Month: July 2022

Commentary: Butler County, Ohio Bans Wind and Solar Projects in a Dozen Townships

RealClearWire

The backlash against the encroachment of wind and solar projects continues. On June 23, the Butler County (Ohio) Board of Commissioners adopted a measure that designates a “restricted area” that prohibits “the construction of an economically significant wind farm, a large wind farm, and/or a large solar facility.” The measure, which passed unanimously, covers all unincorporated areas within a dozen townships in the county.

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Commentary: Four Years after Landmark Janus Decision, Connecticut Teachers’ Unions Membership Dropping

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Mark Janus

While the media breathlessly covered the final two weeks of this year’s term at the U.S. Supreme Court, an important anniversary quietly came and went — the fourth year of freedom from forced union participation by public-sector employees.

On June 27, 2018, the justices banned mandatory union membership, dues and fees for government employees, overturning more than 40 years of court precedent that required government employee union participation as a condition of employment.

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Shock: Trump, Hagerty Salute, Mourn Shinzo Abe After Gunman Strikes Down Former Japanese Premier

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President Donald J. Trump and his ambassador to Japan, and now GOP senator for Tennessee, expressed shock and sadness today at the death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, killed by a gunman while campaigning Friday in Nara, Japan.

“The world today tragically lost a leading statesman, a tireless champion of democratic values, and the greatest Prime Minister in modern Japanese history, my friend Shinzo Abe,” said Sen. William F. Hagerty IV, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

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Shock: Trump, Hagerty Salute, Mourn Shinzo Abe After Gunman Strikes Down Former Japanese Premier

Neil W. McCabe

President Donald J. Trump and his ambassador to Japan, and now GOP senator for Tennessee, expressed shock and sadness today at the death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, killed by a gunman while campaigning Friday in Nara, Japan.

“The world today tragically lost a leading statesman, a tireless champion of democratic values, and the greatest Prime Minister in modern Japanese history, my friend Shinzo Abe,” said Sen. William F. Hagerty IV, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

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Commentary: The Biden Bust Could be Coming to a Neighborhood Near You Soon

Admin

For many readers, the above title will conjure up memories of the 2008 housing crash caused by the proliferation of subprime mortgages and the subsequent tsunami of defaults. But a better corollary for the coming Biden bust is the Carter crash that occurred three decades earlier. During the final two years of Carter’s term, sales of existing and new homes collapsed because the Fed was forced to raise interest rates sharply to get double-digit inflation under control. This, in turn, produced double-digit mortgage rates that priced millions of potential buyers out of the market.

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Kurt Winstead’s Democrat Donations and Voting Activity in Tennessee State and Local Races Revealed

Aaron Gulbransen

TN-5 candidate and retired Brigadier General Kurt Winstead’s past history of donating to Democratic Party candidates and causes in federal races has been well documented, and now, additional Democrat donations in Tennessee state races have been discovered.

A search of the Tennessee Online Campaign Finance website, which contains campaign finance reports dating back to at least 2000, shows that Winstead personally donated on at least seven occasions to Democratic campaigns.

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Virginia’s Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program to Receive Nearly $22.8 Million in Federal Money

Eric Burk

Virginia is receiving almost $22.8 million in federal funds to help reclaim abandoned mine land, according to a Wednesday announcement from Governor Glenn Youngkin. In February, Senators Mark Warner (D-Virginia) and Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) announced that the funding is possible thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021.

“We are excited to get to work and assist in getting others back to work with this announcement of federal funds,” Youngkin said in his release. “Creating jobs in coal-impacted communities is a priority and through the reclamation and repurposing of these mined lands, we hope to see an additional economic activity for properties that can become suitable for development.”

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Atlanta Airport to Receive $40M Federal Grant to Rebuild Concourse

The Center Square

The feds are sending $40 million to help improve a concourse at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration handed down the grant, which is part of more than $968.6 million from the fiscal 2022 Airport Terminal Program for 85 projects nationwide. The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act established the program; it includes $1 billion annually over five years.

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Michigan Schools Are Getting Paid to Change Their ‘Racist’ Mascots

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Several Michigan school districts will receive more than $400,000 in funding to change their mascots, according to a Native American Heritage Fund (NAHF) press release.

