Updates from the Capitol
Hey District 33!
It’s hard to believe but this whirlwind session is coming to an end. I anticipate that the 112th General Assembly will conclude this week. We’ve fought hard, stayed the course, and had some major wins. I look forward to finishing out this session strong.
Before we close out for the summer, the Senate will vote on TISA, Governor Lee’s new proposed education funding formula. TISA is a student centered formula that will provide more dollars for students with more needs. Over 100 education organizations and school leaders have announced their support of this new funding formula. I believe that TISA is a step in the right direction to ensure an equitable education for all of our students. However, TISA is not perfect. If enacted, I look forward to working with the State Department of Education and the legislature to ensure that every single student in Tennessee gets exactly what they deserve. To find out more about TISA, click this link.
District 33 News
On Saturday, May 7, I am hosting a Community Resource Fair at New Direction Christian Church from 9am-1pm. There will be employers, health resources, a bounce house, a food truck, and more! Please come out and take advantage of these resources. I hope to see y’all there!
Resources for District 33
The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) Division of Family Health and Wellness (FHW) would like to invite you to our twice a year partner meetings. These meetings are open to anyone who has an interest in the health of women, infants, children, adolescents and their families. Please see the schedule below. Here is the link to register.
GRANT OPPORTUNITY: The Health Resources and Services Administration announced a new grant opportunity for the Community Health Worker Training Program. This grant program is open to health professional schools, academic health centers, and community-based organizations that train public health workers. The application deadline is June 14. Here is the link to apply. There will be an informational webinar on Wednesday, May 11th from 2pm-4pm ET. Use this link to join.
FREE COVID TESTS from the federal government: Here’s what you need to know.
Every home in the US is eligible to order 4 FREE at-home COVID tests. Click this link to order yours now.
Your insurance company will reimburse the cost of 8 at-home tests per month. Click here for more information.
The Tennessee Homeowners Assistance Fund is now LIVE! Please click this link to apply for assistance.
Unemployment Assistance
If you are having issues, receiving your unemployment assistance, please email Sen . London Lamar office’s at sen.london.lamar@capitol.tn.gov with the following information:
A description of the problem
Your full name (first, middle, and last)
Your phone number
The last 4 digits of your social security
The date that you filed the claim
The email address you used to file the claim
April Recap
This month, we celebrated Black Maternal Health Week, a week of action to increase consciousness about the state of Black Maternal Health in Tennessee and to advocate for solutions to improve outcomes for Black mamas and Babies.
On Monday, I introduced two resolutions that will celebrate and honor the International Day of Maternal Health and Rights and Black Maternal Health Week. This week, we are moving those resolutions forward through the Senate Finance committee.
On Tuesday, we hosted our inaugural Doula Day on the Hill. Over the course of the day, we heard from community-based doulas, March of Dimes, Healthy and Free Tennessee, the Department of Health, and TennCare. We reached over 650 people who are interested in advocating for improved maternal health outcomes. If you missed it, click the link to check it out!
On Wednesday, we launched the Joint Chamber Maternal Health at the General Assembly. The Joint Maternal Health Caucus of the Tennessee General Assembly dreams of a state where every mother not only lives but thrives during their prenatal, pregnancy, and postpartum stages. Our mission is promote, initiate, and strengthen new and current research and data gathering efforts on the current state of maternal health in Tennessee; collaborate with state agencies, state boards, and local community-based organizations to identify homegrown solutions to combating the maternal mortality crisis in Tennessee; and draft and pass bipartisan pieces of legislation to improve maternal health outcomes in Tennessee. I look forward to our fall meeting in a few months.
On Thursday, we concluded on Diaper Drive and we collected over 700 diapers for families in need. 1 in Americans are in need of diapers. This drive was a small way to make a dent in that need. I will be donating the diapers to a Memphis-based organization this week.
On Saturday, I was able to honor doulas and community-based organizations in Memphis who are working to improve maternal health outcomes in Shelby County. I look forward to our continued partnership.
Throughout the week, I appeared on many different news outlets and panels to discuss the state of maternal health nationally and in Tennessee. It is very imperative for us to raise awareness about our statewide and national current maternal health crisis. We must work to ensure that every woman can birth healthy babies. I will continue to be a champion for maternal health work for our community and state. See read or watch the stories see the Lamar Leads section below.
On April 9th, I hosted a town hall with our Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis as well as Pastor Reginald Boyce of Riverside Missionary Baptist Church and DeAndre Brown the Executive Director at the Shelby County Office of Re-entry to discuss gun violence in our community. We had an incredibly fruitful and productive conversation on how to reduce and prevent gun violence in our community.
Lamar Leads
I was invited to come speak on several news networks on behalf of Black Maternal Health!
MSNBC invited me to come speak about SB 0562 which creates two separate classes of marriage: one for hetero couples and one for same sex couples. Check out the interview here.