Month: March 2017

Williamson Strong Not a PAC, Administrative Law Judge Rules

Wendy Wilson

  Williamson Strong did not act as a political action committee in the 2014 school board race, an administrative law judge has ruled. The order handed down this week was in response to an appeal filed by the Williamson County parent group after the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance issued the group fines in May 2015. The group was fined $2,500 fine for failing to register as a PAC by filing a form for appointing a treasurer. A second $2,500 fine for failing to file campaign financial disclosure reports was put on hold pending the outcome of the appeal. Formed shortly before the 2014 school board race, Williamson Strong portrays itself as a nonpartisan group that simply seeks the best for Williamson County Schools. However, its blog on its website and its Facebook page show that it is an agenda-driven group that supports liberal-leaning causes. The group has repeatedly maligned the concerns of conservative groups, including the Tea Party, Americans for Prosperity and Glenn Beck’s 9/12 Project. Former conservative school board member Susan Curlee, who was elected to the board in 2014, filed a complaint about Williamson Strong with the registry in December of that year, setting the case in motion. Curlee declined…

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Teacher Bill of Rights ‘Common-Sense, Nonpartisan,’ Proponents Say

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Promoters of state legislation called the Teacher Bill of Rights say it’s time teachers got more respect. The bill, sponsored by State Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) in the Senate and State Rep. Jay Reedy (R-Erin) in the House, covers a wide range of issues of concern to educators, including student discipline and standardized testing. The bill goes before the Senate Education Committee next week. The proposed legislation gives Tennessee public school teachers backing in reporting student misbehavior and defending themselves against physical harm. It also says teachers have the right to review all materials used by their students and that teachers should not be expected to spend personal money on supplies. It also calls for teachers to be evaluated only by those with the same subject matter expertise and says teachers should never be evaluated based on the performance of students they have never taught. In addition, the bill says teachers should not be relocated to another school based solely on test scores from state mandated assessments. The bill also calls for allowing teachers to act on their “own conscience,” giving them more room to use their professional judgment and discretion. “Teachers have been under attack lately,” said teacher Kyle…

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Bus Driver Shortage Frustrates Wilson County Schools, Reflecting a National Problem

Wendy Wilson

Wilson County Schools has formed a task force to address a bus driver shortage, a problem that is plaguing school districts across the nation. The problem is so bad in Wilson County that routes sometimes have to be canceled because there aren’t enough drivers, according to WKRN News 2. The district has 142 bus drivers, but needs 20 more to be at full staff. The district hasn’t been fully staffed since 2012. “We’ve just had a hard time keeping drivers,” district spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson told WKRN. “It’s certainly not an ideal situation. We don’t like it. We’re frustrated by it, too. Only 8 percent of school districts that responded to a 2015  survey by School Bus Fleet magazine said they did not have a bus driver shortage, meaning 92 percent did. Pay is an issue, but there are other factors as well, according to an article in the magazine in November 2016. “The job is getting more complex all the time,” the article said. “In addition to driving safely and meeting a schedule, drivers must handle disciplinary issues, be vigilant about security along their routes, make sure seat belts are used (and used correctly), and more.” “A school bus driver has very…

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Randy Boyd Uses Haslam’s ‘Leadership Tennessee’ to Advance His Gubernatorial Platform

Chris Alto
Tennessee Star

  Leadership Tennessee, a program funded by Governor Haslam and his allies, was launched to promote “collaborative leadership” across political, cultural and business lines that could problem-solve for the “common good.” Complete Tennessee is gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd’s initiative to “complete the mission of education and economic development initiatives” of the Haslam administration. According to the President of The Cornerstone Foundation a funder and early promoter of Leadership Tennessee, a “terrific example of collaboration in action” was SCORE’s Executive Director Jamie Woodson, the biggest and most well-financed lobbyist for Common Core in Tennessee. Common Core standards championed by the Obama Department of Education, the Gates Foundation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, was a cornerstone of Haslam’s education reform platform during his 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Haslam’s plan to fully embed these standards into Tennessee’s K-12 system was derailed in 2013 by House conservatives. Five months before announcing himself as a gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd who describes himself as a  political “moderate,” launched Complete Tennessee, “a nonprofit 501(c)3 education advocacy organization focused on increasing postsecondary access and completion in Tennessee.” Boyd is getting help in his “complete” mission from fellow Leadership Tennessee classmate, Janet Ayers who is a Complete Tennessee and SCORE board…

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Tennessee Not Among States Filing Amicus Brief In Support of President Trump’s Executive Order Banning Travel from Six Middle Eastern Countries

Wendy Wilson

Thirteen states have joined together to file an amicus brief in support of President Trump’s travel ban, but Tennessee is not among them. The friend of the court brief was filed Monday in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. It defends Trump’s revised Executive Order 13780 temporarily barring citizens of six Middle Eastern countries-Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Yemen and Libya-from entering the U.S, and temporarily stopping the arrival of refugees from any country. A spokesman for Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery told The Tennessee Star that “our office does not typically discuss legal strategy.” “This matter is in the very early stage of litigation and not joining an amicus brief is not necessarily an indication of lack of support,” said spokesman Harlow Sumerford. Signing the amicus brief were attorneys general from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and West Virginia. Gov. Phil Bryant of Mississippi also joined. Alabama and Texas have filed lawsuits against the federal government to end the resettlement of refugees in their states on grounds of failure to comply with the consultation clause of the Refugee Act of 1980. Earlier this month, Tennessee filed a lawsuit against the federal…

