Day: March 14, 2017

State Senate Transportation Committee Passes Amended Gas Tax Hike

Tina LaFleur

The State Senate Transportation Committee passed an amended version of Gov. Haslam’s Gas Tax hike (SB 1221) on Monday. Among the changes were a removal of the inflation indexing provision, a cut in the governor’s proposed gas tax increase from 7 cents per gallon to 6 cents per gallon, and a cut in the proposed diesel fuel tax increase from 12 cents to 10 cents per gallon. Senate revisions to Gov. Haslam’s road-funding bill: – Reduces governor’s proposed gas tax increase from 7 cents per gallon to 6 cents. Phases increases in over 3 years with 4 cents in Fiscal Year 2018, 1 cent in FY 2019 and 1 cent in FY 2020. – Reduces governor’s proposed diesel tax increase from 12 cents per gallon to 10 cents. Phases in over 3 years with 4 cents in FY 2018, 3 cents in FY 2019 and 3 cents in FY 2020 – Alternative fuel tax increase of 8 cents phased in over 3 years. – Removes inflation indexing provision – Removes 3 percent rental car surcharge – Deepens Haslam’s proposed cut to state’s sales tax by reducing the 5 percent tax to 4 percent beginning July 1 as opposed to the 4.5 percent originally…

Read the full story

Illegal Immigrant Students Scheduled to Lobby for In-State College Tuition

Chris Alto

Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRCC) is organizing another effort for illegal immigrant students and allied educators to lobby state legislators for in-state college tuition benefits for these students. “Tuition Opportunity Dreamers and Educators Day on the Hill” is scheduled for March 22, 2017, and TIRRC wants all “undocumented youth and educators” to join them at the capitol: “Over the years, we’ve built a broad support for undocumented youth to have the opportunity to pay in-state tuition at Tennessee’s public colleges and universities. On March 22, 2017, we’ll be bringing undocumented youth, educators, and allies from across the state to demonstrate to our representatives at the state legislature that every student deserves a fair chance to obtain a college education, regardless of their immigration status. SAVE THE DATE!!! …We will meet at the Nashville Public Library in Downtown on 615 Church St, Nashville, TN 37219. An agenda and logistics will be announced soon!” This year’s legislative session is the third time that TIRRC, illegal immigrant students and their allies will have lobbied for the in-state college tuition benefit. TIRRC’s Nashville offices are housed in the building owned by Conexion Americas whose founder and director, Renata Soto who was elected chairman…

Read the full story

High Noon: Steve Gill and Ralph Bristol Debate the Gas Tax on WWTN Tomorrow

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

Steve Gill and Ralph Bristol will debate the merits of Gov. Haslam’s proposed gas tax increase on 99.7 FM WWTN’s Dan Mandis Show tomorrow (Wednesday) at noon. Gill, the former Nashville talk radio host who led the successful opposition to Gov. Sundquist’s proposed state income tax in 2000-2002, is opposed to Haslam’s proposal to increase the gas tax by 7 cents per gallon as well as any other kind of tax increase. Bristol, the host of Nashville’s Morning News on 99.7 FM WWTN, said in testimony before the State Senate Transportation Committee on Februrary 27, “It is my humble, but considered opinion that Governor Haslam has almost presented a thoughtful, responsible plan that preserves the integrity of an admirable and enviable tax system . . . and that his plan adequately addresses a real need that has always been considered so sacred that it deserved special protection, even from economic downturns that affect the rest of the people’s purse.” “I do not support the Governor’s plan, as is, because I don’t believe it is the revenue neutral plan it advertises itself to be,” Bristol  stated in his testimony But the bottom line for Bristol, he concluded in his testimony,  is that “Governor Haslam’s…

Read the full story

Russell Moore’s Job as Head of Southern Baptist Convention’s Public Policy Arm On The Line?

