The Tennessee General Assembly
Susan M. Lynn
House of Representatives
CAPITOL HILL REVIEW
A weekly wrap-up of legislative news
Fox and Friends will
host Rep. Susan Lynn for National Motto Bill
The Weekly Wrap newsletter is going out a day early in
order to let you know that Rep. Lynn will be on Fox and Friends in the morning.
Please watch Fox and Friends Sunday morning, March
25 at 6:50 am central time to see State Representative Susan Lynn on Fox
and Friends discussing the Tennessee National Motto in the Classroom Bill.
House Passes National
Motto In The Classroom Act
Initiative displays “In God We Trust” in
prominent locations within schools
I
have to say, I have had the great blessing of passing a lot of bills dealing
with matters of justice, business, consumer issues, and education.
Knowing that each bill helps someone is very gratifying. However, some
bills are particularly special to me such as bills dealing with family values
such as the Religious Freedom Protection Act, an amendment to the budget to
prohibit state tax dollars from paying for abortions, the recognition of God
and religious freedom resolution, resolutions expressing Tennessee’s support
for the State of Israel, a bill establishing Bible as curriculum acceptable to
be used in public schools, the anti-coercion act that ensures that a sign is
posted in each abortion clinic in the state notifying all of the law against
coercing women to have an abortion, prohibiting the sale of aborted fetus body
parts and of course, SJR 127.
However
today, I do think my absolute favorite bill is my National Motto in the
Classroom Act which just passed on the House floor last week. I received
word that the Speaker of the Senate has already signed the Senate version of
the bill and sent it on to the House Speaker’s desk. She should sign the
bill this week. Then the bill will move to the Governor’s desk.
The
bill calls for our national motto — “In God We Trust” — to be displayed in
schools across Tennessee passed this week on the House floor in Nashville.
House
Bill 2368 enacts the National Motto in the Classroom Act. It requires each
local education agency across the state to display “In God We Trust” in a
prominent location within Tennessee’s schools.
“In
God We Trust” has served as the official motto of the United States since 1956.
It first appeared on the two-cent penny in 1864 and on paper currency in 1957.
During
his State of the Union Address earlier this year in front of Congress,
President Donald Trump reminded the nation’s lawmakers and all citizens that
the foundation of American life is faith and family, not government and
bureaucracy. President Trump also emphasized to the congressional and national
audience that our country’s motto has been and still remains “In God We Trust.”
Supporters
of the legislation agree that The National Motto in the Classroom Act is an
opportunity to help future generations of students better understand the
importance of faith in the narrative of Tennessee and the nation.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/LCtilEfm9lk
2018 Legislative Survey
and Preliminary Results
Please visit
my blog to take the 2018 legislative survey on current issues before the
General Assembly; susan-lynn.blogspot.com.
Issues include the states amending the US Constitution, medical cannabis oil,
the National Motto Bill and many others.
See preliminary survey
results here.
Leadership Wilson
Spends the Day at the Capitol
Once
again this year we were thrilled to host Leadership Wilson at the state Capitol
for their annual Day on the Hill. The group enjoyed a photo with the
Governor and Deputy Governor, the House and Senate Sessions, a tour of the
Capitol, many speakers and special guests, lunch at the Nashville Farmers
Market and of course they arrived and departed on the Music City Star. A
funny and charming characteristic of our Governor – he just loves taking selfies
with visitors!! It was really great fun.
Would you like to
plan a Day on the Hill for your group? Go to www.susanlynn.us and click on
Requests.
The page will
scroll to a number of requests. Look for Day on the Hill. Simply
compete the form and you will get a call.
2018-2019 Budget
Amendment Introduced
Legislation includes
additional improvements for broadband, higher education, opioid addiction, and
school safety
This
week, Governor Bill Haslam introduced his amendment to the fiscal year
2018-2019 budget proposal that will be considered by the 110th General
Assembly.
The
amendment builds on previous legislative priorities by making strategic and
thoughtful investments across state government. Because of the conservative
fiscal choices lawmakers have made over the last several years, Tennessee
currently ranks as the lowest taxed and lowest debt state in the nation.
In
early March, Governor Haslam appointed a School Safety Working Group to review
school safety in Tennessee and provide recommendations to enhance the security
of school children. In the coming days, the working group will submit options
for consideration that will serve as a basis for state action and approved
school safety measures. As part of these efforts, the budget amendment includes
$30 million to help improve school safety across the state.
These
additional school safety funds, which include doubling the current amount of
recurring funding available through school safety grants, will provide
Tennessee schools with additional resources to meet their specific needs.
The
budget amendment also contains $3 million in nonrecurring funds for grants to
provide funding for school districts to address the extra costs associated with
purchasing buses equipped with seat belts.
