General Assembly televised

Tennessee General Assembly television coverage has been expanded. The KNS reports. On-going online coverage of the House and Senate chambers is here.

Census shows 6.34MM Tennesseans

Tennessee legislators' re-districting sausage-making will soon begin, but for the moment we can just absorb the fact that Tennessee's population is up 11.5% over the past decade, to 6.34 million persons. More here.

Pathway's new small-biz loans Updated

Pathway Lending, the Nashville-based lender formerly Southeast Community Capital (our earlier story here) announced another small-business loan program this morning, in conjunction with the State ECD and the Tennessee Bankers Associaton. The anchor grant came from the state and PL CEO Clint Gwin hopes to raise another $15mil or so, to bring the program to $25mil.

TTDC seeks State funding commitment

Tennessee Technology Development Corp. President-CEO Eric Cromwell said last week that TTDC, which was revived by the State's $5 million infusion in 2008, will ask that the $5 million investment in tech-driven economic development be made a recurring annual item, rather than a one-time grant. TTDC was formed in 1998. Cromwell told VNC Thursday that he believes TTDC has "passed the tipping point" in its work to strengthen the state's capital formation, strategic research commercialization and public-engagement objectives, and needs sustained funding to move beyond "demonstration project" status. He said he believes his recent annual report to the legislature and forthcoming budget hearings will make clear that TTDC and its stakeholders are on the right "trajectory," but need a few more years to start contributing to creation of knowledge-driven jobs, although TTDC, he said, contributed to the crafting of the TNInvestco program and to the mobilizing of TNInvestco applicants and entrepreneurs. He said a remaining key agenda item is the acceleration of an enterprise and entrepreneurship network, which TTDC has proposed. To help get its message across, TTDC will conduct TTDC Innovation Day, March 2, in Legislative Plaza. TTDC's annual report is here.

Sen. Norris' bleak view of state budget

State Sen. Mark Norris (R-Collierville) gave the Memphis arm of the NFIB a very bleak view of the state budget in the next couple years, forecasting deep cuts in programs each of the next two sessions. The CA reports.

TN website voted best

The State of Tennessee's governmental website, maintained by Olath, Kan.-based NIC Inc. (NASDAQ:EGOV), has been voted best by affiliates of the National Conference of State Legislatures, who presented state officials the NCSL Online Democracy Award.