Bill 262 is needed so that
drivers can read road signs and other critical
information. Supporters also say drivers need to be
able to communicate with police and other
emergency
personnel in case of an emergency.
In the same vein, the House Finance, Ways and
Means Committee approved House Bill 270, which
would require voter registration forms to carry a
disclaimer that clarifies giving false information to
register to vote carries a criminal penalty, and also
requires that the applicant affirm that they are lawfully
in the United States. The bill will now move the House
Calendar and Rules Committee.
House members also scored a majority victory on
Wednesday, after passing House Bill 2685.
The "Protecting English in the Workplace" proposal
experienced no resistance on the House floor and
passed by an overwhelming majority.
The legislation clarifies that employers can require
that English be spoken on the job, but does allow for
some exceptions such as lunch hours or other
designated breaks. The bill would protect businesses
from frivolous lawsuits that can emerge when private
policies are set perfectly within their rights.
The sponsor said requiring English is often a safety
precaution. Businesses where employees are
continuously handling toxic products or food
containers have a need to require English. The
sponsor also cited industrial businesses, where
signs in English often display critical safety
information.
"Open container" bill dies in House committee
The House State and Local Government
Committee
this week considered legislation that would have
outlawed open containers of alcohol in vehicles, and
ultimately killed the bill. The bill was filed last year and
experienced resistance in subcommittees then.
Opponents expressed concern over the ability of
sober drivers to take friends home who are drinking,
and also regarding sporting events, such as
University of Tennessee football games. Despite
these objections, the sponsor said the state must
reform its drunk driving laws. He said further that
there
must be consequences for irresponsible actions that
put other law-abiding citizens in danger.
In 2008, an estimated 11,773 people died in drunk
driving related crashes. Alcohol-related crashes in the
United States cost the public an estimated $114.3
billion in 2000, including $51.1 billion in monetary
costs and an estimated $63.2 billion in quality of life
losses. People other than the drinking driver paid
$71.6 billion of the alcohol-related crash bill, which is
63 percent of the total cost of these crashes.
Had the legislation passed, the proposal could
potentially have freed up a portion of federal funds that
could be used for roads. Currently, the state misses
out on millions in federal funding that could be used
for projects such as improvement measures, new
roads, and bridges.
'Right to hunt and fish' constitutional amendment approved by House
A constitutional amendment giving Tennesseans
the
right to hunt and fish has completed its journey
through both the House and Senate and will now
appear on the ballot in the form of a referendum in
2010. Before a constitutional amendment is adopted,
it must pass one General Assembly by a majority, a
subsequent General Assembly by two-thirds, and
receive a majority of voters' approval on a ballot in a
gubernatorial election year. SJR 30 was approved by
the House this week with a 90-1 vote, and has already
passed the Senate.
SJR 30 adds a new provision to Article XI, Section 13
of the state's constitution which reads: "The citizens of
this state shall have the personal right to hunt and
fish, subject to reasonable regulations and
restrictions prescribed by law. The recognition of this
right does not abrogate any private or public property
rights, nor does it limit the state's power to regulate
commercial activity."
The House sponsor said the measure is a pre-
emptive strike to protect the time-honored traditions,
as other countries have outlawed certain types of
hunting. Fourteen other states have approved similar
provisions, with California and Minnesota passing the
measures due to animal rights organizations
protesting certain practices.
Juvenile sexual offender registry measure discussed
A bill that would strengthen the state's sexual
offender laws and ensure Tennessee is completely in
compliance with the federal government's Adam
Walsh Act was discussed at length Tuesday evening
in the House Judiciary Committee. House Bill 2789
would require violent juvenile sexual offenders age 14
years or older to register on a sexual offender registry.
Due to some concerns regarding juveniles who may
not reoffend, an amendment was added to the bill.
Currently, juveniles are assessed by mental health
professionals after being adjudicated for a violent
sexual crime. The Tennessee Association of Mental
Health Organizations agreed to assess the juveniles
as "high-risk" and "low-risk," with only those
assessed as "high-risk" being required to register.
In addition, the bill states that a person must stay on
the registry for 25 years and then may apply for
removal. However, if the person is convicted of an
additional offense, they must stay on the registry for
life. These are the minimum requirements that keep
the legislation in compliance with the Adam Walsh Act.
