Month: February 2017

Gov. Haslam Defends His Gas Tax Proposal on Nashville’s Morning News With Ralph Bristol

Tennessee Star Staff

Gov. Haslam appeared on 99.7 FM WWTN’s Nashville Morning News with Ralph Bristol on Thursday to defend his controversial proposal to increase the gas tax by 7 cents per gallon (from 21 cents to 28 cents) to fund more road construction. His proposal also increases the diesel tax by 12 cents per gallon (from 18 cents to 30 cents). Haslam specifically took aim at the increasingly popular alternative to his proposal, the Hawk Plan, which would fund road construction by reallocating 0.25 percent of the 7 percent state sales tax from the general fund to road construction. “Your main opposition to the alternative to your plan, the Hawk Plan . . . is that that would shift the burden for paying for our roads and bridges from out-of-state users of the roads to Tennesseans unrelated to their road usage. Do you have any way to quantify that balance now and how much shift this would produce?” Bristol asked. “We’re in the process of doing that. I think it’s safe to say that the increase I’m proposing for fuel that half of that would come from either out of state automobile drivers or trucking companies,” Haslam told Bristol. “That’s actually not…

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Commentary: Refugees and Students of Middle Eastern Descent Fueling Anti-Semitism on Tennessee Campuses

Chris Alto

Shortly after fall 2016 classes started at UT Knoxville, The Algemeiner, an online Jewish newspaper, posted a lengthy article describing a “ring of anti-Israel students” at UTK they claim has “created a ‘cesspool’ of antisemitism and racist behavior” initially discovered by an investigative group called “Canary Mission.” Students were identified mostly through their tweets spreading extreme racist and anti-Jewish messages through two campus groups – Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Muslim Students Association (MSA). SJP is described by the Anti-Defamation League as the “primary organizer of anti-Israel events on U.S. college campuses.” The SJP chapter at UTK was started by Amira Sakalla born in the U.S. but describes herself as a Palestinian-American. The SJP chapter at Vanderbilt University was started by Arkansas native Hytham Al-Hindi whose father immigrated from Jordan to the U.S. Tweets from current and former students at MTSU, Memphis University and Southwest TN Community College were also discovered with messages like “Israel is a terror state we need a new Hitler”, “May Allah annihilate the Jewish dogs” and “contemplating if we should get another Hitler to put you in concentration camps and wipe you all out.” Some of the students were members of their…

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Critics: Whacky 9th District Court of Appeals Ignore Basic Legal Principals, Side with Open Borders Zealots

Christina Botteri

Thursday evening, America’s dinner hour was interrupted by an unsavory display of jurist malpractice as the 9th District Court of Appeals once again lived up to its reputation as the Most Incompetent Court in the nation. The Court ruled 3-0 to DENY the Trump Administration’s pleading to stay the lower Court’s decision to disallow a pause in the admittance of (un)vetted refugees from 7 countries plagued by out-of-control terrorist activity and utterly failed central governments. Upon a quick review of the rambling, 29-page ruling, Legal Insurrection founder and attorney William Jacobson let loose a withering hot take on Twitter: When do confirmation hearings start to appoint 9th Circuit panel co-Directors of Homeland Security? https://t.co/1opVnWwfCA — Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) February 9, 2017 1/ Here's how insane 9th Circuit Order on Trump Immigration EO is: Because Court refused to draw distinction among permanent residents, — Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) February 10, 2017 2/ lawful visa holders in U.S., visa holders traveling abroad temporarily, and people abroad who never even have applied — Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) February 10, 2017 3/ some guy sitting on mountain in Yemen who has no connection to U.S. and hasn't even applied for visa yet has U.S. constitutional —…

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As Gas Tax Sinks and Casada Bolts, Haslam Schedules Emergency Call to WWTN’s Ralph Bristol for Thursday Morning

Tennessee Star Staff

Stung by Majority Leader Glen Casada’s (R-Franklin) embrace of the Hawk Plan to fund road construction through the reallocation of 0.25 percent of the current 7 percent state sales tax rather than his own gas tax increase proposal, Gov. Haslam scheduled an emergency call in to 99.7 FM WWTN’s Nashville Morning News with Ralph Bristol radio program for Thursday morning. Casada went public in a big way earlier this week. On Tuesday, he outlined his support for the Hawk Plan in an interview that was published, along with an accompanying YouTube video, early Wednesday morning at The Tennessee Star. Then later on Wednesday morning, Casada appeared on 99.7 FM WWTN’s Nashville Morning News with host Ralph Bristol. “The governor has a good idea, but I think Rep. Hawk has a great idea,” Casada told Bristol. It was polite and respectful language, but the political impact of the message signaled a revolt by conservatives against Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase proposal, very similar to the grassroots revolt back in 1999 when Gov. Sundquist’s proposal to impose a state income tax was crushed in a populist uprising. Playing Devil’s Advocate, a role at which he excels, Bristol challenged Casada to take Gov.…

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Some Evangelicals Object to Refugee Restrictions

