Good morning, Nashville. As we mentioned yesterday, Governor Haslam gave his first State of the State address last night outlining the budget situation and calling on Tennessee lawmakers to reach across the aisle in order to get things done. Under this $30 billion spending plan, which will go into effect on July 1st, nearly 1,200 state positions will be eliminated and the remaining employees will receive a 1.6% raise. There will also be cuts to TennCare, public universities, the Department of Correction and early childhood education intervention programs. Overall, the response from both Republicans and Democrats has been positive with both parties acknowledging the need for spending reductions.
- Lockout updates. Titans owner Bud Adams sent out a letter to folks with season tickets to fill them in on the details of the lockout and how it might affect the season. Bottom line: They’ve still got some time to negotiate, but games could still be canceled. And if games are canceled, season ticket holders will receive a credit or a refund.
- Glass half full. Despite all the water concerns following the flood, Metro’s drinking water scored a 100 for its sources, facilities, operations and maintenance.
- Bits & pieces. The Antioch mosque is working on ways to engage the local community … Local corporations are a little concerned that the disaster in Japan could affect our economy in Tennessee because our economy is so closely tied to theirs … Williamson County won’t be approving that 0.5% sales tax increase, yet … Happy 244th birthday, Andrew Jackson! … Lakewood will be voting again today on whether or not they want to dissolve their charter and come over to the dark side… er, to Metro.
Photo by Phil Scroggs.