Bill Sponsored by Sen. Nicely Would Aid Fugitive Couple in Property Rights Fight Against Dunlap City

Tennessee Star

  By David Tulis / Noogaradio 1240 AM 92.7 FM A bill sliding through the Tennessee General Assembly offers unexpected aid to Thomas and Carol Gaddy, the homeowners from Sequatchie County who are in hiding while a judge demands permission for Dunlap city officials to search their house. The bill by Sen. Frank Niceley would have the secretary of state determine if a property has been annexed into a municipality if a property owner asks for proof. SB 338 would allow Mrs. Gaddy to pursue one of her arguments in a property rights case has turned her into a fugitive. She and Mr. Gaddy face arrest because they are under a civil contempt order in the court of Chancery Judge Thomas Graham. Because they have not consented to a search of their property, absent a finding of probable cause, Judge Graham issued a bench warrant in March for their arrest and intends to keep them in jail until they allow what the city terms an inspection. Mrs. Gaddy has sued Judge Graham for abuse of office. In an interview she says it is unethical for him to maintain any action against her because he is an interested and biased party.…

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House Republican Conservatives Put Up a Valiant Fight Against Gov. Haslam’s Gas Tax Increase, Setting Stage for 2018 Election

  When the Tennessee House of Representatives passed Governor Haslam’s gas tax increase bill by a 60 to 37 margin on Wednesday, a bare majority of Republicans–37 for and 35 against—voted yes in favor of the unpopular tax increase. The 35 conservative Republicans who stood for the foundational principle of limited government were not sufficient to withstand the huge financial and political pressures mounted by the special interests who wanted the bill to pass. Those forces arrayed against the conservative opposition were significant, beginning with Governor Haslam’s taxpayer funded statewide tour that promoted a 962 road project list in all 95 counties, the support of lobbying groups numbering in the thirties, tax reductions for a select group of businesses, and a reported $250 million taxpayer funded deal for the Democrats. These conservatives lost the battle in 2017, but the war for the Tennessee General Assembly election in 2018 has just begun. The arguments made by these 35 stalwarts on the floor of the House on Wednesday will resonate throughout the state over the next year and a half. The process through the House subcommittees and committees was not without controversy including the make up of the Transportation Committee, procedural issues, breaking…

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Dr. Fakhruddin Attar and Wife Arrested in Michigan on Female Genital Mutilation Charges

Tennessee Star

  The FBI has identified a Female Genital Mutilation ring, where young daughters of resettled Somalis living in Minnesota take what’s called a ‘Girls Trip’ to Michigan to undergo the horrific procedure. TownHall.com’s Katie Pavlich reports: Doctor Fakhruddin Attar and wife Farida were arrested Friday near Detroit for conspiring to commit and aiding in female genital mutilation [FGM] of girls as young as six-years-old. The Attars allegedly allowed the procedure to be carried in their Livonia medical clinic. Mrs. Attar even held the hands of the girls screaming in pain. One alleged co-conspirator of Attar and his wife was Michigan emergency room physician Jumana Nagarwala. According to the criminal complaint from the Department of Justice, the couple conspired with Detroit emergency room doctor Jumana Nagarwala. Nagarwale was arrested last week for performing the procedure on a number of girls. It appears as though Attar’s role was to supply the facilities so that the little girls could be mutilated by Nagarwala. The complaint states (embedded below): This investigation has identified other children who may have been cut by Nagarwala at Attar’s clinic, MBC, between 2005 and 2017, including children in Michigan. On April 10, 2017, child forensic interviews employed by the FBI and HSI interviewed several minor…

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Letter to the Editor: Time For the Republican Party in Tennessee to Return to Our Limited Government and Individual Liberty Roots

Tennessee Star

  Dear Tennessee Star, Some of my best memories are from the time I spent with my great-grandparents as a child. Both grew up on farms in East Tennessee, and my papaw served in WWII. I was blessed to have them in my life, and it is my great hope to honor them by carrying on their legacy of self responsibility, hard work, and charity. They taught me much about life. Whether I was helping them string beans or talking to my mamaw as she cooked Sunday’s dinner, there was always something to learn. Really, the way they lived was the biggest lesson of all. They showed me the importance of working hard, pinching pennies, and helping those in need. I was raised by a single mother who did her best, but if it weren’t for them my family would have lacked some of life’s basic necessities. I’ll never forget one time a vacuum salesman showed up, and they would not let him leave until they made him a sandwich and a glass of sweet tea. That is the kind of people they were. They worked for everything they had and never went into debt for anything. Their motto was,…

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Jeff Hartline Commentary: In Tennessee, Growing Government is the New Faux ‘Conservative’

By Jeff Hartline We hear from time to time the graying generation express “Fifty is the new Thirty” or we hear fashionistas tell us that “Red is the new Black”. In trying to piece together the policy “MOAB” that went off yesterday in the Tennessee General Assembly, we have concluded “Growing Government is the new faux ‘Conservative’ “. How so, you say? Well, for years conservatives have been hearing that all we need to get Tennessee back on track is to elect more Republicans. So, Tennessee voters did just that. In fact, the voters overachieved by electing a Republican Governor, seventy-four State Representatives (out of a possible 99) and twenty-eight State Senators (out of a possible 33). We heard “It matters who governs” and “We want to right-size government”. So, how’s that working out for conservative policy? Well, if you consider conservatism to be standing up for smaller and more limited government, more Constitutionally-focused government, less taxes, limited state spending, more efficiency, more transparency, less cronyism and focused attention on traditional family values, you have been sorely disappointed. Politically-savvy individuals realize that when you have divided government, you must be willing to compromise on issues in order to get anything…

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Tennessee Department of Health Says Female Genital Mutilation Is Not Our Problem

