Yager welcomes Campbell County 4-H Congress students to state capitol
On Wednesday, March 6, state Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston) visited with the Campbell County Save the Children Organization in his office at the state Capitol.
Week eight of the second session of the 113th General Assembly is now complete. The Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee concluded its business for the year, while many other committees will be working off their final calendars next week. Every committee is advancing im…
In favor of vouchers
The Tennessee House unveiled a sweeping proposal to improve education in Tennessee by expanding school choice opportunities for families and strengthening existing public schools statewide. House Bill 1183, as amended, represents the culmination of months of diligent work by the chairs of th…
The seventh week of the 113th General Assembly is now complete. Some highlights of the week include a new office hire, passage of a bill to help marinas across the state out of committee, passage of a resolution to support caregivers within the family, and a preview of legislation to be hear…
CAC Day on the Hill
U.S. Department of Agriculture Tennessee State Director Arlisa Armstrong announced that USDA is investing more than $20.8 million in six projects to bring clean water, state-of-the-art infrastructure and economic growth to rural communities as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
The sixth week of the 113th General Assembly is now complete. Some highlights of the week include an update from the Secretary of State on Tennessee’s election integrity ranking, and some of my bills that will bring jobs and economic development to my district are being passed by committees.
The House Criminal Justice Subcommittee advanced legislation that would significantly increase protections for victims of aggravated domestic assault in Tennessee.
On Capitol Hill this week, Senate committees were in full swing. In the first week of budget hearings from state departments and agencies, Senate committees approved eleven of sixty-three total budgets. Lawmakers also advanced many important bills to protect children, improve school safety a…
Card of thanks
An amendment naming a new law in honor of Jillian Ludwig, an 18-year-old Belmont University freshman who was fatally shot while walking in a Nashville park last year, advanced out of the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee on Tuesday.
State Rep. Dennis Powers, R-Jacksboro, has been named a recipient of the Defender of Limited Government Award by the Institute of Legislative Analysis (ILA).
State Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston) received the Legislator of the Year Award from the Tennessee Development District Association. Yager was presented with the award on Tuesday, Jan. 23 by Mark Farley, executive director of the Upper Cumberland Development District and Richard Yakubic, executi…
I am a product of public education. I graduated from LaFollette High and later graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in Business Administration.
Powers wins award
State Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston) announced that four state highways in Senate District 12, which Yager represents, will receive a total of $148.9 million in upgrades over the next 10 years to accommodate growth and increase safety. The projects include widening roadways and improving inters…
Coats for the Cold
Below is a statement from Beacon CEO Justin Owen on Governor Lee’s push for statewide Educational Savings Accounts.
Governor Bill Lee’s latest statewide voucher proposal is being heavily influenced by out-of-state interests. The proposal has the potential to severely impact the financial stability of public schools in Tennessee, which are currently in the process of implementing a new funding formula foll…
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee presented the Education Freedom Scholarship Act of 2024, his administration’s legislative proposal to establish statewide universal school choice, alongside members of the General Assembly, Tennessee families and education stakeholders.
On Nov. 6, state Sen. Ken Yager brought the concerns of Campbell County citizens about the plan of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to replace the swimming pool at Cove Lake State Park with a playground.
Birthday
Please join me this Veterans Day in honoring the veterans who have served bravely in our armed forces. It is a day to recognize them for all they have done to ensure our country remains the beacon of freedom to the rest of the world.
Clearing up a misunderstanding
A special thanks
State Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston) has been appointed to the newly created Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council by Lt. Governor Randy McNally, who receives one appointment to the board.
State Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston) is encouraging citizens to take advantage of Tennessee’s upcoming sales tax holidays, set to begin July 28 with the state’s annual back-to-school tax-free weekend. A three-month-long suspension on grocery sales tax begins Aug. 1.
State Rep. Dennis Powers, R-Jacksboro, announced that the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development has awarded grants to several area Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) to provide educational programming for adults in Campbell, Claiborne and Union counties.
The Ayers Foundation Trust announced that 10 additional counties across Tennessee have been selected to participate in the Ayers Scholars Program, the organization’s nationally-acclaimed college access and success initiative.
As Tennessee ushered in the new fiscal year on July 1, a slew of new laws passed by the General Assembly went into effect. State Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston) was instrumental in passing many of these new laws to benefit Tennessee families, businesses and state employees as well as teachers an…
State Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston) announced $7 million in grant funding has been awarded by the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) to improve water infrastructure in Campbell County.
Chuck Fleischmann, the U.S. representative for Tennessee’s Third Congressional District, awarded L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence) $203,000 in FY23 Community Project Funding for L.E.A.D.’s Implementation Project in Tennessee in April. L.E.A.D., a nationwide nonprofit th…
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed strong school safety legislation into law and recognized the investment of more than $230 million to strengthen safety at public and private schools across Tennessee.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee marked the signing of the Teacher Paycheck Protection Act, a landmark bill that will give teachers the largest pay raise in state history and protect Tennessee teachers and taxpayers by ensuring that union membership dues are no longer collected by school districts.
State Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston) and Rep. Patsy Hazlewood (R-Signal Mountain) filed FY 2024 budget amendments that secure $16.3 million to increase the pay for Direct Support Professionals, who provide support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The appropriation is …
The Tennessee Open Meetings Act hasn’t changed too much over the years. But this year, the General Assembly made two major improvements that were a long time coming.
Hi. My name is Bailey Ball and I am a 1st year 4-H student at Valley View Elementary School. This year in 4-H, I have been able to compete in speech, poster, cookie baking, piggy bank designing, demonstration, Clover Bowl, and my favorite ‘’CHICK CHAIN’’!
Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order to create the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council. State Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston) expressed his support for the council and released the following statement.
Now the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women start getting regular mammograms at age 40. The recommendation is in response to the increase in breast cancer diagnoses in younger women and high mortality rates in Black women. More than 20 million women in the U.S. are between t…
SR 63 widening project to continue
General Assembly adjourns delivering historic tax cuts, major investments for Tennessee’s future.
It’s time someone said:
The House chamber passed bipartisan legislation that significantly strengthens safety at public and private schools across Tennessee. The School Safety Act of 2023, House Bill 322, was introduced in January, though several measures were added following the deadly shooting at the Covenant Sch…
Many people often shudder when their doctor informs them it’s time for a screening colonoscopy. But regular screening, beginning at age 45 for people with average risk factors, is the key to preventing colorectal cancer, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
To help address hunger in our community, and in celebration of National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day on April 2, Tennova Healthcare — LaFollette Medical Center donated more than 700 jars of peanut butter (and other nut butters) to Children’s Services and Servolution Food Pantries.
This year, to celebrate National Doctors’ Day, Tennova Healthcare — LaFollette Medical Center found a unique way to thank the providers who serve our community and hospitals. In lieu of gifts, Tennova Healthcare — LaFollette donated money to local charity, Caryville Cares Inclusive Playgroun…
It was a somber week last week on Capitol Hill as lawmakers joined Tennesseans and the rest of the nation in mourning the deaths of six innocent people killed by an active shooter at the Covenant School, a private Christian academy in Nashville, on Monday, March 27.
Editor’s note: This column was sent to the Press on March 26.
House Republicans on Thursday passed legislation ensuring Tennessee workers’ rights are protected by secret ballot in union-organizing elections. House Bill 1342, sponsored by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and State Rep. Kevin Vaughan, R-Collierville, prohibits an employer who …