State Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) has been appointed to several committees in the Tennessee Senate, including reappointment to the Finance, Ways and Means Committee.
The Senate’s Finance, Ways and Means Committee considers all measures dealing with the appropriation of state funds and has oversight regarding legislation pertaining to bonds, pensions, investments, or indebtedness. Gardenhire has served on the committee since 2017.
Gardenhire also netted a seat on the General Assembly’s Joint Fiscal Review Committee, where he was elected by his Senate and House colleagues as vice chairman.
He was confirmed for the position by the full Senate this month after being nominated by his peers as a representative of the Senate Republican Caucus. The joint committee conducts a continuing review of the financial operations of state government, including oversight of state contracts.
In addition, Gardenhire was appointed as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which he served from 2013 until 2017, and the Senate State and Local Government Committee, on which he served for the past two years.
The Judiciary Committee is responsible for hearing all bills dealing with civil laws, criminal laws, judicial proceedings, apportionment of elected officials and governing bodies, and all matters relating to the courts, as well as law enforcement.
As one of the busiest committees in the General Assembly, members are expected to consider key criminal justice reform measures during the 111th General Assembly.
The State and Local Government Committee hears all matters pertaining to state and local governments in general, including utility districts, employees, ordinances, boundary lines, veterans’ affairs, penal and correctional institutions, alcoholic beverages, and election laws.
Finally, Gardenhire is chairman of the General Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on Open Records, which is studying exemptions to Tennessee’s public records laws.
Source: State Sen. Todd Gardenhire