Can I Help You? It Depends…

Tennessee Star

  The one question every Certified Personal Trainer should know the answer to in regards to a client is, “Can I help you?” I know for my company, Greek Physique™, LLC, the answer, quite frankly is, “It depends.” If you want to be a steroid-juiced, vein-popping bodybuilder, the answer is “No; we can’t help you.” If you want to be able to lift a car off the ground without a jack, the answer is “No.” If you want to reduce your bodyfat to a mere handful of percentage points, the answer is “No.” If you want to train for an ultra-marathon race, the answer is “No.” If you want to attain the flexibility of a contortionist, the answer is “No.” Now if you want someone to train you for the above goals, you can certainly find many who can and will provide that service. It’s just not what we do. It’s important for every person, and for every business, to know what they do—and what they DON’T do. So… “Can I help you?” If you want to gain lean muscle mass or attain a more toned and proportional physique, the answer is “Yes.” If you want to increase strength, the answer…

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Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue Among Evangelicals In Trump Administration

Tennessee Star

  President Trump swept into office with a broad base of evangelical support and he has made sure that evangelicals find positions in his administration. Among them is former Republican governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue, who was sworn in as secretary of agriculture on Tuesday. A veterinarian by training, Perdue has a background in agribusiness and was a captain in the U.S. Air Force. Perdue has said he believes God has called him to his cabinet post. He is a member of Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, Georgia, where his son Jim Perdue is the pastor and where he has served as a deacon and Sunday School teacher. The church plans to hold a worship service commissioning the elder Perdue and his wife Mary to their new field of service, Baptist Press reports. “When people ask him, ‘How can we pray for you?’ one of his first responses is, ‘Pray for my obedience.’ He wants to be obedient,” Jim Perdue told Baptist Press, adding that’s what he believes led his father to accept Trump’s nomination. When Perdue was nominated in January, rounding out Trump’s cabinet picks, Charisma News reflected on what once would have seemed an unlikely scenario. “Two years ago,…

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Haslam’s Gas Tax Increase May Force Tennessee Lawmakers to Violate the Copeland Cap Amendment to State Constitution

Tennessee Star

Governor Haslam’s 2017-18 budget that incorporated IMPROVE Act and other spending promises now exceeds the constitutional budget growth limit established by the 1978 amendment to Article II, Section 24 of the Tennessee Constitution that states, “In no year shall the rate of growth of appropriations from state tax revenues exceed the estimated rate of growth of the state’s economy as determined by law.” The amendment is known as the Copeland Cap, named for its author former state Representative David Copeland of Ooltewah. The General Assembly will now be forced into a position of voting to break a constitutional commitment to the taxpayers, or appear as the “villains” by taking away the “gifts” the Governor has promised. The 2017-2018 budget estimates appropriations from state tax revenues will be $17.9 billion, which represents an 8.3 percent growth over appropriations from tax revenues in the 2016-2017 state budget at $16.5 billion. The estimated rate of growth of the state’s economy for the 2017-18 budget year, as defined by state law, is 4.6 percent over the 2016-17 budget year. The governor’s budget, as currently structured with the IMPROVE Act, will therefore violate the Copeland Cop by 3.7 percent. The relevant law, Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) 9-4-5201 states that the basis…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Sunday, April 30

Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing April 30, Sunday Proverbs 4:18-23 18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. 20 My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

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President Trump Snubs Media’s ‘Nerd Prom’ to Spend the Evening with Americans

Tennessee Star

  President Trump held a raucous event to a capacity crowd in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Saturday evening while the media’s elite dined on elegant offerings of chicken or fish and awarded one another at the White House Correspondents’ dinner – nicknamed, “Nerd Prom” – back in Washington, D.C. “They are gathered together for the White House Correspondents Dinner without the president,” President Trump chided. “And I could not possibly be more thrilled than to be more than 100 miles away from Washington’s swamp, spending my evening with all of you and with a much, much larger crowd and much better people, right?” Mr Trump went on to excoriate Democrats, the Media, and the ‘fake news’ they propagate, before turning to his accomplishments during the first 100 days of his presidency. Right Side Broadcasting was among the many media broadcasting the event live. Here is the video of Mr Trump’s remarks, queued to him taking the stage.

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California Think Tank Issues Letter from ‘Current and Former Military University Faculty Members Alarmed by’ Mark Green Nomination as Army Secretary

Tennessee Star

“In response to President Donald Trump’s recent nomination of Tennessee State Senator Mark Green as Secretary of the Army, 21 current and former Faculty Members at Service Academies, War Colleges, and other Military Universities released a statement today warning that the appointment represents a ‘serious threat’ to the military’s core values and ability to draw on the best talent to accomplish critical military missions,” the Palm Center said in a statement released on Friday. Green, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy and medical doctor, served honorably in the Army. His service included a tour of duty in Iraq. Green’s “military awards include the Bronze Star, The Air Medal, The Air Medal with “V” device for valor under heavy enemy fire, and numerous other medals for service. He also was awarded the Combat Medical Badge, the US Army Ranger Tab, and The Expert Infantryman’s Badge, among many others,” according to the website Dr. Mark Green for Tennessee. Dr. Green’s military career began as an infantry officer. From 1987 – 1990 he served as a rifle platoon leader, scout platoon leader and battalion personnel officer in the 194th Separate Armor Brigade, and from 1990 – 1992, as a supply officer and…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry To Speak At Muslim Community Day Luncheon

