Day: March 22, 2018

Victory for the Rule of Law as Tennessee Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Appeal of Special Election Date Decision

Tennessee Star Staff

The Tennessee Supreme Court reaffirmed its role as champion as the rule of law in the Volunteer State on Thursday when it agreed to hear an appeal of a lower court’s decision to set the date for the Nashville mayoral election at August 2. You can read the Court’s Order Granting the Motion to Assume Jurisdiction here: [pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Order-Granting-Motion-to-Assume-Jurisdiction.pdf” title=”Order Granting Motion to Assume Jurisdiction”] The Court granted mayoral candidate Ludye Wallace’s petition for an expedited hearing of his appeal of Chancery Court Judge Claudia Bonnyman’s decision to set the special election date at August 2 rather than May 1, the date Wallace’s attorney Jamie Hollin said was required by a plain reading of the law. Hollin has until March 29 to submit the Petitioner’s Brief to the Court. Metro Nashville Government has until April 4 to submit Respondent’s Brief. Oral arguments will be heard on Monday, April 9. “We are grateful that the Supreme Court decided to assume jurisdiction of this case as it involves the election of Metro Nashville’s most important elected office, Mayor,” Wallace’s attorneys Hollin and Daniel Horwitz said in a statement. “We are optimistic that the unambiguous terms of the Metro Charter and the clearly…

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Steve Gill Is Back on the Radio!

Tennessee Star Staff

Long-time Nashville radio host Steve Gill is back on the radio. The veteran conservative political commentator and frequent Tennessee Star contributor is hosting a 30 minute program, The Gill Report, which airs on Knoxville’s WETR 92.3 FM from 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm each weekday evening. Gill joins an all-star lineup on the conservative talk radio station that includes Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage, and Lars Larson. Here’s an example of the kind of insight listeners of The Gill Report receive: Steve’s analysis of a recent poll that says Phil Bredesen leads Marsha Blackburn by 5 points in a hypothetical general election matchup for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN). (You can listen to the program live here). Plans are currently in the works to syndicate the program to other radio stations across the state.    

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Steve Gill Analysis: Beware of Polls That Hide Key Details

Tennessee Star Staff

On the Wednesday edition of The Gill Report, broadcast on Knoxville’s 92.3 FM WETR, Steve Gill explained the perils of giving too much credence to polls that hide key details about their methodology. Case in point: A recent poll conducted by the Democratic polling firm PPP on the U.S. Senate race in Tennessee between Democrat Phil Bredesen and Republican Marsha Blackburn. “I mentioned at the outside of the show that PPP had done a new poll that is being reported across the state showing that former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, is leading Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, the front runner for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, 46 percent to 41 percent in a new poll that they’ve conducted,” Gill said. “I just wanted you to be aware of some of the problems that may be contained in that poll,” he added, noting: This particular polling company is a Democrat polling company, a left leaning polling company, that is paid to do a poll by a group that supports Obamacare. So they produce a poll that shows that Phil, ‘I Voted for Hillary’ Bredesen leads Marsha Blackburn by 5 points. Not surprisingly, their poll shows that Tennesseans oppose repeal…

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School Protection and Student Privacy Act Moves Forward In Tennessee House

Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The School Protection and Student Privacy Act, sponsored by Representative Andy Holt (R-Dresden) in the House, moved forward from the Civil Justice Committee Wednesday. After more than an hour of debate and testimony by five witnesses, House Bill 2620 passed by a vote of 4 ayes, 2 nos and 1 abstention. Following the vote at the bill’s first stop, Holt told The Tennessee Star, “Now more than ever, it’s important that we empower and encourage local school districts to protect boys and girls from being compelled to use the restroom, shower or undress in the presence of those of the opposite sex.”  He further explained, While in a sense it’s very sad that we even have to address things like preventing girls in public schools from having to shower with or undress in the presence of boys, there’s a small but vocal minority determined to dismiss these objective biological distinctions. We can’t just sit idly by and pretend that this will all work itself out in a good way. We have to take a stand now. If not now, then when? The bill expands the duties of the State Attorney General and Reporter (AG) to “include representation…

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TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition Leaders Finally Admit to Legislative Committee They Want to Keep Illegal Immigrants in Tennessee

Chris Alto

During testimony by the co-Directors of the TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), opposing Rep. William Lamberth’s bill that would prohibit municipalities from creating their own local identity card programs and from accepting the matricula consular card as an identification document, the TIRRC leaders admitted that immigrants who primarily rely on the matricula card are “people who do not have immigration status.” Lamberth’s bill is consistent with Tennessee law that prohibits using the matricula consular card to get a state driver license. During Nashville’s last mayoral race, all of the candidates including Megan Barry endorsed creating a local identification card program that would include illegal aliens. This has become a popular program in sanctuary cities that help illegal aliens access certain public services and appear as if they are lawfully present. In other cities the cards have also helped illegal aliens avoid arrest and possible deportation during traffic stops. According to the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago-issued municipal ID card available to illegal aliens will be accepted as valid voter identification. In Cincinnati, working with local law enforcement and city officials, Catholic Charities is producing and providing the municipal ID card to immigrants in the city who don’t have or can’t obtain…

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Trump Says Hillary Clinton’s Gaffes Prove Democrats ‘Lost Touch’ with Regular Americans

Tennessee Star Staff

Few things delight President Trump more than watching Democrats run away from Hillary Clinton. And the president believes Republican candidates in this year’s midterm elections should put Democrats’ aversion for their party’s former standard-bearer to the test. “Democrats never have been more vulnerable because they’ve lost touch with normal, everyday working people,” the president said at…

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Commentary: ‘Social Justice Philosophy Is a Blank Check for Government Power’