NAHF, which receives some of Michigan’s gaming revenue, is giving $411,438 out of $480,000 in grants to four districts with mascots that depict Native Americans, according to a press release from the fund. Each school district will receive the funds for its transformation in August.

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Akron Council Resists Prejudgement in Walker Shooting; Ohio House Democrats Still Blame Police

Bradley Vasoli

Akron, OH’s Democrat-controlled City Council issued a statement this week lamenting the death of 25-year-old Jayland Walker while resisting prejudgement of the police officers’ who shot him.

Some Ohio Democrats, like their party’s state House caucus, continue to react differently, deciding the shooting lacked justification even before an external investigation concludes. 

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Pennsylvania Legislature Sends Bill Banning Towns’ Anti-Natural Gas Measures to Governor

Bradley Vasoli

Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives this week passed a bill barring municipalities from adopting measures that restrict the use of natural gas or other energy sources.

The House approved the legislation by a vote of 117 to 83, with the Republican majority almost entirely supportive. The bill originated in the state Senate, having passed that chamber last October by a vote of 35 to 15. It awaits Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s signature or veto.

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National Education Association President: ‘Radicalized Supreme Court Issuing Decisions That Do Not Reflect Views or Values of America’

Susan Berry, PhD

The president of the nation’s largest teachers’ union told union delegates at the start of the Representative Assembly (RA) Sunday that 2016 was the year of a “fateful election,” one that made clear the U.S. Supreme Court would become “radicalized.”

In her keynote address Sunday in Chicago, National Education Association (NEA) President Becky Pringle targeted former President Donald Trump for his choices in appointing Supreme Court justices.

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Florida Seeking Abortion Law Resolution at State Supreme Court

Grant Holcomb

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s (R) office is requesting that the legal fight between pro-abortion groups and the state be fast-tracked to the Florida Supreme Court. The 15-week abortion ban in question, was recently put back into effect after an appeal from the state.

Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper issued a temporary injunction Tuesday morning to block the law, but the appeal to Cooper’s decision is what led to its reinstatement.

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TN-01 Rep. Harshbarger Comments on Speaker Pelosi’s Absence and Holding Biden and Mayorkas Accountable as Southern Border Invasion Continues

Julie Carr

Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed State Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) to the newsmaker line to talk about Speaker Pelosi’s lack of communication with Republicans in Congress and her actions to hold President Biden and Alejandro Mayorkas responsible for the invasion at the southern border. 

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Doug Ducey Signs Legislation Providing $1 Billion Investment to Develop Arizona’s Water Supply

Neil Jones

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed legislation Wednesday, which provides a historic $1 billion investment to secure Arizona’s water future.

“This legislation is crucial for our continued growth and prosperity. It will ensure Arizona remains a land of opportunity for families and for businesses large and small,” Ducey said in a press release. “As we’ve done over the past seven and a half years, we came together, brought everyone to the table and delivered for the people of this great state. And by doing so, we are leaving Arizona better and stronger than we found it. I want to thank Senator Sine Kerr [R-Buckeye] and Representative Gail Griffin [R-AZ-14] for sponsoring this legislation and consistently leading on Arizona’s most pressing issues.”

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Kari Lake Unveils New Campaign Ad Saying She Will Tackle Border Crisis: ‘Arizona Is Our Home’

Neil Jones

Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake recently unveiled a new campaign ad showcasing her plans to combat the border crisis if elected governor.

“My border policy is the most aggressive effective border policy this country has ever seen,” Lake told the Arizona Sun Times via text. “A couple of the sheriffs in Texas are finally understanding it and pushing the remedy that is right there in the constitution. When the federal government fails us in their duty to protect us under article 4 section 4, we have the remedy in article 1 section 10 of the constitution to protect our own citizens and stop the invasion.”

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Tea Party Patriots Co-Founder and CEO Jenny Beth Martin on SCOTUS EPA Ruling, Tea Party Tenets, Importance of a Strong Attorney General

Julie Carr

Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed to the newsmaker line Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots and columnist for The Washington Times, to the newsmaker line to discuss the recent EPA ruling, principles of the Tea Party movement, and the importance of a strong state attorney general.

