Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, and Rep. David Hawk, R-Greeneville, are members of the 112th Tennessee General Assembly.
Among the most important pieces of legislation this year was the Tennessee Opportunity Act, which establishes a long overdue, responsible and responsive approach to administering Tennessee’s annual federal block grant of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) dollars.
Key provisions of the bill which we championed will establish a reasonable TANF reserve, deploy the funds to where the need is, and through rigorous evaluation will ensure we ultimately scale up what works to promote family self-sufficiency and depart from low-performing options.
In late 2019, when a Beacon Center report revealed that Tennessee’s regular underutilization of the annual TANF block grant had led to a $732 million unspent balance, Speaker Sexton and Lt. Governor McNally had the wisdom to establish a legislative working group. The charge was to assess the program and identify
Congressman Mark Green, R-Clarksville, represents District 7 in the U.S. House of Representatives.
America’s Main Street is resilient, but even the best of businesses can’t compete when government pays people to stay home.
From labor shortages to shuttered businesses, coronavirus relief in the form of stimulus payments and increased unemployment benefits has had devastating and unintended consequences in Tennessee.
Here are some of the real stories of lives affected when government “help” hurts.
Why Cindy Sueiro said she closed G s Pancake House
Cindy Sueiro, one of my constituents, shared with me that stimulus payments and increased unemployment benefits have forced her business of nearly 50 years to close.
John P. Reed is political director for Speak Up! TN.
“Speak Up! TN Vows to Bring Georgia Energy North, and Rebuild Tennessee’s Abandoned Democratic Base”
In March, 2021, former Congressional candidate, Noelle Bivens, and a small group of activists launched the political action committee Speak Up! TN.
It is targeting its efforts on voter registration and protecting voting rights and restoration efforts across the state through a robust ground and digital game. It’s clear that Speak Up! TN is entering the arena to aggressively take the fight to the Tennessee GOP, as evident by its sharp critiques in social media posts and digital advertisements of Governor Lee, Senator Marsha Blackburn, and other Republicans of Tennessee.