Day: May 17, 2019

Lamar Alexander Tax Credits for Electric Cars Could Cost Nearly $16 Billion, Study Reportedly Says

Chris Butler

  A tax credit for electric cars that Tennessee Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander is pushing for could cost taxpayers nearly $16 billion, critics reportedly said in a new study. This, according to a new article in Bloomberg.com, which identified Alexander and Maine Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins as two of the bill’s main backers. The proposed legislation would grant automakers a $7,000 tax credit for an additional 400,000 vehicles. Members of the Washington, D.C.-based American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers commissioned the study, Bloomberg reported. “This study confirms that expanding the EV tax credit would make an already expensive and inefficient policy even more burdensome for U.S. taxpayers,” the website quoted Chet Thompson, AFPM’s president and chief executive officer, as saying. “Simply put, working families should not be asked to subsidize luxury vehicles for the wealthiest among us.” As reported, Alexander told The Tennessee Star last month that there are more electric cars on the road now versus a decade ago. He also said these electric cars travel a greater distance than they did 10 years ago. Alexander also said investing in electric vehicles “is one way to help our country and the world deal with climate change.” As The Star reported…

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Stewart County School System Director Has Not Resigned, Despite DUI Arrest

Chris Butler

  DOVER, Tennessee — Members of the Stewart County School Board appointed an interim director of schools at a special meeting Thursday, even though current Director Leta Jo Joiner has not officially resigned, one week after her DUI arrest. Board Chairman Billy Sexton (pictured at the head of the table) told The Tennessee Star he expects Joiner will eventually resign, but he does not know when. Board Member Gary Dacus indicated he had a problem with that. “I don’t want, as a Board, for this to be dragged out,” Dacus said. “I’ve been told she (Joiner) will have seven days on leave. I was also told 45 days. I heard something today about it being six months (of leave). I don’t know anything. But I think we owe it to the community and our school system to not let this drag out. She has more than a year’s worth of sick time, and this could be dragged out over a year.” Sexton, however, told The Star that Joiner indicated to him she will not take a full year’s worth of leave. Members of the Tennessee School Boards Association recommended that Stewart County School Board members appoint an interim director of schools…

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Despite Budget Surpluses, Tax Increases Still Debated in Minnesota as May 20 Deadline Looms

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by Bethany Blankey   Joint conference committees continue to hash out differences with the hope of reaching the May 20 deadline and closing a $2 billion gap between conflicting budget priorities. Still up for discussion in the Minnesota legislature are proposed fees on drug distributors and manufacturers to pay for opioid addiction, treatment and prevention, which opponents argue doesn’t address the real issue and would only suppress an industry providing medication to people who need them. Instead of targeting businesses, stricter criminal justice measures should be implemented, they argue. Another is allocating federal money toward securing the voting system, a 20-cent gas tax hike on top of additional spending on transportation projects, extending a 2 percent tax on medical providers, known as the “sick tax,” which is set to expire, in addition to increased spending on healthcare programs at a time when extensive fraud was uncovered by the state auditor’s office. The jobs and energy conference committee is grappling with a statewide family leave program paid for through a new tax on employees and employers, and a Senate spending bill that would block cities from passing and enforcing their own employment ordinances. The bill would likely reverse the Minneapolis ordinance…

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Al Gore to Address Harvard University Seniors at Class Day Celebration on May 29

