TOP PHOTO: Gov. Bill Lee and State Representative Dennis Powers in a September 2020 photo.

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – State Rep. Dennis Powers paid his annual visit to WLAF on Thursday morning to share highlights of the Tennessee Legislative Session. Click HERE for Powers highlights of the session.

“In the last days of session, we passed a no-debt, balanced $42.5 billion budget, which will fund state government for the 2021-22 fiscal year,” Powers said.

Powers either sponsored or co-sponsored a total of 67 bills 44 of which will become law. He also carried the Primacy and Reclamation Act of Tennessee, which gives Tennessee the authority to permit and inspect coal mining. Tennessee is the only state in the union that did not have Primacy, according to Powers. “We project hundreds of jobs in the industry of mining and reclaiming of old abandoned mines that will protect the environment and beauty of our area,” said Powers.

Powers, in his sixth term, provides weekly updates over WLAF during each year’s session. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 06/11/2021-6AM)