Todd GardenhireIf Hamilton County commissioners won’t address the county’s sick, then why should the state Legislature worry about the county’s dead?
State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, voiced that sentiment Thursday as he delayed action on a bill that would allow Hamilton County to cremate local residents who die with no money for burial.
The political power play, he hopes, will prod county commissioners to act on a bill to restructure Erlanger hospital’s board of trustees and funding.
“I asked the sponsor to roll the [cremation] bill another week,” Gardenhire said in an interview. “We’ve asked the county to vote on a bill that we sent them, and they have not done anything. They can vote up or down, but they need to take a stand.”
Gov. Bill Haslam signed the Erlanger bill in February, but it must be ratified by the commission before it can be implemented. It has never emerged from the commission’s Legal Committee for a vote by the full panel.