Month: November 2021

Virginia Supreme Court Appoints Special Masters for Redistricting

Eric Burk

The Virginia Supreme Court has selected Republican nominee Sean Trende and Democratic nominee Bernard Grofman to be the two Special Masters who will work together to draw legislative and congressional map proposals for the court. Due to deep partisan splits, the Virginia Redistricting Commission failed to submit any maps by constitutionally-required deadlines, leaving the task to the Court.

In the order issued Friday, the Court wrote, “Though each was nominated by legislative leaders of a particular political party, the nominees — upon being appointed by this Court as Special Masters — shall serve as officers of the Court in a quasi-judicial capacity. Consequently, the Special Masters shall be neutral and shall not act as advocates or representatives of any political party. By accepting their appointment, the Special Masters warrant that they have no ‘conflicts of interest,’ Code § 30-399(F), that preclude them from prudently exercising independent judgment, dispassionately following the Court’s instructions, or objectively applying the governing decision-making criteria.”

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Fight for Schools Files Recall Petition Against Loudoun School Board Vice-Chair Atoosa Reaser

Eric Burk

Fight for Schools has filed a recall petition aimed at Loudoun County School Board Vice-Chair Atoosa Reaser. The petition cites her involvement in two controversial Facebook groups, alleges Reaser’s knowledge of an assault at Stone Bridge High School, and says she has limited First Amendment rights of speakers during public comment.

Fight for Schools Executive Director Ian Prior said in a press release, “As Vice-Chairwoman, Atoosa Reaser has been part of the leadership team that has overseen and personally contributed to a complete breakdown in trust between the community and the Loudoun County School Board. From violating open meetings law, to ignoring the school board’s code of conduct, to neglecting to keep our children safe, all in the name of politics, Reaser has failed to lead and collaborate with parents and teachers that want a quality, safe education that respects the diversity of thought and viewpoint of the parents and students in her district.”

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Ohio Chamber Pressures Michigan to Keep Pipeline Open

The Center Square

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce recently joined the General Assembly and other groups in Ohio and Michigan in urging the Biden administration to keep open a Michigan pipeline that supplies crude oil to nearly half the region’s refineries.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last week the administration is studying the impact of shutting down Enbridge’s Line 5, an oil pipeline that rests on the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac and carries light crude oil, light synthetic crude and natural gas liquids. 

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In Another Viral Speech, Rep. Schweikert Says It’s About Time to Declare the Pandemic over, and Exposes Fraud and Budget Gimmicks in ‘Build Back Better’

Rachel Alexander

Just two weeks after his House floor speech on financial fraud in Congress went viral, Arizona Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) delivered another epic speech, this time focusing on COVID-19 and President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill. Schweikert said the country is about at the point to declare the pandemic over, and he slammed Biden’s “social spending plan” for “economic violence” against the working poor and “laced with budget gimmicks.”

Schweikert explained how the combination of several factors now means the pandemic is about over. Pfizer’s new antiviral medication, which is about to be approved by the FDA, is 89% effective and will be available to millions by January. There are at-home COVID-19 tests and multiple vaccines. He will be putting forth legislation shortly to address this developing situation.

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Former Nashville Mayoral Candidate Carol Swain, Other Black Panelists, Describe Their Unexpected Path to Conservative Politics at Event in Franklin

Chris Butler

FRANKLIN — Quisha King, a former regional engagement coordinator for Black Voices for Trump, said she was once liberal, but the writings of conservative black economists Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams helped steer her on a different path. King said she her community had no prior access to Sowell or Williams.

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Senators Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn File Challenge to President Biden’s Vaccine Mandate

Morgan Nicole Veysey

Tennessee Senators Bill Hagerty (R-TN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) have joined other Republicans to challenge President Biden’s COVID vaccine mandate. Both Hagerty and Blackburn are utilizing the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to block the order and protect Americans from losing their jobs because of it.

The CRA is a tool that congress is able to use to overturn rules issued by federal agencies.

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Memphis Attorney Who Helped Halt School Mask Mandate Law Once Criticized Republicans on Immigration

Chris Butler

One of the Memphis-based attorneys who last week convinced a federal judge to halt a new Tennessee law that prohibits mask mandates in schools once defended former President Barack Obama’s immigration policies. That attorney, Bryce Ashby, with the Donati Law Firm of Memphis, said in a 2013 Memphis Commercial Appeal op-ed that Republicans could trust that the Obama administration would enforce immigration law and security at the U.S.-Mexican border.

