Day: February 16, 2019

State Rep. William Lamberth Responds to Outcry on Public Records Bill By Promoting More Transparency

Chris Butler

House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) said in a statement released late Friday afternoon he wants Tennessee’s state and local governments to make more public records available online for the sake of what he called “greater government transparency.” The statement released by his office continued: I am calling on both state departments and local governments to evaluate all records that may be placed online and to explore ways to increase availability,” said Leader Lamberth. “Republicans in the legislature stand for more transparency for our citizens,” said Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada (R-Franklin). “I am fully supportive of Leader Lamberth’s efforts, and I appreciate his desire to lead on this issue.” Lamberth is currently working with all interested parties and constituents on an amendment to House Bill 626 in efforts to streamline the process of open records requests, protect record custodians, increase online accessibility, and to enhance government transparency. “In this day and age with all of our technology, we should be able to fulfill open records requests online,” added Lamberth. Some people who were angry with him Friday morning might never have guessed he’d say such a thing later in the day. After all, these were the same folks who took to social media…

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Commentary: President Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott Can Use the Constitution to Build The Wall

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by George Ralsey   It is clear to us that President Trump will get no help to secure the southern border from Capitol Hill’s Republican “leadership” and if the Wall is to be built it will only be accomplished through executive action. Much ink and hot air have been expended by pundits and Members of Congress debating whether the President has the authority to declare an emergency and use the military to build the Wall and other needed border security enhancements, or to fund wall construction by formally “reprogramming” funds already appropriated to the executive for other purposes. Much of the debate has focused on the Constitution’s Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 language that states, “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law…” with those opposing executive action to build the Wall arguing that after a lengthy voyage through the courts, the Supreme Court would likely find that the President lacked the constitutional authority to build the Wall without a congressional appropriation for that purpose. Others argue that the President’s inherent power under Article II gives him the authority to reprogram funds in exigent circumstances. As Kate Stith, Lafayette S. Foster…

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Metro Nashville School Board Passes Resolution Opposing School Vouchers

Chris Butler

Add the Metro Nashville School Board to the list of people who have voted to formally oppose school vouchers. Seven board members present at this week’s meeting unanimously went along with this. Two board members — Jill Speering and Anna Shepherd — were absent, school system spokeswoman Dawn Rutledge told The Tennessee Star. None of the nine Metro Nashville School Board members returned The Star’s repeated requests for comment Friday. Rutledge said the school system will not make minutes of the meeting available for another week. According to the resolution, vouchers are “controversial, unproven and unpopular.” They also “eliminate accountability by channeling taxes to private schools without the same academic or testing requirements.” “Underfunded public schools are less able to attract and retain teachers,” according to the resolution. As The Star reported this week, school boards in Madison and Houston counties have passed similar resolutions, as did the Oak Ridge School Board. Wilson County commissioners also passed a resolution, which they will forward to state legislators. Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee stated in the past that he supports vouchers. Lee, however, has used ambiguous language of late on the matter and has issued no firm statement to describe what, precisely,…

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Taxpayers May Have Given Van Buren County Library Director Money She Didn’t Earn

Chris Butler

The director of a public library in Van Buren County may have received more than $10,000 of taxpayer money for work she did not perform, according to an audit Tennessee Comptrollers released this week. Van Buren County taxpayers fund the library under the county’s general fund, according to the audit. Auditors said they focused on the director of the Van Buren Memorial Library in Spencer and her activities between January and May of last year, when, due to flooding damage, the library closed for repairs. Comptrollers said the library director, whom the audit did not identify, submitted time sheets that did not reflect actual time worked. While the library was closed, the library director submitted time sheets indicating she worked her regular full-time 32 hours per week. When investigators met with the library director to discuss her time reporting during the library’s closure, the library director stated her hours worked varied, Comptrollers wrote. “The library director explained there were days she was not at the library, and there were days she was at the library. The library director detailed that the week of gluing new carpet down, she was at the library approximately 20 hours.” “The former librarian also stated…

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10 States Now Offer Dreamers Financial Aid for College

