Tennessee Narrows List For Spending Final $600M Of COVID Stimulus
Image Credit: tn.gov
The Center Square [By Jon Styf] –
The Tennessee Financial Stimulus Accountability Group has categorized and will be reviewing more than 60 applications for at least $275 million in grants to nonprofit groups or public service organizations affected by COVID-19.
The grant recommendations will be discussed at the group’s March meeting, along with state agency requests as the group determines how to distribute the final $603 million in federal COVID-19 stimulus money. The group already has allocated $3.1 billion in what it is calling the Tennessee Resiliency Plan.
Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner and Deputy Governor Butch Eley said the group could expand the amount of stimulus money used in the grants from the initial $275 million set aside. Those grants will be considered alongside other projects that have been proposed for the funds, however.
“That is just what we reserved a few months ago knowing that we wanted to be a support to these external groups,” Eley said. “You don’t pick winners and losers if it’s a broader need.”
The grant requests included 46 from nonprofits, with more than 10 from health care providers, from hospitals to clinics, looking for program funding or capital requests and more than 10 for payroll support or lost revenue reimbursement.
Tony Niknejad, Gov. Bill Lee’s policy director, said further clarification on the rules for American Rescue Plan Act money will help narrow which proposals fit the requirements best. Niknejad said more information will be required to make sure the proposals are COVID-19-related.
The proposals also came from state and local chambers of commerce, youth organizations such as the YMCA or Boys & Girls Club and organizations looking for funding to build housing.
*** Click Here to Support Conservative Journalism in Tennessee. We can’t cover stories like this without your support!***
House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, said it was important to take a broader look at how the proposals can make the largest impact in ways that are important to the Lee administration, including considering programs that will need more funding in the future.
“It may be reoccurring by a normal definition,” Sexton said, explaining a program could need $30 million up front for infrastructure but less funding in the future for it to sustain a program. “We could consider that if we are thinking about really trying to transform a segment of programs.”
About the Author: Jon Styf, The Center Square Staff Reporter – Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies. Follow Jon on Twitter @JonStyf.
