New proposed bill will ensure Tennessee can control littering
From the mighty Mississippi across the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee to the majestic Smoky Mountains, the Volunteer State is blessed with an abundance of scenic beauty.
One of the special experiences we share as members of the Tennessee General Assembly is the opportunity to admire our state's pastoral beauty during our regular drives to the state capitol in Nashville.
These natural resources are unique to us and deserve our state's best efforts for maintenance and protection. Fortunately, our luscious landscapes and winding roads have had a faithful companion for nearly 40 years.
Since 1983, a group of Tennessee-based industries have funded the Tennessee Department of Transportation (Tdot)litter Grant Program through a dedicated portion of revenue from the tax on soda products and beer.
This program, housed within the TDOT Highway Beautification Office, has produced successful state beautification programs and anti-litter initiatives including Adopt-a-highway, Keep Tennessee Beautiful and Nobody Trashes Tennessee.
Innovative for its time, the Litter Grant Program remains a major catalyst in our state strategy for beautification. It is one of the most highly acclaimed and award-winning beautification models in the nation. Its private-public approach to litter control has become a blueprint for other states across the country. The program's success rate is unmatched, averaging the removal of more than 11,000 tons of trash from Tennessee roadsides every year. That adds up to nearly 500,000 tons since the program's inception.
Tennessee's economy is booming with new companies moving to our state and bringing high-quality jobs every week. This means more people are traveling our roads and accessing our public lands and waterways more frequently.
Even the most effective state policies should be regularly evaluated and tuned for changing conditions. As Tennessee's population grows, litter is ever increasing – which requires broadening our efforts with multiple new actions.
That is why we introduced the Litter Prevention
and Pickup Bill. This legislation proposes to give TDOT more tools to broaden beautification efforts across the state. It will allow law enforcement, nonprofits and waterways to access special litter grants for specific projects. It adds waterway cleanups to the law as a recognized and crucial component of state beautification efforts, making these funds accessible for cleanup work.
We also worked to secure Senate Joint Resolution 839which designates March as Litter Awareness Month, and by governor's proclamation, it is also Keep Tennessee Beautiful Month. These efforts will be accompanied by industry-led events scheduled across the state, including a litter cleanup in Jackson with Tennessee First Lady Maria Lee and a neighborhood cleanup with Food City in Knoxville. Upcoming event information and volunteer registration is available at Pitchintn.com.
In January, industry partners launched PITCH IN, a campaign dedicated to generating civic participation in state beautification programs. This initiative, organized in partnership with the TDOT Highway Beautification Office and Keep Tennessee Beautiful county affiliates, will help us amplify our efforts.
Tennessee has a highly effective and successful beautification and litter control program. Our bill gives TDOT new tools to further its great work keeping our roadways safe and ensuring our state remains beautiful for all to enjoy.
Sen. Ken Yager represents the 12th District, which includes Campbell, Fentress, Morgan, Rhea, Roane, Pickett and Scott counties. He's also the chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus.
Rep. Ron Gant serves as the assistant majority leader for the Tennessee House Republicans. He represents District 94, which includes Fayette, Mcnairy and part of Hardeman counties.