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State Rep. Jerry Sexton Calls Out Hypocrisy of Gas Tax Supporters Who Oppose Use of Sales Taxes for Road Construction

Admin

Fireworks erupted on the floor of the Tennessee House of Representativesewhen the typically rapid-fire tick-tock of the day’s agenda was interrupted as Rep. Jerry Sexton (R-Bean Station) questioned Rep. Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville) on the “special privilege” of professional sports teams re-directing sale tax revenues back to a Nashville municipal organization whose purpose is to promote sporting events and sports teams. Rep. Sexton drew a strong parallel between the redirection of those funds – which Williams supports – and the redirection a small portion of sales tax revenues for the benefit of road construction, improvements and repairs – which Williams opposes. Williams supports of Gov. Haslam’s plan to raise taxes on gas and diesel to fund road construction instead. Sexton pointedly called out the hypocrisy of supporters of Haslam’s gas tax increase plan, who claim road construction can only be funded by “user fees” of those who use roads, while sports team stadiums can be funded by those who do not use or attend events at those stadiums. Sexton made his remarks during a debate “over an unrelated bill on the House floor on Thursday that would redirect sales taxes collected at a proposed Major League Soccer stadium in Nashville to be…

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Commentary: NO, It ISN’T a Tax Cut for Regular Tennesseeans

Steve Gill
Tennessee Star

Proponents of Governor Bill Haslam’s fuel tax increase claim it is actually a tax CUT thanks to reductions in a couple of large corporate taxes, like the Franchise & Excise tax. Cutting taxes on businesses to create more job growth while we have a $2 billion surplus is a great idea…but you don’t have to increase taxes elsewhere to justify it. As Nike ads used to proclaim: “Just DO It!!” The claim that a large tax increase on drivers in Tennessee with a slight reduction of taxes on food is a “net cut” because it is combined with unrelated cuts that benefit a few of the Governor’s cronies is the kind of misrepresentation that“fuels” a legitimate distrust of government. The tax INCREASES on fuel far surpass the CUTS in the sales tax on food. It’s not even close. Muddying the water with corporate tax cuts that benefit a few doesn’t change that truth. As the Haslam IMPROVE Act currently stands, it is a $345 million tax increase. Approximately $188 million will come from the increase in the gasoline tax; another $100 million will be generated by the increased diesel tax; and finally, about $57 million will be collected in the…

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Gardenhire Says Illegal Immigrant Students Will Pay For Empty Seats in State Colleges

Chris Alto

The Gardenhire/White bills SB1014/HB863 granting in-state college tuition to illegal immigrant students are moving through their respective chambers.  As reported by The Tennessee Star, the Senate Education Committee passed Gardenhire’s bill last week in a 7-2 vote.  Yesterday, the House Education Subcommittee on Planning & Administration was passed on a voice vote by Republican members Harry Brooks, Mark White, Eddie Smith and Democrats John DeBerry and Johnnie Turner. Rep. Dawn White asked to be recorded as a no vote. The House bill is scheduled to be heard by the full Education Planning & Administration Committee next Tuesday, and the Senate bill has been referred to Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee. Gardenhire’s first attempt in 2014, never made it out of the Education Committee. The 2015 version of the Gardenhire/White bill passed the Senate 21-12. Despite a 49-47 House vote in favor of the bill it failed to achieve the constitutionally required 50 vote minimum. Illegal immigrant students including any student granted a temporary two-year deferred deportation under Obama’s DACA program, are ineligible for federal financial aid for school. However, states and individual schools have discretion to provide financial assistance. Tennessee’s HOPE lottery scholarship can be used at both four…

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State Sen. Joey Hensley: In-State Tuition Would Encourage More Illegal Immigrants To Come To Tennessee

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

Offering illegal immigrants in-state tuition would encourage more illegal immigration into Tennessee, says state Sen. Joey Hensley. Hensley (R-Hohenwald) was one of only two senators on the Senate Education Committee to vote against the Tuition Opportunity Bill on March 22. In an interview with The Tennessee Star, Hensley said that if the bill passes, more illegal immigrant families would likely move to the state to establish residency to qualify for in-state tuition at state colleges and universities. “It encourages people to be here illegally when we let them obtain benefits,” Hensley said. “We have laws about legal immigration and people need to abide by those laws.” Hensley said many of his constituents in his rural district are strongly opposed to the bill. He also opposed the bill in 2015, when it passed in the Senate but failed in the House by only one vote. Currently, at least 18 states allow illegal immigrant students to receive in-state tuition, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Three states—Arizona, Georgia and Indiana—specifically prohibit in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants, and two states—Alabama and South Carolina— bar them from enrolling at any public post-secondary institution, the NCSL reports. In 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in…

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Gannett’s ‘Tennessean’ Shrinks As The Tennessee Star Grows

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

  Gannett News, the far left mainstream media giant based in Tysons Corner, Virginia, announced drastic cuts in its staff in all its major Tennessee publications on Tuesday, including The Tennessean and The Daily News Journal here in Middle Tennessee. “Today we underwent and completed a reduction in personnel in our news division in several of our Tennessee markets, as part of a transformative strategy for the USA TODAY NETWORK–Tennessee,” Tennessean publisher Laura Hollingworth wrote in an email to employees of Gannett’s Tennessee operations, the Nashville Scene reported. “We recognize that this has been a tough day, and we respect and appreciate the work of all our colleagues, especially those who have been impacted by these actions — through no fault of their own,” Hollingsworth said in her email. “A year after acquiring the Commercial Appeal and Knoxville News-Sentinel, Gannett made sizable cuts today in both of those newsrooms, in addition to laying off three reporters locally,” the Scene reported: In Memphis, sources tell the Scene that 17 staff members were eliminated in the newsroom, including seven digital producers, two photographers, two reporters, one clerk and five editors. In Knoxville, 11 were eliminated from the newsroom, including four managers. The…