Jason M. Reynolds

  Calling Al Gore a “dedicated public servant” and other superlatives, The Harvard Gazette announced the former vice president will address graduating seniors on May 29 as part of the annual Class Day celebration, the day before Harvard University’s 368th commencement. Gore is a 1969 Harvard alumnus. In the lengthy laudatory article, the publication quoted the speaker selection committee co-chair: “It is an absolute honor to be able to welcome Al Gore as our Class Day speaker,” said Cleanna Crabill ’19, program marshal and co-chair of the speaker selection committee. “For more than four decades of service he has modeled leadership based on civic duty, commitment to the public good, and a persistent, forward-looking vision. What’s more, he has shown us the necessity of being a proactive citizen of the planet. We are unbelievably excited to have a speaker who has consistently challenged the moral imagination and continues the call to action for the most imminent issues of our future.” The story mentions Gore’s “leadership” and environmental activism. The Harvard Gazette failed to mention Gore’s misfires in environmental activism. In December 2018, The Tennessee Star reported on the city of Georgetown, Texas, which Gore profiled in his “An Inconvenient Sequel” for…

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By the Numbers: Florida’s Osceola County Posts 16th Highest Foreclosure Rate in First Quarter

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  One in 290 properties in Osceola County, Florida started the foreclosure process during the first quarter of the year – the 16th highest foreclosure rate among U.S. counties with at least 100 foreclosures nationwide, according to an ATTOM Data Solutions analysis of property data. Osceola County’s foreclosure rate was the highest in the Sunshine State. A total of 482 properties in the county had foreclosure filings during the first three months of 2019, the data showed. That’s out of 139,796 housing units countywide. The foreclosure rate in the county was up 79.9 percent from the same period a year earlier. ATTOM Data’s analysis included data from 2,200 counties nationwide, accounting for more than nine-tenths of the country’s population. Nationwide, nearly 162,000 properties began the foreclosure process in the first quarter, a 14.74 percent decrease over the first quarter of 2018, according to the company. County Foreclosure Activity in Q1 2019 Rank County Name State Name Housing Units Q1 2019 Properties with Foreclosure Filings Foreclosure Rate (Housing Units Per Foreclosure Filing) % Change From Q1 2018 1 Cumberland Tennessee 29,072 367 79 1,495.65 2 Cumberland New Jersey 56,332 497 113 50.15 3 Atlantic New Jersey 127,809 722 177 -36.16 4…

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The Tennessee Star Report: Which Republicans Have Called for a Meeting of the House GOP Caucus?

Julie Carr

  On Thursday morning’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 – the duo spoke about the recent call for a meeting of the Tennessee Republican House Caucus to discuss the controversies surrounding House Speaker Glen Casada. Later on in the segment, the team discussed how this was just another attempt at a Democratic induced “scandal” to remove Casada based solely on inappropriate text messages sent before he became Speaker and unproven allegations of bad conduct.  The men agreed that the caucus should be held openly so that the truth would be heard by the public. Here is the transcript from the show: Gill: Alright, the poll is open and voters are flocking to Tennessee Star on Facebook to cast their votes. The poll question of the day, very easy. Should the Republican House caucus meeting Monday to discuss the future of Glen Casada be open to the public? Is there support? Is there the base to pull him off the speakership? To pull him out of the House all together to expel him? And again, what are the charges? What has he…

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Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Preserve Ohio Lakes, Rivers

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by Tyler Arnold   Two Ohio state representatives introduced legislation to create a trust fund for preserving Ohio’s lakes and rivers. Reps. Haraz N. Ghanbari, R-Perrysburg, and John Patterson, D-Jefferson, introduced House Bill 7, which would create the H2Ohio Endowment Board, which will manage the multimillion-dollar trust fund. The budget bill that passed last week includes $86 million for the first two years of the fund. “Seventy percent of the world’s surface is covered by water; 80 percent of the world’s population lives along the water; and 90 percent of the world’s trade moves by the water,” Ghanbari said in a news release. “I am thankful my colleague Mr. Patterson has joined me in co-sponsoring this bipartisan piece of legislation, which sends a clear and indisputable message that the Ohio House of Representatives understands the urgency of restoring the vitality of Ohio’s lakes and rivers and ensuring their sustainability for generations to come.” The legislation creates a permanent endowment that is designed to protect the state’s natural resources. Ohio borders Lake Erie and just under 9 percent of its total jurisdiction is covered by natural waters, which is higher than the national average of 7 percent. The fund will be…