The Tennessee Department of Health’s (TDH) Mission Statement is to: [p]rotect, promote and improve the health and prosperity of people in Tennessee….Protecting people’s health by preventing problems that contribute to illness, disease and injury is the overall emphasis of the department. As a matter of public health, however, it appears that the TDH does not consider that eradicating female genital mutilation (FGM) is part of their mission. A search of the TDH website and the wide variety of resources including reporting and training shows not a single reference or resource to FGM, even as an “adverse childhood experience.” Despite the estimated high risk to women and girls in Tennessee from FGM the TN Department of Health has elected not to address the threat as part of its mission. After learning about the twenty-one cases of FGM in Tennessee in 2011, The Tennessee Star asked the TDH whether any of those cases had been reported to any of the local or regional health departments and whether TDH was aware of any other incidents of FGM occurring after 2011. Without any additional comment, TDH responded by quoting back the 2012 FGM reporting law and underscoring the law’s mandate that law enforcement has an affirmative duty to receive and report when…

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The ‘Aha Moment’ at the Tennessee General Assembly This Year

The idea of a citizen-legislator has gone by the wayside and been replaced by the career politician. Unless there is more transparency and inclusion, there may well be a demand for change in leadership. For certain in 2019 there will be great change, and quite possibly the “drain the swamp” echo from 2016 will filter down to state politics in 2018. It may be time for the state to consider term limits.

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Williamson County Schools Eliminates Class Rank

The Williamson County School Board voted this week to eliminate class rank, citing its declining importance in applying for college. The new policy takes full effect for the class of 2020. Class rank will be restricted to the top 10 percent for 2018 and 2019. While schools will not rank students numerically, there will still be honors recognition using the Latin system with the following GPAs:  Summa Cum Laude 4.25 and above, Magna Cum Laude 4.00-4.24 and Cum Laude 3.75-3.99. Valedictorian and salutatorian will be chosen using criteria for academic performance and community service. High schools nationwide have been moving away from using class rank for more than a decade, but the trend was initially met with frustration by college officials. Back in 2006, The New York Times reported that “many college deans deplore the trend, saying it forces them to either recreate class rank, make less informed decisions or overemphasize results on standardized tests.” William Shain, then the dean of undergraduate admissions at Vanderbilt University, told The Times, “There’s a movement these days to not let anybody know that a kid has done better than other kids.” The push for eliminating class rank is motivated in part by a desire for…

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Elizabeth Thomas, ‘Healthy and Unharmed,’ Soon To Return To Middle Tennessee

Tennessee Star

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee–Elizabeth Thomas will soon be on her way home back to Middle Tennessee, authorities said at a press conference Thursday afternoon at Tennessee Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Nashville. The 15-year-old Maury County girl was found Thursday morning in a remote area in Northern California along with her former high school teacher Tad Cummins. Cummins, 50, was arrested and will face charges of aggravated kidnapping and sexual contact with a minor. The TBI received a tip late Wednesday night that led to authorities in California finding the pair at a rural cabin in Cecilville in Siskiyou County. Thomas is “healthy and unharmed,” said Brent Cooper, the district attorney for the 22nd judicial district, which covers Maury County. “Our main concern is how she is emotionally and mentally,” Cooper said, adding that there are agencies available to help her when she is ready. Authorities said Thomas would travel back to Tennessee on TBI aircraft, but would not disclose any further details about her return out of respect for her privacy. Thomas and Cummins had been staying at the cabin for about a week and a half with limited or no cell phone service and where snow was on the…

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Federal Lawmakers Back Knox County Sheriff In Efforts To Run 287(g) Immigration Enforcement Program

Tennessee federal lawmakers are backing the sheriff of Knox County in his efforts to get approval to run the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s 287(g) program. The program allows state and local police officers to collaborate with the federal government in enforcing immigration laws. President Trump in his executive orders on immigration said he would revitalize the program. The program is named for Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and became law in 1996. President Obama scaled back the program. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office would become the only law enforcement agency in the state to be part of the 287(g) program. The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office participated in the program for several years before ending its involvement in 2012. The Knoxville News Sentinel reports that ICE asked Knox County Sheriff Jimmy “J.J.” Jones to get letters of recommendation from Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker and Rep. John J. Duncan Jr., who all complied with the request. The newspaper quotes Jones as saying that currently when people are arrested, their immigration status is run to see if the crime is deportable. The process can take up to three weeks at $100 a day. The 287(g) program would streamline the process…

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BREAKING: Tad Cummins Arrested, Elizabeth Thomas Safe

Tennessee Star

  The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation say they have arrested Tad Cummins, and that Elizabeth Thomas is now safe.   NEWS ALERT: Tad Cummins is under arrest and Elizabeth Thomas has been safely recovered in Northern California. More details soon! pic.twitter.com/QezSERDzHV — TBI (@TBInvestigation) April 20, 2017   Fox News reports: Cummins is accused of absconding with his student Elizabeth Thomas from their small town of Culleoka, Tennessee. Authorities released surveillance video from March 15th that shows the pair at a Walmart in Oklahoma City, but otherwise their trail has gone cold. TBI will hold a press conference at 3pm in Nashville to inform the public of additional details. MEDIA: We will offer a news conference at TBI Headquarters in Nashville at 3PM Central. Gathering as many details as possible to share. — TBI (@TBInvestigation) April 20, 2017   UPDATE Here is the Facebook video of today’s press conference (begins at about 8:45min). (You can see The Tennessee Star’s Wendy Wilson in the red dress in the lower right of the screen, reporting live from the press conference.)    

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Game On: GOP Primary Challenger Blasts State Rep. Susan Lynn for Voting Yes on Gas Tax Increase After Saying She Opposed It

Less than 24 hours after State Rep. Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet) broke her promise not to vote for a gas tax increase, her 2018 Republican primary challenger is on the attack. “In a story reported by The Tennessee Star on March 12, 2017 Susan Lynn declined a challenge by Jeremy H. G. Hayes to debate her support of the Gas Tax, saying, ‘No, I am not for the gas tax so there is nothing to debate,’ ” the Jeremy Hayes for State Representative campaign said in a statement released on Thursday. Hayes announced in February he will challenge Lynn in the August 2018 Republican primary to represent the 57th House District. In a March 12 story titled “State Rep. Susan Lynn: ‘I Am Not For The Gas Tax So There Is Nothing To Debate’,” The Tennessee Star reported: “No, I am not for the gas tax so there is nothing to debate,” State Rep. Susan Lynn (R- Mount Juliet) tells The Tennessee Star in response to challenger Jeremy Hayes’ March 8 press release calling on her to debate him over the issue. Hayes opposes Gov. Haslam’s proposed gas tax increase. As The Star reported on Wednesday, Rep. Lynn was one…