The federal government signed the Adam Walsh
Child
Protection and Safety Act into law in 2006, and state
compliance is tied to grant money. The state's fiscal
analysts say that Tennessee is eligible to receive over
$50 million in grant funding, but that 10 percent of that
is in jeopardy unless House Bill 2789 passes.
Thirty-two states have some form of a violent juvenile
sexual offender registry. The offenses that would
qualify a violent juvenile sexual offender for the
registry
are aggravated rape, rape, aggravated sexual battery
when coercion is involved, rape of a child with a victim
at least four years younger, and aggravated rape of a
child or the attempt of any of these.
After four and a half hours of discussion, the bill was
deferred for one week. The legislation will be heard
again in the Judiciary Committee next week and is
expected to be voted on at that time.
Evans posts strong fundraising numbers for 2010 election
Representative Joshua Evans posted strong
fundraising totals for 2009, and said he is looking
forward to continuing the trend of support after
session is complete. Evans raised over $45,000 and
ended with over $40,000 cash on hand, impressive
numbers for a freshman Republican member.
"I'm honored to serve the 66th District in the State
House, and I hope to have the opportunity to continue
doing so," said Evans. "I am humbled and grateful for
the support shown to me from people across the
district."
Evans raised more than any other freshman
Republican legislator, with a staggering 100
contributors for the reporting period. The numbers are
evidence that Evans' support is growing and solid.
"Joshua works very hard in Nashville representing his
constituents. It comes as no surprise to me that he
has a wide base of support back home, and his
fundraising totals prove this support is strong," said
House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen
Casada. "I
know that he will continue to work hard in Nashville,
and connect with people in the 66th District on the
issues that are important to them," he added.
Joshua Evans is serving his first term in the
legislature, and represents State House District 66,
which encompasses all of Robertson County. Evans
serves on the Health & Human Resources
Committee
as well as the State & Local Government Committee.
Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee hammers out workers' compensation issues
The Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee
discussed the workers' compensation insurance
issue at length this week, hammering out a proposal
that advanced to the House Government Operations
Committee. Under the legislation, anyone engaged in
the construction industry must carry workers'
compensation insurance on any employee, as well
as
any subcontractor not otherwise covered by a policy.
Sole proprietors, partners, officers of corporations
and
members of limited liability companies will be
required to carry workers' compensation insurance on
themselves.
However, sole proprietors, partners, officers of
corporations and members of limited liability
companies engaged as contractors may exempt
themselves from workers' compensation coverage if
they:
- Own at least 30 percent of the business;
and
- Serve in a supervisory role while attending the
worksite without engaging in any of the sub-
classifications for the building construction categories
listed in rules set by the Tennessee board for
licensing contractors.
The General Assembly approved legislation during
the Extraordinary Session in January that suspended
a newly implemented law to require sole proprietors
and partners engaged in the construction industry to
carry workers' compensation coverage on themselves
due to unintended effects of the act. In the meantime,
the legislature has discussed alternative ways to
address gaps in coverage for workers in the
construction industry without harming small business
owners, while providing added protections for third
partners and responsible contractors.
Lawmakers continue to examine budget; General Assembly sees opportunity to 'return to basics'
Lawmakers continued their examination of the
budget this week, amid reports that revenues continue
to slide. The state has seen revenues decline for 20
straight months, a new record. Despite the dismal
numbers, House Republicans remain focused on
their goal of a balanced budget that keeps priorities in
place and view the current budget situation as an
opportunity to return government to the basics.
Based on tentative numbers, the total budget will
shrink this fiscal year by roughly $1.5 billion. Analysts
say that the state's sales tax revenue-the primary
source of revenue-has dropped sharply over the last
20 months. The chart below shows the breakdown of
state tax dollars.
"Clawback Payment" could save millions
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
announced that Tennessee could keep some of
the "clawback payments" associated with prescription
drug coverage. The temporary change means the
state could save roughly $120 million, going a long
way in softening the blow of the Governor's call for
$200 million in reductions from TennCare.
Some Tennesseans that are a Medicaid-waiver
enrollee are also enrolled in Medicare. The federal
government requires the state to contribute some of
its TennCare funds in lieu of paying twice for the
benefits that both programs cover, called "clawback
payments." Temporarily, the federal government will
be forgiving those payments, thus saving the $120
million.
Tennessee joined several other states in asking the
federal government to suspend the payments,
because the federal stimulus aid for Medicaid meant
the state would have paid less for prescription drugs
in the next two budgets. At the end of last week the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services agreed,
leading them to temporarily suspend the payments.
