President Donald Trump signed an executive order promoting religious freedom to mark the National Day of Prayer on Thursday. The new order, however, is a watered down version of the earlier controversial proposal that was leaked in February this year. “Today’s executive order signing was an elaborate photo-op with no discernible policy outcome,” the American Civil…
Read the full story
Cutler auditioned with FOX on Thursday, ESPN reported, citing sources. FOX is in need of a replacement for John Lynch after the latter became the San Francisco 49ers’ general manager earlier this offseason. The 34-year-old Cutler has not officially announced his retirement since being released by the Chicago Bears on March 9. However, potential teams in…
Read the full story
By David Tulis / Noogaradio 1240 AM 92.7 FM Mayor Dwain Land easily swept past two challengers to retain his post as mayor of the small town of Dunlap, Tennessee on Saturday. Land won with 576 votes, easily outdistancing Jennifer Lockhart Greer, who finished in second place with 334 votes. A third candidate, Rhonda Summers, had 62 votes. The election Saturday in this small Tennessee town gives no relief to an elderly couple in hiding, Thomas and Carol Gaddy, because the city government has demanded their consent to search their house absent probable cause. Lockhart Greer said she had been praying for the Gaddys and vowed to end their prosecution through civil courts. The legal battle over property rights intensified interest in the contest, which drew 33.1 percent of registered city residents to the polls. Living in the city are 2,933 voters, says Jerrie Hickey, administrator of elections for Sequatchie County. Mayor Land did not respond to a text message requesting comment. Mrs. Greer thanked her supporters and voters. “We ran a good, fair, honest race and I wish the new mayor all the luck in the world.” As for the Gaddy conflict, “Our best option is just to pray.”…
Read the full story
Loretta Lynn’s sister, Crystal Gayle, is speaking out about the “Coal Miner’s Daughter’s” recent heartbreaking medical emergency. On May 5, Rare Country shared news that the 85-year-old country music legend was taken to a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee after suffering a stroke at her Hurricane Mills home on Thursday. RELATED: Country legend Loretta Lynn is hospitalized…
Read the full story
Sheriff’s departments across the state of California are urging their communities to resist California Senate Bill 54, currently being debated the California Assembly. The bill, which passed the upper chamber in the state legislature in April, would turn the Sunshine State into the Sanctuary State. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department issued a stinging critique of the…
Read the full story
Former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow says he is “getting better every week” in his transition to a minor league baseball player for the New York Mets’ Class A affiliate. The 29-year-old Tebow continues to have ups and downs, hitting .231 with two home runs and nine RBIs through 22 games for the Class A Columbia Firefiles.…
Read the full story
Police in Texas say a concealed carry holder is a “hero” for shooting a crazed attacker and preventing what could have been a slaughter inside a crowded sports bar on Wednesday. The man, who was dining with his wife at Zona Caliente in Arlington, Texas, quickly sprung into action when he witnessed the gunman allegedly shoot…
Read the full story
Are you “experienced”? Have you ever been “experienced”? Well, I have… ~ Jimi Hendrix, Are You Experienced? According to the legendary rock star himself, the above song was not necessarily written about drugs, but about being at peace with yourself. That’s cool. But the song – with its revolutionary psychedelic effects—sounded like a drug testimony to me! Yet arguably, the most powerful “drug” of all to “experience” isn’t revolutionary at all—it’s the food we eat every day. Food is certainly the biggest challenge to the majority of my personal training clients, and from what I can see, much of mankind. The role of food has gone so far beyond its biological function (i.e.: nourishing the body) – particularly in modern times – that I don’t see how it will return to it’s original role. I remember growing up, my mom baked dessert items on a near-daily basis. She had taken a cake-decorating class at a local adult school, and really went to town with it! We always had something sweet and delectable inside the Tupperware container on top of the fridge, and when it came time to celebrate our birthdays… forget about it! And on the back patio, we had a second refrigerator…
Read the full story
