Tennessee Right to Life endorsed State Senate Republican Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) in his race for re-election on Tuesday.
The organization cited “Johnson’s demonstrated commitment to defending all of Tennessee’s vulnerable unborn children” and said the endorsement is “based on record of shared commitment and dedication to pro-life cause” in a statement.
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COLUMBIA, Tennessee – The Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance hosted a mayoral forum at Columbia State Community College in the Cherry Theater on Thursday.
All three candidates in the race, former State Representative Sheila Butt, former Maury County Mayor Charlie Norman, and Pastor David Baker participated.
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Tennessee Republican leaders took the Biden administration and Democrats to task on Wednesday over reports that the inflationary rate rose to 9.1%, the highest level since 1981.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased 1.3 percent in June after rising one percent in May, reported on Wednesday, July 13.
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House Democrats blocked U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07)’s amendment late Tuesday to the National Defense Authorization Act which would have enabled guardsmen who refused the COVID-19 vaccine to stay employed.
Green’s amendment fought to protect National Guard and Reserve troops from being prohibited from paid training or education programs simply for their refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
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John Richardson, a candidate for Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee District 21, was caught by a Ring doorbell camera stealing his opponent’s campaign literature and replacing it with his own.
The video can be viewed here.
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Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s campaign for governor released their first round of endorsements, which included over 50 law enforcement officials from all across the Commonwealth.
The list of law enforcement officials included sheriffs, chiefs of police, commonwealth’s attorneys, county attorneys, and jailers, who all support Cameron’s “strong law enforcement agenda.”
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The Tennessee Education Association (TEA), a radical leftist organization, distributed a literature piece that hit mail boxes last week and appears to target Democrats, encouraging them to vote for Jeff Eby because he is against school vouchers and charter schools in the August 4 House District 69 Republican primary.
The Tennessee Star has obtained a copy of the mail piece, which says on one side, “In the fights ahead, we need Jeff Eby as our state representative.”
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TN-5 candidate and combat veteran Jeff Beierlein criticized retired National Guard Brigadier General Kurt Winstead for agreeing to and later skipping the Epoch Times 5th Congressional District candidates debate held on Tuesday, saying, “this is the first time in Tennessee history, a general’s ran from the fight.”
Prior to Beierlein’s statement, debate moderator, Epoch Times Editor-at-Large Roger Simon, who is also an All-Star Panelist of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, mentioned that Winstead agreed to the debate, the organizers moved the time of the debate to accommodate him, and then he [Winstead] dropped out.
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As Joe Biden made his way to Ohio on Wednesday, Ohioans likely won’t forget that their longtime U.S. Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09) has been a rubber stamp for the liberal Biden agenda that has left families across the country to pinch pennies.
America Rising PAC Press Secretary, Kristen Bennett said to The Ohio Star, “Marcy Kaptur’s decision to stand by Joe Biden today, puts on full display her decision to be a rubber stamp for the Biden agenda that caused the runaway-inflation crisis plaguing Ohioans.”
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The Epoch Times, the Nashville Republican Women, Williamson County Young Republicans, and Davidson County Young Republicans hosted a unique debate on Tuesday evening with TN-5 candidates combat veteran Jeff Beierlein, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, and State Senate aide Tres Wittum participating.
Former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell was invited, but never confirmed her appearance. Kurt Winstead, confirmed his appearance but backed out at the last minute, organizers say.
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All of the Tennessee State Supreme Court justices will have their retention elections take place on August 4.
The current Tennessee Supreme Court is composed of justices Sharon G. Lee, Jeffery S. Bivins, Holly Kirby, Sarah K. Campbell, and Chief Justice Roger A. Page.
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In a press statement, the Tennessee Supreme Court announced the details of application and selection process in the search for Tennessee’s next Attorney General.
“The Tennessee Supreme Court will open the application period for the position of State Attorney General and Reporter on July 15, 2022. Under the state constitution, the Tennessee Attorney General and Reporter is appointed by the state Supreme Court and serves an eight-year term. The term for the new Attorney General will begin September 1, 2022,” said the Court in a statement.
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FRANKLIN, Tennessee – In comments made during a press gaggle held on Sunday in conjunction with his 16th Annual Boots & Jeans: BBQ & Beans Event, State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson signaled that the Tennessee General Assembly is ready to take action in order to help the Tennessee National Guard soldiers who refused the COVID-19 vaccine and that he and his colleagues are “prepared to step up to the plate to make sure these brave men and women do not lose their jobs.”