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Guest Commentary: ‘Gardenhire Republicans’ Want Subsidized Education for Illegal Immigrants and Sanctuary Campuses

Admin
Tennessee Star

By: Karen Lees The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) reports that the burden of illegal immigration on taxpayers in Tennessee for both state and local expenditures jumped from $285 million in 2007 to $547 million in 2013, according to a FAIR 2013 study. To add to that burden, proposed legislation that would grant eligibility for illegal aliens to receive in-state tuition is being considered this session by legislators at the Tennessee State Capitol. In most cases, the discount for in-state tuition is roughly 50%, leaving Tennessee taxpayers with half the cost of tuition for each illegal student. Senator Todd Gardenhire’s SB 0635 & SB 1014 and Representative Mark White’s HB 0660 & HB 0863 seek to abdicate the legislature’s delegated authority to a Board of Regents or other un-elected body governing Tennessee’s post secondary schools. With slumping attendance rates, the decision left to un-elected boards to fill empty seats in the classroom will take priority over compliance with federal immigration law and public safety. The summary for SB0635 states: This bill authorizes the governing body of each public institution of higher education to determine the qualifications that students must possess to be eligible for payment of in-state tuition and fees.…

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General Sessions Judge Casey Moreland Arrested, Faces Charges of Obstructing Criminal Investigations

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Davidson County General Sessions Judge Casey Moreland was arrested by FBI agents at his home Tuesday morning and faces federal charges for obstructing criminal investigations, WSMV-TV Channel 4 reports. The charges include tampering with a witness, victim or an informant and retaliating against a witness, victim or an informant, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court. After his arrest, Moreland appeared before a magistrate and it was decided that he will remain in custody until Friday, when there will be a probable cause hearing and detention hearing. “The allegations set forth in the indictment set forth egregious abuses of power by a judge sitting here in Nashville,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jack Smith at a press conference. “Such an abuse of power undermines the credibility of and destroys the public’s trust in the court system and strikes at the very essence of our judicial branch of government.” If convicted, Moreland faces up to 20 years in prison. Mayor Megan Barry released a statement calling on Moreland to resign. “Nashville deserves to have absolute trust in our judiciary, and Casey Moreland, based upon the allegations in the federal complaint, seems to have clearly violated that trust,” Barry said. “Like all…

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FAKE NEWS: State Rep. Andy Holt Declares NewsChannel 5’s Traffic Camera Citation ‘Investigation’ of Him a Sham

Tina LaFleur
Tennessee Star

  Tennessee State Representative Andy Holt (R-Dresden) fired back at so-called “fake news” regarding a report by News Channel 5’s Ben Hall. In a statement, Representative Holt shot down the local reporter’s implication that Holt – a notorious and outspoken opponent of automatically operated “red light cameras” by third-party vendors as a revenue generator for the state – somehow hid his record of unpaid traffic citations. Hall’s report is literally the definition of fake news. There’s a very simple reason I refused to talk to Mr. Hall about my traffic camera tickets. He’s a known peddler of fake, biased news. It’s actually funny that he fell right into the trap by writing a misleading headline and creating a fake story because I wouldn’t talk to him. The truth is, I’m more than happy to talk about my unpaid traffic camera citations, and I have been very public about that. I welcome any real journalist to come in my office, sit down with me, and report on the real story. Instead, Representative Holt said Hall’s story was a massive missed opportunity for the journalist to expose a very serious and corrupt operation. Mr. Hall really dropped the ball here. He let his…

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Gardenhire and White Broaden Scope of In-State Tuition Bill to Cover More Illegal Immigrant Students, Including ‘Unaccompanied Alien Children’

Chris Alto

State Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) and State Rep. Mark White (R-Chattanooga) have broadened the scope of the 2017 version of the in-state tuition for illegal immigrant students bill they have introduced to the current session of the Tennessee General Assembly. The 2015  Gardenhire/White bill that would have given in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students was restricted to grantees of Obama’s 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The 2017 version of the bill now applies to illegal immigrant students classified in the “Unaccompanied Alien Child” (UAC) category of immigration status. In his much publicized radio meltdown with WWTN’s Ralph Bristol on Friday, Sen. Gardenhire described an illegal immigrant his bill would provide in-state tuition benefits to as “somebody that’s got a 4.0 average, was the valedictorian of their class.” But some UACs who would potentially be eligible for these taxpayer funded tuition breaks are not exactly the model citizens Gardenhire described. In 2013, sixteen year old Edwin Mejia, a UAC from Honduras, was transported to Tennessee and released into the custody of his brother, an illegal immigrant living north of Nashville in Madison, Tennessee. The following year the two brothers moved to Nebraska where Edwin struck and killed 21-year old…

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Sean Spicer Comments Show Reince Priebus Is In Trouble as White House Chief of Staff

