Metro Council Advances Hotel Tax Increase, Use of Funds Restricted to New Titans Stadium

Metro Nashville Council on Tuesday increased the city’s hotel occupancy tax. The increased funds from the tax hike are required by state law to be used solely for the construction and future capital improvements and the associated debt service of a new enclosed stadium with seating for at least 50,000.

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No Financial Data Reported for Maricopa County Recorder Richer’s PAC Since October 22, Two Weeks Prior to Election

While Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer is coming under increased scrutiny for his founding and operation of a political action committee (PAC), the next required opportunity for the public’s visibility on his PAC’s activity is mid-January nearly two months after he sought to influence the November 8 general election.

According to the Arizona Secretary of State website regarding campaign finance reporting dates, filings for the post-general election period of October 23 to December 31, 2022, are not due until the earliest date of January 1 and not later than January 17, 2023.

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Sumner County Commission Votes to Return Comer Barn to Rogers Group and $250,000 Grant to the State

At the regularly scheduled meeting on November 14, the Sumner County Board of Commissioners in an unprecedented move voted to return the Comer Barn to the Rogers Group and give back a $250,000 grant to the State of Tennessee.

The resolution rescinds all previous actions and resolutions accepting ownership of the Comer Barn, relinquishing previous deeds so that ownership and control is given back to the Rogers Group.

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East Bank Stadium Committee Holds First Public Comment Session

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The East Bank Stadium Committee (EBSC) held its first of five public comment sessions Monday night at the East Nashville Magnet High School.

The EBSC was formed in June by Vice Mayor Jim Shulman to lead the efforts related to any potential legislation and to serve as a central place to gather information for the Council and the public, but will not be taking any votes.  

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Council Member Says Economist’s Free Report Was More Valuable than Paid VSG Report

At the Thursday evening meeting of the East Bank Stadium Committee, a council member praised an economist’s presentation about public investment in sports stadiums as more valuable than the paid report the council approved a company to do.

Professor of Economics, Finance and Quantitative Analysis at Kennesaw State University, J.C. Bradbury, delivered an information-dense presentation in rapid-fire fashion to the East Bank Stadium Committee (EBSC), of which Council Member Delishia Porterfield (District 29) was highly complimentary and appreciative, especially in comparison to the Vision Stadium Group (VSG) report that had a cost of at least $250,000.

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Sumner County Commission Passes Resolution Calling Out Local School System for Inappropriate Books

GALLATIN, Tennessee – Sumner County’s Board of Commissioners passed a resolution Monday night that calls out Sumner County Schools (SCS) for having books in the system’s libraries that contain pornographic material and divisive concepts, in apparent violation of two different sections of Tennessee state law.

After about 90 minutes of debate and hearing from SCS Chief Academic Officer Scott Langford, the measure passed with a vote of 15 yes, 5 no and 1 abstention, after an earlier debate that resulted in adding the item to the agenda.

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Metro Council Gives Approval for Mayor Cooper’s Office to Pursue Development Partner for Stadium Area

At its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening, Metro Council gave approval for Mayor John Cooper’s office to pursue a solicitation for development of a portion of the Nissan Stadium campus.

By voice vote, an amended RS2022-1828 was approved unanimously, having advanced through three committees unanimously after it had been deferred at a previous Council meeting.

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Voters Overwhelmingly Choose Republicans and Conservative Ballot Measures in Sumner County

In Sumner County, voters overwhelmingly approved conservative ballot measures and chose Republicans in the November 8 state-level elections as well as many municipal general elections, even though the latter are non-partisan.

With a total of 52,879 votes cast of 130,654 registered voters, the turnout was 40 percent, according to the unofficial results posted by the Sumner County Election Commission.

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The NFL Has No Documented Standards for ‘First Class,’ but Phrase Appears Numerous Times in New Titans Stadium Term Sheet

There is not a manual that states the NFL standards for stadiums, even though the language of “first class” is carried forward from the current stadium lease agreement and incorporated in the term sheet between Metro Nashville, the Sports Authority, the Tennessee Titans and the to-be-formed StadiumCo for the new stadium.

