8/9/2019 Sen. Ophelia Ford's Winter 2009 Legislative Update
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Senator Ophelia Ford is Working For Shelby County
SENATOR O PHELIA FORD
WINTER 2009
SEASON’S GREETINGS!“It is my prayer that you
have a Bountifully Blessed Holiday Season and aProsperous and Happy New Year.”
Legislative Update
During the 2009 legislative session, Senator Ophelia Ford fought
SCHOOLS– She battled to save pre-kindergartenclasses in Shelby County, by making sure thefunds for Pre-K are budgeted on an ongoingbasis, the only chance many young Tennesseanshave to get off to a good start.
JOBS – She helped stop the efforts of otherlegislators attempting to destroy the WestTennessee industrial mega site, which will bringgood-paying jobs to our part of the state. Shealso worked to rescue the Volunteer State SolarInitiative that will put a solar energy facility inWest Tennessee that will create more jobs.
HEALTH EDUCATION– She advocated for health care accessibility tirelessly to ensure Planned Parenthood in Shelby County continuesfunding for their health and education program services.
THE MOST VULNERABLE– She co-sponsored an increase in thpersonal allowance from $40 to $50 for eligible nursing home providing a little more dignity to those who have given us so muc
CHILDREN’S HEALTH– She sponsored the bill that lead the way in education to all grade levels about diabetes – as so many of our ythe fierce threat of this disease.
SENATOR FORD ON THE JOB ON CAPI
SENATOR OPHELIA FORD
STATE SENATOR OPHELIA FORD, 29TH DISTRICTCOMMITTEES
General Welfare Health and Human Services • Government Operations • Health Equity Commission
Sub–committees Agriculture and Natural Resources • Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice
I am here to help you in the State Senate. To accomplish my goals, I work closely with the following State Representatives, whose House Districtsare in my District 29:
STATEREPRESENTATIVESDistrict 84 – Joe Towns: (615) 741-2189 District 89 – Jeanne Richardson: (615) 741-2010District 86 – Barbara Cooper: (615) 741-4295 District 90 – John DeBerry: (615) 741-2239District 87 – Karen Camper: (615) 741-1898 District 98 – Ulysses Jones: (615) 741-4575District 88 – Larry Miller: (615) 741-4453 District 99 – Ron Lollar: (615) 741-7084Each representatives’ mailing address is 301 6th Ave. N. • Nashville, TN, 37243. Please contact each representative to identify his/her suite number.
TO FURTHER ASSIST YOU, HERE IS A LIST OF NATIONAL, CITY AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ALSO IN DISTRICT 29:
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE STEVE COHEN167 North Main StreetSuite 369Memphis, TN 38103(901) 544-4131
SUPER DISTRICT 8Joe Brown • Janis Fullilove • Myron Lowery
SHELBY COUNTY GOVERNMENTMayor Joe Ford160 N. Main StreetSuite 850Memphis, TN 38103(901) 545-4500
SHELBY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS160 N. Main, Suite 619 • Memphis, TN 38103(901) 545-430District 2J.W. Gibson, II • Henri E. Brooks • Deidre MaloneDistrict 3James M. Harvey • Sidney Chism • VacantDistrict 4Joyce Avery • Wyatt Bunker • Matt Kuhn
Senator Ford receives a plaque from Greg DeCrow, President of the TennesseeDispensing Opticians Association, honoring her as 2009 Legislator of the Year.Congratulating Senator Ford is Ms. L. Ingram.
“I proudly present Shelby County’s newMayor, my brother, the Honorable Joe Ford.”
2009 LEGISLATOR OF THE YEARThe Tennessee Dispensing Opticians Association has namedSenator Ford its 2009 Legislator of the Year. The opticianspraised her work to extend the life of the DispensingOpticians Licensing Board and protect the Tennesseeconsumer.
CITY OF MEMPHISMayor A.C. Wharton, Jr.125 N. Main St. Room 700Memphis, TN 38103(901) 576-6000
MEMPHIS CITY COUNCIL125 N. Main • Room 514 • Memphis, TN 38103 • (901) 576-6786District 4 – Wanda HalbertDistrict 5 – Jim StricklandDistrict 6 – Edmund Ford, Jr.District 7 – Barbara Swearengen Ware
Senator Ford, Tennessee’s ch
young friend, W
MENTAL HEALTH– She worked to strengthen the safety net for low-income Tennesseans who are seriochronically intellectually ill.
UNEMPLOYED TENNESSEANS– She co-sponsored a bill expanding unemployment benefits. The paylarger, they can be drawn longer, and more Tennesseans are eligible to receive them until they get their feet.
FAMILIES LOSING THEIR HOMES– She voted for legislation cracking down on “foreclosure rescue” scwho prey on Tennesseans facing the loss of their homes.
TOUGHER GUN LAWS– She helped pass a law that makes it illegal to sell guns to those prohibowning them, or to buy a gun if you’re ineligible to own one.
“It’s been a pleasure to serve you this 2009 Session. I am already diligently wespecially benefit the citizens of District 29 during the upcoming second half 2010 Legislative Session. I appreciate you – and I am always here to answer yI hope to see you soon.”