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Judson Phillips Commentary: RIP Tennessee Republican Party

  RIP Tennessee Republican Party. The Tennessee Republican Party died on April 19, 2017. Ten years after the GOP became the majority party in Tennessee, led by a liberal governor, the party committed political suicide. By voting for the largest tax increase in the history of the state of Tennessee, the Republicans in the state legislature knifed their base in the back and repudiated everything they claim to stand for. Tennessee Republicans routinely make campaign speeches talking about how conservative they are and how they believe in limited government. Today, Tennessee’s conservative base knows this is a lie. Despite that, these same politicians will return home and tell the local people how conservative they are. Clearly these politicians think that the people who make up base are idiots. After all, they seriously think they can name the largest tax increase in the history of the state, the “Tax Cut Act of 2017” and expect the base to believe them. Unfortunately, the Tennessee Republicans supermajority in the legislature chose to listen to a lame duck, feckless crap weasel governor instead of the people who put them in office. Since the Tennessee Republicans did not listen to their base, it is time…

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Brentwood City Commission Debate Focuses on Withdrawing From Williamson County Schools and Forming City School System

Candidates for the Brentwood City Commission tackled school issues, traffic problems and Gov. Haslam’s IMPROVE Act at a debate Wednesday evening. Four candidates are running for three seats in the nonpartisan May 2 election. Three candidates are incumbents. They are Mayor Regina Smithson, Mark Gorman and Rhea Little. The only challenger is John Byers. Around 100 people attended the debate, held at LBMC in the new Hill Center. The top question of the evening involved talk of pulling out of Williamson County Schools and forming a city school system. There has been frustration in recent days with a school district proposal that would send some Brentwood students to schools in other parts of the county because of overcrowding in Brentwood schools. Smithson said the focus for now should be on persuading the county commission to vote for a plan to fund expansions at Brentwood Middle and Brentwood High to prevent the rezoning. Gorman noted that the idea of forming a city school system has been floated before and “perhaps it is time to do a study and revisit it.” Little said it’s not something he has advocated but said he would support a study. Byers called it “a bit premature”…

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Nashville To Teach Officials From Germany, Where Female Genital Mutilation Has Increased 40 Percent, How to ‘Welcome’ Immigrants

Twenty-five “integration practitioners” from Germany will visit several U.S. cities in May, including Nashville, as part of the Welcoming Communities Transatlantic Exchange program to learn how immigrants  and refugees are welcomed and integrated (as opposed to assimilated) in these locations. As part of the exchange program, representatives from the U.S. will pay a reciprocal visit to Germany in November. As in Tennessee, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is illegal in Germany. However, increased and virtually unrestrained immigration to Germany from countries where FGM is commonly practiced, has, in two short years, resulted in a 40% increase in the number of women living in Germany who have been victimized by FGM. The government’s report notes that while most of the immigrants were mutilated before entering Germany, “the government highlighted an increased risk of the operations happening on home soil. According to the data, as many as 5,700 girls per year could be mutilated under current conditions.” Germany’s data shows that most of the FGM victims come from Eritrea, Somalia, Egypt, Ethiopia or Iraq, some of the same high prevalence FGM countries of the refugees brought to Nashville, the primary resettlement location for refugees in Tennessee. Data assembled by the Population Reference Bureau that shows…

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Rep. Jay Reedy Calls Teacher Bill of Rights a First Step in Giving Teachers More Support

Tennessee Star

  For state Rep. Jay Reedy, the issue of teachers losing respect in today’s culture is one that hits close to home. Reedy’s wife teaches chemistry at Houston County High School on the edge of Middle Tennessee 75 miles west of Nashville. “Today’s school setting hears the complaints from students and parents and discounts the teacher,” Reedy told The Tennessee Star. The lack of respect from students and school officials are driving both new and experienced educators from the classroom, said Reedy, whose three children attend public schools. Reedy (R-Erin) along with Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) is sponsoring a bill advancing in the state legislature known as the Teacher Bill of Rights. The bill on Tuesday cleared the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee. The proposed legislation calls for teachers to be treated with civility and have their professional judgment respected. It also provides backing in case they’re pressured to spend their own money on classroom supplies and it says they should have a say in the materials used in their classrooms. The bill also says teachers have a right to defend themselves if threatened with violence, a growing problem in some classrooms, especially in urban districts where students have become more…

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Liberals Claim Protests Are Their Version of the Tea Party. Is It True?

Tennessee Star

  Jeffrey A. Rendall Perhaps it’s a just part of our 21st century political reality where partisans fight over everything under the sun, but now Democrats and Republicans can’t seem to agree on whose people are (or were) angriest – or even whether the others’ followers were angry at all. With congressmen and senators back in their districts since recessing almost two weeks ago, Republicans especially have faced another wave of angry protesters during town hall meetings and public appearances. The Berkeley protestsscenes have become almost formulaic, like a bad romantic comedy movie. Here’s the scenario: a congressman advertises an event; leftwing groups put out the word to their shock troops, people show up, make a lot of noise, don’t let the congressman say very much without interruption, earn dirty looks from people who are there legitimately concerned about something, the press eats it up and everyone leaves upset claiming they’re not being heard and Trump and the Republicans don’t care about them. It’s become so commonplace and predictable since Donald Trump won the presidency almost six months ago that Republicans are now just taking it all in stride. W. James Antle III of the Washington Examiner wrote, “Liberals are…

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Haslam Bargained with Democrats and Establishment Republicans to Pass Gas Tax Increase Bill

