State Budget Update
Lawmakers are yet to begin budget deliberations in a legislation session now anticipated to continue until mid-May. Legislative sessions in recent years have adjourned in mid-April, but the one thing members must do (per the Tennessee Constitution) is pass a balanced budget prior to adjourning. Lawmakers are awaiting the Governor’s Budget Amendment before considering a … Continued
Deadline for Budget Amendments Passes, Rumors of Concern over UT’s Top Capital Priority
With 140 budget amendments proposed in the Senate and 235 proposed in the House, there appears to be no shortage of ideas on how to spend a state revenue surplus that could easily reach half a billion dollars by the end of the fiscal year. In recent months, indicators continue to point toward positive growth … Continued
Haslam to Deliver State of the State Tonight
Tonight, Governor Bill Haslam will address a joint session of the House and Senate in his annual State of the State address to kick off the first regular session of the 109th General Assembly. The yearly address is an important part of the legislative process, formalizing Gov. Haslam’s policy priorities and setting the tone for … Continued
State Revenue Update
The first three months of the State’s fiscal year, which began in August, held good news: revenues bounced upward, a welcome trend after lagging revenues plagued the 2013-2014 fiscal year. However, the most recently released figures from November mark the first point in the 2014-2015 fiscal year where revenues were less than the budgeted estimate: … Continued
5 Things You Should Know About the Governor’s Budget Hearings
1. The Governor’s budget hearings are where the state budget process begins. The Governor’s budget hearings serve as a launch point for the State’s budgeting process. All state departments, agencies and entities, including the University of Tennessee System, will lay out their funding requests for the state’s next budget year—requests that the Governor will ultimately … Continued