Tennessee Star Staff

By: George Rasley, CHQ Editor   The establishment media would like Americans to believe that after the implosion of the Ryancare bill there is an unbridgeable rift between conservatives and President Trump, but the facts are quite the opposite. In our article “The Deal Breaker In #Ryancare” we reminded President Trump that in his book The Art of the Deal he offered the following advice about negotiation, “What you should never do is pay too much, even if that means walking away…”. Yesterday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said at his daily briefing, President Trump sensed that he was going to end up with a “bad deal” if he kept making changes to the bill to repeal Obamacare, so he walked away. “That’s one of the traits,” said Spicer. “It’s not just about making deals, it’s knowing when to walk away from deals, knowing when there’s a bad deal that’s the only solution.” The President “recognizes when there’s a deal to be made,” Spicer said, and “when to walk away.” “I think the president understood that while you can get a deal at the time, that sometimes a bad deal is worse than getting a deal,” Spicer told reporters.…

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Senate Education Committee Approves State Benefit for Illegal Immigrant Students; Silent on Protecting Students in School Bathrooms

Chris Alto
Tennessee Star

  When the Senate Education Committee last week passed SB1014, Sen. Todd Gardenhire’s bill to make illegal immigrant students living in Tennessee, eligible for in-state college tuition and at the same time,  they not only voted to violate the Tennessee  “Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act,” they also turned their back on vulnerable students who need protection from predators in school bathrooms. SB1014 passed in the committee on a 7 to 2 vote. Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga), the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), Sen. Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville), Sen. Reginald Tate (D-Memphis),  Sen.  Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City), Sen. Steve Dickerson (R-Nashville), and Sen. Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin) all voted yes to give illegal immigrant students in-state-tuition and violate existing Tennessee state law. Sen. Joey Hensley (R- Hohenwald) and Sen. Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) voted no. During that same committee meeting, after Chairman Dolores Gresham announced “seeing no motion” to hear SB771, Sen. Beavers’ bill designed to protect the privacy of K-12 students in Tennessee, Chairman Gresham gaveled down the bill and dismissed Sen. Beavers.  This meant that Sen. Beavers was not given an opportunity to explain her bill nor was the committee able to debate its merits, a confusing outcome to say the least since the same committee members…

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Tennessee Republican Assembly Calls for Ethics Investigation of Boss Doss Over TDOT Contracts

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

The Tennessee Republican Assembly has asked Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) to begin an ethics investigation of the business conduct of State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma), a vocal supporter of Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase proposal, over potential Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) contracts for his firm. “The Tennessee Republican Assembly (TRA) is calling upon you, Speaker Beth Harwell, to investigate a potential ethics violation by Rep. Barry Doss, who also serves as Chair of the Transportation Committee,” the organization said in a letter dated March 27 signed by its entire leadership team and hand delivered to members of the Tennessee House of Representatives on Tuesday. “Chairman Doss should have recused himself from the proceedings that could potentially have a direct financial impact on his business,” the TRA said of his oversight of the Transportation Committee as it considered the gas tax increase proposal last week. “In this role, Rep. Doss has the capability to sway the committee by means of influence or by manipulation of the rules governing the committee derived from Mason’s Manual,” the letter continued. “In a stunning abuse of power, State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma) broke a long-standing rule of the Tennessee House of Representatives to ram…

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UPDATE: SUSPECT ARRESTED – Police Searching For Man Believed To Be Homeless Suspected Of Attacking Woman In Belmont Area

Wendy Wilson

UPDATE: Police apprehended Jason Williams at 4:35 p.m. Tuesday off Whitsett Road in South Nashville after a foot chase through a creek bed and culvert.  Police responded to the area after a citizen on Collier Avenue saw Williams emerge from her home crawl space at 4 p.m. Police spotted Williams as he ran through the neighborhood. He ultimately surrendered and will be booked into jail on charges of especially aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated robbery.  ORIGINAL ARTICLE Police are looking for a man they believe to be homeless suspected of brutally raping, kidnapping and robbing a young woman in the Belmont area Monday morning. Jason Jarrell Williams, 31, is accused of attacking the 25-year-old victim in her Portland Avenue apartment around 4 a.m., according to a Metro Nashville Police Department news release. The door to her apartment may have been unlocked, allowing him to enter, police say. Police say Williams inflicted superficial cuts on the victim with what they believe was a razor blade and then repeatedly sexually assaulted her. He later made her leave the apartment and ride with him in her vehicle to a bank ATM where he forced her to withdraw cash. After driving to the…

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Teacher Claims Lab ‘Confirmed the Presence of Mold’ at Bellevue Middle Prep in Nashville; School Officials Deny

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  School officials say Bellevue Middle Prep does not have a mold problem, despite talk on social media and at least one teacher who claims that a sample taken from the school confirmed the presence of molds, according to the lab that tested it. In a March 21 email to staff obtained by The Tennessee Star, Principal Mark Pittman said, “You may have heard about or seen some social media reports about possible mold or poor air quality in our school.” He went on to say that the Department of Workplace Safety has inspected the school at least three times or four times this year but has not found mold, though did conclude that the school needs a thorough cleaning, which Pittman said would be done that week. Pittman also said that an independent lab test of the air quality found nothing out of the normal range. However, a teacher who spoke anonymously to The Star said there is mold in multiple areas around the building. The teacher took a sample from a vent in an HVAC system that circulates air in numerous classrooms as well as the cafeteria. Charles River, a lab used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed…

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Metro Nashville Teachers Union Hosts Organizational Meeting For Progressive Activist Group

