6,250 subscribers www.TML1.org Volume 69, Number 2 Feb. 12, 2018 Make plans to attend TML Legislative Conference, March 26- 27 in Nashville TML’s Legislative Confer- The two-day conference ence is scheduled for March 26 provides an excellent forum for - 27 at the DoubleTree by Hilton city officials to interact with leg- in downtown Nashville. islators as well as other municipal A slate of state leaders are officials. schedueld to address key mu- To register go to https:// nicipal issues being debated in www.cognitoforms.com/TM- the General Assembly during the L1/_2018LegislativeConfer- 2018 session. enceRegistrationForm Gov. Bill Haslam recently announced a $30 million plan to deal with opioid abuse in Tennessee as part New Senate leadership, new of the 2018-19 fiscal year budget. Also pictured are members of the legislative leadership (L to R) Sen. Haile, Rep. Curtis Johnson, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, Sen. Mark Norris, Speaker Beth Harwell, Rep. committee assignments Glen Casada and TN Chief Justice Jeffrey Bivins. for Senate, House members Haslam outlines $30M opioid crisis plan Lt. Governor Randy McNal- BY KATE COIL will be aggressive with provisions branches of Tennessee state gov- ly, R-Oak Ridge, announced the TML Communications Specialist to limit the supply of opioids and ernment to confront this threat. The appointment of Sen. Ferrell Haile, significant state and federal dollars three-legged stool of enforcement, R-Gallatin, as Speaker Pro Tempo- Gov. Bill Haslam along with to provide treatment to those in treatment and prevention will stop re of the Senate. Sen. Haile replaces leadership from the Tennessee need,” Haslam said. “I applaud the the flow of these drugs in our state, Jim Tracy, who resigned late last House, Senate, and Chief Justice collaboration and the considerable help those ravaged by addiction year to accept a presidential ap- Jeff Bivins announced a new plan work of the House and Senate on and work to prevent our citizens pointment. to fight opioid abuse in Tennessee. the TN Together plan, as well as from starting down the road to The speaker pro tempore is a The TN Together plan is a the judicial branch’s leadership addiction. We are confronting this key leadership role in the General multi-faceted initiative focuses on through the Regional Judicial Opi- crisis from all sides and from all Assembly, in terms of both opera- three major components: preven- oid Initiative and National Opioid angles.” tion, treatment, and law enforce- Task Force, and I ask all stake- tions and policy. Most notably, the Sen. Ferrell Haile House Speaker Beth Harwell, speaker pro tempore presides over ment. Haslam said the initiative holders around this issue to work said the focus on treatment because the state Senate in the absence of will include legislation, $30 mil- together to achieve real reform and it costs far less than any other op- the Speaker of the Senate. lion in proposed state and federal action that will save lives.” tion, including incarceration. Sen. Janice Bowling, R-Tul- funding in the 2018-19 fiscal year Lt. Gov. Randy McNally said “The biggest thing we hear is lahoma, will replace Sen. Haile in budget, executive actions, and task he believed the proposal will yield that funding is desperately needed, the position of deputy speaker. She forces. both short-term and long-term re- for treatment programs,” Harwell will be the first woman to hold the TN Together was designed sults for the state. said. “Only a fraction of those peo- position of Deputy Speaker of the in partnership with the General “I am proud to support the ple get the treatment they need.” Senate. Assembly’s Ad Hoc Opioid Abuse comprehensive TN Together plan The three components of The deputy speaker is appoint- Task Force, which included House to attack the opioid crisis in Ten- TN Together include prevention, ed to a two-year term and serves Speaker Pro Tem Curtis Johnson nessee,” McNally said. “This treatment, and law enforcement. at the pleasure of the Speaker of as chairman. scourge is breaking up families, Specifically, the plan includes: the Senate. Principle duties of “This is a crisis that knows ruining lives and killing our peo- • Legislation to address pre- the position include assisting the Sen. Janice Bowling no boundaries and impacts many ple. The approach Gov. Haslam vention by limiting the sup- Speaker in regard to committee ap- Committee. Tennesseans regardless of race, in- outlined today demonstrates the ply and the dosage of opioid pointments and the assignment of Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohen- come, gender or age. Our approach united commitment by all three See OPIOID on Page 3 bills to standing committees. The wald, will now serve as second deputy speaker helps schedule and vice chair of the Finance, Ways and guide the flow of legislation on the Means and Labor Committee. Sen. TN steering committee to