Tennessee State Democratic Senate Minority Leader Lee Harris said his party doesn't have a "cut and dried" answer on every issue.NASHVILLE - State Democratic lawmakers will bring their continuing series of fact-finding hearings on state privatization efforts to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Tuesday as they hold seek comments from campus employees, students and faculty on the effects of outsourcing additional state jobs.
The hearings come as Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's administration looks at extending privatization of building management, maintenance and other services to public colleges, state parks, hospitals, National Guard armories and prisons.
Senate Minority Leader Lee Harris, D-Memphis, and Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, will be joined by Rep. JoAnne Favors, D-Chattanooga at the hearing.
Lawmakers will hear from the United Campus Workers, the Tennessee State Employees Association, UT Chattanooga College Democrats and Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (SOCM).
The hearing will be held at 11:30 a.m. EST Tuesday, Nov. 3 in the Raccoon Mountain Room at the University Center at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga. You can RSVP via Facebook here.
Harris noted in a news release that during their panel's recent "fact-finding trip to Knoxville, Rep. Clemmons and I heard from campus employees who are working hard and doing everything they can to save taxpayers money. It was a good opportunity to get outside the Nashville bubble and hear directly from the workers who will be impacted by the governor's outsourcing plans. I look forward to visiting Chattanooga to learn more from our state employees."
Clemmons said "Governor Haslam's plan to outsource state jobs and services will have a direct impact on families and local economies across our state.
"Unfortunately, much of this ongoing privatization effort has taken place behind closed doors in Nashville," Clemmons said. "By traveling across the state into the affected communities and bringing interested stakeholders to the table, Sen. Harris and I are trying to add some much-needed transparency to a process where it is otherwise sorely lacking."
Democrats charge Haslam is working on "a massive outsourcing of state government that would lay off state employees in favor of corporate contractors."
The governor has said his administration has made no decision yet. The Times Free Press reported last month, however, that the privatization effort was on a list of to-do items the state presented during visits in October with New York bond-rating agencies.
But the governor and administration officials say listing the additional outsourcing on the presentation is no guarantee it will happen. Haslam said it will have to make sense in terms of cost savings.
Democrats are encouraging students, faculty and campus employees, in addition to media, are encouraged to attend Tuesday's hearing.