Burke Nihill, President and CEO of the Tennessee Titans (pictured above) shared the insight with the Nashville Metropolitan Sports Authority, at a special-called meeting held on Thursday, November 10 at Nissan Stadium, the team’s current home.

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Titans Release Nissan Stadium Renovation Plan Mayor Cooper’s Office Claimed Is ‘Proprietary’

At the end of the November 7 meeting of the East Bank Stadium Committee, a representative for the Tennessee Titans came forward and agreed to make public a plan to renovate Nissan Stadium developed on behalf of the team that Mayor John Cooper’s office has claimed is “proprietary.”

After questioning by several of the committee members, James Weaver, partner at Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis LP and representing the Titans said they would be happy to share the plan with council.

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Trump Reserved as Results Came In to Mar-a-Lago Election Night Event

PALM BEACH, Florida – As the November 8, 2022, election night results rolled in to Mar-a-Lago, the resort membership club and primary residence of 45th U.S. President Donald J. Trump, he was uncharacteristically reserved in his comments and interactions with those in attendance.

With some polls closing as early as 7 p.m. Eastern time, including the swing state of Georgia, it became evident early on in the evening that the forecasted “red tsunami” was going to fall well short of predictions.

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Term Sheet Calls for Seven Separate ‘Definitive Agreements’ for the Stadium Projects

When Nashville Mayor John Cooper and the Tennessee Titans announced on October 17 that they had reached an agreement to build a new stadium, a 27-page term sheet was released that outlines the principal terms and conditions for the financing, development, construction, operation, use and occupancy of the multi-purpose, enclosed stadium.

The term sheet, however, is subject to the negotiation, preparation, execution and delivery of seven “Definitive Agreements” by the four parties – Metro Nashville government (Metro), the Nashville Sports Authority (the Authority), the Tennessee Titans (the Club) and a to-be-formed entity under common control of the Titans referred to as StadiumCo.

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Titans Promote Community Benefits Programs to East Bank Stadium Committee, Advocacy Group Pushes for Formal Agreements

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – At the Wednesday meeting of Metro Council’s specially formed East Bank Stadium Committee, members heard from the Tennessee Titans promoting their recently introduced community benefits platform and an advocacy group that recommended formal agreements for the communities that are to be served.

The Titans announced their ONE Community benefits platform just days after the joint announcement with Mayor John Cooper that the parties reached an agreement for a new football stadium.

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Metro Council Defers Stadium Term Sheet and East Bank Development to Future Meetings

The resolution to approve the term sheet, which gives an overview of the terms and conditions of the agreements and transactions for the financing, construction and operation of a new domed stadium adjacent to the existing Nissan Stadium which will then be demolished, was deferred for two meetings. Both the Budget and Finance Committee and the Public Facilities, Arts and Culture Committees had previously voted to defer for two meetings.

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VSG Report Released That Claims to Substantiate Estimate of $2.1 Billion to Renovate Nissan Stadium

The much-anticipated report from VSG (Venue Solutions Group), which claims to substantiate the estimated $2.1 billion in projected costs to renovate Nissan Stadium was released Tuesday.

The previous estimates for an upgrade to the stadium to the “first-class condition” required in the 1996 stadium lease agreement at costs ranging between $1.75 to $1.95 billion is what is driving the argument for a new stadium.

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Gallatin Councilmen Suggest They May Donate Land Needed for City’s Street-Widening Project

Two Gallatin councilmen who purchased property that the city needs for a street widening project suggested that they may donate to the city the land necessary for the right of way.

The property in question is located on East Smith Street, on the back side of Sumner County’s $100 million justice center approved by the county commission in 2019 and currently under construction.

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‘The Cart Before the Horse’: Metro Council Member Courtney Johnston on Approval of the Stadium Term Sheet

Metro Council Member Courtney Johnston (District 26) says that the recent request by the mayor’s office that the city’s legislative body approve the stadium term sheet between Metro Nashville and the Tennessee Titans is a matter of “the cart before the horse.”

Johnston initially made the point during the October 26 meeting of the East Bank Stadium Committee, at which time the mayor’s representative Finance Director Kelly Flannery asked for approval of the resolution attaching the term sheet, a 1 percent increase in the hotel occupancy tax (HOT) and advancing a request for proposal to search of a developer for the Stadium Campus, and reinforced it several times relative to more than one point during a telephone interview with The Tennessee Star on Saturday.