Tennessee Star

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry will speak next week at the third annual Standing up for Justice and Muslim Community Day luncheon sponsored by the American Muslim Advisory Council. The event will be held May 6 at the Islamic Center of Tennessee in Antioch. A progressive Democrat, Barry speaks often about welcoming Muslims to the Nashville area and earlier this year slammed President’s Trump ban on travel from several Muslim-majority countries. The AMAC is a Tennessee-based outreach and activist group that had its beginnings in protests against state anti-terrorism legislation in 2011. Early versions of the bill mentioned “jihad” and “sharia.” The legislation, which passed in modified form with those words taken out, strengthened efforts to punish people who provide material support to designated terrorist organizations. In 2013, the AMAC hosted a forum in Manchester, Tennessee, titled “Public Discourse in a Diverse Society” that was regarded by hundreds of protesters as a push to squelch free speech about Islam. On its website, where the group goes by the name American Muslim Advocacy Center, the first item under a tab about services offered is information about how to file an incident report “if you have been the victim of or have witnessed an anti-Muslim…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Saturday, April 29

Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing April 29, Saturday John 15:5-7 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

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State Rep. Tillis Responds to ‘Group That is Calling Me A Liar’ for Supporting Gas Tax Increase ‘After I Had Said Publicly That I Could Not’

Constituents of State Rep. Rick Tillis (R-Lewisburg) have a message for him after he switched from a “no” vote on Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increasing IMPROVE Act to a “yes” vote. A red and white banner questioning his truthfulness was prominently displayed just below a large billboard by the side of a major road in Lewisburg promoting his jewelry business in town. Last week, Tillis was one of the 37 Republican members of the Tennessee House of Representatives who voted in favor of Gov. Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, which will increase the gas tax by 6 cents per gallon (28 percent) and the diesel tax by 10 cents per gallon (55 percent). The bill passed the House 60-37 and subsequently passed in the Senate. On Monday, the House approved the Senate version of the bill, and it is set to become law after Gov. Haslam signs it. Tillis attempted to explain his vote switch on Monday. “The first thing to address is why I voted for it after I had said publicly that I could not,” Tillis wrote in a Facebook post on Monday. “The bill changed,” Tillis claimed. “And as far as the survey that is here on Facebook and…

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Gov. Haslam Joins Forces With Rhode Island’s Democratic Governor to Push Free College Tuition

“The Republican governor of Tennessee, a national leader in the push for tuition-free education, joined Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo on Thursday to support her push to launch such an initiative in Rhode Island,” WPRI reported yesterday: Raimondo’s proposal, Rhode Island’s Promise, is notably more expansive than Haslam’s – she wants to offer two tuition-free years at all three of the state’s public colleges, including its two four-year institutions. Her staff has conferred with Haslam’s aides as they developed their proposal. “Quite honestly this is a good idea, and it’s a bipartisan issue,” she said. On Thursday, Governor Haslam pushed his free college tuition ideas to Rhode Island business leaders the same way he has done with business leaders here in the Volunteer State: On a conference call with Rhode Island business leaders Thursday morning, Haslam said he was spurred to create Tennessee Promise based on forecasts projecting a rapid rise in the share of jobs requiring a post-high-school degree. He said he feared the state’s work force would not be equipped to obtain good-paying work unless more residents furthered their educations. “Everything Gina’s saying is right,” Haslam said. “She is not making any of that up. It is critical to…

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United Methodist Church In Turmoil Over LGBT Issues

The United Methodist Church appears once more to be on the verge of a split over LGBT issues. The mainline Protestant denomination, which has a large presence in Tennessee, has experienced internal divisions for years over homosexuality, but tensions are at a fever pitch with the elevation of the first openly gay bishop. The UMC’s top court in Newark, New Jersey, heard arguments this week in the case of lesbian Karen Oliveto, who was elected as bishop last July for an area which includes Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and a church in Idaho. The area is in the denomination’s Western Jurisdiction. Oliveto is married to a woman who is a UMC deaconess. Oliveto’s election was contested by a church lay member from Kansas in the South Central Jurisdiction whose legal representative maintained Tuesday that homosexual practice is incompatible with the denomination’s book of discipline. However, a representative for Oliveto’s Western Jurisdiction argued that someone from another region has no standing to bring a case and that the book of discipline does not specifically prohibit same-sex marriage, according to a UMC news story about the hearing. The United Methodist Queer Clergy Caucus on April 16 sent an open letter to the UMC in…

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Nashville Church Program Seeks To Stop Teen Violence

  A program called Gentlemen And Not Gangsters is working to prevent growing problems with teen violence in Nashville. The G.A.N.G. program is a joint effort between Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in North Nashville and Metro’s juvenile justice program. It was started by Marcus Campbell, a pastor at the church and a former gang member, WKRN News 2 reports. Five teens graduated Wednesday from the program, created for high-risk teens with gang ties. Not all teens complete the program, which requires attendance at weekly classes and evidence of changed behavior. The valedictorian this week was 17-year-old Larry Benson, a former gang member with arrests for breaking and entering. He has a son and told WKRN he is focused on taking care of his family. “I was just being a person I know I’m not and I knew I could change,” Benson said. “I’m focusing on being good.” Last month, WKRN reported on a rash of crimes committed by teens in the days leading up to spring break. They included shootings, carjackings, armed robberies and high-speed pursuits. In one case also reported by The Tennessee Star, three teens were arrested for firing shots at a North Nashville market because they said they did…

