Return TVA money

By Staff
The Tennessee Valley Caucus, a coalition of lawmakers anchored by Johnny Mack Morrow, is fighting in Montgomery to keep monies collected from the Tennessee Valley Authority here in North Alabama.
The goal of the group is to give counties in the TVA's service area a greater share of money the agency pays to the state in lieu of taxes.
TVA is a federal agency and is not required to pay taxes to state and local governments. Prior to 1978, all TVA in-lieu-of-tax revenue went to the state's General Fund.
Currently, a portion of TVA revenue goes to 14 counties not in TVA's coverage area, which prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages. Legislation pushed by the caucus and approved by the Legislature in 2006 recaptured millions of dollars for TVA counties. The caucus is again fighting to return an additional amount of the diverted TVA funds.
These bills would help return money to north Alabama counties, including Franklin, where it needs to be.