Each year the state’s legislative body, the Tennessee General Assembly, convenes on the second Tuesday of January to conduct the business of the state. To ensure that the legislature remains a “part-time” body, the House and Senate are limited to 90 legislative days per two-year term plus 15 days of organizational work at the beginning of each session.
This means that most legislators spend around 60 days a year in the State Capitol. That’s 60 days away from family, 60 days away from careers, 60 days away from neighbors and friends. Politics aside, I am grateful for the sacrifice made by members of the Tennessee General Assembly who give up so much to serve our state. While we might not always agree on the details, it is safe to say that each and every one of these lawmakers is willing to make these sacrifices because they all genuinely desire to make Tennessee a better place.
The decisions they are asked to make can have enormous consequences for all Tennesseans, and that is why the state’s electric cooperatives work to engage with lawmakers representing our service areas. We invite them to visit our offices while they are in their districts, and we visit them each year in Nashville.
Connecting with lawmakers is important for a couple of reasons.
Trust matters.
During the course of the legislative session, lawmakers meet with hundreds — if not thousands — of visitors who are advocating for or against various issues. It is hard to trust a stranger.
Because cooperatives have built relationships with our lawmakers, they can trust what we have to say on issues that impact our co-ops and the communities we serve.
Knowledge is power.
The subjects discussed with legislators can be incredibly complex, and it is unreasonable to expect them to be experts on every issue. Because they know us, co-op leaders are sometimes invited to provide additional context and serve as subject matter experts when discussions are underway that could impact the cost of energy or the ability for us to serve our communities.
Leaders from our co-ops meet in Nashville during each legislative session for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association’s annual legislative conference. Employees and members of our co-ops spend time with our lawmakers, discussing energy policy, broadband and other issues important to rural and suburban Tennessee.
Tennessee’s electric cooperatives are proud to advocate for the people and places we serve. It is an important part of our work to deliver safe, reliable and affordable energy to our communities.