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The state of New Jersey has awarded $1.63 million in financial aid for higher education to more than 500 undocumented students, new government data showed Wednesday. New Jersey’s Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) reported that 513 students received the aid to cover university and college expenses starting with the 2018 fall semester. “This financial assistance offers these New Jersey students a life-changing opportunity,” David J. Socolow, HESAA’s executive director, said in a statement. “The successes of these first 513 students, who are now attending county colleges, state colleges and universities, and independent institutions around the state, will have a positive impact on countless additional lives.” To be eligible for the financial assistance, students must have attended a New Jersey high school for at least three years and graduated from one, or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in the state. They must also file an affidavit stating that they have filed or will file an application to legalize their immigration status. Male applicants are also required to register for selective service. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed the controversial measure into law last May, making New Jersey the 10th state to provide state aid to undocumented college…

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DeSantis Wants Grand Jury to Look Into Broward County School Failures One Year After Shooting

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by Neetu Chandak   Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday he wants a grand jury to look into possible mistakes made by Broward County Public Schools in addressing the Parkland, Florida, shooting. The grand jury would have more subpoena power and a greater scope compared to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Public Safety Commission, which released a January 2019 report detailing the missteps during the shooting in 2018. The Florida Supreme Court will need to accept DeSantis’s petition in order for the grand jury investigation, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported. It is clear more needs to be done to keep our students safe. The statewide grand jury will consider whether refusal to follow mandates of school-related safety laws resulted in avoidable risk for students. More info on my request to the FL Supreme Court: https://t.co/qWq6jKh0ju pic.twitter.com/KHNVf7m56a — Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 13, 2019 The grand jury would have to look at actions of all school districts in the state, however, DeSantis was clear the move was aimed for Broward County Public Schools (BCPS), the Sun Sentinel reported. “There’s more evidence in Broward than other districts,” DeSantis said, according to the newspaper. The grand jury would examine whether: School officials…

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Rep. Angie Craig Issues Joint Letter to Trump Admin to Oppose Funding of Christian Foster Agencies

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) recently issued a joint letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in response to his department’s decision to allow a South Carolina foster-care agency to refuse housing children with same-sex couples. In January, Azar granted a waiver to Miracle Hill Ministries, a Christian agency that requires foster parents to be Christian and of the opposite sex. President Donald Trump said during last week’s National Prayer Breakfast that his administration would continue to provide agencies such as Miracle Hill Ministries with federal funding so that they can “help vulnerable children find their forever families while following their deeply held beliefs.” Craig and fellow LGBTQ colleague Rep. Sean Maloney (D-NY-18) sent a letter to Azar on February 13 to protest his decision. “We write to you to express strong opposition to a waiver you department granted to South Carolina from nondiscrimination requirements for its state-contracted child welfare agencies,” the letter begins. “This harmful decision allows federally-funded child welfare agencies in South Carolina to discriminate on the basis of religion—an egregious violation of the very principles our nation and our child welfare system were founded upon.” The letter was co-signed by 95 House members, and concludes by…

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Smith County Must Pay $35,000 for Not Complying with Obamacare, Audit Says

Chris Butler

The federal government assessed the Smith County School System more than $35,000 for not complying with Obamacare, according to a state audit released this week. Smith County taxpayers, of course, will have to pick up the slack and pay that fine. The audit, however, did not offer specifics. “During the year, the School Department paid a penalty of $37,180 to the Internal Revenue Service for failure to comply with the Affordable Care Act for 2015,” according to Tennessee Comptrollers. “The School Department provides health insurance coverage to its employees; however, this coverage was not in compliance with federal regulations for certain employees. This deficiency resulted from a lack of management oversight.” Smith County Mayor Jeff Mason, in an email, deferred all The Tennessee Star’s questions to Director of Schools Barry Smith. Smith, on the phone, however, deferred all questions to the school system’s Chief Financial Officer Norma Mitchell. Mitchell did not return two requests seeking comment. Other county governments in Tennessee have had their finances suffer due to Obamacare. As The Tennessee Watchdog reported in 2015, an audit from Tennessee Comptroller Justin Wilson said Obamacare might have forced Robertson County officials to choose between raising taxes and breaking the law.…

