As part of WUTC’s coverage of the November 8 elections, we’re speaking to many of the major candidates on the Hamilton County ballot. This is our interview with Patsy Hazelwood, a Republican who is running for re-election as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, District 27.
Michael Edward Miller: Patsy Hazelwood, thank you for joining us today!
Patsy Hazelwood: Thank you for having me.
Miller: First of all, tell us just a little about yourself. You are the incumbent; what's your background? Where are you from, your professional and education background?
Hazelwood: Well I have a business background. I waswith Bell South and then that became AT&T. For really a very long time, I won't say how long exactly. But a long time. And in that role I was very actively involved in community activities. I was chair of the Chamber, chair of the Better Business Bureau boards, and involved in a lot of not for profit organizations. And it really gave me a- I think a sense and a feel for the needs in the community. And an idea that perhaps there was a way for me to give back. In addition to the work that I had done, you know on a volunteer basis. And that's sort of where I got to deciding to run for office. But I was also on of the organizers and a director of Capitol Mark Bank and Trust. So again it's a business background and that's the perspective that I bring to my role in Nashville.
Miller: You've been the incumbent in Tennessee's District 27 since 2014. What do you think some of your biggest accomplishments have been so far as a legislator?
Hazelwood: Well I think our biggest accomplishment, and it's not a singular accomplishment- it's an accomplishment of the General Assembly and this Governor’s Administration, and that is continuing to keep Tennessee in just a strong fiscal position. We are a low debt state. The lowest per capita debt in the country. We have with- under the Governors guidance, direction, and his budget- we have cut millions of dollars out of the state budget. We have increase the rainy day fund. You know, we have a budget that we have to balance constitutionally each year. And we had had to dip into our rainy day fund because of the economic recession- Tennessee is very reliant on sales tax. So when the economy goes south that really detrimentally impacts our revenues. So we had had to dip into that, if you will, to kind of keep things going. And we have been able, during this Governors administration, to build that back up. And it's not a necessarily sexy headline or an exciting thing in terms of "Whoopie," that people would get all jubilant about. But it's critical to the future of the state. We've also continued to make Tennessee a very business-friendly environment. You know, we like to say that "government can't create jobs. But what we can do is create a climate where businesses can do so." And we've been very successful in doing that as a legislature. And I would like to think that, you know, for the two years that I have been there I have done my part in that regard. I serve on the finance committee and so everything...every piece of the budget goes through that committee. And there are lots of good ideas out there, but most good ideas cost money and so you have to- if there is a cost associated with it then it comes through the finance committee. So I think, you know, that's...that's been a place for me. #1 to learn a whole lot about state government. And then #2 to have, you know, a fairly strong say in...In what might get funded and or perhaps not.
Miller: So if you are reelected, what are your goals? What do you want to accomplish?
Hazelwood: I think I want to continue the work- the bills that I have carried and worked on, primarily have been business related. I worked-when we talked about my business background or my professional background, I neglected to mention that when I retired from At&t I actually worked in Governor Haslam's administration as the director for Southeast Tennessee for economic development. So, you know, again bring that focus and that perspective to the job. And as a result of kind of knowing a little bit about how their operation works, I have been involved in bringing some legislation that has helped to tweak some things that their department does that will hopefully make us continue to be even more competitive as a state. Because it's a very competitive situation out there when you are talking to companies about either expanding- they have lots of opportunities- other places that they can go to expand. Or when you are trying to attract a company-you know any company that we are trying to attract other people are doing the same. And we have to remember that the companies that are here in Tennessee have other options as well. So, we just have to continue to work to make our environment work for the companies that provide jobs to Tennesseans.
Miller: You've talked about your business background, your community service background, are there- is there other, one of two really big reasons you would say a voter should chose you over the competition?
Hazelwood: Well I would like to think there are a number of them. But, what we have talked about- the business, the financial perspective. But on the more emotional side, if you will, I have grandchildren who are in the public school system. I have three who are currently in the public school system on Signal Mountain. So I have a heart for that, an interest for that. A real concern, as I think most people in my district do. I think that if the business reasons aren't enough then hopefully people will chose to vote for me because they know that I...I really mean to look out for the kids in this community and the kids in my district. And, look out for them in terms of doing all that we can to make sure that we are giving them an adequate education to make them competitive. But also looking out for them in the sense that we are trying to make jobs available for their parents. So living wage jobs. And that...I guess that’s, you know, I guess where business and emotion sort of come together on my platform, if you will.
Miller: What would you say the biggest challenges are, maybe the top one or two challenges, facing District 27 right now?
