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Paid for by Friends of John Ray Clemmons, Sydney U. Rogers, Treasurer

Session Begins

Today at noon I will again take my oath of office to serve you and our state. In years past, Tamara, John, Finn, and Henry joined me on the floor of the Tennessee House of Representatives for this special occasion. Their company, of course, is not possible this year due to the ongoing pandemic, a threat compounded by many of my colleagues who still refuse to wear a face covering. Though my family will not be present, they will be at the forefront of my mind, as will all the families of Nashville and Tennessee.  

 

Recent Actions

-Requested the Tennessee Comptroller to audit Gov. Lee’s no-bid contracts and emergency spending. (Letter ([link removed]))

-Requested Gov. Lee and Commissioner Schwinn to cancel standardized testing and teacher evaluations for 2020/21 school year. (Letter ([link removed]))

-Requested Speaker Sexton institute extra public safety measures for COVID-19 in TN House.

-Requested a special session to address: small business relief, unspent TANF funds, TennCare expansion, public education funding, teacher pay raises, face-covering requirements, and executive emergency spending powers. (Letter ([link removed]) / Letter ([link removed]))

-Posed multiple questions to the Secretary of State who is up for election on Wednesday. (Letter ([link removed]))

 

COVID-19

Each and every household, regardless of geographic location, is feeling the impact of COVID-19 and the adverse consequences of failed leadership at the state and federal levels of government. Children continue to endure virtual learning. Tens of thousands of workers have still not received unemployment checks. Small businesses are shuttering, and local economies are suffering. We are all most definitely in this together, and it will take years to recover.  Our steps towards a full recovery must begin today, and it will take all of us working together to be successful.

 

Insurrection at the Capitol

Perhaps it is this idea of unity and the real and immediate need for unity that makes the recent events in Washington, DC all the more unsettling and quite frankly angering. As if politicizing mask-wearing and a pandemic were not harmful enough, elected officials at the federal and state levels decided it was somehow appropriate to attempt to delegitimize an entire election by echoing baseless accusations of voter fraud and accusing others of “stealing an election.” For example, Governor Bill Lee refused to recognize Joe Biden as “President-Elect;” Tennessee’s Attorney General chose to sign on to an amicus brief in the Texas lawsuit challenging the presidential election (that was promptly tossed by the Supreme Court); Tennessee’s Secretary of State issued a statement expressing his full-throated support of the AG’s actions; 23 of my state legislative colleagues sent a letter regurgitating election fraud fiction to our congressional delegation and encouraged them to object to the presidential election results (every TN GOP House member did so); and, Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Sen. Bill Hagerty vowed “without reservation” to object to the election results (they broke their vow after hours in an undisclosed safe room). Ultimately, all of their actions and rhetoric, along with others, directly resulted in the insurrection and deaths at the U.S. Capitol.

 

We Must Work Together

There will always be differing opinions and ideologies among us elected officials, our parties, and even among the members of our own parties, but those differences are, in part, what makes our form of democracy work. It may be frustrating and we may argue at times, but the system works as long as everyone ultimately respects the system itself. A problem begins to arise, however, when someone who thinks they are more important than the system begins playing fast and loose with the Constitution and laws, in which the system is rooted, and convincing others that the system is the enemy. When the President is that type of person and others in positions of power, whether through their silence, words or actions, give that type of person credibility, a crack begins to form in the very foundation of our republic. Last week was not the crack. It was the crack widening. We must now set about repairing the foundation - together.

 

The Session Ahead

Amidst this challenging environment, we will convene the 112th Tennessee General Assembly. I will, as always, look for areas of common ground with the governor and my colleagues and work across the aisle to achieve all that I can for the benefit of Tennessee families. I will also strongly oppose issues that I feel are not in Tennesseans’ best interest.

 

This year, in addition to working to rebuild our local economy and help us all survive and recover from the pandemic, my legislative agenda will once again be focused on improving our public schools, expanding TennCare, providing mental health care and substance abuse services, updating our state’s infrastructure funding systems, above and below ground, and promoting equity and opportunity.

 

Medicaid Block Grants

If what I hear is accurate, the supermajority will move to suspend the rules this week and bring their block grant legislation to the floor for a vote.  This follows the eleventh-hour approval of the state’s block grant waiver by the Trump Administration at CMS.  I opposed and still oppose Medicaid block grants for many reasons, and I will continue to fight for TennCare expansion.

 

Support

Thank you for your financial support ([link removed]) of my efforts in our State Capitol.  Your continued support ([link removed]) means a great deal to our family.  By law, I will stop accepting donations at 11:59 a.m. today. 

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of men and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.”

–Thomas Paine, The American Crisis (Vol. I), Dec. 23, 1776





2501 Oakland Avenue | Nashville, TN 37212 US

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