House votes 65-31 to override veto of menu-labeling measure
A bill that will prohibit certain local entities from
requiring nutritional labeling on menus will now
become law. The law was passed last year by both
the House and Senate but was then vetoed by the
Governor. The legislation was filed as several states,
municipalities and cities began considering laws that
mandated chain restaurants put calories and other
nutritional information on menus.
Lawmakers arguing in favor of the bill say that
mandating chain restaurants to put certain nutritional
information on menus places an unnecessary burden
on restaurant owners in an already struggling
economy and creates an atmosphere that is
unfriendly to business owners. They also argue that
often, the laws are selective, targeting only large
restaurant chains. In addition, if every city enacted
something different, large or even medium sized
companies would have difficulty in following the laws
properly.
The legislation was amended to prohibit non-elected
bodies from making the decision to require nutritional
information on menus, such as a local Board of
Health. It also specifies that if the federal government
passes legislation requiring menu labeling and the
federal action specifically authorizes state
departments to enforce such action, then the
Tennessee Department of Health will be the
department that is primarily responsible for the
implementation and supervision of the new
requirements.
The Senate had previously voted on the veto override,
with a vote of 24 to 7.
General Assembly is presented with proposed budget
The 106th General Assembly was presented with
the proposed 2010-2011 state budget this week, as
the Governor addressed a joint convention on Monday
night. Overall, the proposal includes a 5 to 6 percent
decrease in the budget total, with roughly $200 million
being used from both the Rainy Day Fund and the
TennCare reserve fund.
Lawmakers are eager to do their due diligence and
fully vet the proposal in the coming weeks as budget
hearings begin in the House Finance, Ways and
Means Committee. The details of the proposal will
begin to fall into place this week as representatives
from the various departments will be available during
the hearings to answer questions and concerns.
In his speech, the Governor presented a quick
overview of the 612 page budget document that was
delivered to legislators' offices the same day. Though
some specifics regarding revenue and proposed
expenditures were outlined, lawmakerss say that they
remain committed to fully discussing the budget over
the coming weeks as they learn more about the
details.
Legislators have been stressing the importance of
facing the challenges in the budget head on and
viewing them as an opportunity to return government
to its most important tasks. The legislature will work
hard in the coming weeks to examine the budget
document, and make common-sense decisions that
will protect Tennessee taxpayers.
Priorities protected
The Department of Safety had originally prepared to
cut state troopers in 13 rural counties, but the
proposed budget includes a driver's license renewal
fee increase intended to avoid those layoffs and pay
for new radio equipment for the state troopers.
Currently, it costs $19.50 every five years to renew a
Tennessee driver's license. The proposal increases
that fee to $46 every eight years, which state officials
say will make the process more efficient. The driver's
license renewal fee has not been increased since
1988.
The Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System
was not on the chopping block, as the system will
receive an infusion of $82 million to shore up the
fund.
K-12 also escaped major cuts, with the proposal
protecting BEP funding and even includes $47 million
in growth. K-12 capital projects were cut, as were
many capital projects across the state. However,
money will not leave the classrooms in the budget as
proposed.
In addition, the state will mostly avoid mass layoffs
and the budget as proposed includes a one-time
bonus of 3 percent for state employees. The Governor
did outline a plan to eliminate 456 unfilled positions
in
order to save money.
Recurring Reductions
Some lawmakers have, for years, said the state
budget should be treated like a family budget. The
Governor addressed this issue Monday night,
stressing that we 'must adjust our expenses to match
our income.' With the state in its 20th straight month
of
revenue decline-a record-some reductions are
inevitable. They include:
- $200 million in recurring reductions in
TennCare;
- $64 million reduction in higher education;
- $20 million recurring reductions in K-12 capital
projects; and
- $16 million in recurring Child Services
Technical Corrections Bill
The technical corrections bill originates in the
Department of Revenue and proposes revenue
increases through specific changes to the
Tennessee
Code. This year, the legislation includes a tax on real
estate investment trusts, and an increase in the cable
tax, totaling $49.8 million among a few other smaller
proposals.
