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Budget hearings: ABC, Historical Commission and Human Rights Commission present requests and concerns
Summary
The Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Tennessee Historical Commission and Tennessee Human Rights Commission presented their budgets and priorities to the committee, noting self-funded operations, federal grant reliance and potential federal funding cuts.
Three state agencies presented budget and program overviews during the committee’s budget segment.
Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission (ABC): Director Russell Thomas said ABC operates as a self‑funded agency and requested a FY 2026 budget of about $13.1 million funded through license, permit and program fees and a per‑case wholesale tax. He said ABC paid $1.5 million in fines to the general fund in FY 2024 and that license fees have not been increased since 2004. Thomas said ABC employs agents for compliance and enforcement and that recruitment and retention remain a concern; the agency is exploring pay adjustments to remain competitive.
Tennessee Historical Commission: Executive Director Patrick McIntyre presented a FY 2026 request of $5,292,000 that includes $4.8 million for agency operations and $445,000 for the historic‑sites maintenance fund. He highlighted the federal rehabilitation tax credit program and the recently launched historic property land acquisition grant program; the commission awarded $2 million this cycle against $6 million in requests and has roughly $800 million in certified rehabilitation projects in the pipeline. McIntyre warned the commission is monitoring declines in the realty transfer tax collections that fund certain preservation grants.
Tennessee Human Rights Commission: Executive Director Muriel Nolan and Commissioner Mark Kelly described the commission’s enforcement of the Tennessee Human Rights Act and the Tennessee Disability Act and said the governor’s recommendation for FY 2026 was $3,000,714 (a 1% reduction). Nolan said the commission sought funding for Title VI compliance‑tracking software and cautioned about possible federal funding reductions from HUD and EEOC that could increase demand for state enforcement, outreach and mediation services.
Why it matters: The presentations outline near‑term funding, staffing and program risks for licensing/enforcement, historic‑preservation grant programs and civil‑rights enforcement, and flagged potential federal funding volatility.
Ending: Agency directors asked the committee for support and said they would follow up with additional details if requested.
