Governor Lee prepares to present budget focusing on education, criminal justice reform, and mental health care and rural economic development
Newly inaugurated Governor Bill Lee wasted no time this week in getting to work on one of his most important responsibilities – construction of a state budget. Commissioners of 25 state government departments and agencies presented their requests to the governor in meetings which were livestreamed for public view. The governor noted his budget will focus on improvements in K-12 education, criminal justice reform, mental health, health care and rural economic development.
Tennessee’s budget presently totals $37.8 billion, representing $17.8 billion in state funds and $14.1 billion in federal funds. Approximately 67 percent of it supports four departments: TennCare, K-12 education, higher education and transportation.
The needs of some of Tennessee’s most vulnerable citizens were highlighted in this week’s hearings. For example, the Department of Children’s Services requested increased funds to provide care for approximately 7,800 children in state custody. Children come into state custody for a number of heartbreaking reasons such as abuse or neglect, but opioid abuse has now escalated as the major contributing factor. Since 2016, the department has seen a 10.3 percent increase in the number of children under their care, mostly due to the drug epidemic.
Department officials are looking at programs to help stem back adverse childhood experiences, many due to parental drug addiction. One such program is the Safe Baby Courts which provides rehabilitation services to families in crisis who enter the court system with children 36 months or younger. The department asked the governor for $500,000 to extend the courts, which currently provides services in seven Tennessee counties. The overall goal of the program is to put the child’s long-term needs first.
The cost of opioid addiction extends to other departments of state government, including Corrections, Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Health, and the state’s TennCare program. The governor is expected to make his financial decisions by February 8 and deliver his budget proposal to the General Assembly in his State of the State / Budget Address, scheduled for March 4. The budget is typically one of the last bills to be voted on before adjournment.