Wendy Wilson

A group of 100 evangelical leaders and pastors published a full-page ad in The Washington Post on Wednesday objecting to President Trump’s executive order on refugees. The ad featured an open letter to President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence and criticized the moratorium placed on the national refugee program and reduction in the number of refugees to be allowed into the U.S. this year. Parts of the order, which also temporarily blocks visas from seven Muslim-majority countries, are held up in court, but the yearly cap on refugees is not affected. World Relief, a national Christian refugee resettlement agency with a large presence in  Nashville, coordinated the letter. Signatories included nationally known writers and ministers such as Tim and Kathy Keller, Bill and Lynne Hybels, Ed Stetzer, Ann Voskamp and Max Lucado. Scott Sauls, pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, also signed the ad. Sauls previously served under Tim Keller at a church in New York City. Christ Presbyterian is affiliated with the conservative Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). “As Christians, we have a historic call expressed over two thousand years, to serve the suffering,” the letter said. “We cannot abandon this call now. We live in a dangerous…

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Ralph Bristol Commentary: Nashville Sheriff Fumbles Unique White House Opportunity

Tennessee Star Staff

This is the transcript of the premeditated Ralph Rant delivered by Ralph Bristol, Host of Nashville’s Morning News, 99.7 WTN, at 6:35 am on Thursday, February 9, 2017. Davidson County, Tennessee Sheriff Daron Hall has skillfully, productively and reasonably navigated some pretty challenging immigration waters in the last 10 years, from the time he first enthusiastically embraced, and then dropped, the federal government’s 287(g) program to help local law enforcement aggressively pursue illegal immigrants for deportation. When Hall launched the 287(g) program in 2007, on the exact same day I started broadcasting on 99.7 WTN, George W. Bush was President and the political climate was decidedly against illegal immigrants, perhaps especially in middle Tennessee. Since then, Sheriff Hall has adjusted his department policies and maintained good ties with, first the (then) new Obama administration in 2009, and after that, an increasingly liberal Democrat city government that became more protective of illegal immigrants. He didn’t quit cooperating with the Feds, like sanctuary sheriffs in other liberal cities have done, but he backed off of the more aggressive posture of a decade ago. Fast forward to 2017 and the new Trump administration, whose policies renew some of the previous federal aggression against…

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Commentary: Steve Bannon Is Right

Tennessee Star Staff

by George Rasley, ConservativeHQ Editor February 7, 2017 Reprinted with permission from ConservativeHQ.com “I want you to quote this,” President Trump’s senior White House strategist Steve Bannon told The New York Times. “The media here is the opposition party. They don’t understand this country. They still do not understand why Donald Trump is the president of the United States.” Mr. Bannon is right about the establishment media – in ways that range from minor to profound they don’t understand the country, particularly the parts of it that elected Donald Trump President of the United States. As our friend, Ralph Benko wrote for a recent article in The American Spectator: Steve Bannon has furnished an impromptu manifesto for the movement that, with the help of Bannon and others, propelled Donald Trump into the presidency. Those who wish for a framework to better understand what a Trump presidency portends — and the nature of the underlying movement — need look no further than Steve Bannon’s remarks to the Human Dignity Institute. In this proto-Manifesto — all the more authentic for being extemporaneous — Bannon displays breathtaking erudition. And he convincingly lays to rest the unfounded fears that he sympathizes with the “white…

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State Senator Mark Green Tells WWTN’s Dan Mandis ‘I’m Opposed to the Gas Tax Increase’

Tennessee Star Staff

“I’m opposed to the gas tax increase,” State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville) told WWTN 99.7 FM talk show host Dan Mandis on Wednesday in an exclusive interview. “Looking towards the future, you’ve formally filed paperwork to run for governor. You went on a 34-stop listening tour across Tennessee. Tell me what you found out,” Mandis asked Green. “There’s just a stack of ideas that people have on how to make Tennessee better. It’s just awesome,” Green said. “One of the things they said they don’t want is a gas tax or a diesel tax increase. Tennesseans were pretty strong about that everywhere I went,” he added. “Now I’ve seen the polls, but I know what my anecdotal evidence is. Everywhere I went people were like ‘How dare you raise taxes in the face of a $1.8 billion surplus! You’ve overtaxed us $1.8 billion and you want more!’ And I’ve got to tend to agree with them,” the former Army doctor said. “It doesn’t make any sense that we would tax more in the face of such a large surplus,” he added. “So, I’m opposed to the gas tax increase,” the future candidate for governor declared: There were certain aspects of…

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Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall Refuses to Meet With President Trump, Prefers ‘Hanging With’ Nashville Musician

Tennessee Star Staff

Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall made headlines this week when he refused to meet with President Trump. Last week, however, he made time to meet with local musician Billy Dawson. It was unclear what important Davidson County law enforcement matter the two discussed. “@NashSheriff #daronhall and I doing our serious faces:) good hanging with mi amigo today,” Dawson tweeted on January 27. @NashSheriff #daronhall and I doing our serious faces 🙂 good hanging with mi amigo today pic.twitter.com/mBvLJhXEz7 — Billy Dawson (@billydawson1) January 28, 2017 Though not interested in meeting with the President of the United States the following week, Sheriff Hall found time in his busy schedule to tweet back the following to Dawson that same day: ” Wish I had your talent….you are gonna do great things… .” the sheriff tweeted back to Dawson. Wish I had your talent….you are gonna do great things… https://t.co/Zsco7zSxrB — Daron Hall (@DaronHall7) January 28, 2017 Sheriff Hall apparently does not believe President Trump is going to do great things, however, as WKRN reported on Tuesday: Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall declined an invitation to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House. The sheriff would have been one of about a…

