Tennessee Sierra Club Members,
Your advocacy has made a powerful impact! Thanks to your phone calls, emails, and conversations with legislators, our Tennessee Waste to Jobs Act has gained impressive momentum. In fact, your collective voice was so strong that the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce recognized they needed to come to the table and work with our coalition.
The incredible turnout at Conservation Day on the Hill (120 plus constituents strong) just one day before the committee hearing demonstrated the growing support for environmental initiatives across our state. Seeing so many dedicated Sierra Club members and environmental advocates engaging directly with legislators created the perfect foundation for the bill's consideration.
Here's where things stand:
Last Wednesday, Senator Heidi Campbell presented the TN Waste to Jobs Act to the Senate Government Operations Committee. The response was remarkable - the bill received strong bipartisan support and unanimous agreement to move forward! Committee members even took the unusual step of publicly praising our efforts on this bill, emphasizing that everyone agrees we need to work together on Tennessee's solid waste challenges.
While there will be a brief delay for additional review later this session to incorporate input from the TN Chamber of Commerce, this is actually a positive development. The Chamber's engagement is crucial for the bill's ultimate success, and they're now ready to collaborate with Senator Campbell and our coalition to align on the legislation.
This promising progress wouldn't have happened without your persistent advocacy. When our members speak up together, decision-makers listen! The timing of Conservation Day followed by the committee hearing created powerful momentum that helped push this bill forward.
We'll continue working with the Chamber and our coalition partners to maintain the impressive momentum you helped build during this session. It never hurts to send a thank you to your legislators and we hope you will stay tuned for opportunities to keep pushing this important initiative forward.
Thank you for using your voice to create positive change in Tennessee!