The first $15 of cable TV service is currently taxed at
8.25 percent, with the rest being exempt. On the other
hand, satellite TV is taxed at 8.25 percent, but without
the $15 exemption. The technical corrections bill
proposes to tax an entire cable TV bill at 8.25,
bringing
it in line with satellite service. In addition, cable
providers will be charged a new tax on equipment
such as cable boxes. Members have expressed
concern that this equipment tax will be passed on to
the consumer.
Secret Ballot Protection Act dies in subcommittee
The "Secret Ballot Protection Act" appeared in the
Employee Affairs Subcommittee this week. The
proposal defines the denial of secret-ballot elections
as an unfair labor practice. It also establishes
penalties (class C misdemeanor) and civil remedies
for violation.
The bill is a remedy for "card check," which has been
proposed in Congress. Card check would require
unionization ballots to be public, so that unions could
see if a worker voted for or against unionization.
Currently, the vote on whether to unionize is a secret
ballot, which protects workers from undue
harassment by union leaders. The Secret Ballot
Protection Act would declare that those votes remain
private in order to protect workers.
The sponsor argued that voting is sacred whether it is
in the voting booth or the workplace, and that the bill is
consistent with the state's Constitution in
guaranteeing ballot secrecy. Ultimately, however, the
bill failed along party lines.
More than 3,000 Tennessee Guardsmen leaving for Iraq
Hundreds of families, friends and well-wishers turned
out Friday, February 5, for departure
ceremonies at Camp Shelby, Miss., for over 3,000
soldiers of the National Guard's 278th Armored
Cavalry Regiment.
The regiment is bound for Iraq, marking its second
deployment to that country, the first coming in 2004.
Governor Phil Bredesen and his wife, Andrea Conte,
were at the military post Friday to see off the
Tennesseans, just as they did five years ago. The
governor told the assembled soldiers, "Nothing
humbles me more than to serve as your Commander
in Chief."
He recognized and thanked families of the soldiers
and offered a special "thank you" to soldiers who had
deployed more than once, which represented the
majority of the members of the 278th. This brings to
nearly 20,000 the number of Tennessee Guardsmen
called up since Sept. 11, 2001
The National Guard men and women have been at
Camp Shelby since early December conducting
specialized pre-deployment training.
The highlight of the departure ceremony Friday was a
full formation of the 3,000 soldiers, held on the post
parade field with a review by Governor Bredesen,
Tennessee's Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Max Haston,
and military dignitaries from across the country.
"It's humbling to stand before these great troopers, "
said Maj. Gen. Haston."You are the standard bearers
of this nation," he added. He also thanked soldiers'
families whom he described as, "the Guard family."
Other notables from Tennessee included
Congressman Marsha Blackburn, Congressman
Zack Wamp, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, Commissioner of
Veterans Affairs John Keys, and State Rep. Joshua
Evans.
The 278th ACR is the Tennessee National Guard's
largest single unit, and the massive deployment
affects 45 cities stretching tip-to-tip across
Tennessee, all the way from Kingsport in the east to
Henderson in the west.
Tennessee implements new vaccination requirements
Students entering childcare facilities, pre-k,
kindergarten, or seventh grade this fall will have a
new
set of immunization requirements. According to the
State Department of Health, this is the first update to
immunization requirements in ten years. Most of the
new rules take affect on July 1.
New childcare, pre-k, and kindergarten children will
be
required to show proof of vaccination for
Haemophilus
influenzae type B (HBV), Pneumococcal conjugate
vaccine (PCV), Hepatitis A, and Hepatitis B.
Previously,
these shots were recommended but not required.
Meanwhile, students entering seventh grade will be
required to have a tetanus booster shot and show
proof of immunity against chicken pox. This can be
demonstrated by having a prior chicken pox diagnosis
or by taking two doses of the vaccine.
The state is providing new official immunization
certificates to doctors. After completion of the required
vaccinations, a doctor will complete a certificate which
will be given by the parents to the school as evidence
of required vaccinations.
As with other required vaccinations, students may be
exempted for medical and/or religious reasons.
For more information on immunizations, click here.
|
Legislative Office
207 War Memorial Building Nashville, TN 37243
www.capitol.tn.gov
Phone:
615.741.2860
District Contact
513 Memorial Blvd, #312 Springfield, TN 37172
www.RepJoshuaEvans.com
Phone:
615.948.1376
My Quick Links...
Legislative Website
Local Website
District Survey
Legislation I'm Sponsoring
Legislation Search
Weekly House Schedule
House Streaming Video
Facebook Page
Follow on Twitter
|