Thu
Mar 19 2015
09:34 am

Rep. Darren Jernigan (D-Nashville) and Sen. Sara Kyle (D-Memphis) have introduced legislation that would limit the interest charged by payday and title lenders to 28% annually. Many Tennesseans have become trapped in a cycle of debt with these companies, who often charge over 200% interest a year.

While the TNGOP has blocking the Governor's Insure TN as its crowning achievement for this year. State Dems have introduced a number of bills that would actually improve the lives of every citizen:

Rep. Johnnie Turner (D-Memphis) and Sen. Lee Harris (D-Memphis) are sponsoring legislation that would set the minimum wage at $10.10/hr. It also includes a provision thatwould adjust the minimum wage to rise with inflation. Tennessee has the highest percentage of workers in the nation earning minimum wage. This bill will help ensure that over 100,000 hardworking Tennesseans are able to earn a good day's wage for a good day's work

Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) and Sen. Sara Kyle (D-Memphis) have introduced the “Tennessee Pay Equality Act”, to ensure that employers must pay women the same wage as men for the same work. Nationally, women earn only 78 cents for every dollar men earn doing the same job. Our Democratic legislators are working hard to close that gap here in Tennessee

Rep. Johnny Shaw (D-Bolivar) and Sen. Lee Harris (D-Memphis) are working to enact the "Tennessee First Act," which would encourage the hiring of Tennessee businesses for state contract work

Lost Medicaid Funding

To date, the failure to expand Medicaid / TennCare has cost the State of Tennessee ? in lost federal funding.