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Spending Bill Gives $35 Billion in Raises to Federal Workforce

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by James D. Agresti   The spending bill just passed by Congress—which President Trump says he will sign—grants an across-the-board pay raise of 1.9% to federal civilian employees. This will cost taxpayers about $3.7 billion in 2019 and $35 billion over the next 10 years. According to data from the White House Office of Management & Budget, federal civilian non-postal employees were slated to earn about $196 billion in salaries and $85 billion in benefits during 2019. Hence, the 1.9% increase in their salaries will cost taxpayers about $3.7 billion in 2019. The salary increase also establishes a new baseline going forward. Over 10 years—the standard timeframe for Congressional Budget Office analyses—a 1.9% raise will cost taxpayers roughly $35 billion. For a point of comparison, this is 25 times more than the $1.375 billion that the bill provides for new border barriers. The $35 billion estimate assumes that the federal workforce doesn’t grow, and it discounts the value of their raise for inflation. The Consumer Price Index rose by 1.9% in 2018, so this increase merely keeps pace with inflation. However, most federal employees are paid substantially more than their counterparts in the private sector. A 2017 Congressional Budget Office study…

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GOP Pushes Innovation, Natural Gas As Counter-Offers to Green New Deal

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by Michael Bastasch   Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy says he has an answer to Democrats’ Green New Deal resolution that will grow the economy and cut greenhouse gas emissions — natural gas. Cassidy put forward a white paper Thursday making the case that private sector-led investments in natural gas extraction have allowed the U.S. to lead the world in reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Cassidy wants to see that trend continue. “This is a pro-jobs approach to lowering greenhouse gas emissions,” Cassidy said in a statement. “Instead of pie-in-the-sky, feel-good pipe dreams, let’s do what data and science say actually works.” Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s and Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey’s recently introduced Green New Deal resolutions call for “meeting 100 percent of the power demand” with renewables and zero-emissions energy sources within 10 years. The World War II-style mobilization the bill calls for also includes retrofitting every building in the U.S. to be more energy efficient and also cutting emissions as much as possible from every sector of the economy. The Green New Deal also demands a slew of welfare programs, from universal health care to job guarantees, and outlines social justice goals. Republicans panned the plan…

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Commentary: After the Coup Is Over

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by Julie Kelly   As the perpetrators of one of the most shameful scandals in American political history begin slowly to retreat, we are left to ponder one overarching question: What now? The tale we’ve been told for more than two years—that Donald Trump’s campaign team, possibly even the candidate himself, colluded with the Kremlin to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election—has been exposed as a lie. Various investigations into this alleged conspiracy are coming up empty and the accomplices are trying to change the subject. Even more pathetically, some still are clinging to the farce, desperate to salvage whatever still remains of their already sketchy credibility. To describe it as a witch hunt, the president’s preferred term, is too generous. The American public has witnessed a seditious attempt by powerful interests garrisoned throughout our political complex to overthrow a sitting U.S. president. The orchestrated and failed coup has exceeded the routine combat of our two-party system, where out-of-power partisans disrupt and agitate the other side. No, this has been a full-scale insurrection that has violated the boundaries of law, normalcy, and civility in an unprecedented way. Both Democrats and Republicans have been complicit. The national news media…

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Dershowitz Compares 25th Amendment Attempts Against Trump to a Coup

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by Nick Givas   Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz compared attempts to use the 25th Amendment against President Donald Trump to a coup d’etat and said Thursday the measure is being abused. “If [former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s claims are] true, it is clearly an attempted coup d’etat,” Dershowitz said on “Tucker Carlson Tonight.” Dershowitz said the 25th Amendment has nothing to do with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Trump’s possible ties to Russia and said critics of the president are conflating the issues in an attempt to remove him from office. “Let’s take the worst case scenario. Let’s assume the president of the United States was in bed with the Russians, committed treason, committed obstruction of justice — the 25th Amendment simply is irrelevant to that. That’s why you have an impeachment provision,” he said. “The 25th Amendment is about [former President] Woodrow Wilson having a stroke. It’s about a president being shot and not being able to perform his office. It’s not about the most fundamental disagreements. It’s not about impeachable offenses.” Dershowitz accused Justice Department personnel of committing crimes against the Constitution by trying to shape the 25th Amendment to fit their political agenda. “Any…

