GIVING THANKS
As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, Tamara and I want to extend our sincere appreciation to you all.
I am incredibly thankful to be able to continue representing your families and our community in the state legislature. The opportunity to help others and be a voice for my fellow Tennesseans is a tremendous privilege for which I am extremely grateful.
My family and I would also like to extend a special thank you to all of the health care workers and teachers in Nashville and across the state. This pandemic has made your jobs much harder and riskier, and it is important to us that each of you know how much we appreciate you all.
UNEMPLOYMENT
Unfortunately, thousands of Tennesseans remain unemployed, and many of the CARES Act assistance programs are set to expire on December 26th. The Lee administration continues to struggle with the processing of unemployment, so I continue to assist Tennesseans with their claims. If you know of anyone who needs help, please direct them to me via email or telephone at 615-741-4410.
As COVID-19 continues to affect residents across our state in record numbers, additional COVID relief is necessary from Congress. Please call our U.S. senators and representatives in Washington and encourage them to pass a new relief package for struggling Tennesseans and small businesses as soon as possible.
ROADWORK
The roadwork on 21st Avenue South is wrapping up and should be completed in its entirety by the end of this month. This is a state project, and I apologize for any inconvenience it has caused to nearby residents and motorists. It was necessary for the state contractor to perform milling and paving work at night, because Metro Public Works needed to perform its work on manhole covers, underground pipes and water boxes during daytime hours.
Several have communicated issues with on- and off-ramp surfaces at 46th and 51st Avenues, as well as 21st Avenue South and others, and I have shared those with TDOT. As of today, several of the ramp surface issues have been resolved, and others involving potholes in the concrete are on the project list to be addressed right after the holidays.
AD HOC COMMITTEE ON EXECUTIVE’S EMERGENCY POWERS
The joint ad hoc committee to study the governor’s emergency powers, to which I was appointed by Speaker Sexton, will be reconvening on December 1st. Based on the communications I have seen among my committee colleagues, I anticipate reviewing a lengthy list of proposals to scale back the governor’s emergency powers on that date. While none of the committee’s work is binding, the proposals will most certainly surface as legislation during the 2021 legislative session.
112th General Assembly
The state legislature is scheduled to reconvene in early January 2021. Several concerning bills have already been filed, and more will surely follow. I am currently drafting my own legislation package for 2021. If you have any policy ideas, please email me and we’ll schedule a time to discuss via Zoom or telephone.
