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Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Legislative Update
SR 0120 / HR 0286
BEP Resolution
Funding for Public Education is the number one issue at the State
level of the Chamber's 2006 Legislative Agenda. Specifically the Chamber has asked for the revision of the outdated Basic Education Program
(BEP) funding formula for the State's schools. The formula was created in 1992 and over time Urban areas have suffered as their need for
added resources has not been addressed. Earlier this year the Chamber asked for specific revisions as recommended to the Board of Education by
the BEP Review Committee.
While these changes weren't adopted, the Chamber is supportive of
a compromise measure, SR 0120 / HR 0286 also known as the BEP Resolution. Although this is not the
comprehensive BEP funding that has been sought after this session, it is a compromise measure that will send the issue back to the BEP Review
Committee/State Board of Education for further discussion.
We believe this is a step in the right direction toward comprehensive
funding reform and gives all parties another opportunity to deliberate the issue. In November 2006, the committee will be required
to submit a consensus recommendation of what the system model should comprise. The BEP Resolution passed the Senate on May 11
and is on the House Consent Calendar for May 15. The Chamber applauds members of the General Assembly for continuing to recognize that this is a
critical issue that must be addressed.
SB
1116 / HB 2035
The Professional Fire Department Employees Negotiation Act
This bill would give employees of fire departments the right to self-organization,
effectively giving firefighters the right to organize and the union the right to negotiate a legally enforceable contract.
The Chamber is opposed to this bill for a number of reasons. It will change the
ways in which our local governments do business, change costs of local government, and have an impact on the delivery of services and the
employment culture of our communities.
The Chamber must work to ensure we maintain the business-friendly environment that gives
Tennessee a competitive advantage in business recruitment and retention. Therefore, we are opposed to this bill.
SB 3120 / HB 3402
Tennessee Minimum Wage Act
The Tennessee Minimum Wage Act (SB 3120 / HB
3402) would establish a state minimum wage that is higher than the federal minimum wage. This legislation will have a negative
impact on economic development by placing new (and perhaps impossible) burdens on start-up businesses, by sparking the legislature into periodic
debates on the wage level in Tennessee, and by placing the lowest wage earners at the greatest risk of loss of jobs.
All of this would send a message to relocating businesses that Tennessee is
not a good place to do business. This bill has been placed on the Senate Regular Calendar for May 15, and the House Regular
Calendar for May 17. Urge your legislator to vote against this bill. It is important that you call or e-mail today.
SB 0303 / HB 0242
Driver's License Examination
SB 0303 / HB
0242 requires that all written examinations administered to applicants for a driver license or intermediate driver license be in English. The
Chamber is clearly opposed to this bill.
This is a business recruitment issue. Foreign investment is critical to Tennessee's
growing economy. For example, as of 2004, Japanese investment in Tennessee was at over 9.4 billion with over 40,000 jobs.
If Tennessee is to continue to be a player in the global economy, this bill cannot and should not pass.
Bredesen's Budget Amendment Overview
Governor Bredesen released an updated budget amendment on Monday, May 8. Click here to view it.
Immigration Reform
Immigration reform will be back on the Senate floor later this month if Majority Leader Frist and Minority Leader Reid agree
on procedures for bringing the compromise bill back. The bill itself isn't perfect, but it is comprehensive and it addresses all the necessary
elements: stronger border security, verification of employment eligibility, a guest worker program, and the status of undocumented workers already in
the country. The Chamber continues to urge our federal officials to find ways to legitimize the status of millions of hard-working immigrants
already in the United States.
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