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‘Cowardice’: Nikki Haley Takes Aim At Ocasio-Cortez, Omar And Sanders Over Venezuela

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by Peter Hasson   Former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley sharply criticized three prominent Democrats — Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — for going soft on Venezuela’s socialist dictatorship. “On the fringes of the left, celebrity politicians refuse to condemn [Venezuelan dictator Nicolas] Maduro. Worse, some have actually embraced him,” Haley wrote in a Monday post for Stand For America, her new political organization. Haley ticked through the responses from Ocasio-Cortez, Omar and Sanders, taking shots at each one. Ocasio-Cortez dodged when asked if Maduro was a legitimate ruler. “A simple ‘no’ would have sufficed,” commented Haley. Omar blamed “a lot of the policies that we have put in place has kind of helped lead the devastation in Venezuela” in an April interview. “When I saw this, I couldn’t stay silent,” Haley wrote, explaining why she slammed Omar’s response in a viral tweet on May 1. .@IlhanMN the avg Venezuelan adult has lost 24 lbs. Babies have no medicine. Families have to walk miles in the heat to get the only meal they may have that day. All bc of the corrupt Maduro regime. Your comments are so far from the truth.…

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Bill de Blasio Enters Race for the White House

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by Evie Fordham   Democratic New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Thursday that he is entering the crowded 2020 field for president. “Doesn’t matter if you live in a city or a rural area, a big state, small state. Doesn’t matter what your ethnicity is. People in every part of this country felt stuck or even like they’re going backwards,” he said in the video announcing his bid. He said he’ll be running on the platform of “working families first,” and mentioned paid sick leave as well as raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. De Blasio, 58, assumed office in 2014 and has become known for his progressive statements and policies. He has repeatedly said the “money in this country” is “in the wrong hands.” The mayor has been quietly tapping into City Hall staffers with national political experience. That includes Mike Casca, who became spokesman and communications strategist of de Blasio’s federal political action committee in April, reported The New York Daily News. Casca worked on Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign, reported Politico. De Blasio also handpicked experienced City Hall employees Jon Paul Lupo and Jaclyn Rothenberg in February to help with…

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Cory Booker Pledges to Legalize Abortion Nationwide Despite Supreme Court Decisions

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by Molly Prince   Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker pledged on Wednesday to override any possible Supreme Court decision and pass a law legalizing abortion nationwide if he wins the presidency in 2020. “The injustices we’re seeing in Alabama right now with this legislation — it’s important that all of us understand that this is a threat to women’s freedoms and women’s rights all over our country, not just there,” Booker told BuzzFeed News shortly after Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed H.B. 314 into law, virtually banning abortions in the Yellowhammer state. Following in the footsteps of fellow presidential hopeful and Democratic New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Booker vowed that if he is elected president, he will not nominate any judge to the Supreme Court that would not uphold Roe v. Wade. However, Booker further stated that he would also sign legislation that would make Roe v. Wade national law regardless of how the Supreme Court rules on it. “Right now I am calling for [codifying Roe v. Wade],” Booker said. “Even though obviously with [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell and a [majority Republican] Senate, we would not see a vote.” Booker also maintained that as president he…

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Missouri Is Latest US State to Approve Anti-Abortion Bill

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  Missouri is the latest U.S. state to act in favor of a restrictive abortion ban bill, bolstering a national movement Republicans hope could lead to the revocation of the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion. The Republican-led Senate in the midwestern U.S. state voted 24-10 early Thursday to ban abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy. The legislation includes exceptions for medical emergencies but not for pregnancies caused by incest or rape. The state’s Republican-led House must approve the measure before it goes to Republican Governor Mike Parson for him to sign into law. Parson voiced support for the bill on Wednesday. The Missouri senate’s passage of the bill came only hours after Republican Alabama Governor signed into law a near-total ban on abortion. I fully support my husband, @GovParsonMO, on his pro-life stand! All human life is sacred at every stage! #MissouriProud #ProLife pic.twitter.com/Yr2Chcp1Sp — First Lady Teresa Parson (@FirstLadyTeresa) May 15, 2019 “To the bill’s many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians’ deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God,” Ivey said in a statement. Lawmakers in the southeastern U.S. state had passed the…

