Capitol Update: April 19, 2024
Legislature Lurching Toward Adjournment
Capitol Hill observers often note that people who are unfamiliar with the legislature greatly underestimate the conflicts between the House and Senate. Those differences were evident this week as the General Assembly passed the state budget and worked to resolve a handful of major issues. The budget itself passed easily, but major disagreements remain on school vouchers, franchise and excise tax changes, the Comptroller’s reappraisal bill, and more. And while nowhere near as large a threat as a property tax cap, county associations also found themselves suddenly battling a property tax break intended to help preserve the agriculture industry in Tennessee.
State Budget Passes on Thursday
The budget itself was a rare issue where there was virtually no disagreement between the House and Senate (at least in public). It seemed to pass as smoothly as it has in many years. In part this may be because of less money to argue about. With revenues flattening, both chambers appeared committed to adding very little new recurring spending and making as few changes as possible to the Governor’s budget. Strangely, this included leaving the full funding in the governor’s budget for...
|