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Thomas Sowell

by Brian Balfour   This key passage from Thomas Sowell’s 1999 book, The Quest for Cosmic Justice, frames Sowell’s thoughtful analysis and rejection of arguments advanced by “social justice warriors,” or more briefly, SJWs: In politics, the great non-sequitur of our time is that 1) things are not right and that 2) the government should make them right. Where right all too often means cosmic justice, trying to set things right means writing a blank check for a never-ending expansion of government power. Although written nearly 20 years ago, Sowell’s insights are especially relevant today, when you consider the heights of influence social justice activism has reached—especially on college campuses—in 2018. For a blueprint to understand and refute today’s increasingly vocal SJWs, Sowell’s book proves to be an indispensable resource. What Is “Social Justice”? First, Sowell provides clarity to the concept of social justice, which he labels “cosmic justice.” Social justice seeks to “eliminate undeserved disadvantages” for selected groups. Sowell explains “undeserved disadvantages” by quoting Thomas Nagle, a professor of philosophy and law, as akin to an “unequal starting point” certain people have through no fault of their own. These conditions—be it race, gender, family income, etc.—are from mere chance of…

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Is Push to Close Primaries Dead For the Year?

Jason M. Reynolds

The push to close primaries in Tennessee is dead for the year, a legislative source says. SB 0772 aims to require a voter to declare a statewide political party affiliation before voting in a primary. That bill was assigned March 20 to the Senate’s General Subcommittee of the State and Local Government Committee. However, Pamela McCary, legislative assistant to State Rep. Tim Wirgau, said on March 21 that it has not been moved onto the calendar in the House, so that chamber cannot take action on it this year. Wirgau, R-Buchanan, is chairman of the Local Government Committee in the House. There has been a lot of “buzz” on the topic for some reason, despite the status in the House, she said. The House bill number is HB 0887. Also on March 21, the main sponsor of the House bill changed from Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, to Rep. Tilman Goins, R-Morristown. Williams is still a co-sponsor. State Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, is the Senate sponsor.

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Joe Biden: I Would Have ‘Beat the Hell Out of’ Trump in High School

Tennessee Star Staff

Former Vice President Joe Biden boasted to a crowd of University of Miami students Tuesday that he would have “beat the hell out of” President Trump in high school. Speaking during an anti-sexual assault rally at the private university in Coral Gables, the Democrat mentioned Mr. Trump’s infamous “Access Hollywood” recording that captured the real estate…

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Real Estate Magnate Bill Freeman Will Not Run for Mayor of Nashville in Special Election

Tennessee Star Staff

Real estate magnate Bill Freeman, who finished third in the 2015 election for Mayor of Nashville behind David Fox and eventual winner, former Mayor Megan Barry, said on Wednesday he will not be a candidate for Mayor of Nashville in the upcoming special election. “I think Nashville will be best served by having Mayor Briley focused on what’s best for our city for the remainder of this term. As a result, I’ve chosen to refrain from entering the race,” Freeman said, as NewsChannel 5 reported: Freeman said he considers his decision a personal one and did not discourage others from entering the race. “It is certainly within the capability of Nashvillians to determine what’s best for Nashville. To discourage anyone from running for office is downright un-American,” stated Freeman. “I simply feel that Mayor Briley is the right person for Nashville right now. I’ve weighed the options, and I feel that my continued role with Freeman Webb will serve Nashville well, with our strong initiatives to meet Nashville’s needs for affordable housing.” Freeman also added Mayor Briley must “remain balanced in his approach,” and he cautioned against allowing undue influence on key decisions from outside interests. The co-founder of Freeman…

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Laura Ingraham Rips House GOPers Pushing ‘Freddy Krueger-Like’ Spending Bill

Tennessee Star Staff

Fox News host Laura Ingraham challenged House Republican leaders Tuesday on “The Ingraham Angle” to “start really helping President Donald Trump drain the swamp” instead of adding to it by passing their $1.3 trillion spending bill by Friday to avoid another government shutdown. If bitterly divided Republican and Democratic lawmakers don’t reach an agreement ahead of…

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FBI Director Christopher Wray Rejects McCabe’s Accusations About His Firing

Tennessee Star Staff

FBI Director Christopher Wray dismissed former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s claims that his firing was politically motivated, telling NBC News in an interview Wednesday that it wasn’t “based on political or partisan influence.” McCabe oversaw the FBI’s investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server and address to conduct official U.S. diplomatic business. Attorney General Jeff Sessions accepted the recommendation from the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) that he fire McCabe Friday — just two days before McCabe was to retire with full pension benefits.

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Majority of Nashville Metro Council Wants Tennessee Supreme Court to Accept Special Election Date Appeal

Tennessee Star Staff

Twenty-one members of the Nashville Metro Council signed a letter to Metro Legal Director Jon Cooper on Tuesday asking him to request of the Tennessee Supreme Court that it “reach down” and hear the plaintiff’s appeal of a Chancery Court Judge’s decision to hold the special mayoral election on August 2, rather than May 1. The Tennessee Star reported that earlier this month the Davidson County Election Commission ignored the plain meaning of the law and voted 3 to 2 to hold the special mayoral election on August 2, rather than May 2. Last week, attorney Jamie Hollin filed an appeal of that decision on behalf of his client, mayoral candidate Ludye Wallace in Davidson Couny Chancery Court. Later that week, Judge Claudia Bonnyman ruled against Wallace and in favor of the Davidson County Election Commission, and confirmed August 2 as the date for the special election. The Star subsequently reported that, according to Arizona State University Law School Professor Judith M. Stinson, a national expert on “dicta” and legal holdings, if Judge Bonnyman’s decision was based on “dicta”–that is, facts cited in an opinion that are not directly relevant to the legal holding of the court–the legitimacy of the…

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