They say something about April showers, don’t they? I believe they portend good things, if I recall correctly. I think it’s an interesting colloquialism, because it’s inherently optimistic while exemplifying the two steps-forward-one-step-back nature of spring.

Last Saturday was the Vernal Equinox, or when the sun crosses the equator, officially signaling the beginning of Spring (Punxsutawney Phil predictions aside)! Just as spring signals life renewed, it likewise signals the stretch run of the legislative session. Word has it that the General Assembly is shooting for a mid-April conclusion to the session, meaning that there is a TON of work to do in the next couple of weeks.

The slow churn of state legislating continued to turn this week and we’re starting to see some of the butter separate from the buttermilk. We’ve now had three bills enrolled and ready for some signatures. That said, we want to make sure that we don’t put buttermilk on our toast or butter in our fried-chicken brine.

Tennessee Representatives and Senators reconvened on Tuesday this week for the second session of the 111th General Assembly. With Governor Lee’s State of the State address on Monday the 8th and the House bill filing deadline on Thursday the 11th, it has been a whirlwind week of legislative merriment. As it stands on Friday morning, over 1,300 bills have been introduced in the House, and over 1,600 in the Senate.

In a most unusual year, Governor Lee ended the night’s 2021 State of the State address by delivering a hopeful message to legislators. “We see things more clearly…” he said, “(we) see the needs of our neighbors around us, every single one of them and commit to serving them”. The Governor’s address at War Memorial Auditorium laid out Lee’s budget and policy priorities for 2021, including investments in education, mental health services, foster care and adoption and economic recovery. 

The first of our weekly policy updates during legislative session 2021, check out information on our policy priorities, impressions about the goings on at the Capitol and the newest information about our grassroots initiatives.

The 2021 Session

The Tennessee Disability Coalition offers these comments on proposed rules to carry out the Katie Beckett Program as defined by amendment 40 to the TennCare demonstration waiver. Our comments are based on the recommendations and input we received from our member organizations and the families that we serve.
 

After an unpredictable and unprecedented 2020, Governor Bill Lee called the heads of the state agencies together over the past few weeks to talk budget for 2021. After state tax revenue fell 40% in April, fears grew on capitol hill that the state was in for some hefty belt-tightening in 2021. With this in mind, Governor Lee asked state agencies in May to construct and propose a 12% budget reduction plan for FY 2020-2021. 

1990 was an important year...the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, "Hold On" by Wilson Phillips was the top single on the Billboard Charts, and the Tennessee Disability Coalition was formed.

Your input matters! These tips from families can help as you craft your own comments on the TennCare/DIDD plan to integrate Medicaid Services. Comments are due November 13th, 2020.

To read and review the plan, go to:  https://tn.gov/didd/for-consumers/didd-waiver-information/idd-program-integration.html