Murfreesboro, TN - Senator Marsha Blackburn met with Mayor Joe Carr, Commissioner Romel McMurry, Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh, Public Safety Director Chris Clark, Emergency Medical Service Director Brian Gaither, Deputy Chief Keith Lowery, Veterans Service Officer Dominick Grimaldi, and representatives from Middle Tennessee State University.
This was a follow-up visit from her visit in January 2023 during her 95-county tour.
“The border continues to be an issue; many countries, including Venezuela, have emptied their prisons and now boast a crime reduction,” Blackburn said. “I sponsored the Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal (CLEAR) Act to ensure that state and local law enforcement officials have the tools necessary to help the federal government deport criminal illegal immigrants from the United States.”
Carr explained that the border is not the only issue facing the fastest-growing county in Tennessee. He informed Blackburn of the need for a forensic center in Rutherford County because Tennessee only has five regional forensic centers. The forensic center in Davidson County services 53 counties, which is over half of the state. The County Commission has approved funding for an architect to design a forensic center to be built in Rutherford County.
Blackburn also discussed that Rutherford County is the ideal location for the 118th Air National Guard to relocate once they leave their current location so that the Nashville Airport can use the space for the expansion of its runway system. This unit is vital to the US Military drone program. The 118th move to Smyrna has created an opportunity for a new drone program at Middle Tennessee State University and will provide internship opportunities.