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Trump Rolls Out Merit-Based Plan to Transform Immigration System

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by Fred Lucas   President Donald Trump introduced what he called a “big, beautiful, bold” plan to “transform America’s immigration system” from one of random entry to a meritocracy. “Instead of admitting people through random chance, we will establish simple, universal criteria for admission to the United States,” Trump said Thursday in the Rose Garden. “No matter where in the world you were born, no matter who your relatives are, if you want to become an American citizen, it will be clear exactly what standard we ask you to achieve. It will be made crystal clear,” Trump told an audience that included administration officials and Republican members of Congress. The president noted that the last immigration overhaul happened 54 years ago. His plan would change the makeup of legal immigrants, but keep the total number at about 1.1 million a year. During his remarks, Trump pointed to Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who introduced a border security bill Wednesday, and said he hopes to see that bill pass in the interim. The president acknowledged that “for some reason, possibly political,” his proposal wouldn’t immediately pass and would have to wait until after the 2020 election. Senior administration officials said Wednesday that…

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‘Never Trump’ Republican Called for Russian Sanctions, Now He’s Lobbying Against Them

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by Chuck Ross   A top “Never Trump” Republican strategist who has called for “sanctions on steroids” against the Russian government has registered as a lobbyist for a Russia-owned nuclear energy firm that is seeking to relax sanctions. John Weaver, a strategist for former Republican presidential candidate John Kasich, registered as a foreign agent of JSC Technabexport on May 10, according to documents filed with the Justice Department. According to his filings, Weaver will be paid $350,000 to provide strategic advice and to lobby Congress and the Trump administration regarding a variety of issues, including “sanctions or other restrictions in the area of atomic (nuclear) energy.” It’s a stunning about-face for Weaver, who has been a vocal critic of Trump and a leading proponent of the theory that the Republican is under the influence of Russia. https://twitter.com/jwgop/status/809198779303952384 https://twitter.com/jwgop/status/814573012829798405 https://twitter.com/jwgop/status/817187381912674306 https://twitter.com/jwgop/status/818999399200264193 https://twitter.com/jwgop/status/819000711358849024 https://twitter.com/jwgop/status/1089667236749561857 Weaver acknowledged in an interview with BuzzFeed that his new role is “counterintuitive and confusing” given his criticism of Trump and Russia. He also said on Twitter that he was “shocked” when he was approached to work for Tenam, an American subsidiary of JSC Technabexport. He claimed that his efforts to stave off sanctions against JSC Technabexport, which…

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Florida City Fines Elderly Man $30,000 Over Uncut Grass, Tries to Steal His Home

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 by Carey Wedler   A Florida town attracted national attention last week for its efforts to fine a 69-year-old retiree nearly $30,000 and then foreclose on his home because he was unable to pay—all because he failed to cut his grass. The Tampa Bay Times reports that the city of Dunedin claims its Code Enforcement Board, which is run by citizens but backed by government authority, fined homeowner Jim Ficken $500 per day over code violations—an increased fine because he is a “repeat” offender. Ficken’s Follies In 2015, he committed his first “offense” when he left town to take care of his dying mother in South Carolina and left his grass unattended. He committed his second violation last summer when he had to manage her estate and settle affairs after her passing. This time, his grass was left uncut because the man who cut it died while Ficken was away. Then, the report says, Ficken’s lawnmower broke, and he let the grass on his front lawn continue to grow. The board claims they received complaints about the height of his grass, which grew past the 10-inch limit last summer, though his attorneys say they have seen no evidence of complaints.…

