04/09/2007
NFIB continues CoverTN town hall tour
In an ongoing effort to provide information regarding the CoverTN health insurance program to small-business members, NFIB has scheduled several town hall grassroots meetings over the next few weeks.
- April 19, 6 p.m., Memphis Black Business Association, location pending, Memphis
- April 20, 8:30 a.m., Giles County Chamber, Pulaski First National Bank, Pulaski
- April 25, 9 a.m., Chattanooga Chamber, Community Room, United Way of Chattanooga, Chattanooga
- April 26, 8 a.m., Kingsport Chamber, Chamber of Commerce Building, Kingsport
- May 5, 10 a.m., Sen. Tate's Town Hall, Hamilton High School, Memphis
For more information, please contact Member Support Manager Valerie Nagoshiner or call (866) 798-4578. Additional town hall meetings will be scheduled throughout the state the next few weeks. Visit www.covertn.gov or call (866) CoverTN to learn more about CoverTN.
Governor launches CoverKids program
Gov. Phil Bredesen officially launched CoverKids March 26, a program that provides comprehensive health coverage to uninsured children that don't qualify for TennCare. CoverKids offers comprehensive health insurance coverage for children 18 years old and younger, similar to the benefits offered to dependents of state employees. Emphasis is placed on preventive care and services most needed by children, including vaccinations, well-child visits, a healthy babies program and developmental screenings. For more information, visit www.covertn.gov or call (866) CoverTN. The application is available online.
Sales tax holiday later this month
We'd like to remind our members about Tennessee's next special sales tax holiday, which is less than one month away. The special one-time April sales tax holiday starts at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, April 27, and ends at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 29. The long weekend of savings is great for families doing back-to-school shopping for supplies and clothing. Further details are available at www.tntaxholiday.com.
Senate conducts hearing on controversial 'card-check' legislation
The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing in late March to examine the House's misnamed "Employee Free Choice Act," commonly referred to as "card-check" legislation. NFIB strongly opposes card-check legislation and continues to work to protect the democratic rights of small-business owners and their employees. This legislation would replace democratic private-ballot union elections with a card-check system, allowing unions to organize simply if a majority of workers sign cards. Read more about this potentially damaging legislation and NFIB's strong stance against it.
Key legislative issue moving
Efforts to put into law Gov. Bredesen's executive order to streamline and add safeguards to the regulatory rule making process passed the Senate last week 31-0. Sen. Raymond Finney (Maryville) is sponsoring the bill, SB55, while Rep. Susan Lynn (Mount Juliet) is sponsoring the House companion bill to solidify the governor's dictate last year. The House version passed out of the Government Operations Committee and will be heard in House State Government Subcommittee on Wednesday.
Nashville member featured on NFIB.com
Member Support Manager Valerie Nagoshiner has featured another new NFIB member, The Catering Company in Nashville, on our Web site. Read more about why Owner Rachel Blair and Manager Racquel Dyer, who attended this year's Small-Business Day at the Capitol, became fellow members and what makes them pursue their small-business craft.
Small Business Administration offers loan workshops
The Small Business Administration is offering several workshops throughout Tennessee over the next several weeks to help small businesses with loans up to $25,000. For more information regarding these workshops, visit http://www.sba.gov/tn.
Member discounts available for Vanderbilt business seminars at Owen
Do you want to put your business on the fast track for profitability through marketing approaches and initiatives that drive short-term and long-term growth? Looking to strengthen your marketing principles and growth matrix, pursue a differential advantage for your company, deliver a higher level of customer value, and capture and manage customers at a more effective level? If so, attend "Marketing For Growth and Profitability," April 16-17, at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management. How do you transport processes into a competitive weapon by making them leaner, faster, and higher quality? Looking to assess your operational strategy, identify key processes for customer-focused improvement, and measure process performance while setting improvement targets? If so, find out how by attending "Achieving Operational Excellence," May 21-22, at Owen. NFIB member discounts are available. Learn more on NFIB.com.
Sincerely,
Gary Selvy
NFIB/Tennessee State Director
gary.selvy@nfib.org
