The Tennessee Department of Education released new resources on the “Grow Your Own” educator initiative on Tuesday.
New resources released include a new webpage, one-sheets and videos to support anyone interested in participating in an initiative.
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The liberal labor union Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 205 endorsed State Senator Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat. Campbell is the only Democrat running for the seat.
The SEIU has a history of endorsing Democratic candidates.
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Tennessee U.S. Representative Mark Green blasted the Biden administration’s depletion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve on Tuesday.
“Depleting our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to save face politically is completely reckless (and won’t ease gas prices),” said Green in a tweet.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, conservative country music star John Rich endorsed Jody Barrett for State Representative.
Barrett is running for Tennessee State House District 69 in the Republican primary, which is scheduled to occur on August 4.
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In an exclusive announcement provided to The Tennessee Star, the Pro-Life Susan B. Anthony List’s candidate fund political action committee endorsed former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell, in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.
“Beth Harwell is a faithful champion of the unborn who proves that pro-life is truly pro-woman,” said Hon. Marilyn Musgrave, SBA List’s vice president of government affairs.
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Tennessee’s U.S. senators Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn commemorated Memorial Day and honored those that made the ultimate sacrifice for the United States of America.
Memorial Day is the federal holiday in the United States that U.S. military personnel who have died while serving in the armed forces are commemorated and mourned.
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On Friday, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn promoted her “Stop The Inflationary Spending Spree” resolution on Twitter.
Blackburn tweeted, “I’ve introduced the Stop The Inflationary Spending Spree Resolution to make it more difficult to pass spending packages during periods of high inflation.”
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Far-left Democrat State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) joined other Tennessee liberals demanding gun control in the state.
“Yes, I have every intention of bringing back my red flag bill, as well as my safe storage legislation in January,” she tweeted on Wednesday.
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The organization March for Our Lives is scheduled to host a day of anti-Second Amendment protests in the wake of the Texas tragedy on June 11.
A protest is already scheduled to occur in Nashville from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Nashville Public Square Park.
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In an op-ed titled, “Barack Obama, BLM, and the summer of George Floyd contributed to ‘Uvalde massacre,'” Jason Whitlock of The Blaze said, “As Barack Obama pretends to grieve for the children in Texas, he should make time to recognize that America’s emotional and immature reaction to George Floyd contributed to the slaughter of 19 little kids.”
Whitlock is the host of the program, Fearless with Jason Whitlock, based out of the Nashville area.
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U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06) led a bi-partisan letter to Securities and Exchange Commission Chair (SEC) Gary Gensler defending America’s farmers against a proposed new Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) regulation.
In March, the SEC proposed a new ESG rule that would require public companies to include “climate-related” disclosures in their registration statements and periodic reports.
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In a move signaling that he is considering withdrawal, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr wrote the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) a letter informing them of his refusal to pay the invoice for membership dues and questioning the organization for its lack of bipartisanship.
In his letter, Carr said, “This Office received the above-referenced invoice for dues in the total amount of $95,365.00. In light of the outstanding questions posed by a number of Attorneys General regarding the operations of the National Association of Attorneys General (“NAAG”) as well as the recent withdrawal of several Attorneys General from NAAG membership, this Office has determined not to make payment of the invoice at this time.”
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Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton threw cold water on “grandstanding” State Representative John Ray Clemmons’ (D-West Nashville) call for a special session to push gun control in Tennessee, demonstrating that there is little support for the idea.
In a press conference that NewsChannel5 reported on, Clemmons said, “Let’s pass mental health care laws. Let’s repeal bad laws that have facilitated this. Let’s use the indicators we see in domestic violence to limit people’s access to firearms. Let’s repeal the open carry law and guns in trunk law. Let’s take legislative action now. Not later, now. Not after another shooting, not after more deaths. Now.”
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As part of his proposed budget, Mayor John Cooper is pushing for a significant raise for Metro Nashville school bus drivers.
After unveiling his proposal, Cooper took to the bus radio system to tell the drivers personally.