The Tennessee General Assembly has unanimously passed the Teacher Bill of Rights, which proponents hope is the just the beginning of efforts to give teachers more backing in state law. “We were pleased to help lead the effort in our state on behalf of educators and our members to secure rights on their behalf,” said JC Bowman, executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee (ProEd), in a statement. But Bowman gives the credit for the bill’s success to the legislators who advocated for it. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) and Rep. Jay Reedy (R-Erin). Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) was also very involved. The bill comes amid concerns about a teacher shortage in Tennessee. There are various factors for the shortage, but one that is often cited is the undermining of teachers’ authority. Teachers face disrespect from students, sometimes even violence. Teachers have also raised concerns with regulations that have stifled their voices in decision-making. The new legislation calls for teachers to be treated with respect and have their professional judgment respected. It also provides more support for when they have to defend themselves against violent students. In addition, it says that teachers should be able to review…
Read the full story
The Trump campaign accused mainstream television networks Friday of censoring a campaign ad celebrating the achievements of President Trump’s first 100 days in office and referring to some of the media as “fake news.” Campaign officials said CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC have refused to air the ad. “Apparently, the mainstream media are champions of the…
Read the full story
Stephen Colbert claimed he’d be less political when he first moved from his Comedy Central show to “The Late Show” on CBS to replace David Letterman. He’s broken that vow many times over by now. Not only has Colbert become much more blatantly political, he’s gotten lazy, too. Even with a staff of 19 full-time writers,…
Read the full story
I have often believed there is too much politics in public education, and that has hurt public education. Honestly I would resent having to support a political candidate because of a political label or designation, or an endorsement by an organization in which I was a member.
Read the full story
Former President Barack Obama is once again back in the public eye and once again interfering with other nation’s sovereign, democratic decisions. On Thursday, Obama released a video endorsing Emmanuel Macron, the center-left candidate in the French election supported by establishment globalist and corporate interests. “Because of how important this election is, I also want you…
Read the full story
Christians who do not support the LGBT agenda in this country face persecution, evangelical leader Franklin Graham said this week. The head of the Billy Graham Evangelical Association and the humanitarian aid organization Samaritan’s Purse, Graham spoke on the radio program “Washington Watch” hosted by Family Research Council President Tony Perkins. “They are being forced out…
Read the full story
The economy gave out a medium-sized roar on Friday, when the federal government announced unemployment dropped to 4.4 percent. The nation also added 211,000 jobs in April. The unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in March. “During the Obama years, growth was an abysmal 1.9 percent, which the Congressional Budget Office now says is the course we…
Read the full story
After much drama, heated exchanges on the floor, a tense caucus meeting on Thursday, it seemed that Friday’s floor session to address the fiscal year 2017-18 budget was not starting off much better when there were not enough members present for a quorum at 9:07 a.m. But, by 11:23 a.m. the four bills that made the state $37 billion 2017-18 budget had been passed by the House. When a quorum was not detected by 9:07 a.m., Republican Caucus Leader Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville) requested a recess until 10 a.m. for the purpose of a caucus meeting, which took place in the library. The caucus meeting was quickly turned over by Williams to House Majority Leader Glen Casada (R-Franklin), who reviewed the process for the day. Casada explained that there would be two amendments to the budget appropriations bill, the first being a “stripper” amendment, which would take off all of the additional appropriations to HB 511 approved Thursday. The second was the addition of a $55 million non-recurring appropriation to counties taken from the Highway Fund for the purpose of “kick starting” road work. Casada also mentioned the possibility of a third amendment, but was reluctant to share details until he was…
Read the full story
VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 6, Saturday John 4:23-26 23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ). When he comes, he will tell us all things.” 26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.”
