State Rep. Bryan Terry

Rep. Bryan Terry: Trump Victory Brings Hope For State Sovereignty

December 1, 2016 By Admin

MURFREESBORO, Dec. 1, 2016– In the days following Donald Trump’s win, the media and coastal elites expressed shock. They had never doubted that Hillary Clinton would win, and were stunned with the trouncing that took place. But those of us in communities across ‘flyover’ country were less surprised: we have been watching the Republican wave build steam for some time. Here in Rutherford County, our constituents have consistently voted Republican for the last several years, because they connect with our message of less government intrusion, better education, and more economic opportunities.

While Donald Trump was popular in Rutherford County, those of us running for seats in the Tennessee General Assembly—Senator Jim Tracy, Representative Mike Sparks, Representative Dawn White, Representative Tim Rudd, and myself—outperformed him on the ballot. I believe this shows not only the trust the voters have placed in us, but also the strength of the Republican Party in Rutherford County. Our constituents expect us to hold to the conservative values we always have in the past, and I know that is our intention as we head into the 110th General Assembly in January.

One of the greatest experiences of my life has been to serve in the Tennessee House of Representatives, and I appreciate my constituents placing their trust in me and sending me back for a second term. We have much work to do over the next two years, and I am hopeful that under the Trump Administration, the state will have more flexibility to pursue policies that will ensure the prosperity of Tennesseans.

Under the Obama Administration, the federal government has incorrectly been seen as the answer to most of our problems. But we know that our leaders on the state and local level can find solutions that benefit Rutherford County far better than an unelected bureaucrat in Washington, D.C. Giving the states back their sovereignty should be high on the priority list.

President-Elect Trump has expressed an interest in unshackling the states from some of the burdensome federal mandates that are imposed on them. Instead, he would like to see each state’s leaders to come up with their own set of ideas and solutions to solve the unique problems facing their state. This is closer to what our Founding Fathers envisioned, where states would be the laboratories of democracy.

If he is successful in doing this, Tennessee has very exciting opportunities ahead, as my conservative colleagues and I have been eager to address issues and challenges in Tennessee without the burden of federal mandates.

In Tennessee, we know the best way to grow the economy and ensure prosperity for Tennesseans is to get out of the way of small business owners and entrepreneurs and let them grow their businesses. Despite an obtrusive federal government, we have been successful in doing this over the last several years. Now that we have the opportunity to have even more flexibility, we can continue these policies that will result in even more jobs and economic prosperity.

Unfortunately, extremists from all over the political spectrum, especially from the left, continue to be grounded in divisiveness and failed ideas. However, as I have spoken with friends, constituents, and other legislators, the common themes of hope, unity, and opportunity have emerged as the focus moving forward. While others may look to undermine the hope of an even greater Rutherford County and State of Tennessee, I will be steadfast in my resolve as a self governance legislator to be a unifying voice of the people as “we the people” have been presented with an opportunity that we must champion.

I am excited about the possibilities over the next two years and working with my colleagues in the General Assembly and citizens on the issues facing Rutherford County and Tennessee. The 110th General Assembly will be called to order on January 10th, and I am looking forward to advancing our conservative principles and ensuring Tennessee is the best place in the country to live, work, own and operate a business, and raise a family.

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Rep. Bryan Terry Proves His Process Works For Rutherford County

August 11, 2016 By Admin

MURFREESBORO, August 11, 2016– As we look towards the general election in November, we will be faced with a myriad of choices from the state to the federal level. Rep. Bryan Terry has previously presented his process for finding solutions to problems. He describes it as a businesslike approach that works for business, medicine, government, and even family decisions. It involves four steps: premise, goals, options, and feasibility of the options to meet the goals.

The premise is the underlying assumption that must be true in order for the goals, options, and ultimately solutions to be valid. For a state representative race like District 48, the premise is that your vote matters and that it matters who represents the district. In 2014, a state representative race in Knoxville was decided by around 40 votes. The Fourth District congressional race in 2014 was decided by a similar amount. Every vote does matter, and can shape the direction of a community, the state, or the nation if the elected official works for you and the district.

Self governance is exercising your individual liberty, personal responsibility, and civic authority to control instituted government. As one of but a handful of self governance trained elected officials nationwide, Rep. Bryan Terry not only has to tools to help citizens make an impact on government, he has the track record of doing so. From working on issues with individuals, to high school and college students, to community groups, he has helped everyday citizens craft laws, change governmental rules, and raise awareness in areas such as education, health care, the judicial system, and our landfill.

Mishelle Perkins, a co-founder of the Center for Self Governance, which is a nationwide educational organization to instruct citizens on how to impact government, stated, “It’s remarkable to see what an engaged, active, and informed legislator like Dr. Bryan Terry can do in a short period of time. He’s earned the reputation as a thinker and a doer, and quickly earned the trust of the community, other legislators, and statewide groups, as well.”

While most freshmen lawmakers lay back and follow the pack, Rep. Terry took the lead on several issues that earned him not only praise, but a line of citizens, community leaders, and groups looking to him to carry legislation in 2017. In just his first year, Rep. Terry earned the title of Legislator of the Year from the Tennessee Academy of Pediatrics for passing a provider credentialing bill that increased patient access and decreased costs for patients statewide. The bill had failed for the previous ten years; yet, Dr. Terry was able to obtain unanimous support. Additionally, for his work in helping new legislators, Dr. Terry was elected as the Republican Chairman of the Bipartisan Freshman Caucus. As such, he spearheaded an effort to increase bipartisan support of positive legislation for Tennessee.

