6,250 subscribers www.TML1.org Volume 70, Number 1 Jan. 14, 2019 111th Tennessee General Assembly ushers Registration Now Open! in new leadership, 32 freshmen legislators 2019 TML Legislative Conference March 18-19, 2019 DoubleTree Hotel, Nashville TML’s Legislative Confer- ence is a chance to hear state leaders address the municipal issues being debated in the General Assembly. The two-day conference provides an excellent forum for city officials to interact with legislators as well as other municipal officials. The voice of Tennessee’s mu- nicipal governments must be heard in the legislative process, and the Photo by Mark Humphrey Associated Press TML Legislative Conference is a With his wife Janice by his side, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally is sworn into key opportunity to communicate The Tennessee House of Representatives officially voted in Republican Glen Casada as its new Speaker of the House. office for his second term as Speaker of the Senate by newly appointed that message. federal judge and former member of the Tennessee Senate Mark Norris. TML has moved to an online The first session of the 111th Chairman. registration process for our events. General Assembly got underway In the Senate, Lt. Gov. Randy make Tennessee a better place. Gov.-elect Bill Lee is scheduled to To register go to https://www.tml1. on Jan. 8, swearing in one of the McNally was elected to his second Let’s continue to believe in Tennes- be inaugurated on Jan. 19. org/2019-legislative-conference largest freshmen class of legis- term as Speaker of the Senate. He see together. Let’s get to work.” Among the issues expected to Access to TML’s group rate at lators in more than two decades was sworn into office by a fellow “I accept this gavel in partner- be addressed this year are criminal the DoubleTree is only available and electing a new Speaker of the senate colleague – Mark Norris, ship not partisanship,” said Speaker justice reform, boosting vocation- after a paid registration form has House. who was recently appointed as the Casada. “At the table of governing, al and technical education, rural been submitted. The form will Rep. Glen Casada was of- U.S. District Judge for the Western everyone is welcome and my door development, and school security. redirect registrants to the hotel ficially elected by his fellow District of Tennessee. is always open ….. Respect and Some of the more controversial registration page after submission, lawmakers as the new speaker Both men pledged to work decorum will be the rule of the day.” issues will include medical mar- and a copy of the link to the hotel of the Tennessee House of Rep- in a non-partisan fashion to keep The new year will also wel- ijuana, sports gambling, school group will also be included in the resentatives. He succeeds Rep. Tennessee moving forward. come a new governor. Republican vouchers, and Medicaid expansion. confirmation email. Beth Harwell, who served in that “We must resist the urge to The TML special room rate position for eight years. concentrate on what divides us,” will be available until Feb.12, or Casada, R-Thompson’s Sta- said Lt. Gov. McNally. “Our suc- until the group block is sold out, tion, has served in the Tennessee cess has been achieved together. It U.S. Sen. Alexander whichever comes first.Contact House for 16 years, holding key can only continue together. Urban Sylvia Harris at [email protected] leadership positions including and rural, legislative and executive, will not run in 2020 with any additional registration most recently the House Majority house and senate, Democrat and After a 16-year career in the and hotel questions. Leader and Republican Caucus Republican — we are all here to U.S. Senate and more than 40 years in public service, U.S. Sen. Lamar Grocery stores can now sell wine on Sundays Alexander announced he will not seek re-election to his post in 2020. Wine sales in grocery stores Alexander was first elected to is now legal on Sundays. The new the Senate in 2003, taking the seat state law went into effect on Jan. 1, formerly held by U.S. Sen. Fred 2019, with the first Sunday being Thompson. During his tenure in the Jan. 6. Senate, he has served as chairman Gov. Bill Haslam signed the of the Senate Health, Education, bill into law in April. According Labor, and Pensions Committee as to the statute, liquor stores were diately, while grocery stores had to on Labor Day, New Year’s Day, and well as the chairman of the Senate given special permission to begin wait until January. the Fourth of July. Alcohol sales are Republic Conference between selling liquor and wine on Sundays The new law also let Tennes- still not allowed on Thanksgiving, 2007 and 2012. between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m. imme- seans buy beer, wine, and spirits Christmas and Easter “The people of Tennessee have been very generous, electing me to serve more combined years U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander Lee names key cabinet, staff positions as governor and senator than any- Gov.