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Commentary: Tax Reduction and Reform: President Trump Goes After The Swamp

Tennessee Star

by ConservativeHQ.com Staff Nothing embodies the Washington DC swamp better than the U.S. tax code: The Congressman and Senators who write it, the lobbyists who work to manipulate its arcane rules to benefit the inside few and the Internal Revenue Service that enforces it – or not – form one of Washington’s most fearsome iron triangles. And yesterday, President Donald Trump took them all on. The one-page outline for changes to the tax code the White House issued pinpointed numerous changes proposed by the President that would affect almost every American, and American business. The last major effort to successfully reform the U.S. tax code was over 30 years ago under President Reagan. The Reagan tax cuts and tax reform kicked-off two decades of economic growth, however, since then the supply-side economics underpinning the Reagan tax plan have been substantially eroded. Today, according to the IRS’ National Taxpayer Advocate, the federal tax code is nearly four million words long. Congress has made more than 5,900 changes to the federal tax code since 2001 alone, averaging more than one change a day. What’s more, with a corporate tax rate of 35%, US businesses face the highest statutory tax rate in the…

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Tea Party Activist Ben Cunningham Championing Charter Amendment to Limit Metro Nashville’s Debt

Tennessee Star

  Tea Party activist Ben Cunningham is leading an effort for a 2018 referendum that would limit Metro Nashville’s debt level, setting up a possible clash with regional plans for a $6 billion transit project. His proposed amendment to the Metro Nashville charter, the Nashville Debt Limit Charter Amendment,  would also require Metro government to set aside money for the future payment of benefits for retired Metro employees. “The Metro Nashville Charter is the primary governing document for Metro Nashville Government. The charter may be amended by (1)the Metro Council voting to place a charter amendment on the ballot or (2) the citizens may propose an amendment by petition,” the site says. The petition itself, also found on the site, says “The undersigned residents and qualified voters of Davidson County, Tennessee, do hereby propose the following amendment to the Metropolitan Charter to be voted on by the people at the first appropriate county-wide election occurring after August 6, 2017 as selected by the Davidson County Election Commission.” “If we submit the petition after August 6, 2018, we will probably need 6,000 to 8,000 signatures to get the charter amendment on the November 2018 ballot,” Cunningham told The Tennessee Star. There’s already a…

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School Voucher Bill Pushed To Next Year

Tennessee supporters of school vouchers will have to wait until next year for another shot at legislative approval. Rep. Harry Brooks (R-Knoxville) on Wednesday deferred his bill to next year. The proposed legislation was sponsored in the Senate by Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown). Vouchers allow students to attend private schools with taxpayer money. Supporters have been trying for seven years to get vouchers approved in Tennessee. This year’s bill would have allowed for a pilot program in Memphis. Voucher proponents say they empower parents to make educational choices for their children. Critics of vouchers say they drain money from public schools and violate the separation of church and state when children choose to attend religious schools. Chalkbeat reports: Many advocates had thought that limiting vouchers to Memphis would give this year’s proposal the support needed to become law, winning over wary lawmakers from elsewhere in Tennessee. They also hoped to benefit from national attention to private school choice efforts. President Donald Trump and his education secretary, Betsy DeVos, have both used their platforms to advocate for vouchers and similar programs. But in the end, disagreements over how private schools should be held accountable for academic results — as well as legislators’ exhaustion after…

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The $250 Million Education Bill the Democrats Reportedly Want in Return for IMPROVE Act Support is Still Alive

  Twenty-three of the 25 Democrats in the House voted for Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increasing IMPROVE Act last Wednesday,  amid rumors of a $250 million deal made between Governor Haslam and House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley) in a quid pro quo tradeoff: Democrats vote for the governor’s bill, the governor backs House Bill 841, sponsored by Fitzhugh, which appropriates $250 million from excess state tax revenue over-collected in fiscal years 2015-16 and 2016-17 to spend on education in the K-12 Block Grant Act. Democrats would have been expected to oppose the gas tax increase, given the many arguments that the IMPROVE Act’s tax cuts went largely to a handful of businesses, not middle class and working class voters who comprise the traditional Democratic constituency. The higher cost of living for middle class and working class voters resulting from the increased prices for food and other staples of life resulting from higher diesel taxes paid by trucking companies will likely not be offset by the small reductions in the sales tax on food. HB 841 was on the agenda for the House Finance Ways & Means Subcommittee meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 26, but Leader Fitzhugh said the plan is…

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Pew Research: Number of Illegal Immigrants from Mexico Going Down, Number from Central America and Asia Going Up

The number of illegal immigrants from Mexico is down, while the number from Central America and Asia is increasing, according to a new Pew Research study. Overall there has been a slight decline in the total number of illegal immigrants living in the U.S, with the number in 2015 falling below the total at the end of the recession for the first time. The number dipped from 11.3 million in 2009, the last year of the recession, to 11 million in 2015. The figure includes those who enter the country illegally as well as those who overstay visas. Some critics have challenged the total number in recent years, saying it’s probably far above 11 million. However, the Pew Research Center notes that some illegal immigrants are deported, others leave voluntarily or convert to legal status, and some die. The total number is still more than triple the size of the illegal immigrant population in 1990, when it was about 3.5 million, according to the Pew Research Center. It rose dramatically to 12.2 million in 2007 before dipping during the recession. Long the largest group among illegal immigrants, Mexicans now represent a lesser share of the overall illegal immigrant population than they…