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Poll: Republicans in Tennessee Overwhelmingly Oppose Raising Gas Tax by a 2 to 1 Margin

Tennessee Star Staff

A new poll released on Tuesday shows that registered Republican voters in Tennessee oppose raising the gas tax by a 53 percent to 28 percent, almost a 2 to 1 margin. Gov. Haslam has proposed increasing the gas tax by 7 cents per gallon and the diesel tax by 18 cents per gallon in order to fund additional road expenditures. The poll was conducted of 600 registered Republican voters over two days, January 31 to February 1, in the immediate aftermath of Haslam’s January 30 State of the State address in which he released details of his proposed gas tax, which are included in a bill called the IMPROVE Act. Tennesseans for Conservative Action , which sponsored the poll, said in its press release announcing the results it “conducted the survey to gauge support for policies conservatives are talking about during this year’s legislative session.” TCA outlined several “key takeaways” in its release: 54% of Republicans believe we should spend the $1 billion surplus on road improvements before raising the gas tax. Of those who support the gas tax, 99% approve of Governor Haslam’s job performance. 15% of Tennessee Republicans flatly reject a 7-cent gas tax “no matter what” and…

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EXCLUSIVE: House Majority Leader Casada Supports Hawk Plan to Fund Roads With Existing Sales Tax

Tennessee Star Staff

In an exclusive interview with The Tennessee Star on Capitol Hill Tuesday, House Majority Leader State Rep. Glen Casada (R-Franklin) explained why he supports State Rep. David Hawk‘s (R-Greeneville) plan to fund road construction by reallocating one quarter of one percent (0.25) out of the 7  percent currently paid in sales tax on retail purchases that goes to the state’s general fund. (Tennessee residents pay an additional 2.25 per cent to 2.75 percent in sales tax on retail purchases to fund local governments.) Gov. Haslam has proposed a plan to pay for additional road construction by increasing the gas tax by 7 cents, from 21 cents per gallon to 28 cents per gallon, and the diesel tax by 12 cents, from 18 cents to 30 cents per gallon. The Star’s Laura Baigert interviewed State. Rep. Casada in his Capitol Hill offices. “First let me say, that the governor, I applaud him because he has identified there’s a need in the state, and that need is to build more roads,” Casada told Baigert. “The reason that has arisen, the reason the gas tax by itself is not sufficient is because of inflation, because of increased automobile gas mileage. We’re not collecting…

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Commentary: Impeach Federal Judge James L. Robart

Tennessee Star Staff

by George Rasley, ConservativeHQ Editor February 6, 2017 Reprinted with Permission from ConservativeHQ.com   On February 3, 2017 Federal District Judge James L. Robart issued a temporary restraining order barring the federal executive branch from implementing President Trump’s Executive Order temporarily barring travel from seven terrorist hotspots. The basis for Judge Robart’s order was not the national security of the United States or the proven threat of terrorism immigration from these countries; it was that the plaintiff state (Washington) would be irreparably harmed because, “The Executive Order adversely affects the States’ residents in areas of employment, James L. Robarteducation, business, family relations, and freedom to travel… In addition, the States themselves are harmed by virtue of the damage implementation of the Executive Order has inflicted upon the operations and missions of their public universities and other institutions of higher learning, as well as injury to the States’ operations, tax bases, and public funds.” You can read the order here. What this means is that Judge Robart has usurped the Article 1 constitutional powers of Congress to regulate commerce with foreign countries and set the rules of naturalization and immigration, and the President’s Article 2 powers as Commander in Chief and…

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Subcommittee Showdown: Haslam Gas Tax Increase Versus ‘Hawk Plan’ Sales Tax Reallocation

Tennessee Star Staff

Chris Bungard at WKRN reports that a House Transportation Subcommittee showdown looms next week between “Governor Bill Haslam’s sweeping plan that would raise the state’s gas tax by seven cents a gallon, while cutting other taxes, like those on groceries . . . [and] . . . a competing bill announced last week by House assistant majority leader David Hawk that would take a quarter of one percent of the state general sales tax and solely dedicate it to the state transportation fund.” State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma), who supports Gov. Haslam’s gas tax proposal, but opposes the indexing element of it, chairs the House Transportation Committee. Hawk’s proposal, referred to by its proponents as “The Hawk Plan,” has the support of House Majority Leader Glen Casada (R-Franklin), as The Tennessee Star confirmed in an exclusive interview on Tuesday. State Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster), a strong conservative who has the respect and support of a number of grassroots groups, chairs the House Subcommittee on Transportation. Chairman Doss also serves on the subcommittee, as does State Rep. Dave Alexander (R-Winchester), State Rep. Courtney Rogers (R-Goodlettsville), State Rep. Jerry Sexton (R-Bean Station), State Rep. Sam Whitson (R-Franklin), State Rep. Barbara Cooper…

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Gov. Haslam Announces Steven Smith ‘Will Lead Administration’s Efforts on the IMPROVE Act’

