Tennessee Farmland Preservation
Senate Bill 207 passed out of the Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee this week. This bill would establish a $25 million Farmland Preservation Fund to provide grants for property owners who voluntarily place their farm or forestry land into an agricultural easement with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. The program aims to make farmland preservation financially feasible for family farms, ensuring they remain in agricultural use for future generations. While property owners can already place their land in a conservation easement through various entities, rising land prices provide little incentive to do so. The Farmland Preservation Fund aims to provide this incentive, making it more financially viable for Tennessee farmers to preserve their land. Participation in the program is entirely voluntary, allowing property owners to receive compensation for the difference between their land’s agricultural value and its highest market value. Farmers who take part in the program would still maintain the freedom to develop their land for agricultural purposes and maintain full farming operations without restrictions on output. Tennessee is losing farmland to development at an astounding rate. Over a 20-year period, from 1997 to 2007, Tennessee lost 1.1 million acres of farmland to development. Since 2017, another 432,941 acres of farmland has been lost. This is equivalent to Tennessee losing 9.8 acres of farmland per hour, up from 6.3 acres per hour in the previous two decades.
Removing World Health Organization from Tennessee law
Legislation advanced in the Senate Health Committee this week to delete all references to the World Health Organization (WHO) in Tennessee code. Senate Bill 669 also replaces WHO references with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding pandemic declarations. Under this bill, Tennessee would only recognize a pandemic if declared by the CDC and followed with a state of emergency by Governor.
TDOC Proposes Major Pay Increase for Correctional Officers
The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) presented its $91.5 million budget to the Senate State and Local Government Committee on Tuesday. Among the key highlights of the budget was a proposed allocation of $36.9 million to fund a significant increase in the starting salary for correctional officers. Through this funding, officers would have a starting salary of $51,204 that increases to $60,720 after 18 months. The proposed salary increase reflects Tennessee’s strong commitment to supporting law enforcement.
Increasing Penalties for Aggravated Sexual Battery
The Senate Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 678 to increase the penalty for aggravated sexual battery from a Class B felony to a Class A felony if the victim was younger than 18 years old. This bill would also apply to victims who are mentally defective, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless.
Streamlining Death Pronouncement Process in Hospitals
Senate Bill 668 seeks to improve the process of declaring death in hospitals. The bill allows nurses, in coordination with a physician, to pronounce a patient dead when the death is anticipated, reducing delays caused by requiring physician involvement. By empowering nurses to take on this responsibility, hospitals can operate more efficiently, particularly in busy or under-staffed settings. However, physician oversight remains in place to ensure proper care and accuracy.
To the Citizens of Senate District 15
I want to take a moment to sincerely thank you for the confidence you’ve placed in me by electing me as your State Senator. It is truly a privilege to represent you and advocate for your needs and the needs of our community each week. This opportunity is not something I take lightly.
Although it was a shorter week in Nashville, due to Presidents Day, it was still an incredibly busy week meeting with many constituents, doing a deep dive into the Department budgets, and reviewing hundreds of filled bills.
I would encourage each of you to try and find a time to visit our beautiful State Capitol. Each time you visit, you have the opportunity to share your concerns and ideas directly with me and my colleagues and sit in on committee hearings. Your voice matters to me and is important in helping shape legislation that affects our communities from healthcare and education to infrastructure and public safety. If you would like to schedule a tour of our Capitol or attend a Senate Hearing, please feel free to reach out to my office.
As always, my staff and I stand ready to assist you.
All My Best,
Paul