Real leadership is required to improve Tennesseans' quality of life.


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

I hope you all had a fun and safe Super Bowl Sunday with your family and friends. Congrats, Chiefs fans.

Big shoutout and congratulations to the TSU Aristocrat of Bands for their historic Grammy wins ([link removed]) last week for The Urban Hymnal ([link removed]). These awards are truly historic and remarkable accomplishments for one of our local HBCUs ([link removed]). 

Rep. Clemmons received a surprise visit from his former LP suitemate, Rep. Johnnie Turner.

LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
The bill-filing deadline has come and gone. The members of my House Democratic Caucus have introduced a slate of bills that are focused on improving the quality of life of families statewide. My legislative package includes a wide range of issues and includes a focus on transportation infrastructure, public education, corporate transparency, the de-militarization of law enforcement, and increased accountability for utility companies.

I will be bringing two of my bills before House subcommittees this week. HB427 ([link removed]) would remove the multi-year waiting periods before an individual can file a petition for expunction of eligible criminal offenses. Currently, there are waiting periods of one, five and ten years for various eligible offenses. This bill is schedule to be heard in the Criminal Justice Subcommittee on Tuesday at 12:00pm.

HB1493 ([link removed]) would require the Secretary of State and each county election commission to publish information regarding the availability of a free state-issued identification card with every election-related publication delivered to residents of this state. Tennessee has enacted what amounts to a “poll tax,” in the form of a requirement of a state-issued voter ID card. However, the state does offer a free photo ID at no charge if you are a registered voter and do not have a government-issued photo ID. While the ID is only available from only 48 of the Driver Service Centers statewide, most people are unaware of its availability. This legislation would ensure that potential voters are at least aware of the “free ID” option. This bill is scheduled to be heard in the Elections and Campaign Finance subcommittee at 12:00pm on Wednesday.

I will be detailing more of my legislative package in the weeks ahead.

Rep. Clemmons and Rep. Bo Mitchell visited with Mr. John Hoomes, Nashville Opera's artistic director. 

REFUSING TO ACCEPT OUR OWN MONEY
Oddly, the individuals running our state have decided to continue refusing federal dollars. This is a fiscally irresponsible political game, especially given that the federal government funds about 40% of our annual general fund budget. For years, our state has refused billions in Medicaid expansion dollars. Recently, Gov. Lee unilaterally decided to refuse to accept $8.3 million in HIV funding from the CDC ([link removed]), which will also directly result in the loss of million in the form of 340B funds for non-profits across the state. Now, Speaker Sexton wants to refuse federal education dollars ([link removed]). Every single one of these decisions directly threatens the fiscal integrity of our state, the health and welfare of our citizens and the education of our children. When you consider the Lee administration's recent complaints about not receiving enough federal transportation dollars from the bipartisan infrastructure bill, a law that every GOP member of our DC delegation voted against, it leaves you fairly wondering what is really driving these fiscally irresponsible decisions.

The Tennessee Jewish Federation's Day on the Hill

FAILED LEADERSHIP ON TRANSPORTATION
Governor Lee's so-called "Transportation Modernization Act" moved through the House Transportation subcommittee last week. I continue to have serious concerns about this legislation and cannot support it in its current form. Allowing the construction and privatization of optional toll roads and increasing fees will not only fail to improve the transportation issues faced by the families I represent, especially those who endure I-24 on a daily basis, it also fails to address the inherent flaws with our transportation infrastructure system and funding model. This legislative policy is failed leadership at its worst, as it constitutes little more than an attempt to add just enough money to the highway fund's coffers to get Gov. Lee through the next four years. This continual political cowardice and unwillingness to substantively tackle the state's most pressing problems head-on will eventually leave our state's economy at a standstill - just like the traffic on our region's interstates.

Lee's proposed spending plan, which he intends to fuel with his new revenues primarily collected from Middle Tennessee commuters, gives the shaft to the state's most populated and busiest region - Middle Tennessee.  

WASTED OPPORTUNITIES
While our state is flush with federal and state revenues and sitting on billions in reserves and an over-flowing rainy day fund, families and communities across our state face serious challenges on which their elected leaders should be focused.

Our public schools continue to suffer from insufficient funding and a seemingly endless list of policies strategically crafted to undermine teachers, remove local control, increase local taxes, and steer students into religious charter and private schools statewide. Aging and insufficient infrastructure systems, from transportation and wastewater to broadband and electricity, are in need of a forward-thinking vision, political courage and significant investment. Women, families and healthcare providers continue to be threatened by the most extreme reproductive health restrictions in the country. Hundreds of thousands continue without access to Medicaid. The minimum wage is still $7.25 per hour while the average rent for a two-bedroom lease exceeds a full-time, minimum wage worker’s entire monthly salary. The list goes on.

Meanwhile, we are three weeks into the legislative session and most are rightfully ready for the Tennessee General Assembly to adjourn. For some reason the extremists who have taken over the Republican Party and our state insist on waging a culture war rather than working to improve Tennesseans’ quality of life. The numerous serious issues facing our families and communities have all taken a backseat to hate and political gamesmanship. When someone like Matt Walsh, a self-described “theocratic fascist” who regularly spouts white nationalist talking points about “replacement theory,” is invited to testify by the Republican leadership in support of their number one health policy this session, we should consider it an alarming wakeup call of what constitutes the “new normal” in today’s Republican Party. Of course, after my Democratic colleagues and I had the audacity to question his education and policy credentials in the Health committee, it resulted in Walsh whining to Tucker Carlson about us on national television.

Lest you think I am alone in my frustration, I encourage you to read Keel Hunt's Field Notes ([link removed]). As usual, As usual, he sums all this up much better than I.

I will simply add that we MUST stop allowing people to be elected who are more interested in fighting culture wars than fighting for Tennessee families and our communities. Change will only be possible when and if people start voting.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
March 25, 10am-2pm: Southeast Egg Hunt & Festival, Southeast Community Center

IN THE NEWS
The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell, MSNBC ([link removed])
This Week with Bob Mueller, WKRN ([link removed])

STAY IN TOUCH
Call ([link removed]) | Email (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Staying%20in%20Touch) | Come visit me at Cordell Hull

JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Facebook ([link removed]) | Twitter ([link removed]) | Instagram ([link removed])





2501 Oakland Avenue | Nashville, TN 37212 US

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