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Tennessee Department of Transportation: No Lane Closures over Thanksgiving Holiday

Morgan Nicole Veysey

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) announced they would halt all lane closures over Thanksgiving Weekend. According to the TDOT website, “All construction-related lane closures will be stopped beginning at noon on Wednesday, November 24, 2021, through midnight on Sunday, November 28, 2021.”

The TDOT said they are expecting higher volumes of traffic due to the holidays.

“Thanksgiving is typically the most traveled holiday of the year,” Commissioner Joe Galbato noted, adding, “Halting road work during this time will provide maximum capacity on our highways and help alleviate congestion, especially during the predicted peak travel days of Wednesday and Sunday.”

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Commentary: The FBI Has Lost All Credibility

Admin

The Washington, D.C.-based Federal Bureau of Investigation has lost all credibility as a disinterested investigatory agency. Now we learn from a whistleblower that the agency was allegedly investigating moms and dads worried about the teaching of critical race theory in their kids’ schools.

In truth, since 2015, the FBI has been constantly in the news—and mostly in a negative and constitutionally disturbing light.

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Biden Admin Won’t Push Border Policies in Meetings with Mexican Officials

Admin

Biden administration officials said President Joe Biden won’t push border policies in meetings with Mexican officials during the North American Leaders’ Summit, CBS News reported Thursday.

The Biden administration, which has relied on Mexican officials to help stop migrants from reaching the U.S. southern border, will soon decide whether to bring back former President Donald Trump’s Remain in Mexico policies, according to CBS News.

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International Olympic Committee Says Biological Male Trans Athletes Should Not Have to Lower Testosterone to Compete in Women’s Events

Admin

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that sports organizations allow biologically male, transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports without lowering their testosterone levels.

The IOC stated that no athlete should be excluded from competition based on unverified, alleged or perceived unfair competitive advantage due to biological sex in a Tuesday report. The report says athletes should compete in sports based on their self-determined gender identity and should not be subject to “targeted testing” to determine biological sex.

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Republicans See Education, Critical Race Theory as a Way to Win Big with Suburban Voters

Admin

Senate Republicans see education and the concern around Critical Race Theory (CRT) as critical issues in the 2022 midterm elections, according to research from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and Chairman Rick Scott.

CRT in education is a winning message for Republicans going into the 2022 midterms, according to a survey of 1,200 likely suburban voters that the NRSC polled from 192 suburban counties in 37 states.

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Music Spotlight: Hemp and Denim

Bethany Bowman

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Hemp Meadows and Denim Skye are lifelong musicians who have been married for 35 years. Denim sang in a church choir and school musicals in her hometown of Washington, DC. She got her first guitar when she was 13. She played in local bands. A division of Filmways Corporation recruited Denim to LA to form a psychedelic folk trio. After her foray, Denim gave up music for a while and became a graphic artist where she worked for the iconic magazine Tiger Beat.

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Ohio House Passes Flurry of Bills, Including Constitutional Carry

Peter D'Abrosca

The Ohio House of Representatives passed a flurry of bills this week, including a Constitutional Carry bill, that will now head to the Senate floor. 

HB 227 is the Constitutional Carry law. It provides that Ohioans who are not otherwise barred from owning a firearm no longer need need a license to carry a concealed handgun. The law does, however, allow Ohio’s gun owners to obtain a concealed carry license for the purpose of carrying their concealed handguns in other states that do require such licensure.

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Mother of Raped Loudoun County Teen Blasts School District in First Interview Since Incident

Peter D'Abrosca

In an interview with Daily Mail, the mother of the teenage girl who was raped in a bathroom at Stone Bridge High School in Loudoun County blasted the school district.

“This is not about politics,” said Jessica Smith. “This is about sexual assault and how we need to make changes in our schools in order to protect victims, get them the help they need sooner, and believe them. And don’t allow a perpetrator back into another school.”