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Siloam Health Chooses Not to Help Stop Female Genital Mutilation in Tennessee

Tennessee Star

  Working in partnership with Catholic Charities’ TN Office for Refugees, Siloam Health Care Services, Inc., headquartered in Nashville, serves as the Statewide Refugee Screening Coordinator for Tennessee and provides the initial domestic medical screening for refugees resettling in Middle Tennessee. Siloam also contracts with Christ Community Health Center in Memphis, and Cherokee Health Systems in Chattanooga and Knoxville to provide the medical screenings in East and West Tennessee where federal resettlement contractors are bringing refugees. Siloam has confirmed to the Tennessee Star that they do not screen for FGM as part of a refugee’s initial exam, and because Siloam says they don’t provide follow-up primary care for the refugees, they have no idea what the “actual prevalence of FGM among refugees” might be: Performing a pelvic exam is not a routine part of that first exam.  For that reason we can’t comment on how prevalent FGM is among the refugees that we screen.  Follow-up care (continuity of care or ongoing primary care) is with local TennCare practitioners in the county, so the actual prevalence of FGM among refugees may be known by others in our community. However, Siloam’s January 29, 2017, Facebook post expressly acknowledges the continuing medical-patient relationship with “many” of the refugees who…

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Legal Challenge in Hamilton County Targets Court Abuses in Fighting Criminal Charges on Appeal

By David Tulis / Noogaradio 1240 AM 92.7 FM Gubernatorial candidate and free-range motorist Basil Marceaux will appear before a Hamilton County Circuit Court next week to argue in one of a series of criminal cases whose defense is sending shudders through the legal system. Mr. Marceaux, 64, of Soddy-Daisy, has been in legal wrangling with the state’s judicial industrial complex for 16 years over the constitutional right to travel and the effects of policing on liberty. The main argument before Judge Neil Thomas on May 1 is that courts, lawyers, and city and county governments are ignoring a 2001 Tennessee Supreme Court case that quashes cities’ authority to punish people who are criminally accused. Mr. Marceaux had been given two weeks by Judge Thomas — and an extension — to propose how the jurist is to hear Mr. Marceaux’ appeal from Soddy-Daisy City Court under Judge Marty Lasley. The longtime legal activist insists that the Tennessee Supreme Court says that Tennessee cities are civil only, and do not have authority to exercise criminal jurisdiction and punishment. According to two cases from the high court, city jurisdiction is civil. Thus criminal cases cannot be heard in non-juried non-record courts such…

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LifeWay Research: More Than Half of Americans Have Read Little or None of the Bible

Many Americans say they own a Bible and have a positive view of it, but not many make a habit of reading it, a new LifeWay Research study has found. Church leaders have become increasingly worried about biblical literacy and the results show why. “Most Americans don’t know first-hand the overall story of the Bible—because they rarely pick it up,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, in a news release. “Even among worship attendees less than half read the Bible daily. The only time most Americans hear from the Bible is when someone else is reading it.” LifeWay Research, which is based in Nashville and is part of the Southern Baptist Convention, surveyed 1,000 people for the study. Few have a systematic plan for reading the Bible and more than half of Americans have read little or none of the Bible, the study shows. Not surprisingly, the study found that those who attend church regularly are more likely to read the Christian scripture daily. Women are more likely than men to read the Bible and Protestants are more likely than Catholics to read it. Evangelicals are more likely to read the Bible than those without evangelical beliefs. People in…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Presents Plans for ‘Income Diversity Within Neighborhoods’ and Mass Transit in State of Metro Address

In her second State of Metro address Wednesday morning, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry presented a laundry list of big-spending plans that liberals will love and make conservatives reach for their Tums. The Democratic mayor called for paid family leave for Metro employees and “income diversity within neighborhoods” that are “transit-oriented.” In addition, she wants environmental programs to make Nashville the “greenest city in the Southeast.” She also used progressive buzzwords about promoting racial and ethnic diversity and welcoming immigrants. “Nashville is a warm and welcoming place,” she said. “We build bridges, not walls, and we welcome and celebrate the diversity that makes us strong.” Barry delivered her State of Metro address outside Bridgestone Arena, where a stage and seating were set up to accommodate the public. The speech featured details of her $2.2 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2017-2018. The Metro Council will consider the proposal and hold public hearings. She said that Metro Nashville is expected to have the lowest combined property tax rate in its 54-year history of combined city-county government at less than $3.16 per $100 of assessed value following the 2017 property reappraisal. But new taxes are needed for roads and transit, she said. Barry praised passage of…

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Movie Critical of Charter Schools and Vouchers Shown at Nashville Film Festival

