Nashville, Tenn.–The Rural Caucus formed by Representative Bruce Griffey (R-Paris) met this week for its second meeting, with economic development in the rural areas being the center of discussion.
]Tennessee Director for Rural Development Jim Tracy spoke about a number of grant opportunities and low-interest loan programs through the federal government and other incentives specifically for rural America. The federal programs discussed are geared towards business development, agriculture development and housing development.
Grant Minchew, the Director of Legislation for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, also attended the meeting. He provided legislative members of the Rural Caucus with information about the various types of funding programs available through ECD and the requirements for those funding programs.
The Rural Caucus legislative members discussed the amount of money the TN ECD has historically been directing to metro/urban areas versus rural areas and how to formulate state policies and/or legislation to redirect greater funding incentives to rural Tennessee for industry and job development.
“This is the primary reason I formed the Rural Caucus,” Griffey said. “I have been researching how much money the TN ECD has been spending as well as where and on what. For the past four years, it appears that TN ECD funding along with private capital expenditures have resulted in approximately $21.5 Billion dollars being invested to promote new business development in Tennessee. Of that $21.5 Billion, approximately $14 Billion went in 17 urban counties and $7.5 Billion went in 67 rural counties. I want this to change, which is why I am already in the process of drafting legislation to sponsor and introduce next session to essentially flip the allocation of ECD dollars so more businesses are encouraged and more motivated to move to rural areas in Tennessee. If the representatives of the rural districts – both Republicans and Democrats — stick together, we can make it happen,” Griffey said.
An additional outcome of the Rural Caucus meeting was that information was requested from the TN ECD as to the amount of money it has been spending on a county by county basis. The TN ECD is in the process of gathering this requested data.
Griffey said the next meeting of the Rural Caucus will take place in November at which time the issue of rural broadband accessibility will be addressed, and members will hear from the major players in the rural broadband arena, including local utility providers that have active programs in rural areas for customers to receive fiber internet services. If anyone would like information about the funding programs discussed by Tracy and Minchew at this month’s Rural Caucus meeting, email Representative Bruce Griffey for information at Rep.Bruce.Griffey@Capitol.TN.gov<mailto:Rep.Bruce.Griffey@Capitol.TN.gov>.
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