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Capitol Update: Week of January 15, 2024
The winter storm that hammered much of the state with significant snow and single degree temperatures also put a halt to the legislative session. After reconvening the second week of January, all meetings this week were canceled as a result of the MLK holiday on Monday and the severe weather that arrived that day. This also slowed the process of filing new legislation.
A little under 300 new bills had been filed as of last Friday. It is usual for around 1500 bills to be filed each year of a legislative session, so we expect around 1200 more to be filed between now and the end of the month. That's when both chambers have set their filing deadlines. Committees and subcommittees are slated to resume their usual meetings next week, with a limited number of bills scheduled for discussion.
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County Government Day Reminder
Members,
This is a critical reminder about the upcoming County Government Day event. If you have not yet registered for the event, please register now to give us an accurate headcount for meals and room seating. We are only a few short weeks away from this event wtih an agenda coming soon.
We don't want you to miss out on this opportunity to stay informed about the most pressing issues affecting your county and connect with other county officials.
If you still need a hotel room reservation for the event, please contact TCSA at [email protected] or (615) 532-3767 to be placed on the waitlist. Rooms are being offered to those on the waiting list in the order they were received. This way, we can determine if we need to secure more rooms if they are available.
Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you there!
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Communicating and Advocating with
Your State Legislators
Members,
As we're looking ahead to next month's County Government Day on the Hill, we thought it could be helpful to spend some time focusing on ways to best engage with your legislators and stay abreast of what's happening at the State Capitol that could impact your county.
TCSA invites you to attend an upcoming Zoom session on "Effective Communication and Advocacy with State Legislators," scheduled for January 25, 2024, at 10:00 AM CST / 11:00 AM EST.
We will cover the current status of the General Assembly, the major issues we anticipate in this session, some basics about understanding the process, and, most importantly, ways to communicate effectively with your Senators and Representatives. We will include time for Q&A if you want to discuss things you are hearing out in the counties.
We hope you can join us. We will record the session, so if you can't make it live, you can watch it later at your convenience. Click here for the Zoom session.
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CTAS: County HR Issues Coming in February & March
CTAS County Government Consultants Heather Duncan and Melisa Kelton and CTAS Legal Consultant Laylah Smith will outline the rules and regulations governing the conduct and responsibilities of county officials, department heads, and employees, providing real examples that counties can learn from. The course will cover personnel policies, FMLA, and workplace harassment.
Class Schedule:
All classes are in person from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm local time.
- February 13th - Nashville IPS Training Facility @ Polk Ave.
- March 6th - Jackson @ Jackson Energy Authority
- March 27th - Knoxville @ UT Conference Center
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Senate Report on Federal Education Funding Released
The Senate members of the Joint Working Group on Federal Education Funding released a preliminary report on its findings from meetings and sessions held in late 2023. Although the report details some of the Group's findings, it also states that "At this time, the House and the Senate have not agreed to mutual recommendations."
Click below to read the full findings and further questions posed by the Joint Working Group as a result of 2023's special meetings and sessions with key education research agencies and institutions.
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Adult-Size Changing Tables in Tennessee
The Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) is excited to announce a new $1 million grant program for Tennessee businesses and local governments to assist with the cost of installing adult-size changing tables.
Approximately 200,000 Tennesseans, or 4 percent of the state’s population, need help with one or more activities of daily living, such as toileting. Currently, those who need access to adult-sized changing tables must choose between using unhygienic settings, like a restroom floor, or staying home, causing isolation from their communities.
This is a problem not only for those who need access to adult-sized changing tables, but for caregivers, such as family members and friends. They too want to spend time in their community with those they support but are limited because of the lack of access to safe and hygienic toileting settings.
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Upcoming Events:
Grant opportunities:
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