Other
notable investments in the budget amendment include:
- $5 million
in nonrecurring broadband accessibility grants, in addition to the $10
million initially included in the fiscal year 18-19 budget. The governor’s
Broadband Accessibility Act became law in 2017 and committed $30 million
in grants over three years;
- $9
million in nonrecurring funds to purchase equipment at the 27 Tennessee
Colleges of Applied Technology to improve and modernize a broad variety of
workforce development programs;
- An
additional $1 million in recurring funds to provide mental health treatment
and recovery services as part of TN Together — the comprehensive plan to
end the opioid crisis in Tennessee;
- $2
million in nonrecurring funds for an addiction services research program
at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in support of TN
Together;
- And $10
million in nonrecurring funds for the Aeronautics Development Fund to
create jobs and investment opportunities in Tennessee’s aviation industry.
The
budget amendment is customarily introduced in the final weeks of the
legislative session each year for consideration and approval by the General
Assembly. The final 2018-2019 budget is expected to be adopted sometime in
mid-April.
State Representative
Susan Lynn Fights For Additional Funding To Improve School Bus Safety
State Representative Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet) continues
to fight for additional funding that will improve school bus safety in
districts across Tennessee.
In February Representative Lynn met with Tennessee Governor Bill
Haslam to discuss gaining his support of the bill to protect students who rely
on the bus to travel to and from school. As a result, the Governor
announced that he has set aside $3 million in nonrecurring funds for grants in the
amendment to his fiscal year 2018-2019 budget. These grants will help school
districts address the extra costs associated with purchasing buses equipped
with seat belts.
Additionally, Representative Lynn is sponsoring House
Bill 395. It requires that any bus purchased on or after July 1, 2018 that
is owned, operated, or leased by a public or private elementary or secondary
school system to be used to transport students to and from schools or
school-related events must be equipped with a restraint system. Additionally,
these restraint systems must be approved by the National Transportation Safety
Board (NTSB) for both the driver and all passengers.
Last year, Representative Lynn traveled to Indiana to research
the pros and cons of restraint systems on school buses. She observed a
side-impact crash involving a semi traveling 35 miles an hour and a school bus
transporting crash test dummies. In this scenario, crash test dummies were both belted and unbelted. For
those unbelted, the crash proved to be fatal. Those that were belted in
remained safely restrained.
Representative Lynn has prioritized the safety and well-being of
students who depend on school buses as part of their daily transportation.
“Every day, we count on our buses and drivers to get our
children to school and back safely, and I am grateful that Governor Haslam has
allocated additional funding as part of his budget amendment that that will
help us better protect our kids,” said Representative Lynn. “He will forever be
remembered as the Governor who improved school bus safety, and I am honored to
have worked with him in an effort to begin addressing this paramount issue.”
During the 2017
legislative session, Representative Lynn supported passage of House
Bill 322. The measure requires all school districts, as well
as charter schools to appoint a transportation supervisor to monitor and
oversee student transportation. This supervisor must receive annual training
developed from both the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and the
Tennessee Department of Safety (TDS) and must also implement a school
transportation policy adopted by the local board of education.
Additionally, House Bill 322 requires all new
bus drivers to complete a driver training program based on standards developed
by the TDOE and the TDS prior to transporting any students. This bill also
increases the minimum age for individuals seeking to obtain a school bus
operator endorsement license from 21 to 25.
Lawmakers, Farmers Celebrate
Annual ‘Ag Day On The Hill’ Event
House
lawmakers joined with farmers and agriculture groups from across the state this
week to celebrate Tennessee’s annual 'Ag Day on the Hill' event at
the Cordell Hull building in Nashville. Governor Bill Haslam has also
proclaimed the date 'Agriculture Day' as part of the annual national observance
to recognize the important contributions of farmers and forestland owners
provide to the state and nation.
This
year, ‘Ag Day on the Hill' activities included farm animals and a
variety of farming equipment on display. Representatives from agricultural
organizations and agencies were also available to discuss programs and
opportunities for those interested in farming and forestry in Tennessee.
In
addition, a crosscut saw competition between House and Senate lawmakers took
place, with the House taking the victory from the hands of the Senate.
Following the contest, lawmakers, staff, Ag Day participants, and the general
public joined together for a sweet potato bagging project to benefit the
Society of St. Andrew, an organization dedicated
to providing 2 million pounds or more of fresh, highly nutritious fruits and
vegetables each year, at no charge, to agencies and organizations — soup
kitchens, food banks & pantries, senior centers, and feeding programs —
serving at-risk Tennesseans.
Tennessee
has more than 67,000 farms representing 10.9 million acres in production. More
than half of the state, 14 million acres, is in mostly privately owned hardwood
forests. Tennessee’s top agricultural commodities include cattle, soybeans,
corn, poultry, cotton, timber, greenhouse and nursery products, dairy products,
wheat, tobacco, and hay. The industry has a $70 billion a year impact on the
state’s economy and supports more than 340,000 jobs.
