May 6th, 2009
(NASHVILLE, TN), May 5, 2009 — The State Senate approved comprehensive legislation sponsored by Senator Doug Overbey (R-Maryville) on Monday that would benefit Tennessee consumers who utilize the services of debt management specialists. The legislation, named the “Uniform Debt Management Services Act,” provides guidance and regulation to the consumer debt management industry while also providing fairer services to debtors.
“As the recession has deepened, we are finding more and more consumers turning to debt management companies, which have tripled in number over the past few years,” said Senator Overbey. “There have been frequent instances or accusations of abuse by consumers who utilize these services. This legislation regulates the industry in uniformity with other states, while protecting consumers.” Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Featured News, Press Releases | 
Email This Post
January 23rd, 2009
State Senate organizes business as
106th General Assembly convenes
(NASHVILLE, TN), January 15, 2009 — The 106th General Assembly was gaveled to order this week in Nashville as the state’s 132 lawmakers took the oath of office, elected officers and organized to begin the business of the 2009-2010 legislative sessions.
Families and friends crowded the Senate chamber and watched as the sixteen newly elected or re-elected members of the State Senate took the oath of office, which was the first order of business during the organizational session.
On a personal note, I was honored to have my wife, Kay; daughter and son-in-law, Kathleen and Ryan Thomas; and, many friends from Sevier and Blount Counties present in the Senate Chamber and gallery for the event. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Capitol Updates, Featured News | Email This Post
August 12th, 2008
Dear Friend,
Last Thursday was a great night for our campaign. This was a tough and spirited primary, and I am convinced that the difference for us was the support I received from people like you. Let me thank you for all the phone calls, letters, emails and other means you used to spread our message to your friends and neighbors. Kay and I could not have done it without you.
Please know that I will continue to listen to your thoughts and concerns and work to see results produced. That’s why I ran in the first place — to bring effective leadership to the State Senate. I can’t promise to be perfect – I’m not — but I can promise to stand up for you, speak out for you, and make my vote count for you at the Capitol.
Once again, Kay and I are grateful for all you have done for our campaign. When we started this journey, no one gave me much of a chance. However, you believed in me and worked to ensure that in the end — the choice was clear. All I promise is to produce results — not just make statements. Thank you again for your support and may God bless you.
Sincerely,
Doug
p.s. If you have a yard sign, please take it up for now and put it back out on October 1st for the November 4th general election. Thanks!
Posted in Featured News, In The News | Email This Post
August 6th, 2008
By Doug Overbey, Candidate for State Senate
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Originally published by the Daily Times
EDITOR’S NOTE: State Rep. Doug Overbey spoke Tuesday with about 30 supporters on the steps of the Blount County Courthouse about his motivation for running for the 8th Senatorial District seat.
“Number one is to continue to stand up for Blount and Sevier counties’ share for our state education funding dollars.
“We cannot afford any longer to have someone at the state Senate who sits quietly at his desk and decides to vote with the majority of the Senate when that’s against the interest of the taxpayers from Sevier and Blount counties. It’s important to stand up and let your voice be heard and make your vote count.
“Secondly, we need to continue to stand up to make sure that we can afford to heat our homes and fuel our cars. We don’t need to support legislation in this day and time that would automatically raise the cost of your gas 34 cents a gallon or $10 a tankful.
“Now maybe that’s not important to somebody that can put a quarter of a million dollars of his own funds into a campaign, but, as I’ve knocked on door after door after door, that’s not where everybody else in Blount and Sevier counties are. They’re hurting right now with high gas prices, and adding 34 cents a gallon or $10 a tankful will continue to hurt, and we need to make sure that doesn’t happen.
“Finally, and this is near and dear to mine and Kay’s heart, as the father of three daughters, the parents of three daughters, we need to stand firm for family values.
“And to me protecting family values means to fight for the unborn, newborn and those born with disabilities. We have to look out for those who cannot look out for themselves, who cannot speak out for themselves and stand firm for our families in this day and time.