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  The Metro Nashville teachers union hosted a meeting earlier this month for a statewide progressive activist group forming a chapter in Nashville. In a March 18 post on its own Facebook page, Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (SOCM) thanked the Metro Nashville Education Association (MNEA) for hosting “the first public event organized by our chapter forming in Nashville/Davidson County.” The MNEA is an affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA). Pronounced “sock-em,” SOCM is an activist group that has been working for “social, economic, and environmental justice” for more than 40 years, according to the group’s website. The group was known for many years by its original name, Save Our Cumberland Mountains, which reflected its early mission of helping in poor coalfield communities in five northern counties in the Cumberland Mountains. The group continues to be heavily involved in environmental issues with its opposition to mountaintop removal mining and fracking and its promotion of “water quality justice.” However, it has also expanded its reach into other areas. It lists the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) as one of its partner organizations. In 2013, SOCM formed a Social Justice Committee that according to its page on the group’s website addresses racism, prison…

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State Senator Gardenhire Melts Down During Radio Interview When Questioned On Fairness of Granting Illegal Immigrant Students In-State Tuition

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

  State Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) had a live on-air melt down Friday during a radio interview on WWTN 99.7 FM when Nashville’s Morning News host Ralph Bristol questioned him about the fairness of granting illegal immigrant students in-state tuition. Gardenhire is the sponsor of SB 1014/HB863 in the Senate. Rep. Mark White (R-Chattanooga) is the sponsor in the House. The bill “exempts undocumented students from paying out-of-state tuition at a state institution of higher education, at the discretion of the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), the state university governing boards, or the University of Tennessee (UT) board of trustees,” according to the bill summary in the Fiscal Note prepared by the Tennessee General Assembly Fiscal Review Committee: Such individuals shall meet certain requirements to receive in-state tuition, including but not limited to, attending a school in this state for the two years immediately prior to graduation from high school; graduating from a Tennessee high school or obtaining a GED or HiSET credential awarded by a state-approved institution or organization, or completing high school in a Tennessee home school program; and is registered as an entering student or is enrolled at a state institution of higher education. The bill passed the…

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State Legislators Who Live Near Nashville Want To Get Reimbursed for Overnight Stays Again

Tennessee Star Staff

House Majority Leader Glen Casada (R-Franklin) tells The Tennessee Star he filed an amendment on Wednesday to SB 1251/HB 1139 that will reimburse state legislators who live less than 50 miles from the State Capitol in Nashville for overnight hotel stays while the Tennessee General Assembly is in session. “I think it’s a fair request,” Casada tells The Star. The amendment reads as follows: (A) A member whose principal residence is fifty (50) miles from the capitol or less shall be paid an expense allowance for meals and incidentals equal to the allowance granted federal employees for such expenses in the Nashville area for each legislative day in Nashville or any day the member participates in any other meeting or endeavor as described in subsection (a) held in Nashville. (B) A member whose principal residence is fifty (50) miles from the capitol or less shall be paid an expense allowance for lodging equal to the allowance granted federal employees for lodging expenses in the Nashville area if the member requests on the member’s per diem reimbursement form to be reimbursed for lodging for a legislative day or any day the member participates in any other meeting or endeavor as described in subsection (a)…

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Legislators Who Give In-State Tuition to Illegal Immigrant Students Are Voting to Violate State Law

Chris Alto
Tennessee Star

Last week when the state’s Senate Education Committee voted to give in-state college tuition to illegal immigrant students, the seven committee members that passed SB1014 also voted to violate a 2012 Tennessee law. By voting to pass SB1014, Senators Gresham, Tate, and Tracy voted against the “Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act” (EVEA), the law they had each voted to pass in 2012. Bill sponsor Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) and Senators Crowe, Dickerson, and Haile also voted yes. Senators Hensley and Kelsey voted no. Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) was a named co-sponsor of the EVEA. The 2012 EVEA, which the  TN Board of Regents’ General Counsel confirmed last week, classifies in-state tuition is a state benefit. The EVEA requires that: “…every state governmental entity and local health department shall verify that each applicant eighteen (18) years of age or older, who applies for a federal, state or local public benefit from the entity or local health department, is a United States citizen or lawfully present in the United States in the manner provided in this chapter.” Only U.S. citizens and “qualified aliens” are considered eligible to apply for benefits under this Tennessee law which defines “qualified alien” by referencing federal law.…

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The Last Renaissance Man

Tina LaFleur
Tennessee Star

By: Richard Gunderman CC 2.0 Gaze at Alexander Von Humboldt’s 1814 self-portrait and you peer into the eyes of a man who sought to see and understand everything. By this point in his life, at age 45, Humboldt had tutored himself in every branch of science, spent more than five years on a 6,000 mile scientific trek through South America, pioneered new methods for the graphical display of information, set a world mountain climbing record that stood for 30 years and established himself as one of the world’s most famous scientists, having helped to define many of today’s natural sciences. Humboldt, born in Berlin, is sometimes called the last Renaissance man – he embodied all that was known about the world in his day. He spent the last three decades of his life writing Kosmos, an attempt to provide a scientific account of all aspects of nature. Though unfinished at the time of his death in 1859, the four completed volumes are one of the most ambitious works of science ever published, conveying an extraordinary breadth of understanding. Throughout his life, Humboldt sought out the world’s interconnections. Today knowledge can seem hopelessly fragmented. The sciences and humanities speak different languages, the…

