A bill, which seemed to be retaliatory, would’ve dissolved a commission made to audit the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. The idea came straight from the governor’s office, but it is no longer being pursued.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, championed legislation on behalf of the governor that would have erased the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth. But Johnson released a statement Monday saying that he has no plans to move it forward this year because meaningful discussions have been taking place between the legislature and the commission.
There was speculation that the proposal came up in response to a State of Kids report recently released by the commission. It showed that Tennessee is first in the country when it comes to instability among children in state custody. House Sponsor William Lamberth, R-Portland, disagreed with that.
“It’s not because there’s one report that’s come out, he said. “I think most of us [know] what was going on with DCS.”
Ahead of the release of the State of Kids report several news outlets had reported that children in state custody had been forced to sleep in state department offices while they awaited placements in foster homes. The stories had been surfacing for a while and even were brought to the governor’s attention ahead of session. When asked what he would do about it then, Gov. Bill Lee said he would work with the department to come up with a solution.
A lot of that solution involves dedicating more funding to recruiting caseworkers. Lee’s budget proposal to the legislature earmarked $190 million in additional spending to support DCS’s efforts.
As for disbanding the TCCY, the plan is off the table for this year, though it could come up again during next year’s legislative session.
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