Day: March 10, 2017

Representative Scott DesJarlais Joins Large Majority in Support of $584 Billion Defense Bill

Christina Botteri
Tennessee Star

Wednesday, Representative Scott DesJarlais, M.D. (R-TN-04) voted to boost troops’ numbers, pay, training, and equipment in the 2017 Defense Appropriations bill that passed the House of Representatives by a wide margin. The $584 billion defense spending measure for this fiscal year is the first of a series of appropriations bills the House will likely pass before April 28 – the date the continuing spending resolution expires. The final vote tally was 371-48, with five Republicans and forty-three Democrats voting to oppose. The military funding bill reverses the Obama Administration’s proposed troop reductions and includes $1.6 billion over the previous president’s budget request. President Donald Trump and the new Republican Congress have made rebuilding the U.S. military a centerpiece of their agenda, along with a stronger foreign policy to deter aggression. Politico reported on some specific line items of the bill: It notably includes a $6.8 billion boost in procurement funding above the Obama administration’s final fiscal 2017 budget request, including more fighters, helicopters and ships. That includes $979 million for 12 Boeing-made F/A-18 Super Hornets, $750 million for six additional Navy and Marine Corps F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and $495 million for five extra Air Force F-35s. Appropriators also added nearly $3 billion for Navy…

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Low Test Scores, High Graduation Rates: Will Tennessee’s Retooled Testing Program Help Show What’s Really Happening With Student Performance?

Wendy Wilson

Schools in Tennessee are getting ready for spring testing starting mid-April, hoping to leave behind the debacle of last year, when glitches in carrying out revamped tests caused headaches across the state. Hitting reset again this year potentially creates more hurdles in getting an accurate read on student achievement at a time when the data that is available shows low student performance, even as state officials are touting high graduation rates. The Tennessee Department of Education terminated its contract with Measurement Inc. last year after technical problems ground an initial round of online testing in February to a halt and the company then missed deadlines to deliver paper and pencil tests for spring. This year, the state has a contract with a new vendor, Questar, for the second year of TNReady testing that is part of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), begun in 1988. Testing was canceled last spring for students in grades 3-8 because of the mishaps, but high school students were able to take the full assessment. Many students scored below expectations, but state officials say the scores reflect changes in standards and types of test questions and new achievement levels. “Just as we expected proficiency to dip in…

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The Tennessee Star to Host RIGHT NOW Coverage of President Trump’s Visit to Nashville Wednesday, March 15

Christina Botteri
Tennessee Star

  President Trump is coming to Nashville next Wednesday, March 15, and The Tennessee Star will be there to cover all the pageantry, protesters, and most importantly, the president and “We the People.” This is going to be a large event, and we recognize that there might be moments we miss, and so we are excited to announce we have set up dedicated channels to receive pictures, video, reports, and recordings from YOU! We call it RIGHT NOW Coverage. Here’s what to do: – At the rally, use your smartphone to take a picture or short video – Text your picture/video to The Tennessee Star at 615-538-8526 – Include your name (first name, last initial) and your hometown – Also include a short description of your picture/video Optional: Email your picture/video and description to [email protected] Example: “Three generations of our family are here to support President Trump! ~ Sarah T., Franklin, TN” We will have staff standing by to post your pictures and reports live and in REAL TIME all day – from before the Nashville Municipal Auditorium opens until the last protester leaves (about 2pm – 10pm). If your haven’t already, get your tickets to attend the event here. We are…

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‘Leadership Tennessee’ Promotes Political Agenda While Claiming to Be Non-Partisan