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Chair of Tennessee Pastors Network: State Legislators ‘Turning Our School Bathrooms and Locker Rooms into Prey-Ins’

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

“The Republican majority in the Tennessee legislature continues to show more allegiance to LGBT activists and the corporate interests that fear them than to the valid concerns of parents, pastors and people of faith,” Dale Walker, Chair of the Tennessee Pastors Network, tells The Tennessee Star, after a bill that “requires students in public schools and public institutions of higher education to use restrooms and locker rooms that are assigned to persons of the same sex as that shown on the students’ birth certificates” failed to make it out of a State Senate committee on Wednesday. “We intend to make sure that Tennessee voters are well informed and fully engaged when they head to the polls next year. We may even host some ‘pray-ins’ to highlight the roll of key legislators who support turning our school bathrooms and locker rooms into ‘prey-ins’,” he adds. “The [State] Senate Education Committee on Wednesday made no motion to consider the legislation,” the Associated Press reported. “The lack of a motion effectively kills the bill for the year,” AP noted. “So-called conservatives in the Tennessee legislature may not be willing to step up and protect our daughters and grand-daughters from having to share school bathrooms, locker…

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Commentary: The Gorsuch Confirmation ‘Nuclear Option’ Deal Not Even the ‘Stupid Party’ is Dumb Enough to Take

Tennessee Star Staff

by Jeffrey A. Rendall March 25, 2017 Now that the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch are mercifully in the past attention turns to the inevitable upcoming votes on his nomination (Judiciary committee vote set for Monday, April 3 and full Senate on Friday, April 7). Naturally there’s a lot of speculation on which Democrats, if any, will reject a filibuster of Gorsuch and which might be convinced to support him in a final up or down vote. Whatever strategy the Democrats ultimately Trump Gorsuchadopt will determine the Republicans’ countermoves, since they’ll know if the so-called “nuclear option” needs to be used to eliminate a potential filibuster for current and future Court nominations. Or, as some suggested, there could be some sort of backroom “deal” in the works. Burgess Everett of Politico reports, “The deal Democrats would be most likely to pursue, the sources said, would be to allow confirmation of Gorsuch in exchange for a commitment from Republicans not to kill the filibuster for a subsequent vacancy during President Donald Trump’s term. The next high court opening could alter the balance of the court, and some Democrats privately argue that fight will be far more consequential than…

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Radical Progressive LGBT Activist Speaks at Middle Tennessee State University

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

LGBT activist and attorney Urvashi Vaid railed against President Trump on Thursday while delivering a keynote address at a conference at Middle Tennessee State University. The “Creating Global Change” conference continues through Saturday and is hosted by MTSU’s Women’s and Gender Studies Program. The conference in Murfreesboro shows how even in red states like Tennessee, radical progressives have become mainstream in the halls of academia. Vaid criticized Trump for what she perceives to be his views on race, gender and LGBT issues. She said Trump “makes it acceptable to be racially divisive” and described the Trump administration and Republican Party as enemies in “an ideological battle that is going on in this country,” according to an article in MTSU Sidelines, the student newspaper. “The political agenda is very, very much about mass discrimination,” Vaid said. “State legislatures in this country are governed by people who are against liberty and justice for all.” Vaid spoke of the growth of the LGBT movement in recent decades, citing an increase in LGBT nonprofits from about 50 in 1969 to nearly 600 today. A native of India, Vaid is founder and president of The Vaid Group LLC. According to its website, the firm “advises socially engaged innovators…

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President Trump tells Speaker Ryan to pull ‘Obamacare-lite’ Bill

Admin
Tennessee Star

  The Washington Post reports President Trump has asked Speaker Paul Ryan to pull the American Health Care Act bill. Via the Washington Post: House Republican leaders abruptly pulled a rewrite of the nation’s health-care system from consideration on Friday, a dramatic acknowledgment that they are so far unable to repeal the Affordable Care Act. “We just pulled it,” President Trump told The Washington Post in a telephone interview. The decision came a day after Trump delivered an ultimatum to lawmakers — and represented multiple failures for the new president and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.). Dubbed “Obamacare-lite” by conservatives, the reaction of the development is being felt across both sides of the aisles. Tea Party Patriots President and co-founder Jenny Beth Martin released the following statement today, reacting to the failed attempt by House GOP members to repeal and replace ObamaCare: “The AHCA failed to garner the necessary votes from the House GOP for the simple reason that it failed to repeal the core elements of ObamaCare – the insurance company mandates (‘Guaranteed Issue,’ ‘Community Rating,’ and ‘Essential Health Benefits’) that are driving up the costs of health insurance even as they drive down the quality of care –…

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Haslam’s ‘Drive to 55’ Used to Give In-State Tuition to Illegal Immigrant Students

Chris Alto

During this week’s sessions in a House Education Subcommittee and the Senate Education Committee, Governor Haslam’s education agenda “Drive to 55” was the reason given for needing to pass bills that make illegal immigrant students in Tennessee eligible for in-state college tuition. “Drive to 55″ refers to Haslam’s higher education reform umbrella that includes the TN Promise, LEAP,  TN Reconnect and TN Advise” programs which are each intended to “increase the number of Tennesseans with a postsecondary degree or credential to 55 percent by the year 2025.” Tennessee Star previously reported that Rep. White and Sen. Todd Gardenhire were carrying two sets of bills (SB104/HB863 and SB635/HB660), that if passed, would make in-state college tuition rates available to illegal immigrant students. On Tuesday, Rep. Mark White’s bill, HB660 which would authorize the new college and university governing boards to decide which students are eligible to pay in-state tuition rates was taken up by the House Education Administration & Planning Subcommittee. Almost immediately, Rep. Harry Brooks asked White whether he “intended this bill to create a mechanism for folks who are illegally in the country” to get in-state tuition? White admitted “that is where this thought came from.” He also admitted that…