“Now, Kay wanted me to tell you all this. We believe everyone — everyone here, everyone in these counties — have gifts from God. God bestows all of us gifts. And I think public service is a gift. And I think through background, education and training, the good Lord has shown his favor to allow me to be in public service. And I want to takes those gifts to the state Senate.”
Posted in Featured News, In The News | Email This Post
July 5th, 2008
Dear Friends,
From now until election day, you may get asked why someone should vote for me over Raymond Finney and I want you to have an answer to that fundamental question. Here’s what I suggest you tell them:
It boils down to two things: schools and jobs. If you care about schools and jobs, you need to vote for Doug. In 2007, Raymond voted to cut state funding for our local school systems. Millions of dollars left Sevier and Blount Counties and the Maryville and Alcoa school systems and ended up in Memphis and Nashville. Doug opposed that and is working to restore our fair share of state funding for our schools.
As far as jobs, just this past May, Raymond was named one of the five worst legislators in the General Assembly by BusinessTn magazine, because he has sponsored legislation that would take jobs out of Tennessee, hurt businesses in our state, and increase the costs of energy to heat our homes and run our businesses. He was the only Republican on that list. On the other hand, this past week Doug was rated as the most effective Republican representative in the legislature by the Knoxville News-Sentinel. So, if you care about our schools and jobs for our children, you’ve got to vote for Doug.
Please also tell your friends and family that I don’t run away from a battle. I believe my vote counts in Nashville, while Raymond told the Chamber of Commerce just the other day that his vote on the school funding issue didn’t matter. I believe such a comment is irresponsible.
For the past eight years as your Representative, I’ve fought for making health care more accessible and available, solving the medical malpractice crisis, protecting our seniors living in long term care facilities, making sure our trauma centers receive adequate funding, providing a safe haven for newborns, protecting our children from Internet predators, and helping our disabled Veterans.
If you will help me in this election, I’ll continue to stand up for you and be a Senator you can be proud of.
Sincerely,
Posted in Featured News, In The News | Email This Post
June 27th, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Adam Jaynes
(865) 850-6516
Directorship Magazine, a national publication targeted to business leaders, named Tennessee the best state in the nation for its litigation climate – due to medical malpractice liability reform legislation sponsored by Rep. Doug Overbey.
“I sponsored the medical malpractice legislation first and foremost to lower healthcare costs for Tennessee families,” said Overbey. “But I am also very proud that, especially in these difficult economic conditions, we could put Tennessee at the top of the list for attracting businesses and jobs to our state.”
Overbey’s legislation will help eliminate frivolous and unsubstantiated malpractice lawsuits early in the legal process, while still allowing legitimate legal actions to protect the patient. Overbey’s bill received strong bipartisan support and was recently signed into law.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Featured News, In The News, Press Releases | Email This Post
June 25th, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Originally published at www.blounttoday.com
Bob and Susan Hirche will host State Rep. Doug Overbey and supporters during a campaign kickoff celebration on the banks of the Little River. The event will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday June 20, at 1012 Hitch Road.
Overbey is a four-term Republican state representative who has been in the state House for seven years. He is a member of the Finance, Ways and Means Committee, Health and Human Resources Committee, Select Committee on Ethics and Joint Select Committee on Children and Youth. He is chairman of the House Health Care Facilities Subcommittee and a member of the Budget Subcommittee. In 2007, he was elected Secretary of the Joint Study Committee on Long Term Care.
Overbey is challenging State Sen. Raymond Finney in the Republican primary on Aug. 7.
During his seven years in the legislature, Rep. Overbey has been a supporter of veterans and legislation that supports veterans, such as supporting veterans service officers in each county of the state, sponsoring and gaining passage of the law that has eliminated the 30-day time period for POW’s to qualify as a disabled veteran for property tax relief and the law that allows all service-related totally disabled veterans to qualify for property tax relief. In 2006, Overbey sponsored and gained passage of a bill granting property tax relief to surviving spouses of members of the Armed Services killed in combat.
Posted in Featured News, In The News | Email This Post