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Commentary: The Tyranny John Stuart Mill Warned About Is Taking Root on Social Media

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by Robert Romano   In John Stuart Mill’s magnum opus, On Liberty, which provides one of the most compelling defenses of free speech in human history, the philosopher warned how a tyranny of the majority could impose censorship that would be “more formidable” than even governmental censorship and that it could “enslav[e] the soul” with little room for escape. Mill wrote, “[W]hen society is itself the tyrant — society collectively over the separate individuals who compose it — its means of tyrannising are not restricted to the acts which it may do by the hands of its political functionaries. Society can and does execute its own mandates; and if it issues wrong mandates instead of right, or any mandates at all in things with which it ought not to meddle, it practices a social tyranny more formidable than many kinds of political oppression, since, though not usually upheld by such extreme penalties, it leaves fewer means of escape, penetrating much more deeply into the details of life, and enslaving the soul itself.” Are we in danger of a social tyranny on Facebook, Twitter and other social media, where members of the community are being singled out and silenced because they hold unpopular…

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Commentary: The FISA Footnote that Could Doom Collusion Hoaxsters

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James Comey, Andrew McCabe

by Julie Kelly   It is the controversial footnote to the most infamous application in American political history: The application submitted to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court for approval to wiretap Trump campaign aide Carter Page. And it could lead to the downfall of the Trump-Russia collusion schemers, as it will help make the case they misled the secret court to target an innocent man in an effort to thwart Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. In an application filed with the FISA court in October 2016, former FBI Director James Comey accused Carter Page, a Trump campaign aide, of being a Russian agent. (The initial warrant also was signed by former deputy attorney general and Trump foe Sally Yates.) The document is symbolic of how the Obama Justice Department was weaponized against the Trump campaign by corrupt partisans, many of whom—thankfully—now find themselves under investigation. The FISA application at issue claimed the Russian government, in coordination with Page, was attempting to “improperly and illegally influence the 2016 presidential election.” The FISA court approved the FBI’s request, subsequently unleashing the most powerful government surveillance methods possible against Page: “It’s an order by the court to basically monitor that person 24/7, not just tap their…

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Ohio Lawmakers Urged to Eliminate ‘Redundant’ and Costly Motor Vehicle Repair Board

Maggie Leigh Thurber

  Since The Buckeye Institute first started publishing its Piglet Book in 2005, it’s recommended eliminating Ohio’s Motor Vehicle Repair Board. The Buckeye Institute, an independent think tank whose mission is to advance free-market public policy, issues a regular Piglet Book that analyzes “Ohio’s proposed biennial budget and offers savings for policymakers to consider as they debate the state’s two-year budget.” This year’s book again lists the Motor Vehicle Repair Board, saying ending it will save Ohio taxpayers about $1.2 million. “The Motor Vehicle Repair Board performs functions that the private sector already performs admirably,” the book states. “Consumers have adequate access to information on the quality of facilities from various sources, including the Better Business Bureau to Angie’s List, which make this state board redundant and unnecessary.” When it was first created in 1997, it was called the Motor Vehicle Collision Repair Registration Board. It was supposed to oversee a new registration process for businesses in the state that did five or more collision repairs within a 12-month period. Unlike some government regulations, it was businesses in the state who asked for the board and registration in order to address “chop shops” and “fly-by-night” operators. According to the Automotive Services…

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Ellison Joins Amicus Brief in Support of Non-Binary Colorado Resident Who Had Passport Denied