M ARILYN W HITE , ESQ .Legislative Assistant/Advisor
Please don’t hesitate to contact her forassistance in my Nashville office
DISTRICT ADDRESS54 N. Arcadian Cir., Ste. 102Memphis, TN 38103
NASHVILLE ADDRESS318 War Memorial BuildingNashville, TN 372431-800-449-8366, Ext. [email protected]
www.legislature.state.tn.us
8/9/2019 Sen. Ophelia Ford's Winter 2009 Legislative Update
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THE ROAD TO HEALTH CARE RI believe that in a nation as rich as ours, healthcare affordable and accessible to all Americans. By trade, I amand Certified Funeral Services Practitioner (CFSP), withbackground in the insurance industry. As a member of tGeneral Welfare Health and Human Services
Government Operations Committee and the HealCommission, I work hard with other legislators to ensumake good and strong legislation that will benefit the coof District 29 and all of Shelby County. Being mindful issues is always a consideration.
President Obama is waging a strong battle on behalf of tneed health care and cannot get it. Unfortunately, at the stwe have no vote on national health care reform. What yo
much about today comes from our federal government officials in Washington, D.C. However, I am coto continue to work hard next session to see that all Tennesseans can go see a doctor when necessary.
GET LINKED UP TO YOUR LIFELINELow-income Tennesseans no longer have to do without home and wireless phone service. For home serLink-up and Lifeline programs are here to help, with discounts on installation and your monthly bill. Linhalf of your installation fee, up to $30, and Lifeline lowers monthly basic service by $13.50.
For wireless service, the Lifeline program, through Safelink Wireless, provides a free prepaid cell phonairtime each month with no contract, no recurring fees and no monthly charges. You qualify for bothincome is at or below 135% of the federal poverty level, or if you receive any of the following:
• Food Stamps • TennCare/Medicaid• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) • National Free School Lunch• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) • Federal Section 8 Housing• Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
To sign up, call the Tennessee Regulatory Authority (TRA) at 1-800-342-8359. For more info, call 1-877-For wireless service, you can also go to https://www.safelinkwireless.com/EnrollmentPublic/Home.aspx.in a low income high-rise, and many residents are interested and eligible for Lifeline, inform youmanager and have him/her contact our office. We will help your resident manager set up a presentatiothe Link-Up and Lifeline program at your high-rise, or at a community center in your area.
SENATOR OPHELIA FORD LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
If you, your children, friends or a group are in Nashville and would like to see state government at work, pleasecontact my office, and I would be honored to arrange a free historical tour of our Tennessee State Capitol. In addition,if you come to Nashville during session (generally Janu ary – May), don’t forget to stop by my office to visit with me.
AN INVITATION FROM SENATOR FORDCome See Your Government at Work
SAVE THE DATE IN JUNE 2010Prayer Breakfast on Crime and ViolencePlease join me, along with other community leaders, in June 2010 for a Prayer Breakfast on Crime and Violence, which will continue
the efforts of the Community Congress on Crime meetings, that have addressed our community’s current fight against crime and violence. It will primarily focus on state action that is necessary to combat the issues, while ensuring that the opinions of thecommunity are heard. More information and on how to obtain a ticket will be coming soon.
The lawmaking process in Tennessee begins with you. So, if you have an idea on how Tennessee government canwork better on behalf of the citizens of Tennessee, let me know by calling my office. The second half of the 106thGeneral Assembly session is right upon us, starting Jan. 12, 2010. If you believe a law needs to be amended,repealed, or a new law needs to be made, and you would like me to carry/sponsor legislation that can change alaw, then perhaps I can help. You should prepare a detailed and informative proposal that should be postmarkedto me no later than Jan. 31, 2010. Below are helpful hints on how you can get started.
• With the help of state legal experts, we turn your proposal into a Bill, which must have a sponsor in bothbranches of the legislature, the Senate and House.
• The Bill is filed with the Senate and House clerks, given a number, and if there are no objections, it is passedon two separate votes in each branch of the legislature and then ass igned to the appropriate Committees.• Next, comes the real work. The sponsors, often joined by experts, or other citizens (like you), make the case
for the Bill before the House and Senate Committees. Then, each Committee, which will ultimately give afavorable or unfavorable recommendation, decides what changes, or amendments, to make. They vote onthe Bill as amended, and if passed, it is scheduled on the Calendar for vote by the full House and Senate.
• If the Bill has a financial impact of $100,000 or more, it also must pass the Finance, Ways and MeansCommittees in both branches.
• When it reaches the full Senate and House, it must be passed by a constitutional majority – 17 yes votes inthe Senate and 50 in the House. If each branch passes a different version of the Bill, a Committee comprisedof House and Senate members must then produce one Bill, which also must pass by a constitutional majority.
• Once passed, it goes to Governor Phil Bredesen to be signed into law, or he could possibly veto the Bill. If notsigned, it becomes law within 10 days.
• Time is of the essence, as this year has flown by and Jan. 31, 2010 is hastily upon us.
• Write it down. Once you have spoken with my office, send us an explanation of the new law that you wouldlike me to carry/sponsor for you.
• There’s strength in numbers. Let me know that other constituents support the proposal. And it always helpsif local public officials are in favor of it too. I strongly recommend that you contact them and propose yourideas to them also.
• Do your homework. Research the issue, and send me a final written proposal of information you have foundfor the legislation you would like me to carry/sponsor.
The State Senate Belongs To You
Getting Something Started
How Your Idea Can Become Law
SENATOR FORD IS MAKING GOVERNMENT WORK FOR YOU
Senator Ford deals with numerous health care issues as a member of the General Welfare, Health and Human Services Committee.Here, she confers with Memphis health care professional Lillie Love.