-Elect Bill Lee has named one else from our state,” Alexander President Richard Nixon. The fol- several more members of his staff said. “I have gotten up every day lowing year, he returned to Tennes- ahead of his Jan. 19 inaguration. thinking that I could help make our see to serve as campaign manager Williamson County Sheriff Jeff state and country a little better, and for the successful election of Gov. Long will replace David Purkey as gone to bed most nights thinking Winfield Dunn. the commissioner of the Tennessee that I have. I will continue to serve Alexander then practiced law Department of Safety and Home- with that same spirit during the for several years before being land Security in Lee’s administra- remaining two years of my term.” elected as Tennessee’s governor in tion. Purkey has served in the role A native of Maryville, Alex- 1979, a position he served in until since 2016. ander earned a bachelor’s degree 1987. Long has served as Williamson in Latin American studies from After leaving the governor’s County’s sheriff since 2008 and was Vanderbilt University and his law office, he served as president of the re-elected to the post in November degree from the New York Univer- University of Tennessee between 2018, running uncontested. As Jeff Long Mark Ezell sity School of Law. After graduat- 1988 and 1991, when President commissioner, he will oversee the Safety & Homeland Tourism Commissioner ing from law school, he clerked for George. H.W. Bush appointed him Tennessee Highway Patrol, driver Security Commissioner U.S. Court of Appeals Fifth Circuit U.S. Secretary of Education. He services and licensing, homeland Judge John Minor Wisdom in New served in the role until 1993. He ran security, and the Tennessee highway Orleans before serving as a legisla- for the Republican nomination for safety office. Long holds a bache- tive assistant to Sen. Howard Baker president in 1996 and 2000 before lor’s degree in political science from in 1967. deciding to run for the seat vacated the University of Memphis and a law In 1969, he worked for Bryce by Thompson. degree from the Nashville School Harlow, executive assistant to See LAMAR on Page 4 of Law. He previously worked as an assistant district attorney with the TN Constitutional Officers 21st Judicial District, a special agent with the Tennessee Bureau of Inves- re-elected to two-year term tigation, arson investigator with the Members of the Tennessee state fire marshal’s office and as a Senate and House have re-elected federal hospital police officer with Chris Devaney Brent Easley Justin P. Wilson to serve as the Ten- the VA hospital in Memphis. Special Assistant to Governor Legislative Affairs Director nessee Comptroller of the Treasury Lee also selected Mark Ezell and David H. Lillard as the state to replace Kevin Triplett as the Development. McCord currently Commissioner of the Department treasurer. The vote by acclamation commissioner for the Department serves as the vice president for eco- of Revenue David Gerregano, and was taken during a joint session of of Tourist Development, a role nomic and workforce development Commissioner of Financial Institu- the 111th General Assembly. Triplett has held since 2015. Ezell at Northeast State Community tions Greg Gonzales, will keep the Wilson is Tennessee’s 34th has worked with Dean Foods since College. positions they were appointed to Comptroller of the Treasury and 1998 as a senior executive focused He also leads Workforce Solu- during the Haslam administration. was re-elected to his fifth two-year Justin P. Wilson on brand development for Purity tions, a workforce development Lee also named four staff mem- term. He leads a staff of more than Dairies and other southeast dairies. program that includes the develop- bers who will be working directly 500 employees. His 35 years at Purity Dairies, ment of registered apprenticeship with the legislature on his behalf. The comptroller’s duties in- including time as president and programs, as well as the Regional Chris Devaney will serve as clude the audit of state and local general manager, helped the former Center for Advanced Manufactur- special assistant to the governor, a government entities and partici- family-owned company receive ing (RCAM), a technical career cabinet-level position with a broad pation in the general financial and recognition as a “Brands That academy. portfolio, including legislative administrative management and Built Nashville” winner from the Additionally, Lee said Depart- affairs. A Chattanoogan, Devaney oversight of state government.