Written by Joe Pitts
Tennessee State Representative
Nashville, TN – House Bill 20/Senate Bill 23 sponsored by Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville) and Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville) is scheduled to be heard in the Local Government subcommittee on Tuesday, April 4th at 3:00pm.
“I have filed an amendment to the bill which would mirror the legislation the Governor has put in his IMPROVE ACT with one exception. The Governor only raised the Veterans property assessed value on their homes to $135,000 which is still below the original amount of $175,000,” said Representative Pitts.
“I need everyone’s help on this very important piece of legislation. I am asking for all veterans, elderly persons and disabled people, across the State, to call or e-mail all members of the Local Government Subcommittee and ask them to support HB 20 as amended,” Pitts said.
For contact information, right click on the hyperlink below, click “open hyperlink”, then click on each member’s picture. It will give you all their contact information.
The hyperlink is http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/committees/sub-local.html
In a resolution passed by the Tennessee Legislative Veterans Caucus last week, they stated “We, the members of the Tennessee Legislative Veterans Caucus, strongly condemn the fact that veterans are being used in a political way to garner votes for a completely unrelated issue”.
Other bills of note, HB 500 sponsored by Representative Pitts, has passed the Senate and after working with the Governor to provide the funding, will be heard in the House Finance Full Committee on April 4th. This legislation was requested by members of the Board of Osteopathic Examination to increase members’ per diem reimbursement for their meetings.
These volunteers spend precious time away from their medical practice, seeing patients, to provide guidance and oversight of Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine.
House Bill 166/Senate Bill 156
House Bill 166/Senate Bill 156 sponsored by Rep. Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville) and (Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) would delete the 90-day limit a retired teacher, who is a member of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS), can be employed as a substitute teacher and continue to draw retirement allowance. This legislation was brought to us by a retired teacher.
“The knowledge and experience of our retired teachers should be used by local school systems when a substitute teacher is needed,” Pitts said. The bill passed all committees in the House and will be heard on the House Floor on April 3rd. It is also scheduled for the Senate Education Committee on April 4th.
House Bill 501/Senate Bill 481
House Bill 501/Senate Bill 481 sponsored by Rep. Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville) and (Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) would add funding for three Response to Instruction and Intervention positions within each public school to the BEP calculation.
“Our schools need these positions in order to help students who have been identified as needing extra help in school,” Pitts said.
It was heard in the House Education Administration and Programs Full committee on March 28th and at the request of the Chairman, it was moved to a Summer Study Committee. We will be working with the Board of Education and the BEP funding board to try to make this bill a reality in 2018.
House Bill 21/Senate Bill 17
House Bill 21/Senate Bill 17, sponsored by Rep. Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville) and Sen. Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield) passed the Senate and will be heard in the House Finance Full Committee on April 4th. The Governor has agreed to provide the funding ($150.00) for this legislation.
This legislation will allow families of victims of impaired drivers, where the impaired driver was also killed, to have a sign erected in memory of the family member.
House Bill 19/Senate Bill 152
House Bill 19/Senate Bill 152, sponsored by Rep. Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville) would allow motorcycle dealers, for a one-time event, to sell their merchandise at an off-site business location. Current law prohibits this activity. This legislation passed the Transportation Sub Committee this week and will be heard in the Transportation Full Committee on April 4th.
If you have questions about the above or other issues of concern, please call me at 615.741.2043, or email me at rep.joe.pitts@capitol.tn.gov
