COVID-19 INFO & STATE RESOURCES
*If you have any questions about any of the following or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please be sure and follow me on Twitter @JRClemmons, Facebook @johnrayfortn, and Instagram @jrclemmons for real time updates.
Governor Lee’s daily press briefings can be viewed here.
State’s COVID-19 website with updates is here.
TN Department of Health’s Situational Summary is here.
PPE
A list of county Emergency Management Agencies, by region of the State. All local jurisdictional requests for PPE, for health care entities and for response organizations should be directed to each county’s EMA.
For those wishing to donate PPE for the COVID-19 response effort, I have been asked by the State to have you email [email protected].
Education
Beginning April 6, Tennessee’s six PBS stations— WNPT Nashville, East Tennessee PBS, WCTE Upper Cumberland, WKNO Memphis, West TN PBS, and Chattanooga WTCI— will deliver two hours of educational programming with high-quality instructional content from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST. Four hours of content will also be streamed overnight, which viewers can watch live or record.
Metro Schools are offering digital resources to families and staff to provide educational enrichment and learning opportunities due to the school closures.
Tennessee History for Kids has a home learning guide that is useful as we all attempt to homeschool our children and lots of great, free content on its website.
MNPS will continue offering breakfast and lunch meals to children under 18 on weekdays while school facilities are closed. Details on times and locations along with a shareable map are here.
Unemployment
The governor has suspended certain statutory provisions related to unemployment compensation: to allow for unemployment compensation benefits to be granted to any employee who left work after being directed by a medical professional or health authority to isolate or quarantine due to COVID-19 and who intends to return to work; to remove the one-week waiting period for unemployment compensation benefits; and, to remove the requirement that benefit recipients make reasonable efforts to secure work as a condition for receiving benefits.
Jobs4TN
Job seekers can go to Tennessee’s workforce development website to apply for jobs across the state. Once an individual submits an application, the exchange will send it to retail stores in their local area for consideration.
Taxes
The due date for filing and paying Hall income tax has been extended from April 15, 2020 to July 15, 2020.
Franchise and excise taxpayers will have until July 15, 2020 to file returns and make any payments (including quarterly estimated payments) originally due on April 15, 2020. Interest and late filing penalties will not be applied to returns filed and payments made on or before this extended due date. The October 15, 2020, six-month extension date for the calendar year 2019 return remains unchanged. This notice applies to franchise and excise tax only. More info here.
Driver’s License
Commercial Drivers Licenses and Commercial Driving Permits are extended until June 30th if set to expire between March 12 - May 18. All non-CDL licenses set to expire during this time period will be extended 6 months. This does not apply to Class X licenses.
Class A, B and C holders who have a medical certificate set to expire between March 12 - May 18 have until June 30, 2020 to submit a renewed medical certificate (as long as the current certificate is good for over 90 days).
The requirement that new TN residents obtain a TN driver license within 30 days of becoming a resident has been extended to June 17, 2020.
The new photo requirement for non-Real ID licenses is currently waived. The TN Department of Safety can use your photo currently on file, and all renewals may be done online.
Real ID
The Real ID implementation date of Oct. 1, 2020 will now be extended to Oct. 1, 2021.
Small Businesses and Non-Profits
Tennessee received its disaster loan declaration from the U.S. Small Business Administration last week. If your small business or non-profit organization suffered economic injury as a result of COVID-19 you can apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have otherwise been met.
SBA Helpdesk:
1-800-659-2955 (1-800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing), operating hours are currently 8:00 am – 8:00 pm EST Monday thru Sunday (7 days per week) until further notice.
Email: [email protected]
Loan applications can also be downloaded at www.sba.gov. Completed applications should be mailed to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.
More COVID-19 related info from the TN Department of Economic and Community Development.
If you feel that your insurance carrier is not properly covering a claim covered by your policy, you can file a complaint with the TN Department of Commerce and Insurance.
TANF
Fuel
Supply networks for refined products – including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel – appear to be responding properly and flexibly to sudden and sharp declines for transportation fuel stemming from the coronavirus (COVID-19) and global efforts to slow its spread. For energy industry-specific pandemic resources, updates on energy developments, and additional analysis, please go to follow api.org.
Caregiver Support
At times like this, caregivers for those living with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias can feel especially isolated and alone. Alzheimer's Tennessee has a Telephone Caregiver Support Group on Monday, April 6, 2020 at 2pm EDT, (1PM CDT). Dial (866) 423-8755 and enter Access Code 275547#.
General
The Center for American Progress published an insightful analysis of the evidence on the effectiveness on social distancing to combat the coronavirus.
EMERGENCY BUDGET
Late on March 19, 2020, we passed an emergency budget before temporarily adjourning the 111th session of the Tennessee General Assembly until June 1, 2020. The budget was described as containing “essential” expenditures only. For some odd reason, the governor and the GOP supermajority deemed Lee’s controversial voucher program to be essential to the tune of $41 million. Aside from the inclusion of that sizeable line item, it was the notable exclusions of line items that made it particularly concerning. The budget failed to include funding for expanded TennCare services, sufficient investment in rural healthcare, small business tax relief, additional state infrastructure and personnel necessary to respond to a pandemic, and the mental health care trust fund for children. Additionally, it cut teachers’ promised pay raises in half while dumping an additional $350 million into the state’s rainy day fund.
METRO
During these trying times, exercising and spending time in nature are critical in maintaining physical and mental health — as long as social distancing requirements are followed. While on Nashville's greenway trails: keep a 6 ft. distance between yourself and others (the greenways are the perfect width); on busy greenways, long leashes are not safe, so please keep your pets close; warn other trail users of your presence as you pass, on bike or foot; bring your own water and use the restroom at home before you depart; and, cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and please…stay home if you feel sick!
State of Metro:
On Tuesday, March 31, 2020 at 10:30 a.m., the Mayor will be delivering the 57th Annual State of Metro Address. You are encouraged to watch on any of the following:
Comcast channel 3
Google Fiber channel 3
AT&T Uverse channel 99
NOTICE OF HEARING
The State has published a Notice of Public Hearing for Reostone Quarry. The hearing is scheduled to take place via Webex Conference on April 21, 2020.
The preliminary public hearing will be held between 5:30-6:30pm CT and TDEC technical staff will be available to answer questions during that time. The formal public hearing will begin at 6:30pm CT. Those that do not have access to Internet may still join the conference via telephone or may provide written comments to the department. Written comments may be submitted to:
Mining Section at the Knoxville Environmental Field Office,
Attn: Public Notice Coordinator
3711 Middlebrook Pike
Knoxville, Tennessee 37921
or by fax to (865) 594-6105; or by e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected]. Individuals may also submit comments by visiting the TDEC website and clicking on the Public Participation page link along the top banner (https://www.tn.gov/environment/ppo-public-participation.html) and then clicking on “Water Notices and Hearings.” The Public Participation page also includes the link to the Webex instructions at the bottom left hand corner. Please note that written comments will be accepted until May 1, 2020.
STAYING IN TOUCH
Please be sure and contact me to let me know dates and times of any meetings or events.
TENNESSEE BLUE (YELLOW) BOOK
The 2019-2020 special edition of the Tennessee Blue Book has a yellow cover to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification the 19th Amendment. If you would like to receive a copy, please contact my legislative office. We have been processing requests as they are received and mailing them out within 1-2 business days. If you have requested one and not yet received it, it is on its way via USPS.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
For real time updates and legislative alerts, be sure and follow us on Twitter @JRClemmons, Facebook @johnrayfortn, and Instagram @jrclemmons.