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House Democrats Censure Arizona Rep. Gosar over Tweeting Cartoon Parody, Remove Him from Committee Posts

Rachel Alexander

The House of Representatives narrowly voted 223-207 to censure Rep. Paul Gosar (R-04-AZ) and remove him from his committee posts for tweeting an animated video showing his head on the body of an anime character stabbing Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-14-NY) and lunging with a knife at President Joe Biden. Twitter did not take the video down, merely labeling it “hateful content” and stating that it was in the public’s interest for it to remain.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-23-CA) denounced the action before the vote. “It’s an old definition of abuse of power: rules for thee, but not for me. That’s exactly what’s happening here today,” he said. “House Democrats are preparing once again to break another precedent of the United States House of Representatives.”

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Pennsylvania House to Vote on Election-Integrity Bill When Members Return in December

Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania’s Republican-run House of Representatives Thursday slated major election-integrity legislation for a vote in mid-December.

The Voting Rights Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Seth Grove (R-Dover), would strengthen voter-identification requirements, mandate regular election audits, review and correct errors on voter-registration lists and ensure signature verification for all mail-in ballots. The bill was amended this week to also affirm a strict time frame wherein mail-in ballots must be counted.

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Ohio House Republicans Pass Congressional Redistricting on Party-Line Vote, Opponents Call for DeWine’s Veto

Brian Ball

Republicans in the Ohio House passed a four-year congressional map on a 55-36 party-line vote after more than an hour of floor speeches.

Democrats and others opposed to Amended Sen. Bill 258 called for Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, to veto the measure while House Minority Leader Emelia Strong Sykes, D-34-Akron urged Ohioans to overturn the legislati by putting the legislation on the ballot.

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Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Demands Explanation for University’s ‘White Privilege’ Class

Admin

Wisconsin’s assembly speaker has some questions for the chancellor at UW-Madison over what he calls a mandatory class on white privilege.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos on Tuesday sent a letter to UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank. Vos is demanding an explanation for the Graduate and Professional Students Preventing and Responding to Sexual and Relationship Violence course.

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Ohio GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Jim Renacci Encourages State Legislature, Governor DeWine to Take Action Against Vaccine Mandates

Cooper Moran

Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Renacci on Thursday encouraged the Ohio State Legislature and Governor Mike DeWine to take against vaccine mandates.

In the statement, Renacci slammed President Joe Biden’s overreaching vaccine mandate, which would require companies with 100 employees or more to mandate the vaccine for their employees.

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Virginia State Sen. Stanley Defending Mattaponi Tribe Members Against Chief in Dispute over Tribal Leadership

Eric Burk

Senator Bill Stanley (R-Franklin) and former Attorney General Tony Troy are defending 13 members of the Mattaponi tribe; Chief Mark Custalow brought charges of trespassing against the members after an October 30 protest.

Tribe members left notices of grievances on the doors of all the tribal leaders. The members say leadership is not allowing women to vote in tribal matters, and that their protest was peaceful and done under the eye of the county sheriff.

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Paul Goldman Files Motion for Injunction to Block Certification of Virginia House Races for Two-Year Terms

Eric Burk

Democratic operative Paul Goldman is asking a federal court to issue a temporary injunction blocking the State Board of Elections from issuing Certificates of Election in the House of Delegates certifying that the winners have the right to a two-year term. Goldman’s motion is part of his ongoing lawsuit arguing that the recent elections were unconstitutional, since they were held on old district lines due to redistricting delays. Goldman filed his suit before the election. He said he didn’t receive support from Democrats, and that Attorney General Mark Herring slow-walked the process. Herring’s office is defending state elections officials in the suit.

“They have specifically avoided dealing with this. Herring could have issued an opinion during the election. They could have had the Supreme Court do a ruling. They didn’t do it. Why? Because the Democrats were trying to get a two-year term,” Goldman told The Virginia Star. “Now this same argument can be used by the Republicans.”

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Florida Senator Joe Gruters Proposes Bill to Establish Incentives for Film Industry

Casey Owens

Senator and Chair of the Republican Party of Florida, Joe Gruters, proposed a bill (SB 956) Tuesday that would offer financial incentives for the film industry to shoot, and produce, movies, television, and digital media projects within the state.

As the bill states, it looks to create the “Targeted High Wage Production Program” within the Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), which will be under the supervision of the state’s Commissioner of Film and Entertainment.