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$300 Million in Capital Improvements to Titans Stadium Identified in 2017 Report Averaged $12 Million per Year for 20 Years

The near $300 million in capital improvements recommended in a 2017 report by Venue Solutions Group (VSG) would have resulted in an average of $12 million in expenditures per year for the following 20 years.

The 159-page Facility Condition Assessment was prepared on behalf of Metro Nashville Government (Metro) and the Metro Sports Authority (Authority) to benchmark the condition of the Tennessee Titans stadium.

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Nashville East Bank Stadium Committee Takes Critical Look at Titans Stadium Proposal

Nashville’s East Bank Stadium Committee met Wednesday evening in the Council Chambers at City Hall to take its first critical look at the Tennessee Titans stadium proposal announced last week by Nashville Mayor John Cooper and the team.

The meeting was held a day after the team shared renderings of its new potential stadium, created by the same architectural firm that worked on Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium.

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Newly Drawn House District 35 Republican Primary Includes a Former Registered Democrat and an Out-of-District Candidate

The Sumner and Trousdale County newly drawn Tennessee House District 35 Republican primary is a three-way race with one of the candidates being a registered Democrat in another state and another living out of the district.

The State House District 35 seat was held by conservative Republican Representative Jerry Sexton until the recent redistricting, which put Sexton in House District 10 currently held by Representative Rick Eldridge (R-Morristown). The new District 35 encompasses the portions of Sumner and Trousdale Counties that has been represented by Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster).

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Attorney on Proposed Charter Amendment 1: Forever Eliminates Citizens’ Ability to Amend the Metro Charter for Any Reason

The attorney behind 4GoodGovernment and its Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act, Jim Roberts, told The Tennessee Star that the proposed Amendment 1 to the Charter of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County forever eliminates citizens’ ability to amend the charter for any reason.

Roberts is well-versed on the topic of Metro charter amendments, having successfully navigated the petition process for the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act (NTPA) twice, but a lawsuit by Metro government kept it from being put on the ballot.

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Five Candidates Seek Republican Nomination for Tennessee House District 32 Open Seat

Five Republicans are seeking the nomination for the Tennessee House District 32 open seat, created by the retirement of five-term Representative Kent Calfee (R-Kingston).

The winner of the Republican primary on August 4 will face off against Democrat Jan Hahn, who is running unopposed in the primary, to represent citizens of Roane and a small portion of Loudon County. The district includes not only the city of Oak Ridge, but the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, production site of the Manhattan Project’s atomic bomb, as well as the Y-12 National Security Complex.

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Elaine Davis and Janet Testerman are Set to Face Off for Tennessee House District 18, Knox County’s Only Contested Republican Primary

With one-term Representative Eddie Mannis deciding not to run for another term, Tennessee House District 18 is the only one of Knox County’s seven state House districts that will have a contested Republican primary on the August 4 ballot.

Elaine Davis, Former Knox County Commissioner and former Vice Chair of the Knox County Republican Party will face off against Knoxville City Council member-at-large Janet Testerman in the district that lies mainly in West Knoxville and is now considered to be slightly more conservative after the recent redistricting that picked up a small portion of South Knox.

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Five City of Hendersonville Aldermen Halt Residents’ Vote on Term Limits for Aldermen and Mayor

The vote of five members of the City of Hendersonville Board of Mayor and Alderman (BOMA) halted a ballot initiative that would allow residents to vote on term limits for the city alderman and mayor.

The vote on Ordinance 2202-09 relative to term limits for members of the board of mayor and alderman, which was up for a second reading on Tuesday, June 28 and required a two-thirds majority to pass, failed for receiving just eight of the necessary nine positive votes.

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Gallatin City Councilman Defends His Proposed De-Annexation of Individual Property Owner

GALLATIN, Tennessee – The Gallatin City Councilman who proposed de-annexation of an individual property owner for complaining about the city defended his proposal, even as he agreed to “put it to bed” at the council’s work session Tuesday, June 28.

