UT Advocacy is the official grassroots network of the University of Tennessee.
Our UT Advocates are thousands of alumni, employees, students and friends who believe in the University’s value to all Tennesseans and share that message with elected officials. We believe that your voice matters, and together, we can make a difference. Become an advocate today.
Tennessee’s 61st special session and the 2nd extraordinary session of the 111th General Assembly adjourned sine die on Wednesday, August 12.. Last week, Governor Bill Lee called for the Tennessee General Assembly to convene for a special session to address COVID-19 liability protections, telehealth services, and laws governing the Capitol and state grounds. The state … Continued
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded a $20 million federal grant to the new Oak Ridge Institute (ORI) at UT. The ORI is a transformational opportunity for the State of Tennessee. It answers the national call to increase America’s production of scientists and engineers in key areas such as Quantum Sciences and Artificial Intelligence to … Continued
The Tennessee General Assembly adjourned sine die bringing an end the two-year legislative session shortly after 3 a.m. on Friday. The rare, early morning adjournment was due to hours of negotiations between the House and the Senate on numerous items. The legislature was primarily focused on passing a revised 2020-21 fiscal year budget in response to the … Continued
The “Tennessee Recovery and Safe Harbor Act,” sponsored by Sen. Mike Bell (R-Riceville), passed unanimously on the Senate floor last week. The measure provides protection to a number of private businesses, non-profit agencies, and government institutions and agencies (including UT), against unsupported legal claims associated with the COVID-19 virus. Also, the measure provides an additional … Continued
