Hensley: TN Senate allocates budget for public safety, education, healthcare
The 113th General Assembly has adjourned for 2024, and it was a very successful year. We have taken measures for Tennessee to be a better place to live, work, and raise a family. I will go over the laws passed in this session over the next few weeks.
2024 Budget Highlights
This year lawmakers faced new budgeting challenges as state revenue collections slowed. Fortunately, years of consistent conservative budgeting from lawmakers enabled the state to be well-prepared to face declining revenues.
The 2024/2025 budget which is a total $52.6 billion dollars, which is $10 billion dollars less than last year, takes on no new debt and reflects lawmakers’ continuous efforts to cut taxes, maintain fiscal responsibility, protect public safety, prioritize education and invest in rural health.
This budget deposits $100 million to the state’s Rainy Day Fund, which serves as the state’s savings account to withstand economic downturns, bringing the fund to a historic level of $2.15 billion.
Tennessee continues to be among the most fiscally stable states in the nation with no state income tax and low tax burden overall.
Continuing focus on education
$261 million for K-12 public education to go into the TISA education funding formula
$125 million to keep the state’s commitment to raise the starting salary for every Tennessee teacher to $50,000 by 2026.
$144 million recurring for 20,000 education freedom scholarships
$15 million for the Charter Schools Facility Fund
Prioritizing public safety
$17 million to add 60 new highway patrol troopers, supervisors and support staff
$6.4 million for military border deployment of Tennessee National Guard
$4.4 million for alegislative initiative to implement blended sentencing to address juvenile crime
$1.5 million to fund alegislative initiative to reduce recidivism of repeat misdemeanor offenders
$383,500 for alegislative initiative to collect data on number of illegal immigrants in Tennessee from law enforcement agencies
$15 million for grant pools for volunteer firefighters, rescue squads, and EMS
$4.45 million for Youth Villages Violence Prevention Program in Shelby County
13 new positions for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
Support for Tennessee hospitals and healthcare facilities
$80 million to strengthen rural health
$25 million for behavioral health
$97.7 million to support Tennessee’s hospitals
$12.3 million to support Tennessee nursing homes
Supporting most vulnerable citizens
$900,000 for DIDD residential pilot program to provide permanent housing for persons with disabilities
$1.4 million to increase personal needs allowance for long-term nursing home residents on TennCare from $50 - $70 per month
Increasing hourly rate for indigent defense
$2 million for four new Safe Baby Courts
$3 million for Crisis Pregnancy Center grants
Rural Communities
$36 million in non-recurring grants to help distressed counties and rural communities with economic development
Preserving Outdoor Heritage
$59 million for Tennessee State Parks capital projects
$51 million to the Heritage Preservation Fund to preserve land across this state
$20 million to expand blueways trail access through new recreational access points to Tennessee waterways
$10 million to improve water quality at rivers, lakes and streams across the state, making them safe for future generations to enjoy and the
$10 million to expedite the Bill Dance Signature Lakes initiative
$5 million to protect and enhance scenic beauty along our major highways
$3 million for Access 2030 to make Tennessee State Parks accessible to Tennesseans with disabilities
$1.5 million authorized for pay raises for District Attorneys and Public Defenders
Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, gives a weekly update in legislation in the 113th General Assembly.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Hensley: TN Senate allocates budget for public safety, healthcare