Read the full story
“President Trump’s pick for Army Secretary, Mark Green, has withdrawn his name from consideration,” NBC News reported late Friday afternoon: “Tragically, my life of public service and my Christian beliefs have been mischaracterized and attacked by a few on the other side of the aisle for political gain,” Green said in a statement sent to NBC News. “While these false attacks have no bearing on the needs of the Army or my qualifications to serve, I believe it is critical to give the President the ability to move forward with his vision to restore our military to its rightful place in the world.” Sources familiar with Green’s situation tell The Tennessee Star that the character attacks on him from Islamic activists and LGBT activists did not receive any pushback from the Pentagon or the White House. This left Green hanging out by himself, getting battered unfairly without the ability to respond. “It’s frightening that a White House that has opened its doors to Americans of all backgrounds now allows Mark Green to be denied the opportunity to provide his service to our country because he is ‘too Christian.’ This is a shameful indication that persecution of Christians isn’t limited…
Read the full story
The Family Action Council of Tennessee is calling President Trump’s signing of a religious liberty executive order on Thursday “a good first step.” But more is needed to shore up protections for people of faith, said FACT President David Fowler in a statement. Fowler said the executive order “addresses in a limited way the Johnson Amendment that has been used by the IRS to intimidate conservative ministers, but we call on the president to provide the leadership Congress needs to repeal it.” “We also join others in calling on the president to now take those additional steps necessary to fulfill the promise made during his campaign to fully protect religious liberty, particularly the liberty of those who believe in the sanctity of life and marriage,” Fowler said. Trump received widespread support from evangelicals in the November 2016 election and many have followed this issue closely to make sure he follows through on his campaign promise. In February, FACT joined with the Family Policy Alliance and its network of 40 state-based family policy councils in sending a letter to Trump asking him to reverse the tone set by the Obama administration. “We write to request that you firmly reject the systemic bullying…
Read the full story
The executive director of Latinos For Tennessee is defending state Sen. Mark Green, who has come under attack since being nominated by President Trump to be army secretary. Progressive groups have mercilessly berated Green (R-Clarksville) for his Christian views, especially as they relate to LGBT issues and Islam. In a column for The Tennessean, Raul Lopez called the attacks “character assassination” and said that Green “has dedicated much of his professional life to serving others.” “His appointment should be a proud moment for the Volunteer State that knows firsthand that Senator Green is a selfless patriot who loves our country and has put on the uniform to fight for our precious freedoms,” Lopez wrote. “But because Mark Green is a man of faith, critics are seizing on a handful of statements that are purposefully drawn out of context to paint him as intolerant of others.” Latinos For Tennessee is a conservative political advocacy group headquartered in Nashville that promotes faith, family, freedom and fiscal responsibility. Green is a retired Army officer and physician. He is getting slammed for defending traditional marriage and calling former President Obama’s promotion of transgender bathroom policies “absurd” and also for raising questions about what schoolchildren are taught about…
Read the full story
Church leaders have been giving Bibles to firefighters and police officers in Goodlettsville this week in a show of support. Some firefighters received their Bibles on Thursday – the National Day of Prayer, reports WKRN News 2. Fire Chief Kenneth Reeves told WKRN that his firefighters appreciate the support. “They get a real boost,” he said. “They get strength from being acknowledged every now and then.” Seven organizations are involved in distributing the pocket-size Bibles, which are imprinted before they are handed out. “We wanted to make sure that every policeman and every fireman gets a Bible with their name on it so it is something they can take with them,” said Pastor Joe Marlar. “We just simply want to say thank you for protecting our community.” Marlar said he also wants first responders to know that Christians are praying for their safety.