Anthony Gockowski

  Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Wednesday that he has joined a “coalition of attorneys general” in defending the “rights of gender non-binary individuals.” According to a press release from Ellison’s office, he is joined in the amicus brief by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. The case, Zzyym v. Pompeo, centers around Colorado resident Dana Zzyym, who applied for a passport that would “reflect an undisputed fact—that Zzyym was born intersex and is neither male nor female.” “The U.S. Department of State denied the application for the sole reason that Zzyym did not designate ‘M’ or ‘F’ in the field asking for the applicant’s gender and instead identified as ‘intersex.’ Although the Department stated that it would provide a passport listing Zzyym’s gender as ‘M’ or ‘F,’ the Department refused to provide a passport with an ‘X,’ the marker recognized internationally for individuals whose gender is neither male nor female,” the amicus brief explains. The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado found in a September 2018 ruling that the U.S. Department of State’s gender policy was “arbitrary and capricious and that the passport application denial was in excess…

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ACLU Sues State of Ohio Over Heartbeat Bill

Jason M. Reynolds

  The American Civil Liberties Union has sued the State of Ohio over the recently signed “Heartbeat Bill” (SB 23), which is set to take effect on July 10. [pdf-embedder url=”http://battlegroundstatenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/OhioHeartbeatBillComplaint.pdf”]   The lawsuit seeking declaratory and injunctive relief was filed in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio Western Division. The lawsuit, filed in support of a handful of abortion clinics in the state, says abortion is a constitutional right under the Roe v. Wade ruling. According to the lawsuit: The Ban has only two very limited exceptions. The Ban permits abortion after cardiac activity is detected only if the abortion is necessary (1) to prevent the patient’s death, or (2) to prevent a “serious risk of the substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.” Citizens for Community Values (CCV) issued a statement in support of the Heartbeat Bill. This life-saving law will prohibit abortion once a heartbeat is detected in an unborn child. Preterm-Cleveland, Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio and the Capital Care Network of Toledo will all be plaintiffs in the suit filed in the US District Court, Southern District of Ohio. “Ohio’s abortion industry is seeking nothing more…

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Ohio Senate Asked to Reconsider $550 Million Increase in Spending on Education

Anthony Gockowski

  The Ohio Senate Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education was asked to reconsider spending an additional $550 million on public education in the state’s biennial budget, House Bill 166. Testifying before the committee Wednesday, Greg Lawson, a senior research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, pointed out that “Ohio’s spending on K-12 public education has grown faster than inflation even as Ohio’s achievement gap between African American and white students remains stubbornly high.” “Spending more state money on education has not proven a viable solution to this persistent problem,” Lawson argued. However, as Lawson reveals, House Bill 166 does just that. Over the course of Fiscal Year 2020 and Fiscal Year 2021, the budget proposes spending an additional $550 million on primary and secondary education. “Even though Ohio ranks among the top 10 states with the largest projected enrollment declines over the rest of the decade according to the National Center for Education Statistics,” he added. “More concerning still is that more state funds will be spent just as Ohio considers watering down state report cards, reducing accountability by eliminating academic distress commissions, and weakening graduation requirements,” he continued. While the controversial academic distress commissions have flaws, Lawson does…

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The Tennessee Star Asks Chairman Cameron Sexton to Make Monday’s House GOP Caucus Meeting Open to the Public

Laura Baigert

  The Tennessee Star sent a letter on Thursday to State Rep. Cameron Sexton (R-Cookeville), Chairman of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus, asking that he make Monday’s House Republican Caucus meeting called to discuss Speaker Glen Casada open to the public. “On behalf of our readers and all Tennesseans, I am requesting the meeting of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus scheduled for Monday, May 20 be open to the public and available for live audio and video broadcast,” Tennessee Star CEO and Editor-in-chief Michael Patrick Leahy said in the letter, dated Thursday May 16. “Though the May 10 letter sent to you by State Rep. Jerry Sexton and 11 other members of the Tennessee Republican House Caucus asked that the meeting be closed to the public, it is clear, based on recent actions, that such a request for privacy will not be honored by some participants, and that the proceedings of the meeting will be made available to other media outlets in either a live or recorded format,” Leahy continued. “Therefore, the only result of any decision to attempt to keep the meeting closed will be the leaking of the meeting results to some, but not all, media,” Leahy added.…

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