Tennessee Star

  Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017” (HB 534), which includes a 6 cents per gallon gas tax increase and a 10 cents per gallon diesel tax increase phased in over three years, garnered 23 votes from Democrats and 37 establishment Republicans, which was more than sufficient to get it to pass in the Tennessee House of Representatives by a vote of 60 to 37 late Wednesday. It was a long day for State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss, the leading co-sponsor of the bill, who spent several hours presenting the case for the bill on the floor of the House prior to the final vote. Only two Democrats, State Rep G. A. Hardaway (D-Memphis) and State Rep. John Mark Windle (D-Livingston), joined the conservative caucus  of Republicans, who cast 35 votes against the IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017.” Rumors swirled throughout the capitol Wednesday that Governor Haslam had made a deal with the Democrats to secure their votes. Rep. Doss (R-Leoma) was seen conversing on the floor with several Democrats throughout the day, which was not, by itself, particularly unusual. More significantly, Democratic Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley) was seen accompanying administrative staffer Warren Wells to the…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Calls Passage of Gas Tax Hike ‘A Momentous Day in Tennessee,’ Looks Ahead to Mass Transit Plan

Tennessee Star

  Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has been cheering Gov. Haslam’s gas tax hike for road improvements, while keeping an eye ahead toward implementing a $6 billion transit plan. Barry pushed for Gov. Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, which includes the gas tax hike, in the hours leading up to Wednesday’s action on the bill. The bill passed in both the House and Senate. After the bill passed, Barry celebrated with this tweet: Statement on passage of the IMPROVE Act to improve infrastructure & allow local option: This is a momentous day. https://t.co/mtVkjCCePm pic.twitter.com/B30v14FQCe — Megan Barry (@MayorMeganBarry) April 19, 2017 “Our most immediate need is funding,” said Barry, a Democrat, earlier this month in an interview with WSMV Channel 4. The $6 billion transit plan, known as nMotion, was adopted last year by the board of directors of the Regional Transportation Authority. The RTA is made up of Middle Tennessee mayors and Haslam appointees. Their endorsement is nonbinding but gives the plan momentum. The proposal calls for the project to be phased in over 25 years. Funding sources are still on the drawing board but would likely include tax increases. If former mayor Karl Dean’s failed 2014 Amp rapid bus plan is any…

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Gas Tax Increase Bill Passes House in 60 to 37 Vote

Tennessee Star

Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, “Tax Cut Act of 2017,” which will increase the gas tax by 6 cents per gallon and the diesel tax by 10 cents per gallon passed the Tennessee House of Representatives late Wednesday in a 60 to 37 vote. Thirty-seven Republicans and 23 Democrats voted yes. Thirty-five Republicans and 2 Democrats voted no. (Note: The count in the image on the right, provided in real time to The Tennessee Star by a source on the floor of the House, miscounted one Democrat as a Republican.) House Majority Leader State Rep. Glen Casada (R-Franklin) did not vote. Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) was among the Republicans who voted yes. State Rep. John Mark Windle and State Rep. G.A. Hardway were the lone Democrat who voted no. The State Senate is almost certain to pass a similar version of the bill, which will then go to Conference Committee to iron out any minor differences. Gov. Haslam is then expected to sign the final bill into law.    

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Preliminary Vote on Amendment to Adopt Gas Tax Increase Bill Passes House 61-35, Final Vote Expected Tonight

Tennessee Star

  An amendment by State Rep. Charles Sargent (R-Franklin), a motion to adopt the IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017,” HB 534, passed the Tennessee House of Representatives Wednesday afternoon in a 61-35 vote. This was a preliminary vote prior to the anticipated final vote on  IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017,” which is expected to come late Wednesday. Thirty-four Republicans, joined by a solitary Democrat, State Rep. John Mark Windle, voted against the motion to adopt. A full list of the 34 Republicans and one Democrat who voted no was compiled by reporters for The Tennessee Star on the scene (click at the bottom to see the second page): [pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMPROVE-Act-Amendment-House-Vote-4-19-17.pdf” title=”IMPROVE Act Amendment House Vote 4-19-17″] Notable among those Republicans who voted no were State Rep. Matthew Hill, State Rep. Timothy Hill, State Rep. David Hawk, State Rep. Sheila Butt, State Rep. William Lamberth, State Rep. Judd Matheny, State Rep. Jerry Sexton, and Speaker Beth Harwell. Twenty-three Democrats voted for the motion to adopt, along with 38 Republicans. Notable among those Republicans who voted yes were Majority Leader State Rep. Glen Casada, State Rep. Susan Lynn, State Rep. David Alexander, State Rep. John Ragan, and State Rep. Bill Dunn.…

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Metro Nashville School Board Member Mocks Gov. Haslam’s Letter To Students About Testing

Tennessee Star

  Metro Nashville school board member Will Pinkston said this week that Gov. Haslam’s letter to students to motivate them for standardized testing “might be the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.” Pinkston took to Twitter Monday to make his comments about the April 10 letter. This might be the dumbest thing I've ever seen. Headline: @BillHaslam Pressures Kids to Do Well on Standardized Tests. #number2pencil pic.twitter.com/2TmF8FQYcj — Pinkston for Schools (@WillPinkston) April 18, 2017   In attempting to strike a friendly and encouraging tone, Haslam wrote “you may feel excited or maybe a little nervous” about standardized testing and somewhat oddly compared it to a yearly visit to the doctor’s office for a check-up. Far from feeling excited about standardized testing, students and teachers alike in recent years have said testing takes up too much time and that tests are poorly written and too often address topics not covered in the curriculum, causing students to despair. Schools across the state are engaged in TNReady testing this month, trying to leave behind the problems of last year when procedural glitches forced the state Department of Education to cancel its contract with the testing vendor and find a new one for this year.…

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When All Else Fails, @TheDemocrats Go Blue

Tennessee Star

  Racking up the election losses is taking a toll on the Democrats’ Twitter team, it appears. After failing to avoid a runoff in the anything-goes special election to replace Georgia’s Tom Price, and looking down the abyss of no likely wins in the foreseeable future, Democrats are once again resulting to profanity to try to make an impact. Taking away health care from 24 million people is going low. Giving a shit about people is going high. https://t.co/UISq0f7Ob3 — The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) April 19, 2017   The tweet, posted just as offices were opening for the day, was a reaction to a tweet by @GOP, who pointed out the low-road, gutter-talk messaging printed on tshirts at the Democrats’ online store. 2016: “When they go low, we go high” – Michelle Obama2017: ⬇ pic.twitter.com/HoweDU2qvg — GOP (@GOP) April 19, 2017 Seems Democrats are a little sensitive about completely and singlehandedly ruining healthcare and the health insurance marketplace with Obamacare. But then, we know that was the plan all along.      