Read the full story
The faculty at Samford University in Alabama has voted to give official recognition to a pro-LGBT student organization. The full faculty at the Baptist school voted April 27 to recommend approval of Samford Together, a student group that would offer a forum for discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in “an open-minded and accepting environment,” reports Baptist Press. The recommendation could have “serious implications” for the ties between the university and the Alabama Baptist Convention, according to a joint statement by the convention president and the executive director of its state board of missions. The statement said approval of such a group would go against Scripture. Meanwhile, Samford President Andrew Westmoreland is trying to find middle ground. He told the faculty before the vote that he holds to the biblical view of marriage between a man and a woman and said many of Samford’s constituents believe the same. Yet he did not take a position on Samford Together, according to the Baptist Press. “As you hear me today, some of you may be disappointed by my unwillingness to completely embrace contemporary views of human sexuality and the theology that is used to undergird them,” Westmoreland said in his remarks…
Read the full story
By David Tulis / Noogaradio 1240 AM 92.7 FM The mayor of a small Tennessee town faces a fight for his seat Saturday after having spent nearly two years involved in a dispute with an elderly couple and demanding the right to search their house absent probable cause. The case against Thomas and Carol Gaddy has received virtually no local media coverage and many people do not know about the conflict for what he calls an “inspection.” The civil prosecution of the elderly couple, who are restoring a 19th century house, has cost the city taxpayers at least $20,000. Because the Gaddys would not voluntarily consent to a search, a chancery court jurist without city charter jurisdiction ordered them jailed for contempt. To avoid Judge Thomas Graham’s order, the Gaddys – he 71, she 69 – fled and are in hiding. “There’s a lot of people that are upset about the Gaddys,” says mayoral candidate Jennifer Lockhart Greer, who seeks to unseat Mayor Dwain Land in an election Saturday. “People are concerned that they are an elderly couple. People are concerned that possibly they could be next – it could be their home next.” Critics of the Gaddy case grumble that the…
Read the full story
According to WKRN in Nashville, Panthers offensive tackle Michael Oher was cited for assault for an April 14 incident with an Uber driver. From the report: According to a report, the Uber driver said he picked up Oher and four friends at a house to go to the Southern in downtown Nashville. Oher asked the driver…
Read the full story
Roger Stone, a long-time friend of President Donald Trump, said this week that President Donald Trump has been told to expect an “imminent” letter of resignation from Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Trump told the Washington Times last week in an interview that he had heard rumors that Kennedy, the 80-year-old senior justice on the court,…
Read the full story
The House passed an Obamacare replacement bill 217 to 213 Thursday, in a successful second attempt to deal with the health care law. The bill’s passage comes after weeks of negotiations. Republicans floundered in their first attempt to pass an overhaul bill in March, after a lack of consensus among members of the different factions of…
Read the full story
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — After nearly a six and a half hour day, the Tennessee House of Representatives appears to be no closer to having a finalized budget for fiscal year 2017-18 when it goes back into session Friday at 9 a.m., as the first bill to approve the budget appropriations did not make it to a vote on Thursday. As the first legislative year of the 110th General Assembly draws to a close, the last of the bills are being heard and the budget for fiscal year 2017-18 needs to be approved. The budget passed the House Finance Ways & Means Subcommittee and full Committee on Wednesday and was placed on the calendar for the House floor session to convene at 9 a.m. Thursday. After dozens of resolutions and bills were passed, but prior to the discussion of the four bills that make Governor Haslam’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year, at 10:34 a.m., Republican Caucus Chairman Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville) requested a recess until 11:30 for a caucus meeting. While a handful of members responded with their own comments, the real purpose of the Republican caucus meeting was to allow “leadership” to “encourage” support of the budget. Leadership was…
Read the full story
