Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
Hello, Iím House Democratic Leader Craig Fitzhugh.
Tonight, Governor Bill Haslam delivered his fourth State of the State Speech. While Democrats
remain committed to working with the Governor where we can, we also have deep seated differences
in how best to move Tennessee forward.
Democrats want to be proactive. So rather than focus on the shortcomings in Governor
Haslamís spech, we want to outline an alternative vision: one focused on jobs, education and
people.
When it comes to jobs, Governor Haslam and Republican leadership have missed the mark.
While national unemployment has declined to 6.7 percent, Tennesseeís unemployment rate
remains over a point higher at 7.8 percent. Whatís worse is that many rural counties,
like Scott at 15.6 percent, Lauderdale at 12.2 percent and Wayne at 10.6 percent are
being neglected by this administration.
What Tennessee needs is a new approach to job creation; one that isnít focused on sending
millions of dollars to big out-of-state corporations, but instead focuses on helping our Tennessee
small businesses grow and create jobs here.
Thatís why Democrats have sponsored a Small Business Sales Tax Holiday, so local businesses
can get a tax-break to make major purchases like computers, software and other office
equipment that will help them grow their company.
Thatís why Democrats have sponsored crowdsourcing legislationósimilar to that enacted by Republicans
in Kansas & Georgiaócalled the TIE or Tennessee Investment Exemption Act. This bill would
cut red tape and allow Tennessee small businesses to raise up to $1,000,000 annually without
going through the burdensome process of registering securities.
Thatís why Democrats have sponsored the Equity for Entrepreneurs Act, which would extend
a $5,000 tax cut to new, small business start- ups. Every year, Tennessee hands out millions
of dollars to big corporations; Democrats think itís time mom and pop shops got the
same consideration.
On no issue are Democrats & Republicans more divergent than in our approach to education.
Democrats believe that a solid public education is the best economic investment we can make.
Over the last few years, weíve seen this Administrationís plan: attack teachers, raid
public school funding and try every way possible to get students out of our public schools.
Democrats take a different approach, one that focuses on getting more students in our schools.
A recent Vanderbilt study showed an 82 percent learning increase for students who had at
least one year of pre-kindergarten, compared to those who did not. Studies across the country
have shown the importance of Pre-K, which is why Democrats have sponsored the Education
for All Initiative. This plan would leverage $64.3 million in federal funding to provide
an additional 7,861 students the opportunity to attend pre-kindergarten. Other states have
done it and so can Tennessee.
Itís also time to revisit Common Core standards. While Democrats have no objection to the standards
themselves, we are concerned about their implementation. Across the state we hear stories from teachers
about the lack of proper technology to administer tests associated with Common Core. From parents
we hear heart-breaking accounts of students in Kindergarten, First & Second grade coming
home in tears because of the harsh, inflexible testing imposed on them by PARCC and other
assessments. Our children are our most valuable asset; we canít afford to get this wrong.
We must reevaluate these standards now, to keep our public schools strong.
My father, who for many years worked with our familyís small business, always told
me that if he didnít have people issues, heíd have no issues at all. People Matter
and they are the most important part of what state government does.
On no issue do people matter more than Medicaid expansion. 34 days, $85,000,000 Tennessee
tax dollars lost and this Administration is no closer to a solution for the 330,000 Tennesseans
waiting on their chance at quality, affordable health care coverage. This is, as I have said
many times before, the worst moral and mathematical failure of our state in a generation.
New information about the importance of Medicaid expansion emerges daily.
For small businesses, a failure to expand Medicaid will mean $75,000,000 in new taxes.
For hospitals, a failure to expand Medicaid will mean 10,000 jobs lost over the next ten
years.
But by far, the worst news about the failure to expand Medicaid is what it means for people.
A failure to expand Medicaid means no mental health treatment for 17,000 National Guard
veteransómany of whom served our country in the aftermath of 9/11.
A failure to expand Medicaid means no mammogram for 9,744 women who would have qualified for
this preventative care under expansion.
A failure to expand Medicaid means 10,000 more cases of catastrophic care for individuals
with no insuranceóthe tab for which will be picked up by local governments. This could
easily be avoided in a more cost-effective manner, if these individuals had access to
regular care through expansion.
Every day we wait, Tennessee loses $2.5 million federal dollars not to deficit reduction,
as some would have you believe, but to other states who have expanded their Medicaid program.
And every day we wait, another two Tennesseans die because of our inaction. We canít wait
any alonger. Itís time to expand Medicaid now.
As Democrats, weíre also focused on helping make the lives of average, middle-class Tennesseans
better.
Thatís why our Caucus Chairman Mike Turner has proposed a modest increase in the minimum
wage. With the stagnation in Washington, our proposal is simple: raise Tennesseeís minimum
wage to $8.25, exempting employees under the age of 18 and any employer who provides health
insurance for their employees.
Likewise, Rep. Antonio Parkinson has legislation to address the shameful backlog of *** kits
that remain untested. His proposal would require testing of *** kits within six months and
require the state to come up with a plan for getting through the current backlog.
These are our priorities: jobs, education and people. We Democrats, though small in
number, are happy warriors. We plan to back our proposals up with facts, take our arguments
to the public and do our best to contribute to the public discourse.
We invite all TennesseansóRepublicans, Democrats, Independents & Mugwumpsóto join us in these
priorities. If you want to know more about our plans, I invite you to visit the House
Democratic Caucus website at www.tndemocrats.com or find us on Facebook & Twitter.
Again, Iím House Democratic Leader Craig Fitzhugh. Thank you for your time. God bless
you and God bless the great state of Tennessee.