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Andy Biggs Sends Letter to U.S. Attorney General Questioning Unfair Treatment of Trump-Appointed Immigration Judges

Neil Jones

Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) recently sent a letter to US Attorney General Merrick Garland, questioning the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) seemingly unfair treatment of Trump-era immigration judges amid a historic border crisis.

“Trump Derangement Syndrome is still widespread within the Biden Administration,” Biggs said in a press release. “The DOJ’s abrupt firing of well-qualified immigration judges during an unprecedented border crisis—likely because they were appointed by President Trump—is unacceptable.”

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Florida School Districts Continue to Face Teacher Shortages

Steve Stewart

The 2022-23 K-12 school year begins in less than two months and Florida school districts are facing teacher shortages.

As of this week, Duval County Public Schools reported 529 vacancies for certified teachers, up 23% — nearly 100 positions — compared to the start of last school year. This year’s vacancies are almost double the number Duval saw at the beginning of 2020-21 school year.

In addition, Orange County Public Schools lists over 200 K-12 teacher openings and Brevard County Public Schools lists 235 teacher vacancies.

And while the numbers are daunting they should not be surprising.

According to surveys by the Florida Education Association(FEA), the number of teacher vacancies have increased a 104% since August 2019. In August 2019, the FEA reported there were 2,135 advertised positions. This number increased to 2,962 in August 2020 and ballooned to 4,359 by January 2022.

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Virginia Budget Includes Delay on Styrofoam Ban Effective Dates

Eric Burk

The recently-passed Virginia budget for fiscal years 2023-2024 includes legislation delaying implementation of state bans on polystyrene for five years. The ban, sponsored by Delegate Betsy Carr (D-Richmond) required large food vendors to stop using the packaging material by July 2023, and all vendors by July 2025. But those deadlines are now July 2028 and July 2030, respectively.

After the ban’s final passage in 2021 under Democratic control, Virginia earned praise for its position from environmental groups. At the time, restaurant lobbyists warned that restaurants needed the containers amid an increase in takeout due to COVID-19. At the same time then-Governor Ralph Northam signed the bill, he also signed a ban on executive branch agencies using single-use plastics, which was reversed this year by Governor Glenn Youngkin.

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Wisconsin Supreme Court Disallows Transgender Name Change to Duck Sex Offender Registry

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Wisconsin Supreme Court

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the state’s ban on name changes for people on the sex offender registry still applied to a transgender offender seeking to adopt a female name, according to The Associated Press.

The sex offender, referred to only as “Ella” in court records, was six feet and five inches tall and over 300 pounds at fifteen years old when he was convicted of sexually assaulting a disabled 14-year-old boy, according to the AP. Seven years later, the offender now identifies as a transgender woman and is seeking to legally adopt a female name and dodge the sex offender registry.

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Former AllianceBernstein COO Jim Gingrich Calls for More Transparency in New Titans Stadium Negotiations

Aaron Gulbransen

In an open letter written and delivered to the entire Nashville Metro Council on July 5, former AllianceBernstein COO Jim Gingrich expressed his concern about negotiations over a new Titans stadium and called for more transparency for the process.

“The time has come for the Council to assert its leadership, bring transparency to the negotiation, and prioritize taxpayers and Titans fans,” Gingrich said.

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MNPD Suggests It Won’t Investigate Felony Abortion Crimes as City Council Passes Supporting Resolution

Peter D'Abrosca

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) suggested in a recent interview that it won’t investigate abortion crimes. 

“We are not abortion police. We are focused on safety and quality of life in our city through community engagement, precision policing, and organizational excellence,” Don Aaron, an MNPD spokesperson, reportedly said. “There are other entities in government, particularly at the state level, that are more equipped to address issues such as this.”

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TN-5 Candidate Andy Ogles Calls for Special Legislative Session to Address Dismissal of National Guard Soldiers

Aaron Gulbransen

In a statement obtained by The Tennessee Star, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, a candidate in the Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, called upon Tennessee legislative leaders to immediately issue a call for a special legislative session in order to focus on reinstating any Tennessee National Guard personnel who have been dismissed for declining to accept the COVID vaccines and boosters.

Ogles also called for steps to be taken in order to prevent any future dismissals for the same reasons.