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Fitness: The Only Failure Is Not Being In the Game

Tennessee Star

  Anyone who has ever attempted to improve a condition has experienced failure – sometimes considerable failure. And there are many seekers of health and fitness whose bodies are strewn across the road of failure. They set out with high expectations of having a well-toned physique, losing those unwanted pounds, or becoming fit enough to at least finish a 5K race. But failures – multiple failures – beat them down, convincing them that they’ll never succeed, so why try? Failures can come in many forms, such as being on a nutrition and fitness plan that does not seem to work at first, or seeing your weight actually go up instead of down while dieting, or feeling that you can’t get stronger – or build the physique you desire – no matter what you do. These kinds of things have happened to anyone who has spent any time in the fitness game. These people who have been convinced they’ll never succeed are the casualties of the fitness game – the quitters. Everybody knows instinctively that there’s something wrong with quitting. That giving in to our doubts and fears is a sure way to failure, which is linked to a number of bad outcomes, from the numerous health…

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Boss Doss Praises Radio Host Ralph Bristol During House Floor Debate for Calling Gas Tax Increase Bill ‘A Tax Cut’

State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) praised 99.7 FM WWTN radio host Ralph Bristol on the floor of the House on Wednesday during the debate over The IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017” for calling the gas tax increase bill “a tax cut.” On Wednesday morning, during a live interview with Governor Haslam (who unveiled the bill in January), Bristol called the expected vote in the House on the gas tax increase proposal “a momentous day in Tennessee.” Doss also quoted President John F. Kennedy’s famous 1961 inaugural challenge to the country as a reason to vote for The IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017”: Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. It was not immediately clear to the members of the gallery exactly how voting to increase the gas tax in Tennessee by 6 cents per gallon was the kind of patriotic sacrifice President Kennedy had in mind when he made that statement more than half a century ago. State Rep. Jerry Sexton (R-Bean Station) took exception to the comparison. Sexton questioned the connection between the reduction in Frachise and Excise Taxes for corporations to road construction. Doss…

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Female Genital Mutilation a Felony in Tennessee, But TBI Does Not Document Number of Cases in Annual Crime Report

Tennessee Star

  Both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) agree that over 500,000 women and girls in the U.S. are either at risk for female genital mutilation (FGM) or have already been mutilated. The CDC estimates that the risk has tripled since 1990, and the PRB estimates rank Tennessee 18th in the country for risk to women and girls from FGM. The dramatic increase in risk is attributed to immigrants, including refugees, who come to the U.S. from high FGM prevalence countries. Despite Tennessee’s twenty-one cases of FGM in 2011 cited during discussion of the FGM reporting bill that became law in 2012, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) does not consider this Class D felony as serious as a “lovers’ quarrel” to warrant a break-out category in its annual “Crime in Tennessee” report. Sen. Bill Ketron sponsored the 2012 bill that now requires immediate reporting of suspected incidents of FGM to law enforcement officials.  Motivated by a sense of moral outrage regarding the practice of FGM, Sen. Ketron told The Tennessee Star that “This is a basic human rights issue. No one should be mutilated in this manner. It’s a despicable act of abuse.” Importantly, Sen. Ketron said…

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On Morning of Gas Tax Increase Vote, Haslam Jokes About Using ‘Standard’ Wattage of Lamps to Hot Box Legislators: ‘It Involves the Chains’

  Hours before the Tennessee House of Representatives was scheduled to begin floor debate on his controversial bill to increase gas taxes on Wednesday, Governor Haslam joked in an interview with Ralph Bristol, host of Nashville’s Morning News on 99.7 FM WWTN, that he used ‘standard’ wattage lamps in his recent private meetings to pressure or “hot box” 15 targeted on the fence legislators. “I read a report anyway that you recently set aside some time to meet with specific House members to discuss this issue and it was described in that report as ‘hot box, meetings,” Bristol told the governor. “Now what wattage of lamp do you use for these hot box meetings, because I might need to borrow that some day,” Bristol asked. “It’s the standard. It involves the chains,” Haslam responded, attempting to make light of his pressure tactics. “I think anybody who knows me knows I’m not the hard pressure type,” he added. But conservative legislators and activists have a different view of Haslam’s efforts to pass the gas tax increase. “Governor Haslam is holding private meetings with legislators he has barely spoken to over the last several years. So this is a new level of…

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Brent Bozell and Brigitte Gabriel Criticize Major Networks for Ignoring Female Genital Mutilation Case in Detroit

  Media Research Center President Brent Bozell and ACT for America Chair Brigitte Gabriel are criticizing the major networks for overlooking the first federal legal case of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the U.S. Bozell and Gabriel publicized their criticisms in a report at NewsBusters, an online site run by the Media Research Center. The U.S. Department of Justice announced charges last Thursday against Detroit physician Jumana Nagarwala. She is accused of performing FGM on girls between the ages of 6 and 8. While the brutal practice is common in parts of Africa and the Middle East and is known to occur among some immigrant groups in the U.S., this is the first case brought in the U.S. under the legal code that criminalizes FGM. According to an article in the Detroit Free Press, an attorney for Nagarwala admitted in federal court Monday that Nagarwala performed a procedure but said it wasn’t cutting. The lawyer said the doctor removed the membrane from the girls’ genitals as part of a religious practice connected with an international Indian-Muslim group of which the doctor is a part. The membranes were given to the girls’ parents to bury in keeping with their custom. Bozell and Gabriel…

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Mark White’s In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrant Students Will be Back in 2018

