2010 Regional Legislative Agenda
ALCOA, TN - The Knoxville Chamber, along with the Blount County Chamber of Commerce and the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce recently presented the 2010 legislative agenda at the Airport Hilton in Alcoa. The Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority and Alcoa sponsored the event. The business breakfast and presentation was held to help the regional legislative delegation begin to work on issues that will benefit the regional economy.
After careful consideration, the coalition of chambers of commerce recommended the following slate of issues to members of the General Assembly: First and foremost: education. A skilled, well-prepared workforce is the key to this region’s success in the global economy. The chambers encourage the Legislature to reject any proposal to allow for the election of the directors of schools. What’s more, they support continued implementation of state educational standards described in the Tennessee Diploma Project, oppose the mandatory merger of schools systems within Tennessee counties, reject mandatory school start dates, and encourage the restoration of base funding for public community colleges and universities.
Legislators should also focus on transportation in the coming year. The coalition of Chambers recommends that TDOT develop an implementation plan with major milestones identified to enable the Knoxville Parkway to open to traffic in the year 2020. The chambers also request TDOT to complete the EIS and an implementation plan as expeditiously as possible that will allow the completion of Pellissippi Parkway. Also, widening SR 170 from SR 62 (Pellissippi Parkway) to I-75 is encouraged.
Also of importance to the Legislature should be enabling continued regional economic growth. Legislators should allow for additional and enhanced support of small or start-up high tech (agriculture science, materials science, media technology, nanotechnology, renewable energy, and research and development) businesses.
In addition to focusing on education, transportation and economic development, the chambers agree that elected officials should make needed changes to the state’s workers’ compensation system that are necessary for business growth and can help attract new employers and new investment to Tennessee. The chambers encourage implementing a more complete correction of the problems caused by the Overstreet v. TRW decision. They also suggest revisiting issues that arose from the Wait v. Traveler’s case dealing with telecommuting and they recommend changes to SEC. 50-6-102 including the definitions of injury by accident and arising out of and in the course of employment. Pre-existing conditions are finding their way into the WC system.
Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen was the featured guest speaker during the 2010 Regional Legislative Agenda, announcing a prominent new initiative that would establish a new graduate energy sciences and engineering program at the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
“The practical effect of this initiative will be to make ORNL more of an extension of the UT campus,” Governor Bredesen said. “A place where dramatically heightened levels of teaching and learning occur.”
Governor Bredesen’s plan would create approximately 200 new UT-Knoxville faculty positions. It would also give lab access to nearly 400 new UT graduate students.
For over 20 years, the Knoxville Chamber, the Blount County Chamber of Commerce, and the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce have cooperatively worked on issues that benefit the regional economy. Together, and with the help of the regional legislative delegation, the chambers have made a significant impact on the area business climate and will work to continue this trend in the future.