  A documentary taking a critical look at charter schools and vouchers was shown Tuesday evening at the Nashville Film Festival. “Backpack Full of Cash” was filmed partly in Nashville and features Metro Nashville school board member Amy Frogge, who attended Tuesday’s screening at the Regal Hollywood 27 at 100 Oaks. Both charter schools and vouchers were referred to in the movie as efforts toward privatization. Charter schools are publicly funded but privately run. Vouchers, sometimes called scholarships, allow students to attend private schools with public money. The title of the documentary refers to a metaphor used by a privatization proponent in the movie to illustrate how an allotted amount of taxpayer money follows each student to the school of their choice. Nashville has a number of charter schools and a voucher bill is currently moving through the state legislature. It will be heard Wednesday morning by the House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee. The issue of privatization has ignited powerful and emotional reactions but ones that don’t fall along traditional ideological lines, proving the adage that politics makes strange bedfellows. Some conservatives are strong proponents of privatization, but so are Bill and Melinda Gates, also known for supporting progressive causes. The…

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Commentary: Helping Children Succeed

In America, our students are grouped by chronological age and progress together through the K-12 system. While this might make sense socially, it ignores a student’s readiness. Students who start off struggling from the very beginning often can get a better start on their formal education if retained. Being promoted with their peer group only makes sense if they can make adequate academic progress.

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Boss Doss Admits To TDOT Contract After Being Elected

Tennessee Star

For the first time, State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma), who is the House sponsor of Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017” and is serving as Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, admitted to having a contract with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) since he was elected in 2012. The admission came during an interview with WSMV Monday, as he was attempting to refute conflict of interest charges related to his sponsorship of the IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017.” The potential conflict of interest, as reported by The Tennessee Star, was raised on March 27 via a letter from the Tennessee Republican Assembly (TRA) to Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) that called for an ethics investigation.  Rep. Doss, serving as Chairman of the Transportation Committee and House sponsor of Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act with his “capability to sway the committee” or “manipulation of the rules” with the outcome of the legislative process having the potential for “direct financial impact on his business” did not meet the “Guiding Principle” of avoiding even the appearance of conflicts, TRA said. Thus far, Speaker Harwell has not responded to the request for an investigation and Doss had not commented. That was until Monday, when Rep.…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry To Give State of Metro Address Wednesday

Tennessee Star

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry will deliver her second State of Metro address Wednesday morning at Bridgestone Arena. The event is open to the public and will be streamed live. The Democratic mayor will present details of her budget proposal and is expected to mention the tentative $6 billion regional mass transit plan to be phased in over 25 years. Barry is a champion of Gov. Bill Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, which raises the tax on gas for road improvements. The legislation also allows Metro Nashville and other municipalities to hold a referendum on raising local taxes to fund transit projects. The IMPROVE Act has been passed by the state legislature and Haslam will soon sign it into law. While Barry is popular among the city’s Democrats, her progressive views on a wide range of issues are excoriated by many conservatives. Barry said in a statement that Nashville’s growth presents challenges. “With new economic opportunity and growth comes a responsibility to ensure we continue to support the long-time residents and businesses that make up the heart of Nashville,” she said. “At this year’s State of Metro, I look forward to sharing my vision for how we can harness this growth and ensure…

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Liberty Counsel Criticizes Florida Teacher’s LGBT Activism

Liberty Counsel has put a school district in Florida on notice that unless it stops the actions of a lesbian teacher promoting LGBT activism and discriminating against Christian students, the nonprofit group will pursue legal action. The high school math teacher in the Tampa area has placed LGBT rainbow stickers on students’ notebooks and has prohibited Christian jewelry, Liberty Counsel said in a news release April 20. Lora Jane Riedas teaches at Riverview High School, part of Hillsborough County Public Schools. Her lesbian partner teaches at the same school and for school spirit week dressed as a nun and tweeted that she has “a bad habit” and the point is be “creepy,” the news release said. Claiming Christian cross necklaces are gang symbols, Riedas has prohibited at least three students from wearing them. In addition to being told to stop wearing her cross necklace, a ninth-grade student and client of Liberty Counsel faced several accusations of misbehavior after she removed the LGBT rainbow sticker from her class notebook, according to Liberty Counsel. Riedas is part of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) Leadership Institute. “The bullying behavior of Lora Jane Riedas is outrageous and unconstitutional,” said Liberty Counsel chairman…

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Constitution Series: How and Why Thirteen States Ratified the Constitution: 1787 – 1790 (Part Two)

Tennessee Star - Constitution Series

    This is Part Two in the fourth of twenty-five weekly articles in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Series. Students in grades 8 through 12 can sign up here to participate in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee, which will be held on September 23. (You can read Part One of How and Why Thirteen States Ratified the Constitution: 1787 – 1790 here.) On January 9, the same day Connecticut officially said yes, 370 delegates to the Massachusetts ratifying convention convened at the Massachusetts State House in Boston.     Everyone knew that the outcome in Massachusetts, the second most populous of the thirteen states, was critical, and that the issue was very much in doubt, as Federalists and Anti-Federalists jockeyed for position in the lead up to the convention. “When Paul Revere learned that Sam Adams and John Hancock were reluctant to offer their support for the Constitution during the ratification fight, he organized the Boston mechanics into a powerful force and worked behind the scenes for the successful approval by the Massachusetts convention,” Constitution Facts notes. Proceedings began on a sour note, an indication of the contentious discussions yet to come, when the delegates began to complain about their…

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No Screening for Female Genital Mutilation Among Arriving Refugees in Nashville During Initial Medical Exam