“I was just trying to do this to help,” claimed Shawn Fennell, Councilman at Large, to the standing room only crowd in the Dr. Deotha Malone Chambers at Gallatin City Hall.

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Democrats Trying to Make Inroads in Republican-Controlled Sumner County

While every office in Sumner County in which a partisan election has been held is currently controlled by Republicans, Democrats are making a run at several seats during the 2022 election cycle.

On the August 4 combination ballot that includes the general election for county offices and a primary for state and federal offices, Democrats are vying for eight of the four dozen total seats electors will be voting on.

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Gallatin City Council Proposes De-Annexation of a Single Property, Eliminating the Owner as a Candidate for Gallatin City Council

The Gallatin City Council made a proposal at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening to de-annex the property of a resident who pulled a petition as a candidate in the November election for the Gallatin City Council earlier that same day.

De-annexing the property would effectively eliminate the owner from running in a city election.

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Tennessee-Based Nurse Freedom Network Hosting ‘Healthcare Homecoming’ Featuring Dr. Peter McCullough

The Tennessee-based Nurse Freedom Network is hosting a Healthcare Homecoming Saturday and Sunday, June 11 and June 12 that will focus in restoring patients’ rights and truth in medicine and will feature the world-renowned Dr. Peter McCullough.

The free event, held Saturday from 3 to 8 p.m. at The Shed, located at the Factory in Franklin, Tennessee and will include around two dozen speakers and entertain. A fundraising dinner with Dr. Peter McCullough that will support the Nurse Freedom Network will be held Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Historic Maple Lawn in Brentwood.

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Madison County Republican Mayoral Nominee Sought Votes from Democrats, Independents in Republican Party Primary

Evidence points to the Madison County Republican mayoral nominee pursuing and receiving votes from Democrats and independents in the Republican Party primary held on May 3.

A.J. Massey in a three-way race won the Republican primary for Madison County mayor with just over 50 percent of the nearly 10,000 votes cast in the primary that saw 19 percent turnout, according to Madison County’s election results.

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Deployment of Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes in Georgia Looks Significantly Different in First Statewide Election Since January 2021

With the Georgia General Assembly’s passage of the Election Integrity Act of 2021, otherwise known as SB202, the application of absentee ballot drop boxes looks significant different in the first statewide elections since the January 5, 2021, federal runoff and special election for Georgia’s two U.S. Senate seats.

The use of drop boxes in the November 2020 presidential and January 2021 elections were enabled by an emergency rule promulgated by the State Election Board in June of 2020. During the November 2020 election, more than 300 absentee ballot drop boxes were deployed throughout the state, funded with $45 million in “Zuck Bucks” that flowed through the Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL) into Georgia, according to analysis conducted by Capital Research Center.

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U.S. Election Assistance Commission Identifies Pierce County, Washington, for Best Practices in Chain of Custody for Vote-by-Mail Ballots Deposited in Drop Boxes

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) recognized Pierce County, Washington for its practices related to the chain of custody that helps track pick-up and chain of custody of vote-by-mail election ballots deposited in drop boxes.

Pierce County was an EAC “Clearie” Award winner in 2021 for outstanding innovations in elections for large jurisdictions. Having over 550,000 registered voters, Pierce County is Washington state’s second largest jurisdiction.

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Nashville Councilman Freddie O’Connell Announces Plan to Run for Mayor in 2023

Metro Nashville Councilman for District 19 Freddie O’Connell announced, according to The Tennessean on Thursday, that he plans to run as Nashville’s next mayor in 2023.

O’Connell has been a councilmember since 2015, serving the downtown and Germantown area of Nashville.

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Michael Patrick Leahy and Guest Grant Henry Discuss New Film Debuting Locally on Monday, ‘2000 Mules,’ Which Catches Blue-Ballot Harvesters Red-Handed in Georgia

Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, hosts Leahy and Henry discussed the upcoming movie, 2000 Mules by Dinesh D’Souza debuting Monday at the Thoroughbred 20 in Franklin, Tennessee.

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The Real Story of How the Tennessee GOP Followed the Party’s Bylaws to Disqualify Three Candidates from the TN-5 Primary Ballot

Many national and local news outlets have reported inaccurately about the process by which the Tennessee Republican Party (TRP) disqualified three candidates from the August 4, 2022 GOP primary ballot in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District on April 19, 2022.