  In the House Education committee today, State Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) moved his second bill, HB660 that would legalize in-state tuition for illegal immigrant students in Tennessee, to the 2018 legislative session. Last week when this bill failed in committee on a 6-6 vote, White indicated he would seek a motion for the committee to reconsider their action on the bill, but likely discovered that he could not overcome the required procedural hurdle. Moving his bill to 2018, allows him to avoid having the motion to reconsider fail, earning yet another strike against his campaign to secure in-state tuition for illegal immigrant students. White’s first bill this year that would have granted in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students, HB863, was voted down in committee in a 7-6 vote.  This bill closely tracked the language of his 2015 bill, HB675, that failed on the House floor by one vote. During an earlier House Education subcommittee hearing on White’s HB660, concern was raised by Chairman Harry Brooks, as to whether Section 5 of the bill would allow the school governing boards to offer in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students because that section removes the paying of in-state tuition from being a state…

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Commentary: The War on Cash is Against Tennesseans and Local Free Markets

Tennessee Star

  By David Tulis / Noogaradio 1240 AM 92.7 FM The war on cash is a war not against criminals, terrorists, and the underground economy alone. It is a war against local economy and the free market in Tennessee – against private and personal commerce. So take it personally. People in local economy should feel free to circulate cash, because cash lets us distribute once again portraits of some of our finest statesmen. These notables of American history include Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill and George Washington on the $1 bill. Such is my argument the first Friday of every month, Cash Friday, in which I tell people listening to a radio program to go to their bank or credit union and draw out a $100 bill for handy use in buying and selling. Why would you at the Wal-Mart offer to pay by credit card a $1.75 purchase for a plastic bottle containing a sugary drink? Would it not be better to pass along a very fine engraving of Mr. Washington, one of them, and three quarters (plus the tax in other coin)? It would give you an occasion to say something kind about the one who led the…

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Sewanee: University of the South To Offer Alternative Spanish/English Commencement Bulletin

Tennessee Star

  The University of the South in Sewanee will offer an alternative Spanish/English bulletin at commencement this year, even though only 5 percent of the student body is Hispanic. The bulletin is part of an effort at the private liberal arts school to promote “diversity, inclusion and cohesion,” according to a message from the provost’s office on the school website. The elite university, founded in 1857 by the Episcopal Church, is located between Nashville and Chattanooga. The majority of the student body is white. The Sewanee Purple student newspaper reported that graduating senior Nora Viñas led the effort to create the alternative bulletin and make Hispanic students “feel included, safe, and important” on campus. “Following the presidential election, Viñas was left frustrated and scared,” the article said, quoting her as saying, “A blindfold came off, and I had to confront the Latino experience uniquely.” As part of is diversity push, the school also this year made African-American journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me the orientation book for freshmen. “The politically charged text provides an account of the realities of racism and inequality that African Americans face in the United States,” reported The Sewanee Purple. “This encouraged meaningful, relevant conversation amongst students…

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Gannett Shuts Down Memphis Commercial Appeal Press, Continues to Cut Back in Tennessee

Tennessee Star

  Gannett has shut down the press in Memphis for the Commercial Appeal and is now printing the paper up the road in Jackson at the Gannett-owned Jackson Sun. The move is the latest in a series of steps the corporate media giant has made to trim and consolidate operations in Tennessee. Gannett also owns The Tennessean in Nashville, the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro and the Knoxville News-Sentinel in East Tennessee. Gannett acquired the papers in Memphis and Knoxville just last year. Last month, 17 staff members lost their newsroom jobs in Memphis, according to an article in the Nashville Scene. Three lost newsroom jobs in Middle Tennessee and 11 positions were eliminated in Knoxville. According to the blog Smart City Memphis, 19 additional people are losing jobs in Memphis because of the press machine shutting down. A story in the Commercial Appeal on the shuttering of its press said that the press in Jackson is newer, cleaner and more digitally advanced. Monday’s edition was the last paper printed in Memphis. The Commercial Appeal piece chronicled the storied history of its historic press: Over the past 176 years, Memphis printers have gotten the paper out come hell, high water or any other calamity, natural or man-made.…

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Haslam Reduced Highway Fund Budget By 13 Percent, Grew State Budget By 20 Percent Before Proposing Gas Tax Increases

Tennessee Star

Governor Haslam reduced the Highway Fund budget by 13 percent, while he grew the State budget by 20 percent during his first six years in office. Only after he made these reductions in the Highway Fund budget did he propose the gas tax and diesel tax increases included in the IMPROVE Act when he introduced it in January 2017. From Governor Haslam’s first budget year of 2011-12 to the most recent 2016-17, Highway Fund allocations went from $867 million to $757 million, a reduction of 13 percent. HIGHWAY FUND ALLOCATIONS Link 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17  Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Estimated DOWN  Budget $ $866,886,300 $823,104,600 $683,800,400 $792,219,800 $740,645,600 $756,856,000 -13%  Sheet 54 of 656 54 of 545 54 of 542 54 of 550 54 of 558 54 of 558 Page A-22 A-22 A-22 A-22 A-22 A-22 During that same period, the state portion of the budget, excluding the unpredictable and heavily mandated federal funding, grew from $13.7 billion in 2011-12 to $16.5 billion in 2016-17, representing a 20 percent increase. STATE BUDGET IN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS Link 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Estimated INCREASE  Billion $ $13.7 $14 $14.6 $14.8 $15.3…

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School Bus Seat Belt Legislation Passes House Committee

Tennessee Star

  A bill that would require seat belts on Tennessee public school buses passed a House panel Tuesday morning. The Education Administration and Planning Committee passed the proposed legislation on a voice vote. Supporters attending the meeting clapped after the vote was taken. The measure is in response to a school bus crash in Chattanooga in November in which six children were killed and dozens injured. Bus driver Johnthony Walker was charged with vehicular homicide. Police say Walker was speeding when the bus crashed into a tree and flipped over. The seat belt bill is sponsored by two Chattanooga legislators, JoAnne Favors, a Democrat in the House, and Todd Gardenhire, a Republican in the Senate. The amended bill would require buses purchased starting July 2019 to have seat belts. During a discussion before the vote Tuesday, Rep. Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley) said the bill is “a long time coming.” “We are buckled up everywhere,” he said, adding that school buses should be no different. Downplaying concerns that young children might not be able to unfasten their seat belts in an emergency, Fitzhugh said his three-year-old grandson can work himself out of his car seat restraints in “a New York second.” But opponents…

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Haslam’s IMPROVE Act Includes Same ‘Economic Development’ That Lost Millions in TNInvestco

