Years of consistent, conservative budgeting will aid lawmakers facing declining revenue

Because of large amounts of ice and snow across the state last week, the legislature postponed our meetings, so we will be going full force on Capitol Hill this week.

During the first week of session, the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee, on which I sit, heard testimony from experts on the state’s budget and economy. Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Jim Bryson laid out new budgeting challenges but reassured the committee that Tennessee is well-prepared to address those challenges. Bryson said that while the fundamentals of Tennessee’s economy are still good, revenu...