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The pro-life Susan B. Anthony List’s candidate-fund political action committee celebrated Herschel Walker’s Wednesday Republican primary win in the race for Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat.
The organization additionally blasted U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA)’s far-left record on abortion.
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The Republican nomination for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District will be decided in a run off election that is scheduled to occur on June 21.
Former chairman of the Georgia Ethics Commission and the Trump-endorsed candidate Jake Evans, who came in second place in the May 24 primary, will face off against physician Rich McCormick in the run off because no candidate achieved the 50 percent threshold.
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The Tennessee Professional Fire Fighters Association (TPFFA) endorsed former Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Beth Harwell for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.
Harwell’s campaign, in an exclusive statement provided to The Tennessee Star on Tuesday, announced the TPFFA endorsement.
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The National Association of Attorneys General was blasted again, this time by eight of its members in a letter sent on May 24 for its increasingly leftward tilt.
Kentucky Attorney General David Cameron sent the letter, which was signed by the attorneys general of Alaska, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Virginia.
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Metro Government and the Nashville Department of Transportation are soliciting public feedback on potential measures to address “climate change.”
In a tweet, NDOT said, “Metro Nashville wants to hear from YOU by Tuesday, May 31! Your answers to the Climate Action Plan Survey will help shape how the city addresses climate change. #climateactionnash,” and then linked to a survey.
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The National Republican Congressional Committee is targeting three U.S. House districts in Arizona for Republican takeover.
AZ-2, AZ-4, and AZ-6 are the targeted districts.
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Sources familiar with the thinking of Governor Bill Lee and his team tell The Tennessee Star that Governor Lee believes that “it is already a done deal” that his preferred choice for attorney general, Brandon Gibson, will get the appointment.
The sources spoke with The Star on background and one said, “It is very well thought by Governor Lee’s team and highest corners of office in the executive branch that the open Attorney General seat is a lock to go to Brandon Gibson.”
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General Kurt Winstead’s campaign for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat announced that disqualified TN-5 candidate Morgan Ortagus joined his newly formed national security advisory committee as a co-chair.
Ortagus’ bio in the campaign statement says, “Morgan Ortagus, a U.S. Navy Reserve officer and former Spokesperson for the United States Department of State during President Trump’s Administration. She was instrumental in promoting the Abraham Accords and most recently launched Polaris National Security, a group focused on restoring international strength and respect for America.”
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Disqualified TN-5 candidate Robby Starbuck filed a lawsuit against the Tennessee Republican Party and its state executive committee in Davidson County Chancery Court on Friday, May 20.
The official case name is Robert Newsom v. Tennessee Republican Party, et al and Davidson Chancery Court Judge Russell Perkins is presiding.
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The Davidson County Republican Party hosted an event on Monday evening at the Hermitage Steak House with several TN-5 primary candidates in attendance to support Kelli Phillips for Metro Nashville School Board – District 4.
Phillips, whose campaign is the event beneficiary, is the Republican nominee.
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Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP Action) endorsed Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat on Monday.
AFP Action said they endorsed Ogles because “of his track record supporting local, state, and federal policies that promote economic freedom and create opportunities that improve the lives of Tennesseans.”
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Poll shows former U.S. Senator David Perdue is closing the gap against incumbent Governor Brian Kemp in the GOP gubernatorial primary, but a the possibility of a runoff election is uncertain.
InsiderAdvantage released poll results showing Kemp at 52 percent and Perdue at 38 percent with 3 percent undecided.
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The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) announced its Accelerating TN 2022 Tour, which is a statewide bus tour that will cover 50 school districts over the course of three weeks to highlight summer learning opportunities for students.
TDOE said department members, elected officials, and other education partners will have the opportunity to join the various events to learn more about how schools are “accelerating student achievement.”
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U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, the senior senator from Tennessee, says April was the worst month for illegal immigration that the United States has ever had.
In a tweet, Senator Blackburn said, “Even with Title 42 still in place, this April was the worst month for illegal immigration ever recorded. Ending Title 42 would be a mistake of catastrophic proportions.”
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Marsha Blackburn, the senior U.S. senator from Tennessee, endorsed Kari Lake in the race to be the next governor of Arizona.