Hazelwood: I think we have transportation issues. District 27 includes Lookout Valley, as soon as you cross into Hamilton County coming in on I-24. That's District 27, and we all know about the traffic tie ups there. I live on Signal Mountain, we have a road that sometimes makes you wonder, in bad weather, and rain- so, you know, there...transportation issues, economic issues, and they’re not- and education issues. They are certainly not confined to District 27. But I think they are certainly a part of the conversation that we need to be having in Hamilton County at this point in time. And District 27, certainly our schools and companies, and all that are located in there certainly have a part in that.
Miller: With the Affordable Care Act, Tennessee didn't expand Medicaid, so we left a lot of federal dollars on the table. Governor Haslam, of course, came up with the Insure Tennessee plan to try to help low income Tennesseans get healthcare but it didn't work out. What is your position on that? What role do you think government should have or any role at all in making health care affordable for low income people?
Hazelwood: You know, I think we all want to do the right thing and help everyone that we can. I think what we have to remember, it goes back to that stewardship of that financial situation. And the TennCare budget currently is already a third or better of the money that is spent in the state. So any time you look at expanding that-the only way to expand it, and you talked about federal dollars on the table. They are there but they are not there permanently. So you have to look out. I think what a lot of my colleagues were concerned about would be adding people to the rolls and then having to remove them when the funding went away from the federal government and our state budget couldn't afford it. Now you can make arguments on both that side- it's better to insure people for, or provide healthcare for, a short time than never. I wasn't there but I know that a number of my colleagues were when Governor Bredeson had to go in and clear out TennCare rolls and it was a very painful process. And, no one wants to do that again. I think Speaker Harwell, as you may know has put together a task force that's looking at broadening some of the accessibility for certain....certain clients who might be able to avail themselves of more health care. That's going to be largely determined by how much the federal government is willing to work with us on that. And, you know, we have to get waivers, we have a TennCare waiver in order to do what we do with TennCare. So I am hopeful but not particularly optimistic because we have a new administration at the federal level coming in. And regardless of which of the candidates wins it's going to be a new administration. Our session runs from mid-January usually to the end of April or early May. And I think the administration will just kind of be figuring out where the bathrooms are, you know, at that point in DC. So I...I'm not sure we can work through that. But I am very respectful of the effort that Speaker Harwell is putting forth there. And I know the folks from the house that are on that committee. They are very talented and they bring a lot of different skill sets. And I feel like if anybody can get it done they can get it done. But that's just one of the things we are going to have to, you know, wait and see how that unfolds as that moves forward.
Miller: If you are just tuning in, we are speaking with Patsy Hazelwood, the incumbent in Tennessee’s District 27 House of Representatives. Running for re-election. I am Mike Miller here with Jacqui Helbert. Jacqui, we've got about three minutes left, and you should have some questions.
Jacqui Helbert: Why should the voters chose you? Why should they vote for you?
Hazelwood: Well I know I have a short record. I've just been there two years. But I hope that they would look at the things that I have done, and the bills that I have sponsored, and the things that I have voted for since I have been there. And say "Well, you know, she has done a pretty good job." I know that not everybody is going to agree with every vote that I made. A good friend of mine who has been involved in politics for a long time told me after I won the election in 2014 said "Enjoy it, Patsy, because the first vote you take you are gonna just really irritate half of the people." So, you know, I hopefully-people will understand that we are not going to all agree individually on everything. But I hope that they would look at the overall record of what I have done. I hope that because that is such a short, one term, that they would also look at my background and recognize that I do bring some skills and some experience to the table. That would be helpful not only for my district but hopefully for the whole state as well.
Miller: Jacqui, we've got about a minute left. Final question?
Helbert: What are you most proud of that you have accomplished so far?
Hazelwood: Well, you know, one of the things that I think we haven't talked about, and it was really sort of out of the wheelhouse of the financial business side that I mentioned earlier. But I did sponsor- I was the House sponsor for a bill that makes birth control available behind the counter in certain situations for women over 18. And I think that that has the opportunity- the potential to really be a game changer in young women's lives. So you have...the pharmacist has to collaborate with the physician and you certainly have to make sure that there are no contra indications, but you know sometimes women just aren't able to get to the doctor. Or to get there in time to get their prescription renewed and, you know, that sort of thing. So that was very different from anything else that I did. But looking-trying to look down the road I do think that has the potential to really make a difference in a lot of lives.
Miller: Thank you very much for joining us today.
Hazelwood: Thank you for having me, again it was enjoyable.