State legislators and Governor Bill Lee heard from state departments about their priorities for the upcoming budget during budget hearings Tuesday.
State Representative Ryan Williams said the budget hearings help lay the groundwork for a budget. Williams said budget hearings are held after the state learns what revenues it has to work with for the upcoming budget.
“The budget hearing process is used to determine which envelope to spend that money in and what the change would be year over year for that change in spending,” Williams said. “And so the budget hearing process allows you to see a 10,000th view of really what’s going on.”
Williams said he particularly listens to discussions that will impact the Upper Cumberland during the budget hearings. Williams said those topics include funding for higher education, T-DOT projects, TennCare, and the impact of the federal government shutdown.
“We have had several wins in the Upper Cumberland over the last couple of years, and to see what T-DOT’s recommendations are gonna be, cause we have a huge amount of projects that we still have to fill,” Williams said. “I will also listen in to the Department of Health and TennCare because the cost of delivering health care services to our community is getting more expensive by the day. Obviously, there will be lots of discussion about the government shutdown and its impact on the dollars that may be coming, and how long they expect it to last. So there will be a lot of discussion about those as well.”
Williams said he will also be listening to funding discussions for the Department of Children’s Services.
“Lots of challenges there, probably the most difficult department of state government right now, because of all the challenges associated with caring for foster families and kids in DCS care,” Williams said. “So we are gonna see what the recommendations of that commissioner are in order to make sure that we are able to provide those services and keep kids safe across the state.”
Williams said sitting in on the budget hearings is a lot to take in.
“Obviously, it’s like drinking from a fire hose, but it’s important work that the people of the 42nd district sent me up there to do,” Williams said. “And the Speaker of the House relies on me to make sure that I know as much as I can about the length, width, and breadth of the dollars to make sure that we are stewarding them well.”
Williams said after the budget hearings, the governor will meet with departments one-on-one to further work on the budget and have a rough draft to present when legislators meet in the spring to pass a budget.