Home of the free, because of the brave. As we pause this Memorial Day, I hope you will join me in remembering those brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

As we honor those who have served and continue to serve our country each day, I reflect back to April when I had the pleasure of welcoming World War II and Korean War Veterans, and their families, pictured below, to the Senate floor.

The 113th General Assembly wrapped up its business for the 2023 legislative session on Friday, April 21. The session was highlighted by a record investment in school safety, major tax relief for small businesses and families, and new plans to improve transportation and infrastructure across the state.

Safer Communities

• Invested $223 million to improve school safety, including $140 million to put a School Resource Officer (SRO) in every public school
• Added over 140 positions to the Tennessee Highway Patrol

Pro-Family

• Strengthened protections for pregnant women and the unborn
• Improved adoption and foster care processes

Transportation & Infrastructure

• Invested $3 billion in the Transportation Modernization Fund to alleviate urban congestion and fund rural road projects
• Provided $300 million to expand the State Aid Program for local road projects

Tax Cuts

• Provided over $400 million in tax relief to boost economic competitiveness, promote entrepreneurship and small business formation, and provide targeting relief to families

Healthcare

• Invested $110 million of TennCare reserves for hospital grants to cover services provided for rural and distressed hospitals

Protecting Children

• Protected children from being exposed to sexually explicit adult entertainment
• Prevented harmful and irreversible medical procedures from being performed on minors

To the Citizens of Senate District 15

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you in the Tennessee General Assembly. I appreciate you trusting me to represent and advocate for not only your interests and needs, but for all of those living in rural Tennessee. Since I was elected in 2014, I have sponsored several pieces of legislation to protect children, improve public safety, defend our 2nd amendment right, support small businesses, cut taxes and give back to our first responders. I have worked tirelessly to promote business growth and better infrastructure and as a result thousands of jobs have been created within Senate District 15.

I truly love every second serving as your State Senator. As I start every morning, I remind myself why I am an elected official – to advocate on behalf of the nearly 210,000 residents that reside in Cumberland, Jackson, Putnam, Smith, Van Buren and White counties. I hope you always know that what matters most to me is YOU! If I can ever be of assistance to you or your family, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (615) 741-3978. My staff and I stand ready to serve and assist you in whatever way possible. Once again, thank you for this opportunity.

All My Best,

Paul