BACK
BACK ON
BACK ON THE
INSIDE
INSIDE TENNESSEE WITH THE TENNESSEE HOUSE SPEAKER CAMERON SAXTON OF CROSSVILLE.
SUSAN?
WELL, MR. SPEAKER, ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS
ALWAYS INTERESTED IS THE
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE THEN A
LOT OF CHANGES MADE.
WE HAVE A NEW PRESIDENT.
WE HAVE A MNAY BOARD, A SMALLER
BOARD.
WE'VE CERTAINLY SEEN A LOT OF
CHANGES AT THE UNIVERSITY THIS
PAST YEAR BECAUSE THE PANDEMIC
VIRTUAL CLASSES AND SPORT SAYS
CERTANLY BEEN INTERRUPTED AND
NO VISITORS IN THE STANDS, NO
FANS.
WHAT WHAT DO YOU SEE AS FAR AS
SECONDARY EDUCATION, ANYTHING
COMING IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR
THAT MIGHT BE A HELP TO THE
UNIVERSITIES NOT ONLY TENNESSEE
BUT PHILOSOPHY.
SOME OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES
CERTANLY TALK GOING AROUND THAT
MIGHT HELP THE SECONDARY
EDUCATION POST-SECONDARY.
>> YEAH.
SO EVEN AS WE TALK ABOUT YOUR
PAY RAISES HECK LAST YEAR WE
ACTUALLY CUT BACK THE CAPITAL
PROJECTS AS WELL.
THAT WAS GOING TO GO TO THE
HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
BECAUSE WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF
WE'D HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT.
AND SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS
HOPEFULLY MORE CAPITAL PROJECTS
COMING BACK TO HELP
UNIVERSITIES ALL ACROSS OUR
STATE OR COMMUNITY COLLEGES OR
T CATS AS WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND
AND BUILDING AND DO THAT.
I WAS ON A CALL WITH RANDY BOYD
THIS MORNING AND A LOT OF HIS
STAFF I JUST CAN'T COMPLIMENT
ENOUGH THE BOARD HIRING RANDY
TO DO THAT JOB.
I THINK THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE
HAS SEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN THE
SHORT TIME THAT HE'S BEEN
PRESENT WHETHER AS INTERIM OR
NOW ALSO THINK THE CO-OP
OPERATION WITH OAKRIDGE
NATIONAL LABS.
NOW WE HAVE A UNIQUE THING
OPPORTUNITY IN EAST TENNESSEE
BETWEEN OKRA'S UNIVERSITY OF
TENNESSEE WHERE WE'RE COMPETING
WITH NEW MEXICO WITH NATIONAL
DOLLARS, FEDERAL DOLLARS,
RESEARCH DOLLARS AND WE HAVE
NEVER REALLY TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF
THAT PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN UTI
AND ARNELLE AND R&D TAKEN THAT
PARTNERSHIP TO A NEW LEVEL
WHICH WILL BENEFIT EAST
TENNESSEE FOR A LONG, LONG,
LONG TIME.
SO I THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT
PEOPLE IN WHAT TIMES WE WANT TO
FOCUS OUR ATTENTION TO THE
UNIVERSITY AND SEE ABOUT SPORTS
AND THE BASKETBALL TEAM THE
FOOTBALL WHICH IS ALL GREAT AND
IT MAKES US FEEL GOOD BUT THE
ACADEMIC PORTION THAT'S BEING
DONE AT UTI AND WHAT THEY'RE
TRYING TO DO TO ACHIEVE LONG
TERM SUCCESS OUTSIDE THE SPORTS
PROGRAM I THINK IS PROBABLY
BETTER THAN IT'S EVER BEEN
BEFORE.
ON >> THE BUDGET, MR. SPEAKER,
WE HAVE SEEN IN KNOX COUNTY
NUMBERS THAT DID DIP THIS IN
THE FORM OF SALES TAXES HOTEL
MOTEL TAXES.
BUT THEN THERE WAS A COMEBACK
AFTER THE VIRUS IN THE FALL AND
THE NUMBERS WERE NOT AS DIRE AS
MANY HAD PREDICTED AT THE STATE
LEVEL.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL OUR VIEWERS
ABOUT THE HEALTH OF THE BUDGET
AND FINANCIAL SITUATION OF OUR
STATE AT THIS MOMENT?
SO OUR STATE IS ABOUT THREE
POINT TWO PERCENT OVER WHERE WE
PROJECTED.
NOW I WILL SAY WE PROJECTED
NEXT TO NOTHING LIKE A QUARTER
PERCENT GROWTH.
SO GROWTH IS GROWTH.
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN YOU'VE SEEN
SECTORS ECONOMY LIKE HOTEL
MOTEL AND RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE
LOST REVENUE.
BUT WHAT YOU'VE SEEN IS IN
GROCERY STORE AND FOOD ITEMS IN
CONSTRUCTION AND HOME
IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL AS ONLINE
SALES REVENUE REALLY BLOWING
OUT THE PROPORTION TO MAKE UP
THAT DIFFERENCE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I THINK
YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF THE
COUNTIES IN RURAL COUNTIES
AHEAD OF WHERE THEY WERE EVEN
WITH SOME REVENUE DOWN THE
OTHER REVENUE HAS MADE MORE.
ONE, THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE IN
OUR STATE IS IS WHEN YOU'RE
LOCKED DOWN AND YOU'RE TRYING
TO DO THINGS LIKE NASHVILLE
WHICH I UNDERSTAND THAT'S THE
FIGHT WE HAVE WITH THOSE
INDEPENDENT HEALTH BOARDS.
