RETURN WATSON TO SENATE POST

As chairman of the state Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee, Bo Watson, R-Hixson, has occasion to help detail Tennessee’s fiduciary story. Recently, he, Gov. Bill Haslam and others had the opportunity to do so in front of bond rating agency officials in New York City.

“What the state has done around the economy,” he told the Times Free Press a few days later, “is just incredible.”

Watson noted, among other things, that Tennessee is first in the South and second in the nation for wage growth, has its largest ever rainy day fund, has one of the highest rated pension systems in the country, has reduced taxes $400 million, has improved from 45th to 28th in the U.S. in education and has offered its residents free tuition to community college (Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect).

“I’m proud to be implementing policy to make a difference in the lives of Tennessee,” he said. “And I’m well-positioned to leverage [the state’s success] for Hamilton County. I have a pretty good imagination, but I’m not sure I imagined we would be on this trajectory. We’re on a good run right now.”

We appreciate the time the Republican Watson, 57, invests in the state’s finances and all other matters that come before him and heartily endorse him for re-election in Senate District 11, which covers the county’s western, northern and central portions. He is opposed by Democrat Randy Price, 61, a longtime area radio broadcaster.

Watson, due to his various leadership roles over the years in the Senate, says he doesn’t carry a lot of legislation but helps with bills other members of the Hamilton County legislative delegation want to sponsor.

Nevertheless, he says, he has an interest in the largest single state investment — education — and tries to work with state Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, to give schools “the best equipment to be successful.” The state’s increased investment in applied learning, he says, “is giving people a skill set just as valuable as giving them a [college] skills set.”

Watson, over the years, also has shown interest in the gang situation in cities with an eye on enhancing safety; on bills with state Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, for de-annexation and eliminating emissions testing; and on opportunities to explore a wider access to health care for all Tennesseans.

Contrary to what Democrats often charge, he says, “we have continued to explore [health care access]. People don’t realize the conversations that are going on.”

In the meantime, Watson says, if the state provides people with a good education and a good employment environment, their health care gets better.

Some people, including Price, have questioned the state senator’s recent query about how many state schools use Nike apparel in wake of the sports company’s wholehearted support of former NFL national anthem kneeler Colin Kaepernick, but he says it was an information request and that no additional action has been taken.

Price, meanwhile, maintains “the state has not improved a whole lot in the last eight to 10 years.” To remedy that, he’d take federal money to expand the state Medicaid program, increase teacher pay, lower student-teacher ratio, enact gun background checks and ban assault weapons, increase the minimum wage and find other ways to address income equality.

In this case, we don’t feel this Price is right for Hamilton County. We strongly recommend re-electing Watson.