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Montgomery County Has Documented History of Theft Among County Employees

Chris Butler

A former employee of the Montgomery County School System used his school system- issued procurement card to make more than $1,000 in personal purchases, according to a state audit released this week. The Montgomery County Grand Jury indicted that former employee last December on one count of theft over $1,000 and one count of fraudulent use of a credit or debit card, Tennessee Comptrollers said. The audit did not identify that former employee. Comptrollers said they found inappropriate charges while going over county records. A search through the Tennessee Comptrollers’ website also showed improprieties in last year’s Montgomery County audit. “On December 22, 2017, a taxpayer visited the Trustee’s Office to verify his 2017 property taxes were correctly posted in the office’s accounting system as having been paid; however, the property taxes were not reflected as paid,” according to the 2018 audit. “The taxpayer then presented a receipt verifying the payment had been made with cash. When questioned, the deputy clerk who issued the receipt admitted stealing the cash. The trustee then terminated the deputy’s employment and contacted the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department. After learning about the theft, the Director of Accounts and Budgets filed a Fraud Reporting Form with…

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Beto Says He Would Take Down Border Wall in El Paso

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by Molly Prince   Former Democratic Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke said Thursday he would remove the existing border barrier in his hometown of El Paso if he had the ability to do so, a question proposed to him by his fellow Texan, Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw. Prior to President Donald Trump’s rally in El Paso on Monday, Crenshaw tweeted at O’Rourke, asking “if you could snap your fingers and make El Paso’s border wall disappear, would you?” .@BetoORourke should answer a simple question tonight with respect to the border debate: If you could snap your fingers and make El Paso’s border wall disappear, would you? Because this DHS graph shows that when the wall was built, illegal crossings dropped significantly. pic.twitter.com/JgquXfw2Ee — Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) February 11, 2019 “Yes, absolutely. I’d take the wall down,” O’Rourke responded to MSNBC’s Chris Hayes when presented with Crenshaw’s question. O’Rourke said since a barrier was constructed on the border through the Secure Fence Act, Americans have not “in any demonstrative way” been made safer. However, Crenshaw’s tweet provided data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which showed illegal border crossings reduced significantly since the wall was in place. He also provided data…

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North Carolina Economic Report Highlights $150 Million Revenue Surplus, ‘Solid Employment and Wage Growth’

A.P. Dillon

In the most recent N.C. Consensus Revenue Forecast, the Tarheel state boasts a revenue surplus of $150 million as well as “solid employment and wage growth.” “Results for the public and private sector are what really matter,” State House Speaker Tim Moore (R-District 111) said in a statement. “People are paying lower taxes in North Carolina and benefitting from a smart approach to state government and economic growth.” Highlights from the report: General Fund revenue is expected to increase by $1.7 billion and reach $25.8 billion by the end of FY 2020-21 Consistent, solid economic growth will continue throughout the upcoming biennium FY 2018-19 collections are expected to be above the budgeted amount by $150.8 million (0.6%) Stable, modest growth is expected to continue during the upcoming biennium General Fund revenue is forecast to increase by 2.2% over the amount collected in FY 2017-18 Employment should increase during both years of the 2019 biennium The state’s economy has made steady gains since the end of the Great Recession in 2009 by adding 75,000 to 95,000 jobs per year Strong sales tax growth; Partial credit is given to the June 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Wayfair) about online sales tax collection…

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Half-a-Million Low-Income Ohioans With Suspended Licences Could Be Eligible for Relief With New Program