In the immediate aftermath of this decision made by the TRP in accordance with its bylaws and the laws of Tennessee, Robby Starbuck (legal name Robert Starbuck Newsom), one of the three disqualified candidates, delivered a series of press interviews and social media statements in which he made false claims about the integrity of the TRP’s process in handling his disqualification.

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Newly Released Drop Box Videos in Detroit Reveal Multiple Issues During November 2020 Election

Three video clips from drop box locations in Detroit released this week reveal multiple issues that occurred with absentee ballots during the November 2020 election.

The absentee ballot drop box video evidence was shared Thursday in a series of three tweets by 45th President Donald Trump’s spokeswoman, Liz Harrington.

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Tennessee Legislature Votes to Grow State Government $3 Billion and 16 Percent More than the Growth of Tennesseans’ Incomes

Tennessee Capital building

Members of the Tennessee General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a bill Thursday that acknowledges that the growth in state government this year exceeds the growth of Tennessean’s income by $3 billion, or 16 percent.

The action by the legislature is mandated by the Tennessee Constitution in Article II, Section 24 when state spending grows faster than its economy.

The measure, commonly known as the Copeland Cap, was named for its House sponsor of the constitutional amendment, the late Republican State Representative David Copeland of Ooltewah, who passed away in 2019.

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Donald Trump, Jr. Headlines Medina County Republicans’ Lincoln Day Dinner with Gubernatorial Hopeful Jim Renacci

Donald Trump, Jr. was on the campaign trail in Ohio with gubernatorial candidate Jim Renacci who looks on as the 45th President’s eldest son speaks to supporters at a private reception at the Republican Party of Medina County Lincoln Day Dinner held at the Galaxy Banquet Center Wednesday evening.

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Metro Nashville Police Department Confirms Deputy Chief, Currently Running for Political Office, Under Two Internal Investigations

Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Deputy Chief Chris Taylor, who is currently running for political office, is under two separate internal investigations by the Office of Professional Accountability (OPA), the MNPD Public Affairs confirmed Thursday to The Tennessee Star.

The OPA is investigating a complaint received this year concerning Taylor wearing his uniform while off-duty in Sumner County as well as interaction with staff at the MNPD Training Academy, Public Affairs Director Don Aaron told The Star in an email.

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Tennessee Revenues for March $348.8 Million More than Budgeted, Annual Surplus Hits $2.5 Billion

Tennessee tax revenues for the month of March exceeded budgeted estimates by $348.8 million, putting the fiscal year surplus at $2.5 billion, reported Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Butch Eley in a statement Thursday.

March tax revenues totaling $1.6 billion were $286.8 million or 22.78 percent higher than the state received in March 2021.

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Tennessee General Assembly May Enable Illegal Immigrants to Acquire Commercial and Professional Licenses

The Tennessee General Assembly may be preparing to enable illegal immigrants to acquire commercial and professional licenses in the state.

The bill which could accomplish this, HB2309, narrowly passed in the Tennessee House of Representatives on Monday in a 56 to 35 vote, with 35 Republicans joining 15 Democrats and 3 Republicans present and not voting, led by bill sponsor State Rep. Bill Freeman (D-Nashville).

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Metro Nashville Police Department Deputy Chief Running for Political Office Appears to Be in Violation of Department Policy, Wearing Uniform Off-Duty

A Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Deputy Chief who is running for political office in his home of Sumner County, appears to be violating department policy by wearing his police uniform while off-duty.

MNPD Deputy Chief Chris Taylor, who as a resident of Sumner County is currently a member of the Sumner County Board of Commissioners, is running in the May 3 Republican primary for the office of Sumner County Mayor.

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Governor Kemp and Lt. Governor Duncan Block Key Election Integrity Measure to Unseal Ballots: VoterGA

A key integrity measure of unsealing election ballots in Georgia was blocked by Gov. Brian Kemp and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan right before the Georgia Senate adjourned sine die on Monday, according to a press release from VoterGA.

