It was another busy week on Capitol Hill. I was excited to welcome so many wonderful constituents of Senate District 15 to Nashville.

If you would like to be my guest on the Senate floor or schedule a tour of our beautiful State Capitol, please contact my office at (615) 741-3978.

This week was highlighted by Governor Bill Lee delivering his fifth State of the State Address on Monday evening in a joint session of the General Assembly. In his speech titled ‘Tennessee: Leading the Nation’, the Governor presented his $55.6 billion budget proposal and legislative priorities for 2023. Tennessee’s strong fiscal stewardship places the state in one of the strongest budgetary positions in history and allows for investments to ensure continued success.

Notable highlights from Governor Lee’s Fiscal Year 23-24 agenda include:

• $150 million in annual tax relief for small businesses
• $288 million for a one-time three-month sales tax holiday on food
• $250 million in Tennessee’s record-high Rainy-Day Fund
• $1 billion for improving, expanding and building new TCATs
• $350 million in additional funding to local education agencies through Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA), including $125 million for teacher pay raises
• $33 million to add 100 highway patrol troopers, support staff and 25 Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Forensic Services staff
• $50 million expansion of the Violent Crime Intervention Fund

Tennessee’s conservative fiscal management results in $300M of additional federal funds to extend TennCare

In 2019, I sponsored legislation, that the General Assembly passed, directing TennCare to negotiate with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reach an agreement that would provide the state with more flexibility managing TennCare administration. In 2021, following over one year of discussions and negotiations, CMS approved Tennessee’s Medicaid Block Grant waiver amendment.

During the State of the State, Gov. Lee made a major announcement that Tennessee has claimed initial returns from the first-of-its-kind TennCare Medicaid waiver agreement of more than $300 million. This is a good example of how government can and should work for all Tennesseans. The savings from the waiver prove that our excellent conservative fiscal management in Tennessee yields big returns for taxpayers and enables us to provide better care to more citizens in need. I am exciting for the future of this program and grateful to Governor Lee for his support and the amazing folks at TennCare who worked hard to secure this waiver and improve efficiencies.

Protecting Children

Senate Republicans passed legislation on Thursday to protect children from being exposed to sexually explicit performances. Senate Bill 3, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, restricts adult cabaret performances that appeal to a prurient interest from being performed on public or private property if children could be around to see it.

Senate Bill 1 passed the Judiciary Committee this week. It seeks to prohibit minors from undergoing irreversible and harmful hormonal treatment or surgical procedures to change their gender identity. It will now advance to the Senate Floor for a final vote.