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Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Declares State of Emergency in County to Protect Health Care Workers’ Rights

Chris Butler

Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles — flanked by several state legislators — declared a state of emergency in the county at a press conference  on Thursday.

Ogles said the U.S. Constitution entitles health care workers to religious exemptions and other rights of conscience to refuse the COVID-19 vaccine. He also said the U.S. Constitution protects those workers from harassment or even job loss.

The Biden administration now mandates that healthcare workers vaccinate themselves against COVID-19, and Ogles warned his constituents Thursday that more than 1,000 local health care employees in Maury County could lose their jobs.

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Two Iranians Charged with Cyber Intimidation Campaign Targeting Voters, Republicans in 2020

Admin

Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Thursday in New York accusing two Iranian hackers of successfully hacking into a state computer election system, stealing voter registration data and using it to carry out a cyber-intimidation campaign that targeted GOP members of Congress, Trump campaign officials and Democrat voters in the November 2020 election.

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‘It’s a Felony:’ A New Lawsuit, with Video Evidence, Alleges Delaware County, Pennsylvania Election Officials Destroyed Voting Records

Bradley Vasoli

A lawsuit alleging multiple violations of federal and state election laws as well as Pennsylvania’s “Right to Know” statute was filed in Pennsylvania Wednesday night, according to sources familiar with the litigation.

In early 2021, a whistleblower working for the Delaware County Bureau of Elections began inquiring why it was apparent to her that multiple documents pertaining to the Nov. 3, 2020 elections were being destroyed in the southeastern Pennsylvania county, the sources said. The name of the whistleblower has not yet been made public.

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DeKalb County GOP Chair: Georgia Law Was Violated in November 2020 Election and Results Should Not Have Been Certified

Laura Baigert

During the November 3, 2020 presidential election, Georgia law was broken in DeKalb County and, as such, the results should never have been certified, according to the chair of the Republican Party there.

Marci McCarthy, head of the DeKalb County GOP since April 2021, told The Georgia Star News that the handling of absentee ballots in her home county during the November 2020 election violated Georgia law.

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Commentary: Conservatives Will Embrace Free Market Populism

RealClearWire

It would be an understatement to say that former President Donald Trump changed the Republican Party. Whatever one’s view of Trump, most observers can agree that Trump forced a break-up between the GOP and big business. Within conservative circles, debate persists over whether this is a good thing. On one side, writers like Oren Cass urge conservatives to embrace an essentially anti-free market approach. Even some Republican politicians, like Senator Josh Hawley, have expressed support for this path. On the other side, publications like the Washington Times and The Federalist call for conservatives to continue to support the free market. Others view the GOP as only selectively anti-big business, or using the idea for rhetorical purposes only.

Populism, Conservatism, and Trump

It is important to reflect on what has fueled this “anti-business” view in some conservative circles. To sum it up in one word: populism. It’s no secret that Trump’s political identity is centered around populism – but does populism always mean being anti-free market? Trump’s conservatism has been about more than just pro-tariff and anti-immigration policies. Under Trump, both inside and outside his administration, conservatives have pursued further privatizing education. The Trump administration made it easier for big business to classify workers as independent contractors, and conservative blogs attacked California for passing a law that did the opposite. The Trump administration pursued several policies that sought to reign in the Affordable Care Act.

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TBI Sting Nets a Dozen Alleged Human Traffickers in Chattanooga

Morgan Nicole Veysey

Eleven men were arrested in Chattanooga this week for seeking illicit sex from minors, and one woman was charged with promoting prostitution.

The arrests were made during a two-day undercover Human Trafficking Operation run by Chattanooga Police, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Homeland Security Investigations, and the Tennessee Human Trafficking Task Force.

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Metro Council to Meet on Party Bus Alcohol Policy

Morgan Nicole Veysey
Upstage Party Bus

Nashville’s Metro Council is set to meet this week to discuss the possibility of allowing alcohol back onto party buses. In October, the Council and Mayor John Cooper voted to change the rules regarding the open-air vehicles beginning December of this year.

Councilman Freddie O’Connell submitted a bill quickly after the decision and told WKRN News that his bill would allow party buses to keep alcohol on their vehicles.

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