Republicans Advance
Welfare Reform Initiatives
This
year, House Republicans are leading efforts to reform Tennessee’s welfare
system, including reinstituting work requirements for those receiving benefits
from the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and TennCare.
By
reinstituting work requirements for SNAP, approximately 58,000 able-bodied
adults who are not currently meeting the work requirement but still receive
assistance will now be able to capitalize on an overabundance of jobs in order
to secure meaningful employment. This will help move them along a pathway from
dependency to independence and self-sufficiency.
The
restoration of these stipulations will not impact residents who currently
depend on these key benefits in 16 Tennessee counties still designated as
distressed by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.
They will also not apply to Tennessee’s senior citizens or disabled residents.
Similarly,
House Bill 1551 directs the commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Finance
and Administration to file a waiver instituting reasonable work requirements
for TennCare enrollees. The measure comes as the
federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued new guidelines for
states, allowing Tennessee to implement work requirements on citizens who
receive TennCare benefits.
As
leaders of the state, House Republicans want Tennessee residents to have
meaningful employment so they can take care of their families and make
contributions that enable communities to continue their economic development
and prosperity. These new initiatives accomplish these goals while also
ensuring state resources are managed in the most efficient and effective way
possible.
New Measure Saving
Tennessee Taxpayers $6 Million Annually Passes In House
This
week on the House floor, lawmakers supported passage of a measure designed to
save Tennessee taxpayers an estimated $6 million dollars annually on the cost
of state testing.
House
Bill 2247 — which passed unanimously by a 94-0 bipartisan vote — is designed to
simplify testing methods for students while also outlining expectations for
Tennessee’s educators.
The
measure reduces a requirement for the creation of new test questions on state
assessments from 70 percent annually to just 30 percent. This will free up
additional resources in order to streamline reporting of results to students,
teachers, and families.
As
passed, House Bill 2247 ensures that Tennessee children are being properly
prepared and that teachers better understand where they need to focus their
time and energy in the classroom. House Republicans are committed to working to
make the state’s testing process as seamless as possible for all involved and
will continue work to identify other areas where testing efficiency can be
improved and additional money for taxpayers can be saved.”
Under
the leadership of House Republicans, Tennessee students are the fastest improving in the entire country
across math, reading, and science. Last fall, high school graduation rates for the
2016-2017 school years reached 89.1 percent — the highest in recorded state
history.
Bill Supporting State’s
Military Families Receives Approval
Monday
night, House lawmakers unanimously supported passage of a measure designed to
support Tennessee’s military families.
House
Bill 1573 allows spouses of deceased members of our military reserve to be
issued a National Guard license plate until a time when they remarry.
The
measure is the latest in a series of initiatives designed to ensure that those
who defend our state and our country are not forgotten.
During
the 2017 legislative session, House Republicans spearheaded the Support,
Training and Renewing Opportunity for National Guardsman (STRONG) Act. It
provides last dollar-scholarships to our state’s service members who meet
eligibility requirements, allowing them to pursue their educational goals and
dreams without fear of financial struggle.
Additionally,
lawmakers supported passage of House Bill 433 — an initiative to assist
veterans by determining how their military training can count as college credit
at Tennessee’s colleges and universities. It also grants in-state tuition to
anyone currently living in Tennessee who is using Veterans Affairs educational
benefits, regardless of their official home of record.
Tennessee
military members and their families make incredible sacrifices in serving and
defending Tennessee and the United States. These initiatives are a small way
that lawmakers can thank and show gratitude to these brave individuals who risk
their lives every single day in the name of freedom.
March Named Amyloidosis
Awareness Month In Tennessee
March
has officially been named Amyloidosis Awareness Month in Tennessee following a
resolution approved by the House and Senate and signed into law by Governor
Haslam. Tennessee is the first state in the nation to dedicate a month towards
raising awareness of this rare disease.
The
idea to do so was brought to the attention of legislators by Tennessean
Charlotte Haffner, who was diagnosed with the disease at Vanderbilt Medical
Center in July of 2008, with little hope of surviving.
Today,
after undergoing both a heart transplant and stem cell transplant, she is a
pioneer advocating for patients and raising awareness for this rare disease.
Amyloidosis
is a family of progressive diseases in which abnormal folded
proteins clump together to form aggregates, known as amyloid, that can
accumulate and cause damage in organs and tissue. The heart and kidneys
are often sites of amyloid deposition in the disease.
Approximately
4,000 people each year develop amyloidosis and lawmakers hope their work to
raise awareness will help to grow the current small number of researchers in
the United States working toward a better diagnosis and treatment of this
devastating disease.
Thank you again for letting me serve you. Please do not
hesitate to call my office if I can help you.
615-741-7462
Rep. Susan Lynn
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