BY GOV. BILL HASLAM
We are pursuing a legislative agenda this year that will attack the opioids crisis, address college completion rates and bring much-needed reforms to the juvenile justice system in our state.
With the General Assembly in session, we have the opportunity to address these issues, and we are encouraged by the collaborative efforts already in support of these steps.
On opioids, we have announced an initiative we call Tennessee Together, a comprehensive plan to end the opioid problem, focusing on prevention, treatment and law enforcement. The crisis knows no boundaries and impacts many Tennesseans regardless of race, income, gender or age.
The United States comprises approximately 5 percent of the world’s population, but we use 80 percent of the world’s opioids. In Tennessee, we write 7.6 million prescriptions a year, and there are only 6.6 million of us. Our approach to the crisis will be aggressive, with provisions to limit the supply of opioids, provide upwards of $25 million in state and federal funds to treat those in need and fight the illicit sale and trafficking of the drugs.
To address prevention, with reasonable exceptions, we will limit the supply and dosage of opioid prescriptions, with an emphasis on new patients. Initial prescriptions will be limited to a five-day supply with daily dosage limits of 40 MME, or morphine milligram equivalent. Higher dosages of opioids have been associated with a higher risk of overdose and death while proving ineffective at reducing pain over the long term.
We will invest in treatment and recovery services for individuals with opioid use disorder. We will attack the illicit sale and trafficking of opioids by providing additional resources to the TBI for rapid response teams. And we will provide every Tennessee state trooper with naloxone for the emergency treatment of opioid overdose.
This will not be an easy fight, or one that will be won overnight, but it is an issue we must attack head on. We need everyone to work together to achieve real reform and take action that will save lives.
COMPLETE TO COMPETE
The very name of our newest higher education initiative, Complete to Compete, says it all. Although we have made great strides in creating college access for Tennesseans through programs such as the Tennessee Promise, we must help ensure students complete college and enter the workforce with the skills and credentials they need. The proposed Complete College Tennessee Act of 2018 restructures financial aid requirements for the Tennessee Promise and HOPE scholarships that will keep students on track for on-time completion. The key component is that students must complete 30 credit hours in 12 months or risk losing a portion of their scholarship. Students who take at least 30 credit hours per year are more likely to graduate — and graduate on time.
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE FOCUS ACT
The University of Tennessee Focus on Campus and University Success (UT FOCUS) Act builds upon the successful reform of the Tennessee Board of Regents system through the 2016 FOCUS Act by restructuring the UT Board of Trustees to improve governance of the UT system. The legislation would reconstitute the current Board by decreasing the number of Trustees from 27 to 11. By reducing the size of the Board of Trustees, this legislation will empower the reconstituted Board to better oversee the multiple campuses that comprise the UT system. In addition to modernizing the focus and responsibilities of the UT Board of Trustees, the legislation creates advisory boards for the primary UT campuses to create a local focus for that campus.
TIME FOR REFORMS IN JUVENILE JUSTICE
The Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2018 will bring needed reforms to strengthen families and communities while promoting public safety. The legislation will invest in programming and community resources so where a youth lives no longer determines what services he or she receives. Due to a lack of community-based services, many young people are being placed in state custody for minor offenses that would not be a crime for adults. Taking youth out of their homes and schools following minor offenses increases their risk for recidivism, diverts resources away from youth who pose a safety risk to the community and uses taxpayer dollars unnecessarily because community-based services are often more effective.
We believe these are all strong steps toward addressing pressing issues facing our state. We look forward to working with the General Assembly to meet these needs.