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Marsha Blackburn Says She Will Vote Yes on Paul Ryan’s ObamaCare Lite Bill Today

Tennessee Star Staff

The Commercial Appeal is reporting that Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN) have both said they will vote yes this afternoon on Paul Ryan’s ObamaCare Lite bill: U.S. Reps. David Kustoff of Memphis and Marsha Blackburn of Brentwood said Friday they are supporting the bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. “For seven years, Obamacare has been a burden on the American people,” Kustoff said. “With premiums rising and insurers dropping out of the exchange at an alarming rate, the failing health care law is in a death spiral. Republicans have promised to repeal this disastrous law and provide relief to the American people. Later today, I will vote to do just that.” Blackburn said, she, too will vote for the bill. “With the bill as it is currently written, I am voting yes in order to move the process to the Senate,” she said. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) is the only member of the Tennessee Republican Congressional delegation who has not said he will support the bill.

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Former Tennessee Trade Secretary Tapped for Ambassador to Japan

Christina Botteri
Tennessee Star

  The Associated Press reports President Trump has nominated William Francis Hagerty IV as Ambassador to Japan. Bill Hagerty, the co-founder of private-equity firm Hagerty Peterson and Company, is not a newcomer to politics. Earlier in his career, he served in the HW Bush Administration as a White House Fellow, reporting directly to the Vice President on matters of international trade, commerce, treasury, defense and telecommunications. After serving as Mitt Romney’s national finance chair in 2008, the Tennessee native was tapped by the newly-elected Governor Bill Haslam to serve as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. His three-year tenure from 2011 – 2014 was hailed for its successes of significant investments by companies like Bridgestone, Calsonic Kansei and Nissan into the Volunteer State. In total, Hagerty’s term oversaw the addition of more than $15 billion in capital and 90,000 jobs. Hagerty was a Jeb Bush supporter early in the 2016 presidential election cycle, but switched to Donald Trump after he cinched the nomination. Soon after, Hagerty became instrumental in the Trump campaign and was eventually named as the transition team’s Director of Appointments in August of 2016. News of his official nomination is not a surprise to political watchers. President Trump first mentioned…

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Merger of Nashville Metro Planning Organization and Greater Nashville Regional Council Won’t Address Government Waste, Critics Say

Wendy Wilson

The Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the Greater Nashville Regional Council (GNRC) are moving forward with plans to merge, a plan critics say will do little to address government inefficiency. Last month, a joint committee of the two agencies unanimously endorsed the plan to pursue full integration of the MPO and GNRC staff and board leadership. A formal document to integrate will be adopted in April, according to the minutes of the Feb. 15 executive board meeting of the MPO. The Nashville Area MPO handles strategic planning for the transportation needs of seven Middle Tennessee counties by providing a forum for local communities and state leaders to collaborate. MPOs can be found across the country in urbanized areas of more than 50,000 people. Established through federal legislation, they plan and prioritize projects for federal funds. The website for the Nashville MPO says it “contributes to ongoing conversations about issues such as land use, economic development, climate change and the environment, safety and security, and public health.” The GNRC is a regional planning and economic development agency serving 13 counties and 52 cities in Middle Tennessee. Officials involved in the planned merger say it will help with cost savings…

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Police Search For Killer of Ethiopian Restaurant Owner in Targeted Murder

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Police continue to search for the masked gunman responsible for the targeted murder of an Ethiopian restaurant owner in Nashville. Gitem Demissie, 41, was preparing to close his Ibex Ethiopian Bar & Restaurant on Murfreesboro Pike when he was killed around midnight Saturday, according to a Metro Nashville Police Department news release. A witness said a masked gunman wearing a black long sleeve shirt and black jeans walked in, approached Demissie and shot him multiple times. He then fled the building. Demissie was pronounced dead upon arrival at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The witness said the murderer had light skin, a thin build and is about 5’7″ tall. The person’s race is not yet known. Police do not know why Demissie was targeted and are investigating his background to see if he had been involved in any recent conflicts. Anyone with relevant information about Demissie or who may be responsible for his murder is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and qualify for a cash reward. People can also send an electronic tip by texting the word “CASH” along with the message to 274637 (CRIMES), or online at www.nashvillecrimestoppers.com.  

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Concerned Veterans of America: ‘Veterans Being Used in Tennessee Tax Hike Ploy’

Laura Baigert
Tennessee Star

Concerned Veterans of America (CVA)  blasted Tennessee’s Republican political establishment on Monday for using veterans in a “Tennessee [gas] tax hike ploy.” “The politicians pushing for this gas tax increase know that it’s unpopular, so they’ve resorted to using veterans as pawns to push their big government agenda. Pretending that this massive tax hike is good for the military community is an unconscionable move that disrespects those who fought and sacrificed for this country,” Mark Lucas, executive director of CVA said in a statement. “The truth is that this gas tax will hurt families and veterans alike who rely on affordable transportation in the state. Veterans deserve property tax relief, but not as part of a glaringly obvious ploy to increase taxes across the board. We urge the Tennessee legislature to look for ways to cut wasteful government spending instead of approving this disingenuous and costly tax hike,” Lucas said. The amended version of Gov. Haslam’s IMPROVE Act gas tax increase that passed the Senate Transporation Committee last week “includes a small tax relief for veterans which would exempt them from paying property taxes under certain circumstances, but would not protect them from the impact of the massive gas tax…

