State Briefs | Tennessee Town & City - Tennessee Municipal League

Tennessee ranks third in CNBC's Best States for Business

Tennessee was ranked third in CNBC’s recent poll of America’s Top States for Business(opens in a new tab). Tennessee rose from sixth place last year, and moved up in rankings for workforce, infrastructure, cost of doing business, technology and innovation, business friendliness, education, and access to capital...

Gov. Lee announces new council to support service members, veterans

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed(opens in a new tab) an executive order to position Tennessee to lead the nation as the best state for service members, veterans and their families to thrive.

Executive Order 102(opens in a new tab) reconstitutes an existing council as Tri-Stars and Stripes: The Governor’s Council for Service Members...

TCAP data shows gains since pandemic, despite proficiency gaps

The Tennessee Department of Education released the 2022-23 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP)(opens in a new tab) state-level results, demonstrating increases in academic proficiency for students across all tested subjects and grades. These statewide results include both Spring 2023 and Fall 2022 end-of...

TNECD announces four cities to receive site development grants

Four municipalities are sharing in nearly $6 million in site development grants awarded by the state of Tennessee to 10 entities.

The grants, totaling approximately $5.9 million, are designed to help communities invest in infrastructure and engineering improvements to land economic development...

Tennessee has fewest distressed counties in state history

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced that the number of distressed counties in the state has reduced to eight, the fewest in Tennessee history, marking a significant milestone in the Lee administration’s mission to accelerate the transformation of rural Tennessee.

“In 2019, we began an administration...

Tennessee to receive more than $813M in federal internet access funds

Tennessee will receive more than $813 million dollars for affordable, high-speed internet projects as part of $42.25 billion announced by the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)...

Tennessee May revenues more than $117M above estimates

Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Jim Bryson today announced that revenues for May were $1.6 billion, which is $117.3 million more than the budgeted monthly revenue estimate.

“May revenues exceeded the budgeted monthly estimate, and sales tax collections, fuel taxes...

TDEC: 90 municipalities to share in nearly $300M in ARP water infrastructure grants

Nearly $300M in ARP drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater will be divided among 90 municipalities as part of 131 grants recently announced by TDEC.

Of the cities and towns that received grants, 11 municipalities received collaborative grants to work with other entities for projects while 79...

Tennessee college-going rate

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) is thrilled to announce the release of the college-going rate for the Class of 2022. The data for the Class of 2022 showcases a one and a half percentage point increase over the class of 2021, for a statewide college-going rate of 54.3%. This...

Tennessee May unemployment rate holds steady

Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate held steady at 3.3% in May, according to newly released data from the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). That number is unchanged from the state’s unemployment rate in April.

While the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate did not change in...

Tennessee to receive $419 million in latest opioid settlement

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced Tennessee will receive an expected $419 million as part of a $17.3 billion opioid settlement made with drugmakers Teva and Allergan and pharmacies CVS and Walgreens.

Following successful state sign-on and subdivision sign-on periods, the defendants...

TDOT asks Amtrak to expand operations in state

The state of Tennessee has taken one more step toward the creation of an Amtrak rail line that would connect Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta. TDOT has sent a letter of intent hoping to bring passenger rail back through the center of the state for the first time since the 1970s. Amtrak...