Siloam Health, staffed with full-time medical providers, is located in Nashville and operates as a “faith-based, volunteer-supported clinic for people with no health insurance and limited resources.” In 2012, Siloam estimated that eighty-six percent of its patients were foreign born. The health center contracts with Catholic Charities’ TN Office for Refugees to provide immunizations and initial medical screenings for refugees brought to Tennessee by the federal refugee resettlement contractors, but its medical director has no idea “how prevalent FGM is among the refugees that we screen.” Dr. Jim Henderson, Siloam’s medical director confirmed the health center follows the Center for Disease Control (CDC) “Domestic Medical Screening Guidelines for Newly Arrived Refugees” for the initial medical screening they provide and that: Performing a pelvic exam is not a routine part of that first exam.  For that reason we can’t comment on how prevalent FGM is among the refugees that we screen.  Follow-up care (continuity of care or ongoing primary care) is with local TennCare practitioners in the county, so the actual prevalence of FGM among refugees may be known by others in our community. The CDC offers twelve separate guidelines for a refugee’s initial medical screening including one for the “History and…

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Susan Gingrich Commentary: Imagine a Candidate

Tennesse Star

  By Susan Gingrich Can a person not born with a silver spoon in their mouth or with acquired great wealth be elected governor in Tennessee in 2018? Someone whose primary concern really is the taxpayers and all the citizens of Tennessee. An honest, truthful, God fearing person who loves family first and fellow Tennesseans next. Someone who worries about the physical security of people living in our state more than the financial security of big business. Could such a person be the conservative version of Bernie Sanders, generating a visceral and massive following from people fed up with Nashville and all the politicking as usual. Could the rightfully so, distrustful and cynical electorate believe, just one more time, that a candidate could make a difference in the lives of their families and in their small businesses? That a governor could actually be interested in what is really best for them, one who would share power with the people instead of concentrating on his legacy, raising money for the next election, and schmoozing with rich and powerful allies. An  official who that once elected didn’t treat taxpayers as irrelevant and invisible. Such an individual would not be the favorite of…

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Carol Swain: College Students In Safe Spaces Aren’t Being Educated

NASHVILLE, Tennessee–College administrators who provide students with safe spaces are robbing them of a good education, retiring Vanderbilt University professor Carol Swain said Monday evening in her final lecture at the school. The topic of her speech was “Political Correctness and the Decline of American Universities.” Swain, a nationally-known speaker and author who has taught law and political science at Vanderbilt since 1999, is famous for her bold Christian conservative views that have upset many on her university campus. Swain said universities across the country are encouraging progressive groupthink at the expense of a free exchange of ideas, which has a moderating influence that tends to drive out extremes. It’s “a very dangerous thing to do,” she said. Even though she disagrees with the idea of safe spaces, Swain said the irony is that it’s conservatives who would need them, because they are the ones being shamed into being compliant or silent. Those championing safe spaces don’t need the protections. “They actually own the campus,” she said. “They run the campus.” Swain cited problems that conservative thinkers and writers – namely Ann Coulter, Charles Murray and Heather Mac Donald – have had recently with being invited to speak on college…

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House Majority Leader Glen Casada Defends His Vote to Increase The Gas Tax

Tennessee Star

House Majority Leader Glen Casada (R-Franklin), issued a press release Monday defending his vote to increase the gas tax through Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, after initially announcing on February 8 his support for the alternative Hawk Plan. The press release was forwarded via email, addressed to “Friends,” stating “I wanted to forward a statement I released to the press regarding my vote on the IMPROVE Act.” If the comments on Rep. Casada’s Facebook page responding to posts on the gas tax, the overwhelming majority of which are against the gas tax, is representative of other feedback he’s been getting, it likely prompted Casada’s need to explain his vote. The cover email continued, Though I still believe there was a better way to fund road construction for Tennessee that did not raise taxes, I did vote for the amendment that was the IMPROVE Act.  My support for the alternative plan that would have shifted funds to the Department of Transportation without raising the gasoline tax died twice in committee and again on the House floor.  Thus, my only option was to do nothing on road funding, or vote for the IMPROVE Act – the next best vehicle available to attain our goal of…

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Bill Lee Announces Candidacy For Governor, Calls Gas Tax Increase ‘Water Under the Bridge Now’

Tennessee Star

NASHVILLE, Tennessee–Kicking off his campaign for governor Monday, Bill Lee described himself as a Ronald Reagan-admiring fiscal and social conservative whose leadership experiences in business and agriculture compensate for his lack of political experience. Lee, who is chairman of Lee Company, a large family-owned construction, facilities and home services company, is casting himself as a conservative outsider in the race for the Republican nomination. However, Lee’s hesitant position on Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase, which has passed both the House and Senate, is likely to disappoint conservatives who want candidates with a stronger anti-tax stance. “I’m opposed to raising taxes,” he told the media Monday morning at the Nashville Farmers’ Market, but he did not offer a definitive opinion on the gas tax increase. He said he might have handled it differently, but noted that the IMPROVE Act also included tax cuts and said the bill is “water under the bridge now.” When pressed, he said that because he wasn’t privy to all the legislative discussions surrounding the bill, he didn’t want to comment further.   (You can hear the audio below.) Lee was set Monday to launch his “95 Counties, 95 Days RV Tour” with his wife Maria, a…

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Christian Comedian Chonda Pierce’s Documentary To Screen Tuesday Only