They appear with increasing regularity on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and other social media — some funny, some confusing, some simply annoying. Those pictures of an annoyed baby, Picard with a face palm, the Joker with his creepy grin, Kermit the Frog sipping tea, or an endless array of iconic celebrity-types with inserted text making a point about some current event are becoming a ubiquitous source of cultural, political and social commentary. Anybody with an iPad or mobile phone and an app can get in the game. Add a dose of creativity, a pinch of sarcasm and and a scoop of irony and you have the not-so-secret recipe. The term “meme” was actually coined by author and scientist Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene. The current internet-based phenomenon is something more viral, and less genetic, than Dawkins was referencing. And like unexpected genetic aberrations, the impact and future of the “meme” is unpredictable. Memes are perhaps best defined as editorial cartoons on steroids — distributed by people who can’t draw. Memes have been “political” for a while, with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton both becoming targets of internet-based mockery before and after the election. Congress is a…
Read the full story
David Axelrod offered a stinging rebuke on Wednesday to Hillary Clinton’s assertion that her presidential campaign failed because of FBI Director James B. Comey and Russian hackers. CNN’s “New Day” called in former President Barack Obama’s adviser to discuss Mrs. Clinton’s news conference on Tuesday, which framed her failed presidential bid as the result of forces…
Read the full story
President Donald Trump watched as a federal judge in Hawaii , just weeks before another judge in California to punish “sanctuary” cities and counties. Both judges have something in common — they got their jobs by way of appointment by former President Barack Obama. The former president also appointed one of the appeals court judges in…
Read the full story
By David Tulis / Noogaradio 1240 AM 92.7 FM The personal liberties secured under constitutional government are the fruit of simple promises. In Dunlap, Tenn., an elderly couple hiding from authorities are simple enough to believe these promises and to stand firmly upon them. The city’s civil prosecution against Thomas and Carol Gaddy in the small Southwest Tennessee town nestled in the glorious Sequatchie Valley is a picture of the disregard officials sometimes have against the liberty of the citizens. Mayor Dwain Land, who seeks re-election Saturday, initiated civil proceedings to inspect the house of the couple which sits nestled along a winding creek a carbine shot away from city hall. Mr. Land is a major landlord in Dunlap, and interviews with a tiny sampling of renters of his ratty-looking mobile homes indicate he is a man of quick service and great integrity. In 2015 he swore an affidavit that began the action to search the house without probable cause, or without a sworn affidavit alleging criminal conduct or connection with criminal conduct. He alleges it is a danger to public safety. Carol Gaddy, 69, would have none of it, and her husband, 71, agrees. The devout Christians with a…
Read the full story
Thursday on the House floor, between recesses where Republicans were presumably working out their differences over parts of the budget, and working their way through a pile of amendments to HB511, Democrat Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, the House Minority Leader, went to bat for a third time to secure a pot of recurring education money to be used at the discretion of local school districts. Fitzhugh opened his remarks by acknowledging a “rumor” that the Democrats had cut a deal with Governor – gas tax votes for the education slush fund, but he denied that there was any quid pro quo agreement. The starting bid for Fitzhugh’s proposed K-12 Block Grant Act was $500 million which he admitted was “ambitious.” It was then reduced to $250 million which he admitted was also “too much.” The new amount introduced in Amendment #7 to the budget, was further reduced to $150 million, money that Fitzhugh said would go to all the state’s public schools, poor and rich alike. Appealing to his House colleagues to pass his amendment, Fitzhugh said that approving the block grant funds that would be held in a trust fund would help get around the Copeland Cap problem. Fitzhugh closed…
Read the full story
VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 5, Friday Psalms 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds
Read the full story
