Oak Ridge Today

Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday morning

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This year’s first Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday morning. It’s scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. Monday, January 25,  in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center.

Senators Ken Yager and Randy McNally and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to discuss the legislative outlook for this session of the Tennessee General Assembly and to respond to questions and hear opinions from the audience. The public is encouraged to attend. A free continental breakfast will be served.

The breakfasts are organized by the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. They are held at the same time and place on the fourth Monday of each month. This year, that will be February 22, March 28, and April 25, or as long as the General Assembly is in session. [Read more…]

Anderson County adopts local zoning regulations for pain clinics

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Terry-Frank-Pain-Clinic-Zoning-Resolution

Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank signs the resolution adopted by County Commission that regulates zoning for local pain clinics. (Submitted photo)

 

CLINTON—Following months of work that began in March 2015, two public hearings, and two separate reviews by County Commission, Anderson County has adopted new local zoning regulations for pain clinics in an effort to prevent or reduce prescription drug abuse in the county, a press release said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdoses now account for more deaths in the U.S. nationally than motor vehicle accidents, with 52 percent of those deaths attributed to prescription medication.

In Tennessee, drug overdose deaths increased 7.7 percent from 2013 to 2014 (1,187 deaths in 2013 to 1,269 deaths in 2014). This is higher than the statistically significant national average change of +6.5 percent, according to the CDC.  The Tennessee drug overdose deaths in 2014 are almost equivalent to two full Tennessee Greyhound bus crashes per month without survivors, the press release said. [Read more…]

State asks for comments on charges for inspecting public records

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Tennessee officials are studying whether to charge for inspecting public records, and the state is seeking public comment.

The Office of Open Records Counsel has been asked by the Tennessee General Assembly to review issues surrounding the inspection of public records. Legislation was introduced in the 2015 Session of the 109th General Assembly that would permit charges for inspecting public records. While a records custodian is permitted to charge for copies of public records, inspection is generally free of charge. The OORC will prepare a report with recommendations on this issue to the General Assembly by January 15, 2016.

The OORC has prepared brief online surveys to help gather input from citizens and government entities. The responses from these surveys will help in the preparation of the final report. [Read more…]

Sen. McNally to discuss recent Supreme Court decisions at AC Tea Party meeting

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

Tennessee Senator Randy McNally will discuss recent Supreme Court decisions and what they mean for the state during an Anderson County Tea Party meeting on Tuesday, July 14, a press release said.

McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, is also expected to discuss how the Tennessee General Assembly plans to address the decisions, the press release said. Those are among the items McNally is expected to address as he talks about items concerning Anderson County and Eastern Tennessee.

The July 14 meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Clinton Church of God. [Read more…]

Area lawmakers announce $72,190 in Anderson County arts grants

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Tennessee legislators announced Friday that seven arts grants worth $72,190 have been awarded to six organizations in Anderson County.

The recipients include the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, Oak Ridge Community Playhouse, Oak Ridge Civic Music Association, Oak Ridge Community Art Center, Tennessee Mountain Writers, and Appalachian Arts Craft Center.

The grants include two grants with a combined total of $20,800 for the Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge in the categories of Arts Education-Community Learning and Partnership Support.

The other grants include: [Read more…]

Rep. Armstrong to discuss state legislative session on Thursday

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Joe Armstrong

Joe Armstrong

Tennessee Representative Joe Armstrong will discuss the recently ended state legislative session at the Thursday, May 28, dinner meeting of the Anderson County Democratic Women’s Club. The club will meet at 6 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Power Squadron at 343 Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge.

Armstrong, who represents the 15th House District in Knox County, began his political career in 1982 as a Knox County commissioner. He was elected vice chairman of the Knox County Commission in 1986. In 1988, he sought and won election to the Tennessee General Assembly.

