TMEPA Legislative Update January 2016
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In the halls of Legislative Plaza, when legislature goes back into session it feels like the first day of school. Everyone is back together after a long break, feeling the excitement of another year. Legislators and lobbyists walk the halls with enthusiasm, looking forward to getting something passed, or in some cases to make sure nothing passes.
This year’s session will get off to a fast start. The bill filing deadline has been moved up several weeks to January 21, which should speed up the work of each chamber’s committees. Committees will begin closing in mid-March, with a projected adjournment in mid-April, and possibly as soon as the week of April 11. The biggest change in how things operate is the Senate moving from the typical four-day schedule to a three-day schedule. Senate session will be earlier on Monday, with committees meeting in the afternoon. Senate staff says this will add time for committees to meet, and that they’ll move back to the four day schedule towards the end of session.
Legislators will be facing a blessing and a curse: a $750 million surplus. As one legislator said this week, that surplus has already been spent several times over, between ideas for tax cuts or ideas that require significant funding. Sometimes the challenge of a surplus is more difficult to work through than when a budget needs a little tightening.
The legislature will be facing many perennial issues beyond the requirement to pass a budget, like improving education and making government more efficient. TMEPA is again supporting legislation that allows for expansion of municipal electric broadband. As has become the norm the past several years, the legislative session will be a quick sprint with only three months to work out many complicated issues, especially with legislators anxious to hit the campaign trail since it’s an election year.
We’ll keep you updated on the legislative session, and we hope to share good news about the expansion of municipal electric broadband. In the meantime, you can help by contacting your state senators and representative and encouraging them to support our bill - SB1134/HB1303. You can also sign the petition at www.TN4Fiber.org. We appreciate your help.
This year’s session will get off to a fast start. The bill filing deadline has been moved up several weeks to January 21, which should speed up the work of each chamber’s committees. Committees will begin closing in mid-March, with a projected adjournment in mid-April, and possibly as soon as the week of April 11. The biggest change in how things operate is the Senate moving from the typical four-day schedule to a three-day schedule. Senate session will be earlier on Monday, with committees meeting in the afternoon. Senate staff says this will add time for committees to meet, and that they’ll move back to the four day schedule towards the end of session.
Legislators will be facing a blessing and a curse: a $750 million surplus. As one legislator said this week, that surplus has already been spent several times over, between ideas for tax cuts or ideas that require significant funding. Sometimes the challenge of a surplus is more difficult to work through than when a budget needs a little tightening.
The legislature will be facing many perennial issues beyond the requirement to pass a budget, like improving education and making government more efficient. TMEPA is again supporting legislation that allows for expansion of municipal electric broadband. As has become the norm the past several years, the legislative session will be a quick sprint with only three months to work out many complicated issues, especially with legislators anxious to hit the campaign trail since it’s an election year.
We’ll keep you updated on the legislative session, and we hope to share good news about the expansion of municipal electric broadband. In the meantime, you can help by contacting your state senators and representative and encouraging them to support our bill - SB1134/HB1303. You can also sign the petition at www.TN4Fiber.org. We appreciate your help.