Andrew Shirley

For many low-income Ohioans who have lost their drivers licenses for minor or unintentional offenses, there is no greater frustration than paying your debt to society, only to be denied your ability to drive legally because you can’t afford a government fee. Thankfully, relief is in sight for thousands of these individuals. House Bill 336 (HB 336), passed late last year, officially went into effect January 31. The bill established the Reinstatement Fee Amnesty Initiative, a six-month program intended to reduce or waive reinstatement fees in certain conditions. This program could remove a tremendous burden for more than 400,000 Ohioans. To even be considered for the program, the charge that led to the loss of your license cannot involve “alcohol, a drug of abuse, combination thereof, or a deadly weapon.” In addition, the individual must have completed any and all court requirements related to the offense beyond the fee. This could be anything required by the court from a mandatory driver’s improvement program to community service. Lastly, it must be at least 18 months since the end of any court-ordered suspension. This program, however, will only wave all fees in specifics instances. If an individual completed all of the above requirements and can prove that they are “indigent,” in a state of…

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Wisconsin Legislators Spent Two Days Debating About Colin Kaepernick

Anthony Gockowski

Wisconsin legislators spent Tuesday and Wednesday arguing over whether or not ex-NFL star Colin Kaepernick’s name should be included in a resolution honoring Black History Month. According to The Capital Times, the Wisconsin Legislature’s Black Caucus had included Kaepernick’s name in a ceremonial resolution, which honored African Americans who have “made measurable differences in their respective communities.” Republicans objected to his inclusion on the list, and instead put forward an alternative resolution that didn’t include his name. That resolution, which ultimately passed along party lines, replaced Kaepernick with the state’s first black lieutenant governor and first black secretary of state, among others. “The Wisconsin Legislative Black Caucus unanimously agreed upon the names to honor in our resolution. It is beyond disappointing and offensive that Wisconsin Republicans are choosing not to respect the leadership of Wisconsin’s Legislative Black Caucus on this issue,” Rep. Shelia Stubbs (D-Madison) said. State Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) criticized her Republican colleagues for telling “the entire country” that a “white Republican legislator” is “best suited to decide for African Americans what we should value, who we should honor.” “You don’t have to understand. It’s not your lens. It’s not your story. It’s ours. Who are you to…

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Minnesota GOP Has Harsh Words for Walz After Pipeline Appeal: ‘This Is a Big Mistake’

Anthony Gockowski

Republican members of the Minnesota House and Senate called a joint press conference earlier this week to condemn Gov. Tim Walz’s (D-MN) decision to re-appeal the Enbridge Line 3 pipeline replacement project. “The science is sure that this would be environmentally much safer to replace a 51-year-old pipe with a new pipe, so on every issue there he was wrong,” Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) said in response to Walz’s announcement. “Lawsuits and appeals do not have to be part of the process, and normally shouldn’t be part of the process.” Walz announced Tuesday morning that he would refile an appeal against the controversial project after an appeal submitted by his predecessor, former Gov. Mark Dayton (D-MN), was dismissed by the Minnesota Court of Appeals. “Walz and [Lt. Gov. Peggy] Flanagan are the only ones left in the state that need clarity on this project. It has met every test,” Gazelka added. “Delays are not fair to the workers that want these jobs. Frankly, Gov. Walz, on this issue you’re not listening. This is an issue we’ve had a lot of conversation about. It needs to go forward, and there’s a lot of people that are very upset that…

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Tennessee Star Report EXCLUSIVE: Vet Brian Kolfage Says WeBuildtheWall.US Will Build 10 Miles of Border Wall on Private Land in Arizona

Julie Carr

On Tuesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy talked to Veteran and the Trump Wall point man, Brian Kolfage about he and his teams new position on how to get the wall built. The men when into detail and touched upon how the funds would be transferred via a 501 (c) (4) non-profit initiative, who’s involved, and the price it would cost to get it done and the new position to build it instead of fund it. Kolfage also described how he was impressed by those conservatives billionaires who have donated their money and want to support and help push through this goal of a border wall. “None of us are being paid. We’re knocking this out and doing it for the American people,” confessed Kolfage. Gill: A guy who’s not willing to be patient and wait for the government to move things ahead on securing America’s borders, Brian Kolfage. He started a GoFundMe account to do the private sector construction of some wall and he’s joined us on the phone lines this morning. Brian…

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