Local lawmakers discuss rural healthcare, juvenile detention center, more at Jackson Capitol Talk meeting
JACKSON, Tenn. — By living in West Tennessee, several topics being discussed at the state capitol right now could affect you.
Three local state lawmakers were in the Hub City Friday morning for a capitol talk to discuss updates on current legislation and key issues.
“I don’t even know who my neighbor is, but I know I am going to treat them right. So folks I am not into that thing about illegal folks being here. I am into trying to make Tennessee a better place to live,” said Representative Johnny Shaw, D-TN.
State Senator Ed Jackson, R-TN, Rep. Shaw, and State Representative Chris Todd, R-TN, gathered here Friday at the Jackson Energy Authority Training Center for a town hall that was open to the public. The topic what’s happening in Nashville and how it affects life in West Tennessee.
Some of the topics presented were rural healthcare, property taxes, a new juvenile detention center that is planned, and several other topics.
Several rural hospitals have closed across West Tennessee and now state law makers are pushing to reopen those facilities.
“What we are trying to do is to start to reopen some. We reopened one in Perry County and we’re getting ready to open one in Decatur County. We also reopened one in Haywood County, so we are trying to reopen some of these rural hospitals so they have health care,” said Sen. Jackson.
Sen. Jackson also says this is critical to help save lives of West Tennesseans.
“It’s critical that we address rural healthcare and so far as even having doctors in the counties. There are several counties that don’t even have a doctor,” said Sen. Jackson.
Also in the health care topic, Rep. Shaw is proposing a bill that would allow caregivers a break.
“What this legislation will do it will give the caregivers some time off. If you are a daughter, a son, a relative who is taking care of an Alzheimer’s patient it will give u some time off,” said Rep. Shaw.
There are also plans to build a new juvenile detention center here in Jackson that would greatly impact West Tennessee and the state is in support.
“It is very well supported. There was a little bit of money, part of the money in the budget the governor proposed but leadership in the house and senate have been working to get even more money and hopefully pay for nearly all of that because it is going to affect all of West Tennessee,” said Rep. Todd.
These lawmakers say the work is far from being done for West Tennessee as they head back to Nashville on Monday.
The legislative session is coming to a close soon. The session normally ends in late April or May.
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