Tennessee Star Staff

Gov. Haslam announced on Monday that Steven Smith “who currently serves as senior advisor for policy and strategy, will become senior advisor to the governor.” “In his new role, Smith will lead the administration’s efforts on the IMPROVE Act [Improving Manufacturing, Public Roads and Opportunities for a Vibrant Economy], the governor’s comprehensive plan to cut taxes on food and manufacturing while updating how the state provides Tennesseans the safe and reliable transportation network needed to support future job growth,” the governor’s statement said. Smith joined the governor’s staff last July and has helped shape his 2017 NextTennessee legislative agenda, taking on the lead role in developing the governor’s plan to increase broadband access to Tennessee’s unserved citizens. On Tuesday, Gov. Haslam “filed his Next Tennessee legislative agenda for the 2017 session of the 110th General Assembly,” his office reported. The IMPROVE Act is one of four legislative proposals from the governor which comprise that legislative agenda: 1) The Tennessee Reconnect Act is Haslam’s proposal to make Tennessee the first state in the nation to offer all Tennessee adults without a degree access to community college tuition-free – and at no cost to taxpayers. Tennessee would become the first state in…

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The Tennessee Star Has 3,000 Unique Visitors on Launch Day

Tennessee Star Staff
Franklin

“The Tennessee Star website had more than 3,000 unique visitors on Monday, the day we launched,” managing editor Christina Botteri said shortly after midnight after all the day’s results were counted. “The remarkable thing about our traffic on launch day is that each visitor came back and visited different stories on the site several times during the day. The total number of page views and visits for Monday was well over 9,000,” Botteri added. “That means people are very interested in the kinds of stories we are covering, and how we report on them,” she concluded. Across Middle Tennessee, conservatives who have not had a reliable media outlet cheered the arrival of The Tennessee Star on the scene. Every story on the website is free of charge to readers, a marked contrast to the policies of the dominant left-leaning newspaper in the Middle Tennessee area. Botteri added that when people sign up on the site and give their email address, they are subscribing to the free Tennessee Star Daily email summary of important news, which will arrive every morning to set the tone for what’s on the news agenda in Middle Tennessee that day. The Tennessee Star Facebook page also…

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House Transportation Chair Favors Gas Tax Increase; Opposes Haslam’s Proposal to Index for Annual Inflation

Tennessee Star Staff
State Rep Barry Doss

State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma), chairman of the House Transportation Committee, told his fellow panelists and studio audience at the WWTN Gas Tax Town Hall on Thursday that he favors Gov. Haslam’s 7 cents per gallon gas tax increase, but opposes the part of governor’s proposal that would index the tax for future annual increases tied to the consumer price index. “There are those of us up here who disagree with indexing. That’s putting a perpetual tax increase on the people,” Doss said. “If we get rid of indexing and we lower taxes above and beyond what the Governor has proposed, guys, we hope to be able to leave this session in the end of April this year saying we did not raise taxes.” Andy Ogles, executive director of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, which opposes both the proposed 7 cents per gallon gas tax increase and the Governor’s proposed indexing, explained the simple math of what he called a very bad idea. If the General Assembly had approved indexing in 1989, when the gas tax was increased to 20 cents per gallon, it would today be a whopping 41 cents per gallon, Ogles said. ( A 1.4 cent per gallon special…

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Commentary: New George Soros Scheme Coming to Your Town

Don Barnett

In January George Soros’s secretive Open Society Foundations (OSF) began passing out 10 million dollars in a brand-new grant intended for non-profits who will, according to its website, “document and aggregate incidents of hate as they happen, and categorize them by type of offense, targeted community, and geographic location.” In “resisting the spread of hate” the Soros group wants “to ensure that incidents are included, tracked and aggregated in local and national data-bases”. I attended the “We the People” immigration conference in Nashville, December 2016 brought to you by The National Partnership for New Americans and others – a showcase of the close cooperation between the professional left and U.S. corporate executive suites. As one Walmart executive noted there is a “mind-blowing” number of groups representing immigrant rights today “and on any given day they are asking us for money”. He then went on to recount how Walmart and these groups work together on common goals. A ‘break-out’ session was devoted to the soon-to-be launched OSF hate-fighting grant. The money, to be parceled out in amounts ranging from $15,000 to $150,000, was available to anyone who promised to report hate incidents according to OSF staff. There was assurance that the…

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State Senator Bell Agrees ‘With Most of What I Hear on Flame-throwing Conservative Talk Show in Nashville’

Tennessee Star Staff

State Sen. Mike Bell (R-Riceville) told the Cleveland/Bradley Economic Development Council he listened to the WWTN Gas Tax Town Hall moderated by Ralph Bristol on the Dan Mandis Show on Thursday, the Cleveland Daily Banner reported. “As I drove here, I was listening to a flame-throwing conservative talk show in Nashville, and I listen to it when I am up there and agree with most of what I hear,” Bell said. “What was interesting was out of the whole panel they had, and they had an audience of 100 people as well, there wasn’t a single person–even those who oppose the plan–who did not say we had a need,” Bell said. “So at least we’ve got opponents agreeing that we’ve got a need,” he added. The Tennessee Star, which attended the event, reported that the studio audience size was about 20. The panel at the Town Hall included three State Representatives, two State Senators, a representative of Gov. Haslam, Andy Ogles, executive director of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, and former Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey, representing the Transportation Coalition of Tennessee. While all members of the panel, including gas tax increase proposal opponent Andy Ogles of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, stated that there was a…

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Tennessee Watchdog: Nashville Metro Council Collaborates with Hotels to Curb Airbnb’s