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Peyton Manning Will Not Run for Senate in Tennessee: ‘I Have NO Interest in the Political World’

Tina LaFleur
Tennessee Star

Rumors swirling of a possible US Senate run by legendary football star Peyton Manning on the heels of a possible 2020 retirement of Senator Lamar Alexander have been sidelined. For now. The Denver Post reported University of Tennessee alum Manning denied any interest in the Senate, stating: “I have NO interest in the political world.” Via the Post: “I don’t know where that came from. Last week I was going to run a team, this week I going to apparently run for Senate, and next week I’ll be an astronaut,” Manning said. “I have no interest in the political world, but would like to continue serving communities.” Manning said he’s “excited about the next chapter of my career” and that he has “a bucket list” of things he wants to do before finding something new. “The best advice I got was to not sign up for something full-time right away that you can’t commit to,” he said. “I’m taking my time and seeing what my options might be.” So… we’ll put him down as a “maybe.” Read the Post’s full report at: http://www.denverpost.com/2017/03/22/peyton-manning-political-world-interest/

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American Killed in London Islamic Terrorist Attack

Tina LaFleur
Tennessee Star

The New York Daily News reports at least one American was injured and another killed in the Westminster Bridge terror attack Wednesday. Utah couple Kurt Cochran and his wife Melissa were in London on a ‘dream vacation’ to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. Via the Daily News: “Our family is heartbroken to learn of the death of our son-in-law, Kurt W. Cochran, who was a victim of Wednesday’s terrorist attack in London,” said Melissa’s brother, Clint Payne, in a statement issued by the Mormon church. “Kurt was a good man and a loving husband to our daughter and sister, Melissa.”   Read the full story at: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/utah-man-identified-victim-deadly-london-attack-article-1.3006601

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State Rep. Sam Whitson is Proud of His Vote to Increase the Gas Tax in House Transportation Committee

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

  State Rep. Sam Whitson (R-Franklin), one of the 11 members of the House Transportation Committee who voted yes on increasing the gas tax and moved the amended version of Gov. Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, tells the Spring Hill Home Page he is proud of his vote in committee on Tuesday. The amended version of the IMPROVE Act for which Whitson voted is said to be the same as the amended Senate version, which reduced the gas tax increase from 7 cents per gallon to 6 cents per gallon. The full details of the amended House version Whitson voted for have not yet been released to the public. “We made sure that a we stayed a debt free and pay-as-you-go state when it comes to our public roads,” the Williamson County resident and Army veteran told the Spring Hill Home Page on Wednesday. Whitson was not asked to comment on Chairman Barry Doss’ (R-Leaoma) violation of Tennessee House of Representatives Rule 34 in the committee, a rule breaking abuse of power that enabled the vote to be held on Tuesday in committee. Whitson’s colleague, State Rep. Timothy Hill (R-Blountville), invoked Rule 34 during the hearing. Rule 34 grants members of the…

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Bryan College, Union University Honored For Beautiful Campuses

Wendy Wilson

Two Tennessee schools earned spots in the top three in a ranking of beautiful Christian college and university campuses. Bryan College in Dayton was #2 and Union University in Jackson was #3 on the list of the “50 Most Beautiful Christian Colleges and Universities 2017” compiled by Christian Universities Online, an independent resource for prospective students and their families researching Christian higher education. The #1 spot went to Dallas Baptist University in Texas. Schools included in the ranking are members or member eligible of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Schools were evaluated based on continuity of campus, architectural style, signature buildings and natural setting. Bryan College, located north of Chattanooga, has around 1,500 students, 1,400 of them undergraduates. “Set on a large rural campus, Bryan College is nestled in the beautiful Tennessee mountains and features a contemporary architectural style that favors clean lines,” says an article on the Christian Universities Online website. Rudd Auditorium, the signature building, is “a unique and beautiful structure,” the article says, adding that the three arches in front are depicted in the school logo. “Located next to Chickamauga Lake, Bryan College borders the Dayton Municipal Park and the campus flows well with its…

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Grover Norquist Praised Chris Christie’s Gas Tax Increase in New Jersey Before He Signed Off on Haslam’s in Tennessee

Tennessee Star Staff

Washington insider Grover Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform, praised New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s gas tax increase in New Jersey in 2016, a year before he claimed Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase proposal here in Tennessee is “Taxpayer Protection Pledge compliant.” In the letter he sent to Tennessee state legislators on Monday in which he expressed support for the amended version of Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase that passed the Senate Transportation Committee last week, Norquist also sang the praises of Christie’s earlier gas tax increase in the Garden State. “In New Jersey last year, Americans for Tax Reform supported a tax package enacted by Gov. Christie that raised the gas tax from 14.5 to 23 cents per gallon, but coupled that with a phase out of his state’s death tax, a reduction in the sales tax from 7 to 6.6%, and an increase in the earned income tax credit,” Norquist wrote. “The package, like SB 1221/HB534 was a net tax cut overall. As such, not only did ATR not oppose the deal, ATR urged lawmakers to support it,” he added. “Republican Gov. Chris Christie and the Democratic-controlled Legislature agreed to the hike because the state had run…

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