Legislative Update: State of the State highlights - education, no new taxes
Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald
The budget moved front and center on Capitol Hill during the week of Feb. 8 as Gov. Bill Lee presented his proposal to fund state government with improvements, prioritizing education, health care, and job development, particularly Tennessee’s rural communities.
Lee’s State of the State and budget address was also highlighted by an accounting of Tennessee’s COVID-19 response and plans for a full economic recovery.
Consistent with conservative principles, the budget does not propose new taxes.
Tennessee is recognized as the third least taxed state in the nation. Since 2011, the General Assembly has reduced sales tax on food by nearly 30%, phased out the Hall income tax, eliminated the gift and inheritance taxes, reduced the professional privilege tax for 15 professions, and cut taxes on manufacturing to enhance job creation.
Tennessee's Gov. Bill Lee on Monday unveiled his $41.8 billion budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. The spending plan includes increases for teacher pay and more funds for COVID-19 relief efforts, buoyed by better-than-expected revenues during the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget proposal needs ultimate approval from the Republican-dominant General Assembly. Here's a look at the highlights:
Knoxville News Sentinel
The University of Tennessee is hoping to eventually grow enrollment at Martin Methodist College to 1,500 students, but that will require more dorms and classrooms on campus.
The UT board of trustees executive committee met on Friday morning, where they heard an update on the proposal to add Martin Methodist College to the UT System. The goal of the merger is to create access to more affordable higher education in southern Middle Tennessee, where Martin Methodist is located.
While the merger isn t final, it was given the green light by both schools in December. It now has to be approved Tennessee s general assembly later this year.
My name is Leighton Chappell and I currently serve as student trustee for the University of Tennessee (UT) Board of Trustees. The UT Board of Trustees is the statewide governing