Through the ups and downs of her life, Chonda Pierce has found a way to connect with others and make them laugh. Known as the “Queen of Clean,” the Christian comedian and Middle Tennessee resident doesn’t shy away from opening up about her struggles and heartache. She’s doing that once again with “Enough,” a documentary showing Tuesday only in 850 theaters across the U.S. The 90-minute film continues her story chronicled in a 2015 documentary called “Laughing in the Dark.” The Kentucky native got her start years ago portraying Minnie Pearl at the Opryland Theme Park. She went on to perform as a comedian across the country and author books. In 2013, the Recording Industry Association of America named her the top-selling female comedian in history, a category that included Christian and secular comedians. She endured through one of the hardest times of her life in 2014, when her husband David, an alcoholic, died of a stroke related to his drinking. The two had been together since becoming high school sweethearts decades earlier in Ashland City. Pierce has also been transparent about her struggles with the loss of her mother and problems with her estranged daughter. Through her comedy and…

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There is Nothing ‘Moderate’ About Female Genital Mutilation in Indonesia

According to Dr. Meiwita Budiharsana, a lecturer and Faculty of Public Health at the University of Indonesia: Around 60 million women, or half of the women in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim majority, is estimated to have undergone FGM. According to data collated by UNICEF, between 2010 – 2015, forty-nine percent of girls in Indonesia up to age fourteen have been mutilated with continuing strong support from religious leaders and parents. While visiting Indonesia last week Vice-President Pence, characterized the Muslim-majority country as following a “tradition of moderate Islam [which] is frankly an inspiration to the world and we commend you and your people.”   The Indonesian government tried to ban FGM in 2006 but the influential Indonesian Ulema Council, the country’s top Islamic religious organization, issued a fatwa (an authoritative ruling on Islamic law) that what they refer to as “female circumcision,” was part of a “strongly recommended” religious practice although not compulsory. According to Huzaemah Yanggo, the vice-president of the council’s fatwa commission: The MUI met with the health ministry, and explained that banning female circumcision was against human rights, and sharia law. The government says FGM in Indonesia is merely “tradition” the term typically used to refer to…

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6 Things Boss Doss Got Wrong In His Sales Pitch For Governor Haslam’s Gas Tax Increasing IMPROVE Act

  As the House sponsor of the IMPROVE Act Tax Cut Act of 2017 (HB 534), State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) was well versed on all of the related subject matter and respectful throughout his long and challenging sales pitch for Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act to the various committees and on the House floor. There were, however, several things Rep. Doss got wrong.  And, as former Majority Leader Gerald McCormick (R-Chattanooga) said several times through the process, “You can have your own opinions, but you can’t have your own facts.” Here are the top six things Boss Doss got wrong: 1. “I’ve been proud that we cut taxes by $300 million so far.” The state portion of the annual budget has grown from $13.7 billion in 2011-12 to a recommended $16.5 billion for 2017-18.  Since state law requires that all of the revenues be allocated, that’s a $2.8 billion, or 20 percent, increase in state spending in just six years. 2. The average family of 4 will recognize a monthly increase of $5.54 from the gas tax hike versus a savings in their food tax of $7.72, for a net savings of $2.18 per month. In terms of the…

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Constitution Series: How and Why Thirteen States Ratified the Constitution: 1787 – 1790

Tennessee Star - Constitution Series

    This is the fourth of twenty-five weekly articles in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Series. Students in grades 8 through 12 can sign up here to participate in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee, which will be held on September 23. When Benjamin Franklin emerged from the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787 and told Mrs. Powel the delegates had given Americans “a republic, if you can keep it,” he was anticipating that at least nine of the thirteen states who were joined together under the Articles of Federation would eventually ratify the Constitution. Franklin was right, of course, but it would take three long years before all thirteen states were in the fold of the new republic. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention believed in the concept of the sovereignty of the people, so they made sure that the new republic would not be formally organized until two-thirds of the states–nine out of thirteen–held conventions to ratify the Constitution and their participation in the new republic. Until then, the United States of America, as a country, existed, but under the weak terms of the Articles of Confederation. Once nine states ratified the Constitution, that old form of…

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Commentary: Will Democrats Ride a Wave in 2018 or More Likely Just Wipeout?

Jeffrey A. Rendall April 21, 2017 For a collection of people who have been so wrong about virtually everything since 2012, Democrats sure are a confident lot in predicting what the future holds for Donald Trump and the Republican party. After the disastrous (at least for Republicans) 2012 election, Democrats arrogantly boasted they were unstoppable. Mr. “Hope and Change” Barack Obama was set for four more years in the White House where he would use the time to cement his radical leftist agenda into the federal statute books. The Senate was firmly in WipeoutHarry Reid’s hands with a 53-47 majority. The House remained under Republican control but was led by the feckless and ineffective establishmentarian Speaker John Boehner, a man so inept even own his party base couldn’t stand him. Everyone knew – including Republicans and conservatives – the spray-tanned, chain smoking, Merlot guzzling, often sobbing Boehner would prove to be but a speed bump on the Obama highway to hegemony. Democrats used their dominance to boldly project an end to the Republican Party unless its members adopted key elements of the Obama agenda, including unfettered immigration and same-sex marriage. Then came 2014 where Republicans gained seven Senate seats to…

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Williamson County Businessman Bill Lee to Run for GOP Gubernatorial Nomination

