Haslam tells mayors to get involved in state politics instead of relying on lobbyists

Governor Bill Haslam speaks about the Drive to 55 initiative Friday, April 10, 2015, in the Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga.
Governor Bill Haslam speaks about the Drive to 55 initiative Friday, April 10, 2015, in the Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Chattanooga State Community College in Chattanooga.

NASHVILLE -- Gov. Bill Haslam today strongly encouraged top local officials to get more engaged with what he called a "changing" Tennessee Legislature where lawmakers hold different views of local governments and other institutions than in the past.

The Republican governor said in his speech to mayors and other officials at the Tennessee Municipal League's annual conference that they should get directly involved on issues of concern to their communities instead of relying so much on their lobbyists.

A former Knoxville mayor, Haslam said, "I can assure you that it is critical that you engage. It's really important that our local communities -- cities, counties, municipalities -- are actively a part of the discussion here."

While the Legislature has gone from Democratic to Republican control, Haslam said he sees something beyond that based on his discussions with other governors. They agree "the nature of state legislatures is changing in terms of who gets elected and their view of what government looks like," he said.

Regarding local government, Haslam said "there is nothing that comes closer to real government, where the rubber meets the road. Folks can run into you at the grocery store, at church, at softball games or wherever and give you their opinions of government. And in my mind that's why local government really is where, of everything we do, as many decisions as possible can be made."

Legislators' "world is incredibly full and there are a lot of people that want their ears. And for you to be effective you have to be present," Haslam said. "I can assure you that it is critical that you engage. It's really important that our local communities - cities, counties, municipalities - are actively a part of the discussion here."

Haslam later told reporters he brought the issue up because "there's a lot of things that impact local governments that are decided here. As I said, I do think we have a changing Legislature and the old ways of doing things won't necessarily work. So I think you've got to be visible and present here."

He said it's not just with local governments. Other institutions including the news media, chambers of commerce and hospitals no longer have as much clout, he noted.

In the last legislative session, fellow Republicans in the General Assembly twice killed Haslam's proposed Insure Tennessee proposal. It would have expanded Medicaid benefits to an additional 289,000 low-income Tennesseans. Hospitals and other businesses as well as several local chambers of commerce, supported it.

While Haslam didn't go into much detail on what's been happening on local governments, the Legislature has put cities back on their heels since Republicans assumed operating control 4 1/2 years ago.

This year, they approved a bill overruling local governments allowing handgun-permit holders to go armed in parks, playgrounds and ballfields. Haslam had opposed the bill in the past but signed it into law.

In previous years, lawmakers have barred cities from enacting "living wage" ordinances aimed at local government contractors and also pre-empted cities' ability to require local contractors not discriminate against gays.

Two years ago, lawmakers approved a bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, and Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, that enacted the most sweeping change in Tennessee municipal annexation laws in nearly six decades.

It ended cities' ability to annex by ordinance. Now there must be a public referendum of voters living in the affected area. Cities had blocked previous attempts for decades.

But the idea had support from many people who either feared being annexed or else had been annexed and charged they had never received many of the promised services.

Last month, Watson told the Times Free Press that lawmakers are examining changing state law to make local sales-tax distribution more equitable for counties. He noted a number of cities, including Chattanooga, gave up operating their own school system where much of the money had gone. That's impacted counties.

"If you get out of the school business, if you get out of other types of services and leave those to the county, should there be some reallocation of resources to pay for that instead of just property taxes?" asked Watson, vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Upcoming Events