Appropriations subcommittee hears $36 million-plus in amendment requests for airports, cultural projects and school safety

The FW&M Appropriations Subcommittee met and heard presentations of several nonrecurring appropriation amendment requests covering infrastructure, cultural institutions and school safety; members asked a few clarifying questions but took no recorded votes on the measures.

Senator Bolling presented multiple amendments, including a request "for $2,000,000 non recurring to the Department of Finance and Administration for the sole purpose of making a grant in such amount to the government of the city of McMinnville [for] construction of the new Mark R. Gwyn Memorial Cultural Center in McMinful," and a $25,000,000 request "to be used in the planning and construction of a new parking garage with at least 400 parking spaces to be attached to the north side of the Cordell Hull Building and used solely by legislative employees." Bolling also asked for $1,220,000 to the Department of Transportation "for the sole purpose of making a grant in such amount to the government of the city of Tullahoma, for the rehabilitation of a runway at the Tullahoma Regional Airport" and for smaller grants including $100,000 to Lincoln County for a first responder and emergency services training facility, $250,000 to DeKalb County for a new central heat and air unit for the county courthouse, and $3,000,000 to the Department of Finance and Administration "for the sole purpose of making a grant in such amount to the Aviation Leadership Academy Incorporated to be used for the purchase of land and the construction of a new hangar." Committee members asked one clarifying question about the hangar's location; Bolling replied the Aviation Leadership Academy is in Lincoln County.

Separately, a presenter identified as Chairman Briggs described a Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance request for a replacement online filing system, saying the bureau "interviewed vendors from across the country and a replacement system would cost approximately $3,000,000," and that a new system would allow uploads from Excel or financial software rather than retyping. Briggs said he would provide additional written detail to committee offices about the Interfaith Health Clinic line-item split, noting his earlier statement that about half of that request was for renovation and half for equipment.

Leader Akberry presented an amendment request of $2,500,000 on behalf of the National Ornamental Metal Museum, describing the museum's expansion into a historic building near Overton Park in Memphis and saying the organization "has raised $26,500,000 on their own for this project." Senator Oliver presented amendment 139, a $1,300,000 nonrecurring grant to the Department of Education to make a grant to Metro Nashville Public Schools "so that they can purchase AI weapons detection systems in all of their high schools," and referenced a recent school shooting at Antioch High School as context for the request.

Committee chairs and members asked brief questions but did not record votes on any of the requests. After presentations concluded, the committee entertained a motion to adjourn and recessed.

All amounts and purposes above reflect the amendment requests as read into the record; the transcript contains no recorded votes or final committee decisions on the items.