Tennessee Star Staff

by Chris Butler February 6, 2017 Reprinted with Permission from the Tennessee Watchdog (Bureau chief’s note: This is the second in a three-part series about home-sharing programs and Nashville’s attempts to regulate them) Nashville Metro Council members who push for new regulations on Airbnbs seem to do so at the behest of powerful hotel interests, which resent the competition and are now leaning on government for support. Many people have made the claim, and evidence exists to support it. Nashville Metro Council member Burkley Allen has put forward new licensing requirements for anyone in the city who runs an Airbnb or a similar home-sharing program. As reported, these home-sharing options operate much like an Uber app. Instead of people using their cars to compete with cab drivers, they share their homes. Burkley told Tennessee Watchdog in an email she got involved only after Airbnb’s competitors reached out to her. “This issue was first brought to my attention by properly zoned historic bed and breakfast operators who asked that the city level the playing field between them and properties that were operating short term rentals without any regulation,” Burkley wrote. According to the Beacon Center of Tennessee, a Nashville-based free-market think…

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Commentary: Big Business and Nashville Chamber of Commerce Choose Illegal Immigrants Over Tennessee’s ‘Disconnected Youth’

Chris Alto

A report authored by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) and New American Economy (formerly named Partnership for a New American Economy) claims that, “[f]orty-three percent of unauthorized immigrants who earned their degrees abroad were either working in low-skilled jobs or unemployed,” a number almost twice as many as immigrants who naturalize and become U.S. citizens. They call this “brain waste.” The NAE was launched in 2010 by corporatists that includes former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, media magnate Rubert Murdoch, Bill Marriott and Disney’s Dan Eiger, to push the idea that comprehensive immigration reform would “help grow the economy and create new American jobs.” The MPI receives funding from many sources including George Soros’ Open Society Foundations and the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement. Both the MPI and NAE use economic arguments to blur the line between legal and illegal immigrants. Both organizations supported the DREAM Act which amnestied certain individuals who had entered the U.S. illegally before age sixteen. In 2012, the NAE partnered with another Soros funded organization, the Center for American Progress (CAP), to push for passage of the DREAM Act. The MPI and NAE also pushed the 2013 “Gang of Eight” bill which would have amnestied…

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Article Claims U.S. Exaggerated Climate Change Evidence

Tennessee Star Staff

The United States had falsified evidence about climate change in order to get politicians to sign an agreement lowering carbon emissions last year, according to an article published Saturday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration broke its own rules and submitted “misleading, unverified” data in a paper which the Paris Agreement was based off, the Daily…

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Mt. Juliet Says No to Illegal Immigration

Wendy Wilson

As controversy heats up over sanctuary cities across the U.S., many Mt. Juliet residents are backing the city’s promise that Mt. Juliet will never be one. Frustrated by burdens illegal immigrants place on police and public services and grieved over the loss of a couple killed by an illegal immigrant drunk driver, many people have had enough. In late November, the city commission unanimously approved a proclamation saying it won’t shield illegal immigrants from enforcement of federal immigration laws. Around 300 cities across the U.S. are regarded as sanctuary cities. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has signaled that she wants Nashville to be welcoming toward all. However, Nashville is not officially a sanctuary city, having not stated an intent to refuse to comply with federal immigration officials. Immigration activists quickly denounced the move by Mt. Juliet commissioners. On its Facebook page, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) called the resolution “unacceptable and irresponsible” and urged its supporters to encourage commissioners to rescind it. The resolution, according to TIRRC, will have a “chilling effect on immigrant families trying to build their lives, start their businesses, and raise their families.” Supporters of the resolution, however, see it as an effort to ensure…

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Archaeologists get set to dig at Masada, after 11-year hiatus

Tennessee Star Staff

Tel Aviv University Team will excavate rebel dwellings, Herod’s gardens in month-long expedition at UNESCO heritage site By Ilan Ben Zion Aerial view of Masada (Andrew Shiva/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA) For the first time in over a decade, archaeologists are commencing new excavations atop Masada, studying previously untouched areas of the legendary desert mountain fortress, including the residences…

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Nashville Metro Schools Director Reacts To President Trump’s Immigration Executive Orders

Wendy Wilson

Metro Nashville Director of Schools Shawn Joseph says President Trump’s executive orders on immigrants and refugees are causing concern for foreign-born families and staff. In his two orders on border security and interior enforcement, President Trump called for allowing state and local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal immigration officials. However, schools are likely to be unaffected, at least directly. A 1982 Supreme Court ruling prohibits school systems from denying children a free public education based on immigration status. In a 5-4 decision, the court found in Plyler v. Doe that doing so violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. A federal judge has blocked for now a third executive order temporarily barring immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries and suspending the nation’s refugee program. In a Jan. 30 statement, Director of Schools Joseph sought to reassure those troubled by the three executive orders by expressing the district’s commitment to welcoming immigrants and protecting Muslim students from hate speech. “As a public school district, it is our responsibility to ensure that our schools are safe spaces where all children are supported not only academically, but socially and emotionally as well,” Joseph said. In October, the Metro Nashville school board passed a…

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Activists: “Get ICE Out of Nashville”

