Report: Is House Speaker Harwell Maneuvering to Block Tax Cut Plans?  

Uncertainty Emerges in the House

For businesses, this plan could pose a potentially toxic combination of financial and economic threats that would substantially raise employers' already-heightened tax burden, single out diesel taxes for one-sided increases, exclude the Single Sales Factor tax apportionment cut for manufacturing, and fall far short of adequately addressing transportation and infrastructure funding needs.  Adding to the confusion, Speaker Harwell is renowned for her strong advocacy on behalf of the business community, leaving many of her supporters surprised and scratching their heads at this latest announcement.  Capitol Hill insiders speculate that the move could be strategic posturing in order to strengthen her political standing with hardline anti-tax activists ahead of the upcoming gubernatorial election.

 

TN Chamber Focuses on Critical Workforce Readiness Bills; Proposals Advance as Education Committees Wind Down for the Year

 

 

Mechatronics Pilot Program: An innovative bill sponsored by freshman Representative Sam Whitson and Sen. Jack Johnson advanced out of the House Education Instruction and Programs Committee this week seeking to establish an advanced manufacturing education program at Williamson County's Fairview High School.  The bill, which would allow Fairview High to partner with nearby Columbia State Community College to offer postsecondary credit-bearing courses and trainings in mechatronics and advanced manufacturing, promises to help boost the area's local manufacturing base by giving an opportunity for high school students to concurrently work toward a career-ready industry certification while also earning their diploma.  Programs such as this one not only help local manufacturing employers, like Nissan and GM in neighboring Smyrna and Spring Hill, find qualified applicants to meet their workforce needs, but also provide new and valuable opportunities to help our state move closer towards achieving the ambitious postsecondary attainment goals set forth in Gov. Haslam's Drive to 55 initiative.  While this program may still face hurdles in the House and Senate Finance Committees to secure adequate funding, the Tennessee Chamber will continue monitoring the progress of this legislation in the hopes that it can illuminate some new ideas and model practices in further expanding career and technical education offerings.

 

EPSO's: Legislation designed to expand early postsecondary opportunities (EPSO's) for Tennessee high school students passed unanimously this week out of the Senate Education Committee and now awaits further consideration by the Finance committees of both the House and Senate.  The bill, sponsored by House Education Administration and Planning Committee Chairman Harry Brooks and Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Jim Tracy, would require local school districts to offer at least six EPSO college credit-bearing courses to their high school students, ranging from the local district's selection of any combination of Advanced Placement (AP), dual credit, dual enrollment, International Baccalaureate (IB), and industry certification courses.  If enacted, the law promises to increase high school graduates' participation in and completion of a continuing postsecondary education of some kind and build clear academic pathways in high school that translate readily into college or technical school, thereby helping to address chronic education gaps in filling high-skill job openings in Tennessee's growing STEM and technology-driven career fields.  The Tennessee Chamber has been a vocal supporter of expanding college and industry credit opportunities in high school and will continue to advocate for policies that help more students attain the workforce-ready skills they need both before and after graduating from high school.

The Denver Post  (4/3) reports a study released Monday from the New American Economy "shows that many states, including Colorado, struggle with severe shortages of skilled workers." Looking "at the ratio of job openings posted online in science, technology, engineering and mathematics occupations (STEM) versus the number of unemployed workers in those fields," the study found that "Colorado had 15.3 job openings for every unemployed worker in STEM last year, which is near the national ratio of 13 to 1, according to an analysis of 40,000 job boards conducted by Burning Glass Technologies." The Post adds, "That 13-to-1 ratio nationally translates into a shortfall of 3 million STEM workers, even after accounting for the nearly 500,000 workers brought in under the H-1B program."

 

CNBC (4/3, Thomas) reports the Institute for Supply Management said Monday that its manufacturing index came in at 57.2 in March - marking the sector's 94th consecutive month of expansion - compared to 57.7 the month before and the 57.0 economists had expected, according to a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate. CNBC said, "Of the 18 manufacturing industries included in the survey, 17 reported growth in March, such as electrical equipment, appliances and components, and printing and related support activities, the group said." New orders fell to 64.5 percent from 65.1 percent the month before. Characterizing the ISM report as showing a strengthening manufacturing sector, Bloomberg News (4/3, Golle) points to President Trump's Friday announcement touting "a National Association of Manufacturers survey showing optimism among members was at a 20-year high."