“What is frustrating for constituents and voters is that many candidates, like my opponent, run on partisanship, divisive and false rhetoric, and the tired playbook of empty political promises without an actual plan. I’ve put my background and training into action and results for the district,” stated Rep. Terry. “Prior to my election, I described to the district my principles, the process, and the plan of action to work with citizens. Together, we’ve made a difference for our district and the state,” explained Rep. Terry

During his first term, Rep. Terry worked with Central Magnet students and co-sponsored legislation on their behalf. They were the only high school students to have a legislator work with them in this manner. Additionally, he co-sponsored the Racial Profiling Prevention Act by advocating for MTSU students. He worked with individual citizens on issues like textbook adoption, validity of teacher evaluations, child custody proceedings, and bringing awareness of achievement of women in business to name a few.

On behalf of the county with unanimous support of the county commission, Dr. Terry sponsored legislation to allow Rutherford County to try a pilot program for convenient voting centers. The program will save the county over $25,000 each election. But perhaps the most significant achievement for the county was when Rep. Terry worked with both Middlepoint Landfill and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to allow him to attend random landfill inspections. He is the only legislator in the state to ever do this for his district.

“Either you control government or government controls you. You can take part in the process or let the process take you apart. When we vote and become involved, together, we can make a difference,” proclaimed Rep. Bryan Terry. “I’m looking forward to working with more citizens next session to help make our lives, our district, and our state even better.”

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Rep. Terry: Review of Second Annual Empowering Women Event

May 11, 2015 By Admin

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. May 11, 2015– Rep. Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro) hosted the 2nd Annual Empowering Women event in Murfreesboro on May 7 with special co-host Representative Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro). The event featured Speaker of the House Beth Harwell, as well as Republican State Executive Committeewoman Lynne Davis, and Rutherford County School Board member Lisa Moore.

“The event has been designed to empower and inspire women to get involved at the local and state levels. The Republican State Leadership Committee has two outreach programs, the “Future Majority Project” to recruit minorities, and the “Right Women, Right Now” initiative to recruit women,” said Terry. “As a Native American, minority outreach is one of my objectives. Reaching out to women and the youth are my other objectives. The “Right Women, Right Now” initiative was my inspiration for the Empowering Women Event.”

Terry remarked that he was honored to have Rep. White as a special co-host. “She did a fantastic job and is a fine example of an empowered woman,” said Terry. Speaker Harwell has been in the Tennessee General Assembly for over 26 years and is the first woman to be elected Speaker of the House. She spoke about her time at the Capitol, the women’s suffrage movement, and the part Tennessee played in it. In addition, she spoke about how inspiring it was to look into the well of the General Assembly and see a wall of Republican women standing to support the pro-life, pro-woman’s health bills that were passed this year.

I’ve heard Speaker Harwell give several speeches. The overwhelming response from those in attendance was how great of a speech she gave. I would have to agree. She definitely provided inspiration to those in attendance,” remarked Terry.

Republican State Executive Committeewoman Lynne Davis and Rutherford County School Board member Lisa Moore, also, addressed the crowd and delivered their message of empowerment. Lynne Davis has been a mother that home schooled, then became a successful realtor. She began getting active in the election process, became the Rutherford County GOP Director of District 48, and most recently became elected to the SEC.

Lisa Moore has became an advocate and activist for various causes in Rutherford County. With the adverse effects of Common Core and alarming information in textbooks being her inspiration, Lisa Moore spoke about her involvement in textbook reviewing, and ultimately, her decision to run for the opening on the Rutherford County School Board. Hard work and passion proved that one can run a successful grass roots campaign and make a difference.

Because the event highlighted empowered women, Terry presented Tennessee proclamations to four women from Rutherford County that had an impact on Tennessee and his service to District 48. Joanne Skidmore of the Tennessee Federation of Republican Women brought Rep. Terry five resolutions honoring Republican women in Tennessee. They were able to obtain unanimous sponsorship in the House.

Jackie Archer worked with Terry on a bill concerning the textbook adoption process. Both Mrs. Archer and Terry were able to work with the Tennessee Department of Education and the Textbook Commission to have them adopt positive citizen input into the process. This was absolute proof that an individual citizen in conjunction with their state representative can enact change and have an impact on the state.

Mishelle Perkins co-founded SHARE Rutherford Terry. SHARE Rutherford is a social media program to highlight businesses and citizens that offer Safety, Health, Affordability, Recreation, and Education in Rutherford County. Mrs. Perkins serves as the SHARE Rutherford liaison for the program.

Michelle Blaylock-Howser is a local attorney and vital member of what Terry refers to as his Citizen Action Board. Mrs. Blaylock-Howser worked with Terry by reviewing and discussing several bills and issues. She is working with Terry to prepare a legislative agenda for 2016, as well.

“I appreciate all those who spoke and those who were in attendance. The event grew from last year and was a resounding success. It is my hope that women or any citizen can see that they can make a difference. As your representative and advocate at the Capitol, please, contact me if you would like to get involved,” encouraged Terry.

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