The non-partisan, non-profit election integrity organization’s co-founder Garland Favorito detailed that Duncan’s subversive actions regarding SB89 were at the request of Kemp.

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Congressman Mark Green Introduces Legislation Prohibiting Federal Funds to Schools Violating State Laws on Harmful Materials

The No Obscene Teaching in Our Schools Act, also known as the NOT in Our Schools Act, was introduced with fellow Tennessee delegation Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), according to a press release from Green’s office.

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Tennessee Republican Legislators Look to Strip Parents of Consent in Vaccinating Their Minor Children Against STDs, Parental Rights Watchdog Says

Bob Ramsey and Richard Briggs

Legislation sponsored by Republicans that is advancing through the Tennessee legislature would strip parents of their consent relative to their children receiving vaccines against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), a parental rights group said in a recent call to action.

Two bills with placeholder language, known as “caption” bills, caught the attention of Stand for Health Freedom (SHF), a nonprofit launched in 2019 that is dedicated to protecting basic human, constitutional and parental rights, according to the organization’s website.

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State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver Says She Was ‘Cancelled’ by Republicans on the Important Issue of Parental Rights

Weaver’s “Parent Bill of Rights Act,” filed as HB2451, was assigned to the Health Subcommittee as its first stop. While the bill got a motion by Rep. David Byrd (R-Waynesboro), it failed to get a second for the merits of the bill to even be discussed or debated.

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Source: Tennessee Democratic Leaders Plan to Take Iraq Vet State Rep. John Mark Windle off Ballot

After bouncing five Democrats off the ballot in the 2020 cycle, a source familiar with the workings of the Tennessee Democratic Party’s executive committee told The Tennessee Star their next target is State Rep. John Mark Windle (D.-41th District).

The source said Windle, who has served in the state’s House since 1991, is on the block because he supports gun rights.

The plan, if executed, is to have the committee vote to remove Windle from the ballot, in effect declaring him no longer a valid Democrat, after the April 7 deadline for candidates to qualify for the ballot, the source said.

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House Sponsor Holds Meeting to Hear Opponents of Bill That Preempts Local Governments from Prohibiting Energy Infrastructure, Legislation Advances in Tennessee Senate

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – A meeting to hear opponents of a bill that preempts local governments from prohibiting energy infrastructure was held Monday morning by the House bill sponsor. Meanwhile, the Senate version of the bill advanced through the committee process.

Rep. Kevin Vaughan (R-Collierville), sponsor of HB2246, announced that he scheduled the meeting during the March 8 meeting of the House Commerce Committee he chairs. During the same committee meeting, Vaughan bid adieu to the Interstate Compact bill he also sponsored, The Tennessee Star reported.

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16 Months After the Election, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger Makes New Claim About Why Trump Lost the Election in Georgia

The reason that President Trump lost in the state of Georgia, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is now claiming 16 months after the November 2020 general election, is that 28,000 Georgians skipped the race.

“The brutal truth is that 28,000 Georgians skipped the presidential race. And that’s why President Trump came up short,” Raffensperger said. Meanwhile, Georgians voted down-ballot for state representative, state senator, congressman, but did not vote for anyone for president, according to Raffensperger’s latest claim, Rome News-Tribune reported.

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Tennessee Revenues for February $212 Million More Than Budgeted

Tennessee tax revenues for February of $1.2 billion exceeded the budgeted estimate of $1.03 billion by $212 million or 20.6 percent, Commissioner of the Department Finance and Administration Butch Eley announced Friday.

February 2022 revenues were also $111.7 million more than what the state received in taxes in February 2021, reflecting a growth rate of nearly 10 percent.

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Proposed Legislation Would Eliminate State Court’s Deference to State Agencies in a Lawsuit

Legislation being considered by the Tennessee General Assembly would eliminate the current practice of state courts giving deference to state agencies in interpreting statutes or rules in a contested case. If passed, the law would require that state courts interpret the state or rule de novo or from the beginning or start.

Sen. Mike Bell (R-Riceville) presented the bill, SB2285, Wednesday to the Senate Government Operations Committee, of which he is a member. While committee members often present their bills from their usual chair, Bell told Chairman Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield) he would be going to the podium, expecting he might be using his hands a bit.

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