At Performance Studios in Nashville, business was brisk in recent weeks for Darth Vader costumes and light sabers to get ready for the big day. The big day was Thursday – Star Wars Day. When May 4 rolls around on the calendar, fans of the movie series say “May the Fourth be with you,” in a play on the series’ catchphrase, “May the Force be with you.” And they feel they must dress for the occasion for parties and special events. Gary Broadrick, president of Performance Studios, has done marketing for Star Wars Day for the past four years. His biggest draws are high-end rentals for Darth Vader, Stormtrooper and Chewbacca costumes. He also sells Jedi robes and Princess Leia wigs. “Who would have thought a play on words would create a celebrated day?” Broadrick said Thursday at his store on Thompson Lane, standing feet away from two mannequins sporting Star Wars apparel. Star Wars Day was the creation of fans, not of the movie franchise itself. Broadrick thinks it has taken off in recent years because its fan base crosses generations with fans of the original movies in the 1970s and 1980s and fans of the newer ones.…
Read the full story
Is Fox News becoming liberal? That’s a question on the minds of many conservatives these days in the midst of a shake-up at the cable network. The network has undergone leadership changes and seen the ouster of officials and anchor Bill O’Reilly over claims of personal misbehavior. “Those with ears to hear fear it’s coming. They fear the impending death of Fox News as a voice for conservatism,” writes Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute. In a recent article, the cultural affairs writer draws attention to Rupert Murdoch’s sons taking over at Fox and steering it in a direction that seems to reflect their liberal-leaning views. “Sure, they’re mopping out the lecherous serial harassers of women, but they’re cleaning house with dirty water,” Higgins writes. “Swish, out goes boorishness. Back-swish, in comes Newspeak.” The focus of her piece is on gender issues and she notes that James and Lachlan Murdoch have expanded benefits for transgender employees. Higgins also takes issue with on-air personalities who have shown support for gay marriage and with anchors Bret Baier and Tucker Carlson for using female pronouns in reference to males. “For quite some time, Fox political commentators have either studiously avoided addressing matters related to homosexuality or ‘trans’-cultism…
Read the full story
ST. LOUIS — A new minimum wage of $10 per hour for most jobs in St. Louis will take effect Friday, Mayor Lyda Krewson’s office announced Thursday. The ordinance for the new wage — which is well above the minimum of $7.70 in the rest of Missouri and $8.25 in neighboring downstate Illinois — was passed…
Read the full story
A former congressional information technology (IT) aide allegedly threatened to have his stepmother’s Pakistani relatives kidnapped if she talked to U.S. law enforcement authorities, according to court documents obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation’s (TheDCNF) Investigative Group. “Imran Awan threatened that he is very powerful and if I ever call the police again, [he] will…
Read the full story
Just in time for the 35th anniversary of the World’s Fair in Knoxville, World’s Fair Beer is once again on tap. The beer sold for six months in 1982 to celebrate the event that put Knoxville in the spotlight. The team relaunching the product includes Rick Kuhlman, the brains behind the beer 35 years ago. But this time, the beer will have a different taste – something likely to cheer all those who remember the original product. In 1982, the beer was esteemed more for its novelty than its taste. “Pretty can but the taste could be compared with the bottom of a bird cage,” recalled one critic writing on a discussion board at Roadfood.com. On their website, the beer makers say the new and improved product “has a deep orange color like a sunset over the Smoky Mountains. The aroma is bright like the reflection of the Sunsphere in the summertime. The flavor is bustling with tropical and piney hops. This beer greets you with a fruity aroma and finishes with a restrained bitterness, balanced with a crisp flavor.” The beer is currently on tap at 20 bars and cafes in Knoxville and one in Sevierville and more may…
Read the full story
“President Trump’s pick for Army secretary could withdraw from consideration as early as this week, according to a report, following a slew of accusations from liberal groups over comments he’s made regarding LGBT issues and Islam,” the Washington Examiner reported on Thursday morning: Sources close to the nomination process believe Tennessee state Sen. Mark Green may not have enough support from Republicans and Democrats to be confirmed, CNN reported. Green, a conservative Christian, is under increasing fire from the political Left over past statements opposing gay marriage, transgender bathroom rights and teaching Islam in public schools. On Monday, Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the No. 2 Democrat in the House, called his past statements “disgusting” and joined 31 fellow Democrats in urging the Senate to reject the nomination for what they called a history of homophobia and transphobia. “Republicans, meanwhile, have been mostly silent on the issue. Sen. John McCain, in a brief interview with USA Today, said he was bothered by Green’s past statements,” the Examiner reported. Should Green (R-Clarksville) withdraw, he would likely consider entering the race for the GOP nomination for Governor in Tennessee in 2018, where he would immediately become the conservative front runner. Two other candidates,…
