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HomePoliticsTennessee Opioid Abuse Task Force travels to East Tennessee

Tennessee Opioid Abuse Task Force travels to East Tennessee

Written by Curtis Johnson
Tennessee State Representative

Tennessee State Representative - District 68Nashville, TN – On Monday, March 20th, the Opioid Abuse Task Force attended a forum at East Tennessee State University located in Johnson City, Tennessee. 

Dr. Rob Pack presented an overview of the Department of Community and Behavioral Health programs that are designed to improve the health of citizens in their community.  Dr. Nick Hagemeier, who specializes in pharmacy medicine, gave an update on his research activities and outcomes from his program.

 The Task Force also visited a methadone clinic that will be opening this year in Gray, Tennessee. 

Brigadier General Wendell H. Gilbert Tennessee State Veterans Home
Brigadier General Wendell H. Gilbert Tennessee State Veterans Home

This visit to ETSU is only the beginning of a new phase for the task force. 

After six weeks of hearings, the law makers are now setting foot in the epi-center of the crisis to better understand how they can implement the most effective prevention and treatment strategies. 

As the crisis continues, the task force is preparing comprehensive legislation to end the epidemic.

Sidney Brown Honored

House Bill 161, sponsored by Representative Curtis Johnson, has passed both Houses of the General Assembly and is now awaiting action by the Governor.  The legislation honors Command Sergeant Major (retired) Sidney Brown, by naming the dining hall of the Brigadier General Wendell H. Gilbert Tennessee State Veterans Home for him.

Born in Birmingham, Alabama, Mr. Brown went on to join the 101st Airborne Division and served in the army for 30 years, seeing action from Korea to Vietnam.  After his military service, Mr. Brown graduated from Austin Peay State University.  Last year the Austin Peay State University Military Alumni Chapter endowed a scholarship in his name to benefit active duty military and veteran students, their spouses, and their children as well as APSU ROTC cadets.

Sergeant Major Brown was instrumental in obtaining the Veterans Home for Clarksville.  He started working on the project in 2002 and was present when the doors opened on January 11th, 2016.   When they cut the ribbon to officially open the facility, Mr. Brown commented that it was “one of the best days of my life.”

Adults Without A Degree

Legislation spearheaded by House Republicans to help adults without a degree access higher education moved forward this week after getting a positive nod from the House Government Operations Committee.  House Bill 531, named the Tennessee Reconnect Act, would make Tennessee the first state in the nation to offer all Tennessee adults without a degree access to community college tuition-free – and at no cost to taxpayers.

Currently, Tennessee adults without a degree or certificate can already attend Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) tuition-free, and House Bill 531 would add community colleges into that same category.  

The legislation expands on a program launched in 2015 aimed at attracting approximately 900,000 Tennesseans who have earned some college credit, but not enough to earn a degree.

Supporters of the legislation agree the new Reconnect program is a tremendous investment in the state’s economy, giving adults new opportunities for career growth while also providing employers with the skills and credentials they are seeking from the workforce.  The program will begin with the 2018-19 school year upon approval.

Contact Information

Rep. Curtis Johnson
15 Legislative Plaza
Nashville, TN  37243
615.741.4341

rep.curtis.johnson@capitol.tn.gov

For more information about the Tennessee General Assembly, check our website at www.capitol.tn.gov

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