Wendy Wilson

Activists want federal immigration enforcers out of Nashville, but a bill sponsored by state Senator Mark Green would impose penalties on Nashville or any other Tennessee locality that becomes a sanctuary city. At a rally Wednesday in Nashville, the Tennessee Immigration and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) slammed President Trump’s executive orders calling for stricter enforcement of immigration laws and blasted the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the city. “ICE is here in our communities today. They are working in our sheriff’s department, taking people out of our jails,” cried Stephanie Teatro, TIRRC co-executive director. She encouraged the crowd to sign up to help with efforts “to get ICE out of Nashville.” While Mayor Megan Barry has voiced support for immigrants and refugees, Nashville is not officially a sanctuary city shielding illegal immigrants. City officials have not enacted policies refusing to comply with federal immigration officials. Mayor Barry said on Twitter Jan. 25 that the city’s law department was reviewing President Trump’s executive orders. “While we cannot control border policies here in Nashville, we can pull together as a city by embracing the immigrants and refugees who are an integral part of our community,” she said. Sen. Green (R-Clarksville)…

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Patriots Beat Falcons 34-28 in Super Bowl Overtime Thriller

Tennessee Star Staff

The New England Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons 34-28 in the first Super Bowl to go into overtime in Houston on Sunday night. It was the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, as the Patriots fought back from a 28-3 deficit late in the third quarter to tie Super Bowl LI 28 – 28 in regulation, then won in sudden death overtime on a 2 yard touchdown run by James White. It took 31 unanswered points from the Patriots to secure the victory. After a scoreless first quarter, Atlanta struck first when they recovered a fumble by New England’s LeGarret Blount deep in his own territory. Devonta Freeman ran it in from the 5 yard line to put the Falcons up 7-0 with 12:20 left in the half. Less than four minutes later, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan hit Austin Hooper on a 19 yard touchdown pass to put the Falcons up 14-0. The Patriots were driving deep into Falcons territory late in the first half when Robert Alford picked New England quarterback Tom Brady off and returned it 82 yards for a touchdown to put the Falcons up 21-0 with 2:27 left in the half. But the Patriots drove drove down the…

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WWTN Town Hall Audience Virtually Unanimous in Opposition to Gas Tax Increase

Tennessee Star Staff

The studio audience at WWTN’s Gas Tax Town Hall on Thursday was virtually unanimous in its opposition to Gov. Haslam’s proposed increase in the state tax on gasoline from the current level of 21 cents per gallon to the proposed level of 28 cents per gallon. About twenty people filled the seats in the small WWTN performance room to listen to moderator Ralph Bristol, show host Dan Mandis, and eight panelists from the General Assembly, Gov. Haslam’s office, and two public interest groups discuss the merits of the proposed gas tax increase. In the first hour of the program, several audience members opposed to the proposed gas tax increase asked questions of the panel. During a break, moderator Ralph Bristol asked if anyone in the audience favored the proposed gas tax increase and wanted to ask a question. No one raised their hand. Bristol then asked if anyone in the audience was undecided. Jessica Colon, recently retired from the Army, now working as a nurse in Middle Tennessee and living in Robertson County, raised her hand. In the second hour, Bristol called on Colon, who asked a question of the panel. After the program ended, The Tennessee Star asked Colon…

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Commentary: Advocates for Tennessee’s Illegal Immigrants Need to Come Clean on Remittances

Chris Alto

The Partnership for a New American Economy (PNAE) founded in 2010, is a powerful and well-funded coalition of business leaders and mayors, including former Nashville mayor Karl Dean and Nashville Chamber of Commerce president Ralph Schulz. PNAE’s formed to convince the public and policymakers that comprehensive immigration reform like the 2013 “Gang of Eight” amnesty bill would help grow the economy and create jobs for Americans. The PNAE has published reports for all 50 states in which they attempt to quantify positive economic benefits that immigrant workers (without differentiating between legal and illegal immigrants), bestow on receiving communities. The 2016 Tennessee report puts the number of the “undocumented population” in the state at 128,620. Other sources estimate that 33,000 to 50,000 live in the Nashville area. Regarding illegal aliens working in Tennessee, the PNAE report claims that: “[l]arge numbers of undocumented immigrants in Tennessee have also managed to overcome licensing and financing obstacles to start small businesses. In 2014, an estimated 10.3 percent of the state’s working-age undocumented immigrants were self-employed — meaning Tennessee was the unique state where unauthorized immigrants boasted higher rates of entrepreneurship than either legal permanent residents or immigrant citizens of the same age group.” The…

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Details of Gov. Haslam’s Gas Tax Proposal From His State of the State Address

Tennessee Star Staff

Gov. Haslam dedicated about one-third of his State of the State address, delivered to the General Assembly on January 30, to his gas tax proposal. Haslam refers to his proposal using the acronym in the bill that includes the details: the IMPROVE Act (Improving Manufacturing, Public Roads and Opportunities for a Vibrant Economy). You can read the complete text of the address here: Here’s the full excerpt of the address related to gas tax proposal, with emphasis added by The Tennessee Star: With the IMPROVE Act we’re proposing to increase the gas tax 7 cents and the diesel tax 12 cents per gallon, and all new revenue goes only to address our transportation needs. The legislation will mean 962 projects in all 95 counties, both urban and rural. It will also mean 78 million dollars annually in increased revenue for counties and 39 million dollars annually in increased revenue for our cities. Scores of mayors across Tennessee – cities and counties, rural and urban – have told me that, if we don’t do something to address the fuel tax, they will have no alternative but to raise the property tax in their municipalities. I know some of you think we…