Chris Alto

“Leadership Tennessee” the 10-month leadership education program hosted by Lipscomb University and funded in part by The Haslam Foundation, Haslam family’s Flying Pilot J, the Hyde Family Foundation and the Cornerstone Foundation of Knoxville, whose board at one time included Haslam, says it’s mission is to “foster[s] collaborative, non-partisan dialogue…” Two members of Class 1 of Leadership Tennessee (2013 to 2014) are currently candidates for governor: former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and former Tennessee Commissioner of Economic and Community Development Randy Boyd. One member of Class 1, Renata Soto, is chairman of the board of the National Council of La Raza, a group funded in part by George Soros, and the Executive Director of Conexion Americas, a Nashville based group to which Boyd and his wife contributed approximately $250,000 in September 2016. Conexion Americas is listed as a Tennessee affiliate of the National Council of La Raza. The program was launched by a four member team: Tom Ingram, a political advisor to both Republicans and Democrats including Haslam, Lamar Alexander and Karl Dean when he was mayor of Nashville who has announced he will run in the Democrat 2018 primary for governor. Cathy Cate, the executive director whose husband Mark…

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Visit by President Trump Will Place Nashville at Forefront of National Debate Over Agenda

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

President Trump’s rally in Nashville next Wednesday, March 15 places Middle Tennessee at the forefront of the national debate over the president’s agenda. The event will be held at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Tickets can be obtained here. The doors will open at 3:30 pm, and the event is scheduled to start at 6:30 pm. Trump’s visit to the Music City comes eleven days after the highly successful pro-Trump Spirit of America rally held at Legislative Plaza on March 4. By all indications, the Nashville rally was the largest of the several dozen similar rallies held across the country that day. The event comes as a number of elements of President Trump’s political agenda are front and center in the national debate. On the following day, March 16, President Trump’s revised executive order, which temporarily bans travel from six Middle Eastern countries and also temporarily halts the admission of refugees into the United States, becomes effective. Several states, including Hawaii, have said they intend to file legal challenges against the revised executive order. Last week, Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, including Speaker Paul Ryan, announced a bill they say is designed to repeal and replace Obamacare, one of…

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Commentary: CALLED OUT: Jim Wrye, Lobbyist for State Affiliate of the National Education Assocation, ‘Dropped a Whopper of a Lie’

Polly Baker

  We all remember learning the Presidents’ Day lessons in school: the virtuous stories, the inspiring anecdotes, and the values of character. These are the traits all our elected officials should exemplify. But the sad truth is, such virtue is a high standard for any elected official to keep. So much so that nowadays, we celebrate the rare instance when a politician takes an unpopular position because he believes it to be right. Far too many seek power before they seek what’s right. So what happens when a particular position you hold is both wrong AND unpopular. Well, if you’re Jim Wrye, lobbyist for the state affiliate of the National Education Association, the answer is easy: Just lie about it being unpopular. Last month, in an effort to take advantage of desperation of politicians, Jim Wrye dropped a whopper of a lie. In a press release befitting a world of “fake news,” Jim publicly declared that he had polled 6,510 Tennesseans and that 59.5 percent of them agreed that children should be given no option other than their government-assigned school. . . That is not a typo. He said SIX THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND TEN. You can read his exact words here: Tennesseans…

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Veterinary Board Rule Change Threatens Fines and Jail for ‘Unlicensed Horse Massage’

Christina Botteri
Tennessee Star

The Beacon Center Legal Foundation announced that it has filed a lawsuit against the state Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners. The Vet Board recently defined “animal massage” as a form of veterinary medicine, meaning that merely rubbing horses now requires a veterinarian license. The Beacon Center – a nonpartisan, independent organization dedicated to developing and supporting free market solutions to public policy issues in Tennessee  – believes this law is unconstitutional and has filed suit on behalf of Martha Stowe and Laurie Wheeler of Franklin, as both of their careers and livelihoods depend on horse massage therapy. Continuing to practice horse massage therapy subjected them to fines and even potential jail time. The Beacon Center warned the Vet Board in a letter of its intention to sue, should the Board keep the bizarre rule change. The two weeks passed, the Vet Board kept the licensure requirement, and the Center, in fact, filed suit. This is the third lawsuit the Center has filed, winning its first lawsuit against the city of Nashville for its unconstitutional homesharing regulations. The group also looks likely to get a second legal victory after its challenge of a Haslam Administration expansion of a similar licensing requirement for shampooing. A repeal of that rule is in the works. Beacon Center Litigation Director Braden…

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