Tennessee Star

  “A performance audit from the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has revealed the State of Tennessee has only recovered $5.3 million of its initial $200 million investment in the TNInvestco program,”  according to a statement dated November 10, 2016, under the name of Justin P. Wilson, Comptroller, referring to a performance audit report. The statement from the Comptroller focused primarily on the TNInvestco program from the 60-page October 2016 “Performance Audit Report” produced by the state’s Comptroller’s office on Governor Haslam’s Department of Economic Development and Tennessee Technology Development Corporation. The Report was conducted by the Comptroller’s Department of Audit, Division of State Audit, with the report dated October 25, 2016, signed by Director, Deborah V. Loveless, CPA and addressed to The Honorable Ron Ramsey, Speaker of the Senate; The Honorable Beth Harwell, Speaker of the House of Representatives; The Honorable Mike Bell, Chair, Senate Committee on Government Operations; The Honorable Jeremy Faison, Chair, House Committee on Government Operations; and, Members of the General Assembly; and The Honorable Randy  Boyd, Commissioner, Department of Economic and Community Development. At the time of the audit, the program was in in its sixth year, having been approved by the Tennessee legislature in 2009.  With…

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TDOT Reduces Backlog From $6 Billion to $4.7 Billion, But Total ‘Project Needs’ Grow to $10.5 Billion

Tennessee Star

  The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) list of projects issued at the end of 2015 totaled $6.1 billion.  The updated project list included with the 2017 IMPROVE Act, on its surface, has a bottom line figure of $10.5 billion with the backlog potion being $4.7 billion. A spreadsheet document dated 11/9/15 was issued on TDOT letterhead titled “Current Backlog,” defined in the secondary heading as “Projects Approved by the TN General Assembly and Currently Under Development.”  The last line of the 13-page document states “Total Estimated Cost of Remaining Phases of Work” with a reported total of $6,095,023,692. The 2015 backlog list included a total of 252 projects in 62 counties with Shelby and Blount counties having the highest number of projects at 25 and 10, respectively. Contrasted to the projects in the IMPROVE Act listed in a report generated by TDOT dated 1/12/17, there are now 962 projects in all 95 counties at a cost of $10.5 billion. TDOT’s slick and interactive SPOT – Statewide Project Overview Tracker – displays the IMPROVE Act projects in map and grid form.   Utilizing the “grid” feature of the “project needs” page, as it is named, facilitates sorting by “yes” or “no”…

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American Patriots to NBC Sports: Fire Craig Calcaterra

by George Rasley, Conservative HQ Editor Those Americans who spent Easter morning at church, and then were off to a traditional family Easter dinner, may have missed the latest establishment media outrage, this time perpetrated by Craig Calcaterra, lead baseball writer for NBC Sports. Calcaterra started up a Twitter storm at 4:53 a.m. Sunday morning with this critique of the unfurling of a huge flag and an Air Force flyover during the National Anthem at the Atlanta Braves vs San Diego Padres baseball American flaggame. “Will you keep politics out of sports, please. We like sports to be politics-free” Calcaterra followed-up with this outrageous attack on patriotism: “Maybe a flag, in and of itself isn’t always political. A two-acre flag with a military flyover is saying something very specific, however.” And these two even more disgusting Leftist anti-American attacks: “People often wrap themselves in the flag in order to achieve political ends.” “I never said the flag itself was [political]. It’s just a piece of fabric. People use it in a lot of different ways. Sports teams and leagues included.” But Calcaterra wasn’t done. Additionally, as our friend Jay Maxon of NewsBusters observed, Calcaterra said by not standing for the…

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Council on American Islamic Relations, Unindicted Co-Conspirator in Terror Financing, Opposes Mark Green Nomination

Tennessee Star

  The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) a named unindicted co-conspirator in the federal 2008 Holy Land Foundation (HLF) trial, the largest terrorism financing prosecution in the U.S., is opposing President Trump’s nomination of Tennessee state Senator Mark Green for Secretary of the Army. CAIR has joined LGBT advocacy groups like the Human Rights Campaign to work against Green’s confirmation. Both groups are leveling “phobic” claims against Green. Green, is a West Point graduate and Iraq war veteran who was deployed three times during his term of service. After completing his training in emergency room medicine, he served as a special operations flight surgeon during the 2003 Red Dawn raid that resulted in the capture of Saddam Hussein.  Green monitored Hussein during the 24 hours prior to his extraction. Green received a variety of awards during his years of service. After leaving the military, he founded Align MD, an emergency room staffing company and the Align MD Foundation which provides health care to underserved populations. The Foundation operates free medical clinics in several cities and organizes medical missions trips to places like Ethiopia and Cambodia. CAIR was founded by the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP) which was established to advance the political…

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Carol Swain, Set To Retire, Will Give Final Lecture at Vanderbilt April 24

Carol Swain will give a lecture at Vanderbilt University next week titled “Political Correctness and the Decline of American Universities.” It will be her final lecture as a Vanderbilt professor of political science and law. In January, the nationally-known academic and author announced that she will retire in August. “I will miss the students and the rhythm of campus, but I will not miss what American universities have allowed themselves to become,” she said in her announcement. Swain, who came to Vanderbilt in 1999, has been popular among conservatives for her bold conservative Christian views. However, they have made her the subject of much criticism. In 2015, Vanderbilt students started a change.org petition to have her suspended for “bigotry, intolerance and unprofessionalism.” The petition said that Swain’s “hate-filled prejudices negatively impact her work” and provided links to two pieces of Swain’s commentary, one criticizing fundamentalist Islam and the other criticizing gay marriage. The petition was unsuccessful but Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos offered only tepid support in her defense. In announcing her retirement, Swain said that she looks forward to spending time “writing, speaking, and making myself available for my next assignment.” Her lecture on Monday, April 24 is free and open to…

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SCCY Firearms Relocating to Tennessee