Johnson’s comments came after U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn and U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-06) gave an update on their federal legislation, which if enacted, would pull funding nationally from enforcement of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on National Guard soldiers.
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FRANKLIN, Tennessee – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) provided an update on the status of their federal legislation aimed at saving the jobs of National Guard soldiers who refused the COVID-19 vaccine as part of a press gaggle held at an event supporting Tennessee Senate Majority Jack Johnson’s re-election campaign.
Blackburn and Green have both sponsored legislation in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House, respectively, that will pull the funding from enforcement of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on National Guard soldiers.
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U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty announced several staff changes and promotions for his official Senate office on Tuesday.
Among the several new hires and promotions, were changes made to Hagerty’s press office staff. Two staffers were promoted and one new aide was hired.
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Governor Bill Lee’s office commented favorably towards the idea of a special session in order to address issues relating to the 2024 Republican National Convention but as of press time refuses to comment on the idea of holding a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly in order to save the jobs of Tennessee National Guard soldiers who have refused the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Tennessee Star has reached out to Governor Lee’s office on multiple occasions on the issue of National Guard soldier firings and the idea of a special session. Governor Lee’s office refused comment at every inquiry.
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In an exclusive statement obtained by The Tennessee Star on Sunday, former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell’s campaign in the August 4 Republican primary contest for TN-5 announced her “Back the Blue” plan to support police and law enforcement.
Harwell’s six point plan calls for funding law enforcement officers and making sure they have the resources and training they need to fight crime.
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In an exclusive statement obtained by The Tennessee Star, the Mission America Foundation announced on Monday that they are beginning the effort to raise funds for Tennessee National Guard Soldiers who lost wages and jobs due to their refusal of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The Mission America Foundation and the Mission America PAC are proud to be joining forces to help in the effort led by Captain Mickey Shelton, Tennessee National Guard members, and their families to ensure that no TN Guard members are financially harmed or left without a job due to the mandate of the Biden Administration denying their right to medical freedoms from the COVID 19 vaccine,” said Mission America Foundation Chair Aaron Spradlin.
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Gino Bulso’s campaign in the August 4 Republican primary for House District 61 released poll results to The Tennessee Star on Sunday which show that he has a nearly 30 percent lead over his opponent.
“The international, awarding winning political polling firm Cygnal has just released the results of its poll, conducted June 16-21 that shows conservative candidate Gino Bulso with a commanding lead over Republican primary opponent Bob Ravener in the state house race for District 61 in Williamson County. Bulso currently leads the
race 46.3% to 17%, with 36.8% still undecided,” said Bulso’s campaign in a statement.
Several candidates for state house districts called on Governor Lee, Attorney General Slatery, and the General Assembly to take action in order to help the Tennessee National Guard soldiers who refused to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Gino Bulso, a candidate for the Tennessee House of Representatives, District 61, released a statement supporting the members of the Tennessee Army National Guard, more than 500 of whom entered a no-pay status, along with the loss of their health insurance and life insurance benefits simply because they decided not to take the COVID-19 vaccine.
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In an exclusive obtained by The Tennessee Star, former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell says that “Joe Biden is destroying America,” in her latest television ad for the August 4 Republican primary in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.
The ad begins with a voiceover from a narrator that says, “Chaos at the border, crime in our neighborhoods, runaway inflation – Joe Biden is destroying America.”
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Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles sent a letter to Maury County Commission Chairman Don Morrow in which he vetoed the proposed Maury County budget for the next fiscal year citing the negative impact of the proposed tax increase as citizens deal with the Biden administration’s inflationary policies.
“I have spent a great deal of time reviewing the budget in context of the greater economic factors that are occurring in United States, from record fuel prices, inverted yield curve, collapse in commodities such as copper, and record low consumer sentiment just to name a few; some analysts are speculating that the impending recession could be worse than 2008,” said Ogles in his letter.
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On Friday, a Club for Growth-controlled federal super PAC, the School Freedom Fund PAC, launched a nearly $400,000 television and radio attack advertising blitz against Kurt Winstead and Beth Harwell in the August 4 Republican primary in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.
