NASHVILLE – Tennessee’s GOP-led General Assembly Thursday night approved Gov. Bill Lee’s retooled version of the state’s estimated $39.8 billion fiscal year 2021 budget Thursday night.
The budget seeks to respond to a growing coronavirus pandemic while freeing up other funds to prepare for an expected economic storm.
“This is not the budget any of us anticipated passing,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Bo Watson, R-Hixson, told the chamber, noting that when lawmakers arrived in January he was concerned that flush revenues would result in too much spending.
Watson said “it does address the principal responsibilties of government. This will not solve our problems, but it is a good step.” He later added, “I don’t think any of us enjoy voting for this budget. Because we realize what we left out.”
But Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, said lawmakers are not providing Lee enough money in a $150 million emergency and contingency fund the governor requested nor did they authorized him to take adequate steps “to respond to the current crisis.”