Business development, workforce retention, crime and infrastructure were on the mind of state Sen. Paul Rose Wednesday, July 27, as he met with Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce members for their monthly membership luncheon.
Rose, R-Covington, shared some of his observations from his time in office. He won a special election for the District 32 seat in 2019 after then-President Donald Trump appointed Mark Norris to federal judge.
Rose’s district covers all of Tipton County but stretches into Shelby to encompass Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville and Lakeland.
“In my life, I have tried to make decisions I’ve made based on what I believe the word of God would have me make. That is my foundation. That is the foundation of this country, the foundation of the Constitution,” said Rose, who serves on the Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Judiciary Committee and Fiscal Review Committee.
“That is the moral compass I try to use.”
He touted several bills he has sponsored since taking office, including two he feels show his passion for children: a “trigger” abortion bill and one involving adoption.
“We at the state are trying to invest in and encourage adoption agencies to be able to put children in homes where they’re going to be loved,” said Rose, who sits on the board for the Tennessee Baptist Children’s Homes.
Critics say the “trigger law” now in effect, which will be superseded by a more stringent law next month, takes choice away from mothers and infringes on health care rights. They point to areas where children need more support after birth.Most recently, Rose co-sponsored the “truth in sentencing” legislation, which details a variety of crimes and situations where a habitual offender will be required to serve 100% of his or her sentence.
“I think the No. 1 responsibility of government is to protect the citizens, not the criminal,” Rose said. “One of the things that plagues Memphis is the crime, so I think it’s one of our responsibilities to do all we can to curb that.”
Other proud moments for him include legislation supporting better reporting practices on elder abuse and working for enhanced penalties for people committing drive-by shootings, which did not pass due to the estimated $9 million per year it would cost the state.
He also carried a bill for the City of Memphis Fire Department for emergency triage street transport, allowing first responders to communicate online to triage patients toward the appropriate care before taking them to already crowded emergency rooms.
“Your City of Memphis fire chief was very proactive in getting that bill passed, and there was support from just about the entire Memphis delegation,” Rose said.
He believes people are moving to Tennessee because it’s a good place to live, work, play and worship.
“People are embracing the values that we carry for the most part of Tennessee, and we’ve seen record number of businesses moving into Tennessee outside of Ford,” Rose said.
Looking ahead to the next session of the General Assembly, he is not sure of his exact agenda yet but expects to maybe bring the drive-by bill back for another go, and infrastructure needs are also likely to be at the top of the list.
“We need improved infrastructure. I’ve been harping on that from the time I got in,” Rose said. “Sewer is a big deal, so we can have that growth.”
He cites the ongoing sewer issues between Bartlett and Memphis that need to be fixed and points out that the state has appropriated $5 million for the design of infrastructure outside of the work being done at BlueOval City, but so far, it has not released any of that money.
“The frustration is how slowly the state moves on some things,” Rose said.
He also addressed the possibility of traffic issues and workforce retention some companies could face with Ford coming to the area.
“The good news is Ford’s coming, the bad news is Ford’s coming,” Rose said. “They’ll need people to leave our factories and (other) companies to go work for them, and the way you can retain them whether you like it or not is you’re going to have to up the ante.”
Other needed infrastructure he sees for the Memphis area includes a new Interstate 69 bridge, not a replacement for the Hernando DeSoto Bridge.
He said he plans to run for reelection in 2024.State Senator talks development, workforce, crime in Lakeland