The ads attack Winstead’s Democrat voter and donor history as well as Harwell’s endorsement in the 2018 Tennessee governor’s race from a teacher’s association that endorsed in both the Republican and Democrat primaries.
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TN-5 candidate and former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell castigated liberal prosecutors and the defund the police movement in comments that she made on the case of Jose Alba where he was charged with second-degree murder that even New York City Democrats said was a clear instance of self defense.
“It seems liberal prosecutors and district attorneys are more focused on cracking down on law abiding citizens than criminals.” Said Beth Harwell.
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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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Kurt Winstead’s campaign in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat says they’ve taken in nearly $580,000 for the the Federal Election Commission’s second quarter fundraising period which ended on June 30.
Winstead is a candidate in the August 4 Republican primary, which is less than a month away.
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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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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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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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Several members of the Tennessee General Assembly told The Tennessee Star that they would support holding a special session of the legislature in order to save the jobs of National Guard members who refused to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
Members of both the state House and state Senate support the idea.
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Multiple sources tell The Tennessee Star that TN-5 candidate Kurt Winstead’s wife Beth Winstead, who many describe as a Democrat lobbyist, advocated in favor of the three-year residency law which mandates that candidates in federal race in Tennessee must be residents of the state for three years in order to qualify to be on a partisan primary ballot.
That residency law passed both the state House and state Senate overwhelming in late March and became law without Governor Lee’s signature. The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office later said that legislation would not take effect for the 2022 elections.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court, which is the body that appoints the state’s attorney general, has yet to announce an official process in the search to replace Attorney General Herbert Slatery who leaves office at the end of August.
The process is expected to be conducted in a similar manner as the one that yielded Slatery. He has served as Tennessee’s attorney general since 2014 and not seeking an additional eight-year term.
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Tennessee State Senate Deputy Speaker Janice Bowling told The Tennessee Star that she supports a special session of the General Assembly in order to save the jobs of National Guardsmen who are being fired for refusing to comply with the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
“I expressed my sentiments to the Tennessee National Guardsmen when I joined other legislators at the Legislative Plaza last week. I will fight legislatively for their rights to be protected,” she said. “I would gladly support a Special Session. If the General Assembly makes the call, we get to determine the agenda. If the Governor makes the call, he determines the agenda.”
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The Epoch Times, the Nashville Republican Women, Williamson County Young Republicans, and Davidson County Young Republicans are scheduled to host a debate with a unique format on Tuesday July 12 for the Republican primary in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.
The Tuesday, July 12 debate will take place at the Landmark Auditorium located at 100 7th Ave N. #4 in Nashville, Tennessee. Doors open at 6pm and the debate will begin at 6:45pm.
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In a statement released to The Tennessee Star, State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson commented favorably on the idea of a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly in order to save the jobs of national guardsmen who did not comply with the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
“My hope continues to be that the Biden Administration chooses to do the right thing and reverses course on their unconscionable plan to defund the courageous men and women who serve in the Tennessee National Guard and have made the personal medical decision not to receive the Covid-19 vaccine,” he said.
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Professional wrestling legend and WWE Hall of Famer Sgt. Slaughter is scheduled to headline an early voting kick off event for Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs’ reelection campaign on Tuesday, July 12.
In a tweet announcing the event, Jacobs said, “I’m excited to welcome my friend and @WWE icon, @_SgtSlaughter, to Knox County in just a few days! You do not want to miss my Early Voting Kick-Off event. Join us at @cottoneyedjoetn on Tuesday, July 12 at 6PM!”
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OH-1 Democrat nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives, Cincinnati City Councilman Greg Landsman opposed anti-corruption legislation in 2021, and later touted Cincinnati’s Office of Ethics and Good Government, saying that “we needed to do everything in our power to restore public trust” after a scandal involving text messages.
In September 2021, Landsman declared his opposition to a ballot measure creating an amendment to the city charter that was characterized by him and in the press as allowing for individual city employees to be liable “for some violations of open meetings and public records law violations.”
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Early voting is slated to start in Tennessee on July 15 for the August 4 elections for federal and state primaries, as well as for local elections.
Early voting will run from July 15 through July 30.
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Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn is slated to appear as the special guest at a July 29 get out the vote BBQ for Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs’ reelection campaign.
