This year we have another chance to support the establishment of a new Department of Aging and Disability. Governor Lee has recognized the importance of putting “aging” in a cabinet- level department and coordinating and integrating services for people with disabilities. The proposal merges the Commission on Aging and Disability and the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities into a new Department. A Department that will be able to do more strategic planning and coordination of services across age and disabilities. We
Last week was a bit slow and our stuff is in a bit of a holding pattern, but that doesn’t mean we (lookin’ at you GRASSROOTS) should even be thinking about PTO. DDH 2024 – which will be awesome – is coming up fast, it’s getting (perhaps past) time that we get our bills moving and we’ll need to be ready to play defense when some of the uglier legislation starts rolling.
So sorry to keep you waiting for this little dispatch – our intrepid Communications Director Tom and I spent Friday in beautiful Chattanooga working with some GRASSROOTS to get some media buzz around TennCare for Working Adults. However, excuses aside, I’ve got some stuff for you, so I’ll get it served up hot and fast!
Tonight, Governor Bill Lee gave his first State of the State Address of his second term in office. Governor Lee’s theme this year, “Fortify”, set the stage for his second term, where he stated that he intends to solidify the gains of his first term, and build off of those policies and programs going forward.
It was bill filing deadline this past week, and the frenzy continued at the General Assembly. But now we can see the whole field of bills that will be up for debate this year (minus the many, many caption bills of course). Gazing across the landscape, it doesn’t look too bad (pound on wood).
Well, we thawed out and life at Cordell Hull began anew. After missing a week, it was a sort of frenzied environment down there, in part, because the bill filing deadline is already next week. This means that after January 31st on the House side, and February 1st on the Senate side, no more bills may be filed.