develop floor and assists the speaker in the John Lundberg, R-Bristol, moves administrative decision-making to 1st vice chair of the Judiciary of the Senate, and also serves as a Committee. water plan for current, future needs liaison with regional and national New Senate members Sen. BY DENISE PAIGE needs. legislative bodies. The deputy Art Swann, R-Maryville, and Sen. TML Government Relations The com- speaker often presides over the Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, will serve mittee consists Senate and assists the speaker on as first vice chair of the Transpor- It has been said that water is of members special projects. tation Committee and second vice the new gold. In addition to being representing Lt. Gov. McNally also an- chair of the Energy, Agriculture essential to human health and the all levels of nounced Senate committee as- and Natural Resources Committee, environment, it is also vital to food governments, signment changes for the second respectively. production, as an energy source, agriculture, session of the 110th General Also of note, Sen. Becky and essential to thriving businesses. industry, ac- Assembly. The changes come as Massey, R-Knoxville, will now Recently, water issues have ademia, en- a result of the resignation of three serve on the Senate Finance, stepped into the spotlight nation- vironmental Senate members since the legisla- Ways and Means Committee and wide. Drought in the West and groups, and ture adjourned in May. Two of the Sen. Frank Niceley, R-Straw- Southeast; lead contamination in public utilities. resigning senators, Doug Overbey berry Plains, will join the Com- Flint, Mich.; and “water wars” Bo Perkinson, and Jim Tracy, accepted presiden- merce and Labor Committee. Sen. between states over rights to water, Athens coun- tial appointments. Steve Southerland, R-Morristown, like the Mississippi River, have cilmember Notable changes include moves to the Ethics Committee. emphasized the necessity and val- and president the appointment of Sen. Richard The Senate has nine standing ue of this natural resource. of the Tennes- Briggs, R-Knoxville, as chairman committees and four select com- TN H20 is Gov. Bill Haslam’s see Municipal League (TML), and been a strategic advantage for of the Ethics Committee replacing mittees: Commerce and Labor; water planning initiative to ad- Jim Strickland, Memphis mayor, Tennessee and is critical to our former Sen. Overbey. Sen. Kerry Education; Energy, Agriculture, dress water-related issues in TN. represent municipalities on the quality of life,” Haslam said. “We Roberts, R-Springfield, will take and Natural Resources; Finance, The TN H2O steering committee steering committee. Jim Henry, need to ensure this critical natural over as chairman of the Calendar See LEGISLATORS on Page 4 recently met in January to begin deputy to the governor, serves as resource is managed appropriately efforts to assess the state’s current the chairman. The committee is as our state continues to grow and water resources and to develop charged with submitting a draft of prosper.” recommendations to ensure that the plan to Gov. Haslam, and will Tennessee’s population is High Court sides with Tennessee will have adequate make it available for public input estimated to double in the next 50 water resources to support future by October 2018. years, which makes it imperative to the states in WOTUS population growth and economic “Abundant, clean water has See WATER on Page 6 The Supreme Court held unan- from the outset, the WOTUS Rule imously that a legal challenge to the is unlawful under the Clean Water Supreme Court to hear Internet sales tax definition of “waters of the United Act, U.S. Supreme Court prece- States” (WOTUS) must begin in a dent, and the U.S. Constitution.” case this term, possible June 2018 ruling federal district court not a federal In 2015, the Sixth U.S. Cir- court of appeals. cuit Court of Appeals sided with BY LISA SORONEN states and local governments. This Customers buying from re- Tennessee Attorney General the states and issued a nationwide State & Local Legal Center article describes how we got here mote sellers still owe sales tax but Herbert H. Slatery III applauds the stay blocking enforcement of the and why it is likely South Dakota they rarely pay it when the remote U.S. Supreme Court’s decision. U.S. Environmental Protection In November 2017, a Govern- will win. seller does not collect it. Congress The Supreme Court’s decision Agency’s WOTUS Rule. On June ment Accountability Office report In 1967, in National Bellas has the authority to overrule Bellas to require the rule be challenged in 27, 2017, EPA Administrator Scott estimated that states and local gov- Hess v. Department of Revenue of Hess and Quill but has thus far not federal district courts, a more local Pruitt announced his intent to re- ernments could “gain from about Illinois, the Supreme Court held done so.