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Former Lt. Gov. Ramsey A Paid Consultant to Pro-Gas Tax Coalition

Tennessee Star Staff
Ramsey at Townhall

Former Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey told The Tennessee Star on Thursday he is a paid consultant to the Tennessee Coalition on Transportation, an advocacy group that supports Gov. Haslam’s 7 cents per gallon gas tax increase and a 12 cents per gallon diesel tax increase. Ramsey’s revelation came during a break in the two hour broadcast of the WWTN Gas Tax Town Hall, moderated by Nashville Morning News host Ralph Bristol on the Dan Mandis Show. The event featured a studio audience, which was virtually unanimous in its opposition to the gas tax. Ramsey advocated strenuously on behalf of the gas tax increase. He was one of eight panelists at the event. Other members of the panel included Andy Ogles, executive director of the Tennessee chapter of Americans for Prosperity, which opposes the gas tax, David Smith appearing on behalf of Gov. Bill Haslam, State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), State Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Sparta), State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Lawrence County), Rep. Brian Terry (R-Murfreesboro), and Rep. David Alexander (R-Winchester). “I did leave the legislature back, I made my announcement in March, and left in November, of course, at the election,” Ramsey said in his opening remarks as a member of the…

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Gov. Haslam Proposes Free Community College For ‘All Adults’ in State of the State Address

Tennessee Star Staff

Gov. Haslam proposed free community college for “all adults” in his State of the State address last Monday “I am proposing that Tennessee become the first state in the nation to offer all adults access to community college free of tuition and fees,” Haslam said: Just like the Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect will provide last-dollar scholarships for adult learners to attend one of our community colleges for free – and at no cost to the state’s General Fund. With the Reconnect Act, Tennessee would be the first in the nation to offer all citizens – both high school students and adults – access to a degree or certificate free of tuition and fees. No caps. No first come, first served. All. Just as we did with Tennessee Promise we’re making a clear statement to families with Reconnect: wherever you might fall on life’s path, education beyond high school is critical to the Tennessee we can be. We don’t want cost to be an obstacle anyone has to overcome as they pursue their own generational change for themselves and their families It was unclear if by “all adults” he intended to include illegal aliens currently residing in the state. In the…

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Americans For Prosperity Opposes Gas Tax, Proposes Alternative

Tennessee Star Staff

Andy Ogles, executive director of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee (AFP), unveiled the group’s alternative plan to finance Tennessee’s highway infrastructure improvements on Thursday, vigorously rejecting Gov. Haslam’s proposed 7 cents per gallon gas tax increase. Speaking at the WWTN Gas Tax Town Hall, Ogles accepted the premise that Tennessee’s budget over the coming years should allocate $2 billion for highway improvement and new construction. But Ogles said relying upon the increase in the gas and diesel tax as the only “user fee” mechanism to fund those improvements was not a stable long-term solution, since improvements in gas mileage and the possible rise of alternative means of powering vehicles would likely continue to limit the revenues from those sources to the state. Ogles said that if you except the idea of user fees then one such user fee could be vehicle fees at the time of a vehicle purchase or registration. “I think there’s some math that is important to remember,” Ogles told the panel and studio audience. “And the biggest number or numbers that you should remember is that currently, Tennessee has $1.8 billion in surplus. Now, there’s a lot of moving parts to this and talking about math on the…

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Grassroots Pundit: The Governor’s Over-Engineered Plan for a Gas Tax Increase

Laura Baigert

After two consecutive losses on the Insure Tennessee front, Governor Haslam designed a better plan for his gas tax increase, packaging it as his IMPROVE (Improving Manufacturing Public Roads and Opportunities for a Vibrant Economy) Act. But, the good planning goes well beyond a name and includes a little help from his friends. COMPTROLLER’S OFFICES OF RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY REPORT The 76-page report, “Tennessee Transportation Funding: Challenges and Options,” was issued in January 2015. As the title implies, the report reviews the current situation and various ways to address transportation funding needs. One thing it doesn’t do is make any recommendations on how to proceed. With even cursory reading, it will be obvious that not all revenue that should go to roads actually does. nMOTION The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and the Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee (RTA) set out to develop the nMotion report of a transit implementation plan. The report development process started with “public engagement” from April 2015 through October 2016. Since the pre-determined goal was to develop a comprehensive ten-county mass transit plan, the presentations made by MTA/RTA and TDoT and the surveys obtained from the public were designed to create that end…

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Nashville Immigration Activists Strengthen Ties with Left

Wendy Wilson

For immigration activists, the fight against President Trump kicked into high gear in December before he took office. That’s when Nashville was the host city for the annual National Immigrant Integration Conference, drawing groups from across the country to the Omni Hotel. Speakers at the event made repeated calls to unite with other progressive causes in the name of social justice. The list of allies they highlighted included Planned Parenthood, LGBT activists and activists for racial and ethnic minorities. The conference was co-hosted by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA). The conference featured a screening of Forbidden, a documentary about a young undocumented gay man growing up in the rural south. Moises Serrano, the Mexican-born subject of the film, is involved in the UndocuQueer movement and his mission is “to unite the immigration and LGBTQ movements, seeing them both as a struggle for human rights.” That human rights continuum also includes a progressive version of racial justice. An activist with the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) said that African-Americans are still fighting for full citizenship in the U.S., making immigrants their natural allies. The group’s website says, “Everyday, people of color in the United States are being criminalized…