Wendy Wilson

Russell Moore’s position as head of the Southern Baptists’ public policy arm could be in jeopardy, the Washington Post is reporting. More than 100 Southern Baptist churches have threatened to cut off funding for the program that supports the denomination’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), according to the article in the Post. Moore has been a controversial figure since becoming president of the ERLC in 2013 because of his progressive views on immigration and race, his promotion of religious pluralism, and his disparaging statements about past efforts by the religious right to influence American culture and politics. In recent months, he has been criticized for the provocative way he denounced President Trump and his followers in the 2016 election and also for signing a friend of a court brief supporting construction of a New Jersey mosque involved in a zoning dispute. That decision, as previously reported by The Tennessee Star, prompted a large Southern Baptist church in East Tennessee to escrow funds. Later, a megachurch in Texas decided to do the same. Other churches taking similar actions have contributed to the matter reaching a crisis point. Frank Page, president of the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, told the Post that…

Read the full story

Boyd Campaign Silent on Questions Related to Conexion Americas Donation

Chris Alto

One year after Renata Soto, founder and director of Nashville-based Conexion Americas was elected as chairman of the board of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd and his wife Jenny donated $250,000 to Soto’s organization. In a letter signed by Soto the Boyd donation was described as an “historic investment” and as “the single largest individual gift” to Conexion Americas in its 14-year history. Soto’s other organization, NCLR has been generously funded by George Soros. On Friday, March 10, 2017, The Tennessee Star asked the Boyd campaign’s communications director the following questions: Can you confirm whether Randy Boyd knew about Renata Soto’s leadership role with NCLR when he donated the $250K to her Nashville organization? Was he aware that Ms. Soto’s Nashville organization is a named affiliate of NCLR? If he was not aware of Ms. Soto’s leadership role with NCLR, would he have still made the donation had he known about her leadership role with NCLR? Did Randy Boyd know about Ms. Soto’s leadership role with NCLR when she was asked to join the board of Complete Tennessee? Does Randy Boyd support the Governor’s fuel tax proposal? The Boyd campaign has not responded.

Read the full story

Commentary: The Battle to Keep the Pentagon in Democrat Hands

Tennessee Star Staff

By: George Rasley, CHQ Editor Secretary of Defense James “Mad Dog” Mattis’ reputation as a warfighter is unimpeachable, but his political and personnel judgement – not so much. Almost since the day he was confirmed Mattis has engaged in guerilla war with President Trump’s White House staff to advance his plans to bring Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans into the top echelons of the PentagonPentagon. As part of this guerilla war Mattis is blocking some rock-star conservative talent that the White House slated for appointments at the Pentagon. One is Mira Ricardel, a former Boeing executive and Bush Pentagon alum who helped with the Trump transition. And as Gen. Mattis continues to nix a long list of names offered by the White House team, he hasn’t been bashful about pushing for the appointment of Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans. First, Gen. Mattis flirted with appointing Michele Flournoy, formerly the third-ranking civilian in the Pentagon under President Barack Obama, and the person expected to run the Pentagon had Hillary Clinton won the presidency, as his deputy. The Wall Street Journal’s Kimberley Strassel reported Mattis also looked to recruit from Ms. Flournoy’s liberal-hawk think tank, the Center for New American Security. And he pushed…

Read the full story

Fifty Leading Tennessee Conservatives Send Open Letter to State Legislature Opposing Gas Tax Increase

Tennessee Star Staff

Fifty leading Tennessee conservatives have sent an open letter to the Tennessee General Assembly opposing Gov. Haslam’s proposed IMPROVE Act, which includes a 7 cents per gallon gas tax increase and a 12 cents per gallon diesel tax increase. The letter was released Tuesday morning, on the same day the House Transportation Committee is scheduled to vote on the IMPROVE Act. Conservative political strategist Steve Gill noted: “The names on this letter should raise concerns among Republican legislators. These are the exact types of conservative political activists who run in Republican primaries, recruit others to run in Republican primaries, and help those who run in Republican primaries.” Gill said that a gas tax increase, if passed, will likely be THE issue in 2018 Republican primary races. “Voters will essentially have a referendum to repeal the tax by replacing those who voted for it with those who will vote to repeal the tax increase,” Gill noted. “The mail pieces and radio adds against the tax increasers almost write themselves.” Another Republican political consultant pointed out the ideological impact of the current internal policy battles in the Republican Party at the state and national level. “The Ryan Obamacare-lite plan may expand the…

Read the full story