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Commentary: The Deep State and Its Ghost Budgets

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You thought this last Supreme Court term rocked the political world? The next term threatens to blow up a system of “ghost” funding that the administrative state uses to run operations without voter accountability.

Over the last several decades, government agencies have discovered ways to fund operations without congressional appropriations, further fraying the already weak connection between the ballot box and real power in Washington, D.C. What’s worse, the “ghost” budgets go a long way in explaining the runaway inflation under which we all now suffer.

Article I of the U.S. Constitution states, “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” This key clause has come back into focus because of a lawsuit challenging the Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB) which funds its operations directly from money printed by the Federal Reserve and not through appropriations.

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Source: More than 500 Unvaxxed Tennessee Guardsmen Enter No-Pay Status, Await Loss of Health, Life Insurance

Neil W. McCabe

A Tennessee National Guard source told The Tennessee Star that more than 500 guardsmen remain without a COVID-19 vaccine past Big Army’s June 30 deadline.

“The number that I got about a month ago was 400; however, I have now heard it is actually 585-some,” the source said.

These are straight-refusals, the source said, not guardsmen awaiting the adjudication of their request for a religious or medical waiver. Those guardsmen continue in their service until and when their cases are resolved.

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National Rifle Association Endorses State Representative Scott Cepicky

Aaron Gulbransen

In a statement released by his campaign, the National Rifle Association (NRA) endorsed State Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka) for re-election in the race for Tennessee’s House District 64.

Speaking about the NRA endorsement, Cepicky said, “I am honored that the NRA recognizes my commitment to protecting our Second Amendment rights. I will continue to vehemently oppose any legislation that tries to strip away your constitutional rights, and I remain committed to our conservative values and the individual rights of the people of District 64 – and all Tennesseans.”

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Sen. Richard Blumenthal Urges Biden Administration to Declare ‘Public Health Emergency’ After Supreme Court’s Decision Overturning Roe v. Wade

Susan Berry, PhD

Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) was at a Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Waterbury, Connecticut, Tuesday to urge Biden Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra to declare a “public health emergency” in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that returns issues about abortion to the states.

“We’re pressing President Biden to use whatever authority he has, to the maximum extent to explore the possibility of a national emergency that would enable telemedicine prescription, which could then result in medication abortion through the mail,” Blumenthal said, according to the Stamford Advocate.

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Pennsylvania Bill Would Raise Firearm Purchasing Age to 21

Bradley Vasoli

State Rep. Darisha Parker (D-PA-Philadelphia) this week began asking fellow lawmakers to cosponsor a bill to raise the minimum firearm purchase and possession age in Pennsylvania from 18 to 21. 

The freshman representative cited data from the San Francisco-based Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence indicating that U.S. residents ages 18 to 20 account for 17 percent of confirmed murderers despite being only four percent of the population. She also noted that those ages 14 to 21 have the highest propensity toward suicide or attempted suicide among all Americans. 

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Youngkin’s Middle Road on Environment Frustrates Environmentalists and Hard-Line Republicans

Eric Burk

Governor Glenn Youngkin’s environmental policy is frustrating both environmentalists and hard-line Republicans. Since he took office, Youngkin has touted a middle road on energy policy although some Republicans think solar and wind are harmful for Virginia. On the other hand, Youngkin has reversed a plan to phase out single-use plastics for state agencies and tried unsuccessfully to withdraw from a regional greenhouse gas cap-and-trade program.

“We were obviously very disappointed in the direction that the administration is taking regarding offshore wind, but we’re not the only ones,” SUVGOP Senior Advisor Terry Johnson, a former Bush appointee, told The Virginia Star.

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Mark Brnovich Fires Back After Department of Justice Threatens to Sue Arizona over Election Integrity Law

Neil Jones
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich (R) recently fired back after receiving a letter from the Department of Justice (DOJ) stating they are prepared to file a lawsuit against Arizona over an election integrity law.

“In addition to free rooms and transportation for those illegally entering our country, the DOJ now wants to give them a chance to vote. It’s another round of Brnovich v. Biden. I will once again be in court defending Arizona against the lawlessness of the Biden administration,” Brnovich shared with the Arizona Sun Times via email.

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