The election for Knox County mayor coincides with federal and state primary elections and scheduled for August 4, less than a week later.
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The campaign of former Brigadier General Kurt Winstead, a Republican candidate in the August 4 primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, announced an endorsement by a woke union, IAFF Local 4381 Columbia Firefighters Association on Tuesday.
IAFF Local 4381 Columbia Firefighters Association honored and celebrated “Pride Month” by changing their profile photo on social media to the now commonly recognized “LGBTQ Pride” rainbow colors on June 1.
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Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden spoke with The Tennessee Star recently about the biggest event of the year: the 45th Annual Statesmen’s Dinner.
“This year is the 45th Annual Statesmen’s Dinner. It’s going to be taking place on July 30 at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville. The reception starts at 5 o’clock. Generally, it has one of the biggest crowds of any political dinner outside of Washington, D.C. in the country,” he said.
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Formerly known as Veterans for Trump, the group Veterans For America First endorsed Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat, announced the Ogles campaign in a statement.
The statement notes that, “The organization has already endorsed conservative candidates Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA), Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO), Sarah Palin (AK), Herschel Walker (GA), and Kari Lake (AZ), among others.”
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More Tennessee National Guardsmen reached out to The Tennessee Star on Friday in order to rebut the coordinated messaging between TN-5 candidate and former National Guard General Kurt Winstead and Governor Bill Lee on the issue of soldier firings due to a COVID-19 mandate and the role that the governor can play.
The deadline for soldiers to comply with the mandate has now passed.
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SEAL PAC released a statement this week announcing the PAC endorsed Jeff Beierlein in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.
“Jeff Beierlein is a soldier’s soldier. As a helicopter pilot in Iraq and a graduate of West Point, Jeff has the leadership and experience needed to help lead our nation in these difficult times. I could not be more excited about his candidacy and look forward to serving with him in the United States House,” said Chairman Ryan Zinke, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Secretary of the Interior under former President Donald Trump.
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Misinformation continued to spread as the deadline for Tennessee National Guard soldiers, as well as soldiers across the United States, to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate by June 30, drew near and now has passed.
In an effort to better inform the public, The Tennessee Star has compiled the facts of what is now happening to soldiers in Tennessee and around the country.
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The NRA Political Victory Fund endorsed Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) for re-election on Thursday.
In addition to the endorsement the NRA-PVF gave Johnson an “A+” rating for both his voting record and his response to their legislative survey.
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Tennessee 5th Congressional District candidate and former Tennessee National Guard General Kurt Winstead aligned with Governor Bill Lee’s inaction and disinformation on the guardsmen firings due to their refusal to accept the COVID-19 vaccine shot Thursday.
“I believe that the governor is working behind the scenes, doing everything in his power to help the Tennessee National Guard – no question in my mind,” said Winstead In an interview conducted by Matt Murphy on SuperTalk 99.7 fm WTN.
Winstead defended Lee’s inaction, insisting that there was nothing the governor can do to help the guardsmen, and that only the federal government can take action.
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In an interview with The Tennessee Star, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn shared her jubilance at the victory won by pro-life advocates when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, what happens now in the wake of that decision, and what remains to be done at the federal level.
“First of all the overturning of Roe, setting that aside, is something that is a victory for all the pro-life volunteers that have worked tirelessly for decades. They have worked to create a culture of life. They have worked to educate people,” she said.
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As the final days and hours passed leading to the mandate deadline that requires 100 percent COVID-19 vaccine compliance by all federal personnel, including Tennessee Army National Guard members, Governor Bill Lee appeared to deflect when he spoke about his actual role in deciding the fate of those guardsmen, who are about to be fired due to their refusal of the injections.
The Tennessee Star confirmed the authenticity of a message it previously obtained from Lee’s office, which read:
We take seriously the religious and personal exemptions requested by members who are not part of the 93% who are vaccinated in accordance with DoD policy. We have no plans to terminate these members based on their status and have asked DoD to approve their individual exemption requests.
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) announced in a statement to The Tennessee Star that she will introduce new legislation to prohibit federal funds from being utilized to implement any requirement that a member of the National Guard receive a vaccination against COVID-19.
Blackburn’s legislation is unveiled as up to 40,000 U.S. Army National Guard members nationwide are set to be fired on Thursday, June 30 for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine unless the Biden administration reverses course.
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