Beth Harwell

My philosophy is that for those things government is charged with doing, it should do efficiently and effectively. Infrastructure is the responsibility of government — and the state plays a large role — and it impacts every citizen in this state. Roads and utilities affect the quality of life of all Tennesseans. Infrastructure must be a priority, because jobs and economic prosperity depend on it.

A solid infrastructure is a critical part of recruiting businesses to relocate to Tennessee and creating an environment where Tennessee businesses can expand and thrive. While every citizen can feel the impact of poor infrastructure in the form of traffic, subpar utilities, and unsafe bridges, businesses rely on these things to deliver goods and services to all Tennesseans.

A few years ago, I convened a Rural Task Force that traveled the state to discuss what was needed to boost prosperity in our rural areas. Time and time again, infrastructure came up as a number one concern — roads, utilities and broadband.

We have taken action to address our state’s infrastructure over the last few years, but there is more that can be done, especially in the rural parts of our state. We are fortunate not to have any road debt in the state of Tennessee, and we need to ensure we have enough dedicated sources of funding to support these needs across the state. As governor, I will make that a priority.