Now serving in his 11th legislative term, Armstrong has served as chair of the House Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee and the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators. Currently, he is chair of the Tennessee Black Health Care Commission, which he helped establish in 1995. [Read more…]

This year’s final Breakfast with Legislators is Monday, April 27

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This year’s final Breakfast with the Legislators will be held on Monday, April 27, at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. Senators Ken Yager and Randy McNally and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to speak about and sum up the legislative activities of this session of the Tennessee General Assembly and to respond to questions from the audience, a press release said.

The breakfast is scheduled from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. April 27 in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center, which is at 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike. A free continental breakfast will be served.

“The Tennessee General Assembly 2015 legislative session is winding down,” the press release said. [Read more…]

Second Breakfast with Legislators on Monday

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

Ken Yager

Ken Yager

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The Tennessee General Assembly has now been in session for more than two months. According to LegiScan, an impartial and non-partisan legislative tracking and reporting service, 195 of the 3,192 introduced bills were completed by mid-March, a press release said. Legislative committees are dealing with hundreds of bills ranging from education, environment, and healthcare to firearms, digital currency, and controlled substances.

Senators Ken Yager and Randy McNally and representatives John Ragan and Kent Calfee have been invited to speak about the legislative activities of this session of the Tennessee General Assembly and to respond to questions from the audience at the this year’s second Breakfast with the Legislators. It starts at 7:30 a.m. Monday, March 23, in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center, located at 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike. [Read more…]

February Breakfast with the Legislators is Monday

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

John Ragan

John Ragan

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The Tennessee General Assembly has been in session since January 13, and 1,513 bills were filed by the February 12 deadline. Committees are meeting, and legislators are discussing issues dealing with health, education, the judiciary, sales tax, firearms, and federal funding for K-12 programs.

Breakfast with the Legislators provides a forum to get to know key legislative decision makers and to ask questions on issues in state government.

The February Breakfast with the Legislators will be held on Monday, February 23, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center, located at 1401 Oak Ridge Turnpike. A free continental breakfast will be served. [Read more…]

Haslam makes case for Insure Tennessee

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Bill Haslam during Presidential Visit at Pellissippi State

Governor Bill Haslam is pictured above during a visit by President Barack Obama at Pellissippi State Community College on Friday, January 9. (Photo by Rob Welton)

 

Governor says his plan provides health care coverage to more Tennesseans at no cost to the state

NASHVILLE—Tennessee Govenor Bill Haslam on Monday evening addressed a joint convention of the 109th General Assembly as legislators began an extraordinary legislative session to consider his Insure Tennessee plan.

The proposal, a two-year pilot program to provide market-based health care coverage to more than 250,000 Tennesseans who currently don’t have access to health insurance or have limited options, does not create any new taxes for Tennesseans and will not add any state cost to the budget, the governor’s office said.

“Two years ago, the General Assembly made two requests of us,” Haslam said in a press release. “First, to bring a unique and specific plan to Tennessee that met the needs of our citizens and was financially responsible for our state and the country, and secondly, to bring that plan back to the General Assembly for a vote.

“I have done both of those things. This plan is overwhelmingly supported by Republicans and Democrats in our state. Tonight, I am asking for your vote to help Insure Tennessee.” [Read more…]

Breakfast with Legislators kicks off Monday

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

John Ragan

John Ragan

This year’s Breakfast with the Legislators kicks off Monday.

Breakfast with the Legislators is a monthly morning meeting with state legislators from Oak Ridge and Anderson and Roane counties. It’s held the first few months each year while the Tennessee General Assembly is in session in Nashville.

It includes brief updates of the legislative session from local legislators and a question-and-answer session with those who attend. It’s open to the public. [Read more…]

Sen. McNally reappointed chair of Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

Tennessee Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, has been reappointed chairman of the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee.

Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey made the appointment during the General Assembly’s organizational session, which ended Saturday. McNally has led the committee as chairman since 2007.

“I am very pleased to be reappointed to this role in our Finance Committee” McNally said in a press release. “This will be another challenging year for our budget, and I look forward to working on solutions to the issues we face.” [Read more…]