Tennessee House, Senate leaders meet over weekend in effort to resolve budget differences

Working overtime: Hoping to wrap up annual session, Tennessee House, Senate leaders meet over weekend in effort to resolve budget differences


NASHVILLE — Tennessee lawmakers head this week into what they hope is the final stretch of their 2019 legislative session, but remaining differences over the state's proposed $38.55 billion budget and several controversial bills could still snarl efforts to wrap up business.

In effort to prevent that, or at the very least minimize any delay of the state's annual spending plan, top Republican House and Senate leaders met Sunday to outline their respective stances and sketch out possible compromises in several key areas.

"There are just a couple of items we can't get to agreement on," Senate Finance Committee Chairman Bo Watson, R-Hixson, said following the meeting. "Right now, we need to think more about it."

He noted both chambers have laid out their respective "markers" on the budget with the full House approving their version of the budget last week while Watson's subcommittee approved the Senate's approach.

Read more: https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/politics/state/story/2019/apr/29/working-overtime-hoping-wrap-annual-session-t/493614/