Tennessee Star

  SCCY Firearms is relocating to Tennessee, according to a report in NRA magazine Shooting Illustrated. The handgun manufacturer announced last week that it would move from Daytona Beach, Florida to Maryville in Blount County in East Tennessee. SCCY will be housed in a 150,000-square-foot plant on a 68-acre campus. The staff size will increase to 350. The first phase of construction is set to be completed in the first half of 2018. “We needed more space to make those guns,” company founder and CEO Joe Roebuck told reporters. “So when we come to Tennessee, there’s actually two more additional product lines coming that we don’t currently manufacture and sell today.” Begun in 2003 as a small company, SCCY later grew to the point that last year it projected $30 million in sales. SCCY touts its product as the “king of concealed carry.” Plans for the Tennessee location include an outdoor shooting range, a lodge for visiting VIPs and gun writers and five main production and shipping buildings. “I’m gonna keep a small footprint back in Florida, but I’m moving my headquarters here,” Roebuck said. Last year, Italian gunmaker Beretta opened a plant north of Nashville in Gallatin with plans to employ…

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Mayor Rick Graham Re-Elected in Spring Hill; 3 New Aldermen Win as Incumbents Fall

“Voters in the April 13, 2017, Spring Hill Municipal Election re-elected Mayor Rick Graham to a second four-year term,” the Spring Hill City website reports. “Incumbent Alderman Amy Wurth, who ran unopposed, was re-elected to Ward 1, and three new aldermen will join the board: Jeff Graves in Ward 2, Kevin Gavigan in Ward 3, and Vincent Fuqua in Ward 4, the only seat without an incumbent in the race,” the site adds. “There was a significant victory for conservatives in Thursday’s Spring Hill election,” a source familiar with Williamson County politics tells The Tennessee Star. “In Ward 2, Alderman Jonathan Duda was not re-elected even though State Rep. Sam Whitson, a big supporter of Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase, had a mailer and ads supporting him. Jeff Graves, the actual Republican candidate won in Ward 2 over Duda by the largest margin of any of the contested races,” the source says. Duda’s mailer included these words of praise from Whitson: “As a member of the Transportation Committee and your State Representative of the 65th District, I know that Jonathan Duda is doing the hard work that is necessary to complete the major road projects that are desperately needed to…

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U.S. Rep. Diane Black’s Pro-Life Legislation Signed Into Law By President Trump

Tennessee Star

  U.S. Rep. Diane Black was at President Trump’s side last week as he signed pro-life legislation that she introduced in the House. The measure signed into law Thursday overturned an Obama administration rule that forced states to provide Title X family planning grants to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. The Tennessee Republican said in a statement that while she is “unapologetically pro-life, this bill is simply about states’ rights.” “For over 45 years, states like Tennessee have had the authority to direct federal family planning funds to the health care providers that best suit the needs of their unique communities, but sadly, in a parting gift to the abortion industry, President Obama stole this freedom and flexibility and forced his own political agenda on states across the country,” Black said. A registered nurse, Black is a member of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. The measure was co-authored by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). On March 30, Vice President Mike Pence cast a tie-breaking vote to push the bill through in the Senate, where Republicans have a slim majority. Pence was needed because two Republican women, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, opposed the bill. The measure had…

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Commentary: Tennessee Is the Patron State of Fake Fiscal Notes

  by John Harris In the movie Shooter, Mark Wahlberg, who is playing a retired sniper, refers to Tennessee as the “patron state of shootin’ stuff.” Some Tennesseans smiled and said, “Yep”! Our volunteer spirit, patriotism, sacrifices in war, and culture of owning and enjoying firearms is a generational right – particularly when it involves constitutionally protected rights. Apparently, many in our Legislature and our Governor have a differing view. The Republican-controlled supermajority, especially Leadership, and a Republican Governor refuse to act like constitutionally principled leaders on 2nd Amendment issues. Their procedural dirty tricks and shenanigans do not just pertain to firearms issues. Consider the stunts being used to pass a massive gas tax increase, their successful effort to take away our right to vote for judges, increasing the state’s budget by approximately $7 billion in just a few years while claiming that they “reduced taxes”, their support of Common Core, Medicaid expansion, and the creation of ObamaCare exchanges. How has this happened? From its procedural toolbox, Legislative leadership has allowed “ghost voting” and secret “pre-meetings” and abused the committee system with pre-ordained members and choreographed committee productions. But perhaps their most effective tool is their use of the Fiscal…

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Constitution Series: The Electoral College and the Selection of the President

Tennessee Star

    This is the third of twenty-five weekly articles in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Series. Students in grades 8 through 12 can sign up here to participate in The Tennessee Star’s Constitution Bee, which will be held on September 23. The method of selection of a President to head the executive branch for a term of four years is the most notable illustration of the foundational concept of Federalism seen in the body of the text of the Constitution of the United States that emerged from the Constitutional Convention. Federalism, as we explained earlier in this series, “defines the relationship between the national government and each of the state governments that comprise our republic. Both entities–the national government and each state government–remain sovereign, while the powers of governance and responsibilities to the citizenry are balanced between the two.” And it was the Tenth Amendment, ratified in 1791 and part of the original constitutional “compact” or “covenant” between the states and the national government upon which our republic was organized: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. “The executive Power…

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Here is How Google Celebrated Easter Sunday

New media and search engine giant Google celebrated Easter Sunday 2017 the same way it has celebrated Easter for years. Not at all. A.J. Delgado, writing at Mediaite, remarked on Google’s disinterest in Easter Sunday back in 2013. Google’s homepage is known for its ‘Doodles‘ — temporary changes to its homepage logo to commemorate certain days. As defined by Google, its homepage changes are meant “to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists, pioneers, and scientists.” But on Easter Sunday, a day celebrated by over one billion around the world and by the vast majority of Americans, Google’s homepage is mum on the holiday. Instead, Google chose to commemorate Big Labor icon Cesar Chavez. (In 2011, President Obama designated March 31 as Cesar Chavez day.) Google’s official position over the Easter Sunday-Cesar Chavez controversy in 2013  was “it’s difficult for us to choose,” as the Washington Post reported at the time. Among the holidays the company regularly celebrates with Google Doodles, other than Easter Sunday, are Earth Day, Martin Luther King Day, Lunar New Year, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The first Google Doodle, celebrating the annual Burning Man event, appeared in 1998. Since…

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