Read the full story
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — State Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) on Wednesday made a pitch to compensate Tennessee taxpayers for surplus revenue. He was a lone voice, however, before the Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee voted 10-1 for a bill that allows the money to be used for government spending. Gardenhire was the only one who voted against the proposed legislation. The bill authorizes state spending to exceed growth in revenues by $438 million, or 2.85 percent, for the current fiscal year. The bill is a way around the Copeland Cap, which says that spending should not exceed the growth of the state’s economy, measured by estimated growth in personal income in the state. Added to the state constitution in 1978, the budget restraint provision is named for former Republican State Rep. David Copeland. The General Assembly can disregard the cap with a simple majority vote, which has happened numerous times. During a discussion before Wednesday’s vote, Gardenhire exchanged tense words with Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville), the bill sponsor in the Senate. Gardenhire said he didn’t want to see the Copeland Cap undermined. Norris snapped that lawmakers should stop collecting so much in taxes if they want to avoid this…
Read the full story
House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley) said Wednesday in both the Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee and full Committee that he didn’t have the votes for the $250 million K-12 Block Grant Act, which was reportedly part of the deal Governor Haslam made to get needed support from the Democrats to pass his IMPROVE Act. On the morning of the House floor vote which eventually approved the IMPROVE Act, there were rumors that the Governor would appropriate $250 million for an education plan and that the Democrats, despite their expected opposition to the gas tax increase, were going to vote for it. The deal appeared successful when 23 of 25 Democrats voted in favor of the IMPROVE Act. The rumors of the quid pro quo deal were confirmed when the video of Leader Fitzhugh explaining the plan during an April 4 Education Administration & Planning Subcommittee meeting came to light. The plan, called the K-12 Block Grant Act, would take $250 million from various sources, as Fitzhugh explained, and put it in an endowment type fund from which the interest would be drawn and allocated to school systems throughout the state for non-recurring expenses. During the Finance, Ways & Means…
Read the full story
At the final stop before the full House makes its first of three votes on Governor Haslam’s 2017-18 $37 billion state budget, the Finance, Ways & Means Committee finalized the bills required to move the budget on, including HB 514, which Chairman Charles Sargent (R-Franklin) referred to as the “indexing bill” or Copeland Cap. The Copeland Cap is the 1978 amendment to Article II, Section 24 of the Tennessee constitution that states, “In no year shall the rate of growth of appropriations from state tax revenues exceed the estimated rate of growth of the state’s economy as determined by law.” The amendment was named for its author, former state Representative David Copeland of Ooltewah. As reported by The Tennessee Star, with the growth of state revenues, lawmakers were expected to have to break the Copeland Cap. That was confirmed Wednesday, when Chairman Sargent presented the bill to the committee, saying, “Revenues have grown and collections in the 16 budget that was not recognized in 16. That money has been placed over into the 17-18 budget. So we have to recognized that we went over. We went over by 2.85 over and above the Copeland Cap.” No further details were provided as…
Read the full story
Tennessee lawmakers passed a bill Wednesday banning abortions after 20 weeks if a doctor says the fetus is viable. The House voted 69-18 in favor of the legislation, which passed the Senate 27-3 on Monday. It now goes to Gov. Haslam. The legislation includes felony penalties for doctors but doesn’t apply if the mother could die or suffer serious damage to major bodily functions. The bill was sponsored in the House by Rep. Matthew Hill (R-Jonesborough) and in the Senate by Sen. Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald). Haslam said he would talk to Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery before making his decision, according to the Associated Press. Slatery has said his office would defend the measure if it were to become law. However, he previously called it “constitutionally suspect.” The House Republican majority voted against including exceptions for rape and incest that Democrats wanted in the legislation.
