Tag: Sen. John Stevens

Tennessee Lawmaker Concerned New School Funding Formula Could Lead to ‘Administrative Bloat’

The Center Square

As Tennessee officials get closer to presenting a new state funding proposal for K-12 public education, at least one state senator is concerned about the costs of record-keeping in the new plan.

“The way the bill is going to read, the state is going to give a capitated rate per student to the district and then, for rural schools or economically disadvantaged schools or schools with high amounts of English as a second language, they give bonuses basically,” said Sen. John Stevens, R-Huntingdon, a member of the Rural and Small District Subcommittee – one of 18 subcommittees under a steering committee involved in reviewing the state’s school funding formula. “Extra money for these extra things that you do.

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Report: Tennessee One of Four States Without Limits on Property Tax Increases

The Center Square

A new Beacon Center report shows while Tennessee’s truth-in-taxation law creates transparency in the process of property tax assessments, it lacks the power to prevent large property tax increases.

Tennessee was the first state with a truth in taxation requirement, but it is now one of four states without a cap on property tax increases.

Truth in taxation in Tennessee requires local governments to inform residents of any property tax rate increases and local entities to consider means that do not increase property taxes alongside rate or levy increases.

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Legislation Killed in House Subcommittee Lowering E-Verify Threshold Would Have Reverted to State Law Between 2011 and 2016

Laura Baigert

A bill that was killed last week in the House Banking and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee would have reverted to the threshold required for E-Verify in legislation signed into law by Governor Bill Haslam in 2011 and remained in effect until 2016.

Currently, employers are required under state law to use the E-Verify program to confirm work authorization status of their employees, but only if they have 50 or more employees.

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Complaint Filed Against State Sen. John Stevens for Misuse of Campaign Funds

Laura Baigert

A sworn complaint was filed against State Sen. John Stevens to the state’s Registry of Election Finance alleging the improper use of campaign funds for the August 6 Republican primary.

Stevens is finishing up his second term as senator for the state’s 24th district, having first been elected in 2012.  District 24 includes the counties of Benton, Carroll, Gibson, Henry, Obion and Weakley.

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OFF THE RECORD in Henry County

Chris Alto

  On May 25th, the Henry County GOP and Republican Women held a “Meet & Greet” reception for their state Senator John Stevens. Rep. Tim Wirgau who also represents Henry County, showed up to participate even though he had not been invited as a speaker. According to an attendee, both Stevens and Wirgau talked “pretty much in lock-step agreement on all issues discussed at this meeting.” Backing off of Boss Doss’ rebranded “Tax Cut Act of 2017” both Stevens and Wirgau talked extensively about the gas tax which they both supported, except now they were calling it Governor Haslam’s name for the tax increase – the “Improve Act of 2017”. Justifying their support for increasing taxes, both Wirgau and Stevens used what sounded like talking points provided to legislators that have to defend unpopular votes. Stevens started off by saying that, “”the voters should thank us for passing this bill!” He then went into great detail explaining how transiting big rigs will pay Tennessee fuel tax regardless of which state they refuel in because the International Federal Tax Agreement law which apportions fuel tax according to miles traveled in a specific state using specific states’ rates, will result in the big rigs paying 40% of…

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