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Ralph Bristol’s Exclusive Interview With Gov. Haslam About His Gas Tax Proposal

Tennessee Star Staff

One day after he announced his proposal to increase the tax on gas by 7 cents, from 21 cents per gallon to 28 cents per gallon, Gov. Bill Haslam gave an exclusive in-studio interview to Ralph Bristol, host of Nashville’s Morning News on 99.7 FM, WWTN, on January 18. Haslam made the case for his gas tax proposal, which he elaborated on in his “State of the State address” at the Capitol on January 30, which the General Assembly is now considering. “Can you legitimately bring that [Hall Income Tax cut]  forward to balance now against the gas and other tax increases to make it an even balance?” Bristol asked to begin the interview. “Sure. Let’s start here,” Haslam answered. “Our administration and the legislature has already cut $270 million in taxes. The most any administration or legislature had ever done before was $60 million. We’re proposing another $270 million cut in this budget,” the governor continued, adding: Your point is we already cut the Hall Tax last year. But we didn’t. We passed a bill to do that. It still has to come out of the budget. It’s like you and your spouse saying were going to make a…

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Dana Hunsinger Gill Named Faith Editor of The Tennessee Star

Tennessee Star Staff

Dana Hunsinger Gill has been named Faith Editor of The Tennessee Star, managing editor Christina Botteri announced on Monday. Dana is national co-chair of Lift the Vote (www.liftthevote.org) and co-founded 4LOVE Magazine, a Christ centered Christian Lifestyle publication, for which she served as Senior Editor until the publication was sold. She has worked extensively with Christian organizations across the country and with major advertisers and donors to those organizations. As Faith Editor, Gill will work to build a network of Faith Commentary Contributors to The Tennessee Star. In addition, she will coordinate with local churches and synagogues to promote their sermon series and specific community events.      

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Commentary: Gas Tax Increase Creates Problems for School Budgets

JC Bowman
Tennessee Star

Public education must remain a high priority in Tennessee. That should be reflected in Governor Haslam’s State of the State. We have made a strong commitment in the terms of taxpayer dollars. We have simply played catch-up the last few years, especially in regards to funding our public schools. The Tennessee Constitution set forth the purpose of public education: “The state of Tennessee recognizes the inherent value of education and encourages its support. The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance, support, and eligibility standards of a system of free public schools.” It is worth the reminder to reflect on that purpose as we enter legislative session at the Tennessee General Assembly. Living and working in Nashville, and operating a motor vehicle, it is clear that “Music City” is also “pothole city.”  We have no problem with increasing the budget to spend more on improving our roads, from which we all derive the benefit. Under Governor Haslam’s proposal, we would pay an additional 7 cents per gallon on gasoline and 12 cents per gallon on diesel in Tennessee. In addition, the plan would reduce the state’s grocery sales tax rate to 4.5 percent, down a half-percentage point. Our concern is the…

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How Will Gov. Haslam’s Gas Tax Proposal Impact His Family’s Pilot Flying J Company?

Tennessee Star Staff

Gov. Haslam’s proposal to increase the gas tax by 7 cents per gallon and the diesel tax by 12 cents per gallon will have an impact on the family-owned Pilot Flying J company, which “operates over 650 travel centers in 43 states and Canada,” 31 of which are located in Tennessee, and is the 14th largest privately held company in the United States with $22 billion in annual revenues according to Forbes. “Located along interstates, the travel centers cater to both professional drivers and motorists selling gas, diesel, convenience store goods and fast food. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, the company was formed in 2010 when Pilot Travel Centers merged with Flying J to create a new company.In October 2015, the Haslam family announced that it had bought out the minority stake of private-equity firm CVC partners,” Forbes reports. Exactly what that impact will be has been the subject of scrutiny and debate. On the one hand, higher fuel prices are likely to have a dampening effect on the demand for gas and diesel fuel at Pilot’s retail facilities in Tennessee. That impact is not likely to be that great, since, as a percentage of the total retail price of these fuels, the tax…

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Kevin and Laura Baigert Join The Tennessee Star as Political Contributors and ‘Grassroots Pundits’

Tennessee Star Staff

Kevin Baigert, Laura Baigert, and former State Rep. Joe Carr Veteran grassroots activists Kevin and Laura Baigert are joining The Tennessee Star as political contributors and “grassroots pundits.” The Baigerts worked together at the 3M Company in Connecticut for a combined 37 years. When they retired in 2012, they were drawn to Tennessee by the wonderful people and the cost of living, and they quickly became two of the most well-respected and reliable conservative grassroots activists in the state. The team of two handled operations and logistics for the BEAT LAMAR project in 2013 and 2014, in 2015 co-founded Sumner Taxpayers Alliance with well-known activist Ben Cunningham, in 2016 handled the merchandising for WWTN radio host Ralph Bristol’s The 2nd Amendment is Homeland Security Tour, and have added “critical mass” to numerous conservative causes under the moniker “Roving Patriots.”    

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