Read the full story
Sixth District Congresswoman Diane Black (R-TN), who was recently elevated to the position of House Budget Chair and who is widely rumored to be preparing for a Gubernatorial bid in 2018, is on the receiving end of criticism for her role in the Continuing Resolution that will keep the Federal Government operating despite the failure of Congress to pass a budget. The Continuing Resolution averts a government shutdown but does not fulfill many of the promises that Republicans made during the 2016 election cycle. The budget deal passed the House 309-118. Though she was one of the 118 House members who voted no, Congresswoman Black has drawn particular criticism for her role in the deal as new Budget Chair, especially since she has voted against previous Continuing Resolutions that continued to fund Planned Parenthood in similar fashion. Sharon Ford, President of the Tennessee Republican Assembly, noted that Black may have been given cover by the House Leadership to avoid complete responsibility for the budget mess, but that she is Budget Chair and the buck ultimately stops with her. “She can point the finger of blame at others and cast a no vote to pretend she is a budget hawk,…
Read the full story
Glenn Jacobs, known the world over as World Wrestling Entertainment’s “Kane,” is also a longtime libertarian and conservative activist who recently stepped into the political arena when he announced his bid for mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. On Tuesday, Jacobs received the endorsement of one of the most high profile libertarian-leaning conservatives in Washington, Senator Rand…
Read the full story
Richard A Viguerie, CHQ Chairman President Trump’s shout-out during his 100-day rally to Heritage president Jim DeMint, “I want to really thank Heritage … and also from Heritage Jim DeMint, it’s been amazing,” reminds me of just what an important asset a strong and independent Heritage Foundation has been to the conservative movement. I was there, so to speak, at the beginning of the Heritage Foundation and what many people in Washington Jim DeMint Heritageseem to have forgotten is that Heritage was founded to be a movement conservative force independent of the Republican Party and establishment Republican leaders. My good friend the late Paul Weyrich, then press secretary for conservative U.S. Senator Gordon Allott of Colorado, was one of the moving forces behind the creation of the Heritage Foundation. One of the other founders was Ed Feulner, then administrative assistant to Congressman Phil Crane, for whom I did the direct mail when he was first elected to the House in a Special Election in 1969. Paul had the idea for the Heritage Foundation after becoming frustrated with the overly academic posture of the American Enterprise Institute, then the leading conservative think tank in Washington. Paul, and many others in the…
Read the full story
“Follow the money” is a catchphrase made popular in the 1976 movie, “All The President’s Men,” based on the actual events of the Watergate Break-in and suggests a money trail or corruption scheme within the political arena. While campaign receipts are no guarantee of how an elected official will vote on a particular issue, when a politician’s vote comes as a surprise to their constituents and political pundits, the behind-the-scenes world of money and power may shed light on the matter. The situation of campaign financing in the state of Tennessee is a complex web of individual and Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions and receipts to and from each other. The Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance defines a PAC as a “multi-candidate politician campaign committee that participates in any state or local election. ‘Multi-candidate committee’ is defined as a committee that makes expenditures to support or oppose two or more candidates for public office or two or more measures in a referenda election. T.C.A. 2-10-102(9).” The State of Tennessee’s Online Campaign Finance webpage includes a searchable database for contributions and expenditures to candidates and PACs and from candidates, PACs, private individuals or businesses/organizations. The complexity, special interests…
Read the full story
VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing May 4, Thursday Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world,but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasingand perfect will.
Read the full story
The Heritage Foundation’s board of trustees, by a unanimous vote, has asked for and received the resignation of president and CEO Jim DeMint, revealed in an open letter to the organization’s membership released late Tuesday afternoon by board chairman Thomas A. Saunders III. “The board elected Heritage Founder Ed Feulner as president and CEO while we…
Read the full story
LifeZette editor-in-chief Laura Ingraham blasted congressional Republicans for “resisting” President Donald Trump’s agenda “as fiercely in their own way as the Democrats,” during an interview Tuesday evening on Fox News’ “Hannity.” Ingraham noted the budget compromise unveiled by GOP leaders this week committed funding for Trump’s border wall but continued to fully fund Planned Parenthood and…
Read the full story