SIX OF THEM IN OUR STATE IS
YOUR DRIVING BUSINESSES OUT
WHICH MEANS YOU'RE BANKRUPTING
FAMILIES POTENTIALLY DISRUPTING
JOBS.
AND SO WE THINK THAT PEOPLE CAN
BE OPEN AND BE SAFE.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO SHUT DOWN
BUSINESSES BECAUSE WE'RE GOING
LOOK AROUND AND WE'RE GOING TO
LOSE A LOT OF BUSINESSES IF
WE'RE NOT CAREFUL.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
I'M
I'M CURIOUS THIS YEAR HAS I THINK SHOWN MORE THAN ANY OTHER TIME THE IMPORTANCE OF
ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, WHETHER
IT'S WORKING FROM HOME OR
DISTANCE LEARNING ONLINE 10
TENNESSEE HAS DONE A PRETTY
GOOD JOB OF EXPANDING RURAL
BROADBAND ACCESS BUT IT LIKE
JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER ISSUE HAS
A MUCH HIGHER CEILING WHERE
WE'RE AT.
I'M CURIOUS IF EXPANDING
BROADBAND ACCESS ESPECIALLY TO
OUR RURAL COMMUNITIES IS
SOMETHING THAT'S ON YOUR RADAR
COMING INTO THIS LEGISLATIVE
SESSION.
IT IS >> NICE.
IT IS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF
GOVERNOR.
HE PUT IN PLACE THE RURAL
BROADBAND INITIATIVE, THE
EXPANSION.
WE'VE DEVOTED OVER A QUARTER OF
A BILLION DOLLARS TO THAT
EXPANSION PROCESS RIGHT NOW
OVER THE STATE.
WHEN THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD
DURING THAT TIME IS IS THAT
GRANT MONEY WAS BEING TAXED
BECAUSE AWAY IT ARCHAIC LAW WAS
THAT WAS IN THE STATE AND SO WE
DID AWAY WITH THAT TAX WHICH
HAS ALLOWED SMALLER COMPANIES
TO AFFORD TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT
BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD
THE TAXES ON THE FREE MONEY
THAT THEY WERE GETTING TO DO
THAT.
AND SO WE TRIED TO MAKE IT MORE
THERE'S DURING THE KOVIK
THROUGH THE FINANCIAL
ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP, THROUGH
THE CARERS ACT, THROUGH THE
FEDERAL MONEY WE PUT AN
ADDITIONAL 60 MILLION DOLLARS
INTO THAT TO HAVE MORE PLACES
BROUGHT UP.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO
IT'S AN INTERESTING PROGRAM
BECAUSE IT DOESN'T YOU CAN'T
GET THE MONEY IF YOU'RE FIVE
YEARS AWAY FROM BEING ABLE TO
DO THE PROJECT, YOU HAVE TO BE
SHOVEL READY READY TO GO WHEN
YOU GET THE MONEY.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FULLY FUND
EVERYTHING THAT'S AVAILABLE AT
THAT TIME TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO IT'S GOING TO TAKE A WHILE
BUT I THINK WE'RE ON THE RIGHT
PROCESS.
THE LAST THING I'LL SAY ABOUT
IT IS WE WANT TO FOCUS ON FIBER
TO THE HOME WHICH IS GREAT BUT
THAT COSTS A LOT OF MONEY AND
THAT TAKES A LOT OF TIME.
SO WE ALSO NEED TO TWEAK IT A
LITTLE BIT WHERE YOU CAN IF YOU
WANT TO PUT UP INTERNET TOWER
TO HELP THE RANGE AS THEY'RE
BRINGING IN FIBER TO THE HOME
WHERE PEOPLE CAN ACCESS THEN
INSTEAD OF HAVING TO WAIT.
SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT TRYING TO
CHANGE A LAW A LITTLE BIT TO
IMPROVE IT WITH THE TECHNOLOGY
AS IT PROGRESSES.
MR SPEAKER.
20 SECONDS LEFT.
I TOLD YOU AT THE TOP YOU HAD
THE EAR OF THE PRESIDENT.
NOW YOU HAVE THE EAR OF EVERY
TENNESSEEAN.
WHAT SHOULD WE THINK ABOUT
AFTER THE WEEK WE HAVE SEEN >>
WHAT I WILL SAY IS WE LIVE IN
THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD,
THE BEST STATE IN AMERICA AND
OUR ACTIONS DON'T ONLY REFLECT
WHAT WE ARE BUT WHAT WE STAND
FOR.
AND WHEN WE SAY WE'RE A
REPUBLIC FOR DEMOCRACY AND WE
SEND A MIXED MESSAGE THAT IT'S
OK TO DESTRUCT TO BURN TO
VIOLENT, TO INTIMIDATE, TO
HARASS REGARDLESS OF THE CAUSE
WHETHER WHAT HAPPENED IN D.C.,
MINNEAPOLIS, SEATTLE, WHATEVER
THE CALLS OR WHATEVER THE ISSUE
WE'RE ALL ABOUT PEACEFUL BUT WE
CANNOT HAVE CHAOS.
WE CANNOT HAVE THAT.
THAT'S A STAIN ON AMERICA.
THAT'S A STAIN ON OUR
FOREFATHERS AND THOSE WHO SERVE
AND PEOPLE WHO DIED ON THE
BATTLEFIELD TO PROTECT OUR
COUNTRY WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER
JOB OF BEING THE AMERICA THAT
WE ALL LOVE AND NOT BE ISOLATED
AND LOOK FOR ADVANTAGES TO
CAUSE HARM INSTEAD OF TRYING TO
CALL IT GOOD >>.
MR. SPEAKER, WE APPRECIATE YOUR
TIME VERY MUCH THIS