  “Williamson County businessman Bill Lee, who is filing as a candidate for Governor tomorrow, will hold a media availability at the Nashville Farmers’ Market, talking about the kickoff of his ’95 Counties, 95 Days RV Tour’ and his plans as he begins his campaign running for Governor of Tennessee,” Lee’s campaign said in a media advisory released on Sunday: Bill Lee is the Chairman of Lee Company, a family-owned construction, facilities and home services company with offices and operations throughout Middle Tennessee, Northern Alabama and Southern Kentucky. Lee Company employs more than 1,100 people. Lee currently serves on the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Belmont University Board of Trustees, is president of Tennesseans for Economic Growth and is past chairman of the YMCA of Middle Tennessee. He serves on the board of Men of Valor Prison Ministry and has been involved with in faith-based ministries in Africa, Central America, Haiti and Iraq. The event will be held at the Nashville Farmers’ Market, located at 900 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard in Nashville. Lee joins former Haslam administration TECD commissioner Randy Boyd, a successful Knoxville businessman, as the only announced candidate for the GOP nomination for Governor. Former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Monday, April 24

Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing April 24, Monday 2 Timothy 3:1-17 1But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. 10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to…

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Letter to the Editor: Governor Tim Burchett?

Burchett

  Dear Tennessee Star, With Dr. Mark Green’s nomination to be the next Secretary of the Army it has left many in the state desperately trying to find a true conservative candidate they can support in next years gubernatorial race. There is one person that all conservatives can support, that person is Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, if he decides to throw his hat in the race. ● Why Burchett? As mayor he’s proven himself to be a fiscal conservative. Burchett isn’t afraid to stand up to anyone in his fight for limited government, even special interest groups that are influential at the local level. During one of his ‘budget fights’ with the schools he had this to say, “I want to very respectfully say that it is easy to claim that more money will solve our problems, but we need only to look to Washington, D.C., though, to see that this is simply not true.” When the big government folks on the School Board wanted more money which would have resulted in a tax increase he pledged to veto any measure to raise taxes. Gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd even testified before the Knox County Commission in support of the massive…

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Pence Optimism About Islam And Indonesia Misplaced

Mike Pence

  by George Rasley, ConservativeHQ.com Editor During Vice President Mike Pence’s recent visit to Indonesia he praised Indonesia for its “tradition of modern Islam.” We wish that the Vice President’s remarks reflected reality, but our experience living and working in Indonesia tells us that the Vice President’s optimism that a secular Indonesia will serve as a bulwark against Islamism spreading through Southeast Asia is misplaced and based more on wishful thinking by American Pence in Indonesia policymakers than it is on fact and history. When the Dutch arrived as colonial conquers, Islam was already firmly established in Sumatra and a Muslim dynasty had just completed the conquest of the Hindu kingdoms of Java, the largest and most populous island in the Indonesian archipelago of some 17,508 islands, of which 922 are permanently inhabited. The colonial wars that followed slowed, but did not stop the advance of Islam through the islands, which were not a united country, but a series of local fiefdoms and tribal societies. The Dutch made desultory attempts to Christianize Indonesia with missionaries succeeding to convert the majority on some islands, such as Ambon. The Dutch made use of the Ambonese as policemen and advanced other Christian Indonesians in…

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Metro Nashville School Nurses Receive No Formal Training On Female Genital Mutilation

Tennessee Star

Metro Nashville school nurses have not received formal training on how to spot potential cases of female genital mutilation despite state lawmakers drawing attention to FGM with legislation in 2012. The 2012 law requires health care providers to report injuries related to FGM, a brutal practice in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia that has been brought into the West through immigration. In the U.S., Tennessee is ranked 18th in state rankings for potential risk for women and girls, according to the Population Reference Bureau. The Tennessee Star has found that state and local agencies have not established clear guidelines and procedures for building awareness and documenting FGM cases to comply with the spirit and intent of the 2012 reporting law, which was passed to support state legislation in 1996 making FGM performed on a minor a felony. School nurses in Metro Nashville Public Schools are required to take an annual training course on reporting child abuse but it makes no mention of FGM. The Metro Nashville school district has refugee and immigrant students from Somalia and other parts of the world where FGM is practiced. “The annual course does not cover FGM specifically,” said Brian Todd, a spokesman for…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Sunday, April 23

Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing April 23, Sunday Romans 7:6 But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. 2 Corinthians 7:16 I rejoice, because I have perfect confidence in you. 2 Timothy 1:7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

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Former Memphis Area Transit Authority CEO Makes Plea Deal In Prostitution Case

Facing charges of patronizing prostitution, the former chief executive officer of the Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) made a plea deal Friday. Ronald Garrison, 60, entered an Alford plea, which is a guilty plea on the record but without an admission of guilt, according to a news release issued by the Shelby County district attorney’s office. An Alford plea is an acknowledgment that the prosecution has strong evidence. Garrison was placed on six months diversion. He can ask the General Sessions Criminal Court to have the misdemeanor offense cleared from his record if he abides by the terms of the diversion, which includes avoiding any new arrests. Garrison was one of 42 people charged in a police sting in January. The defendants responded to online ads posted by undercover agents posing as prostitutes. WREG News Channel 3 reported that Garrison agreed to pay a decoy for sex, but was uncomfortable when he got to a motel room in Cordova to meet the undercover officer and left. He was then detained. Garrison resigned the day before news of his arrest broke, citing health reasons. He had been CEO of MATA since 2014. Immigration and Customers Enforcement (ICE) was involved in the sting…

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