In a tweet, Lake announced Blackburn’s endorsement.
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Several candidates in the Tennessee 5th Congressional District GOP primary have announced their public opposition to the recently approved aid package to Ukraine.
In addition to former Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell and Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles, candidates General Kurt Winstead, Jeff Beierlein, and Tres Wittum have come out against the $40 billion Ukraine aid package.
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Jake Evans, the Trump-endorsed candidate in the Republican primary in the race for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District Seat spoke with The Georgia Star News about his support for law enforcement.
The Star News asked Evans if he had family connections with law enforcement and how they fared during the 2020 riots in the Atlanta area.
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NRCC Chairman Tom Emmer congratulated Guy Ciarrocchi on his Republican primary victory in the race for Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District seat.
“Congratulations to Guy Ciarrocchi on his primary victory. Guy is a common-sense conservative with a proven record of standing up to Democrat overreach,” the chairman said in a statement.
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Nashville Metro Council considered the first reading of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget and issues like grant acceptances at its latest meeting.
BL2022-1248, a bill on first reading, was the ordinance setting the Fiscal Year 2023 budget and is on the agenda. The full proposal can be viewed on the Metro Council website. It was referred to the Budget and Finance Committee.
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Morgan Ortagus, a disqualified candidate in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat, announced to German-owned Politico her participation in an organization called Polaris National Security.
Politico reported, “Morgan Ortagus, the State Department’s chief spokesperson during the Trump administration, has launched a new group called Polaris National Security. The organization, chock-full of former Trump administration and campaign aides on staff and other Republicans on the advisory team, will have a 501(c)(4) and PAC arm.”
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Guy Ciarrocchi is likely to be declared the winner and Republican nominee in the primary for Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District seat.
As of press time, Ciarrocchi holds a 2,224 vote lead over the second place candidate Steve Fanelli with under 2,000 votes remaining uncounted, according to The New York Times.
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The conservative House Freedom Fund endorsed Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles in the race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District seat.
In a statement, the organization said, “We’re also proud to announce our support for Andy Ogles (R-TN) for Congress in Tennessee’s 5th District.”
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The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that Governor Bill Lee’s school voucher program is constitutional. The voucher program only applies to failing schools in Davidson County and Shelby County.
The court said in a statement, “The Tennessee Supreme Court determined that, while two Tennessee county governments had standing to challenge the Education Savings Account Pilot Program (the “ESA Act”), the Act is not rendered unconstitutional by the Home Rule Amendment, article XI, section 9, of the Tennessee Constitution.”
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Federal Election Commission records show that Tennessee Fifth Congressional District Republican primary candidate Kurt Winstead donated to federal Democrat candidates in addition to Republican ones.
Williamson County Election Commission records additionally show that Kurt Winstead voted in Democrat primaries in the past.
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Former U.S. Senator David Perdue’s Trump-endorsed campaign for Georgia Governor announced several upcoming stops around the state as the May 24 Republican primary draws near.
As of press time, the election is less than a week away and Perdue’s best hope at continuing his campaign appears to be an attempt to force incumbent Governor Brian Kemp into a June run-off election by holding him to under 50 percent of the vote.
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Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich released a video on Facebook urging the voters of Georgia’s 6th Congressional District to vote for Jake Evans in the Republican primary that is scheduled for May 24.
“I’m Newt Gingrich. I was Speaker of the House and we developed the Contract with America to get America back on track with solid, conservative ideas – balancing the budget, reforming welfare, cutting taxes – and I wanted to take a minute or two just to share with you about a good friend of mine who’s running for Congress,” he said.
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Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles praised Tennessee U.S. Senators Bill Hagerty and Marsha Blackburn for their votes against H.R. 7691, known as the $40 billion Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022.
In a statement, Ogles said, “It’s time we follow the words of President Trump and put America First. At a time when mothers cannot find baby formula, we are facing runaway inflation and a disgraceful collapse of our southern border this inept Biden administration seems hellbent in destroying our economy and the middle class with it.”
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Tennessee Republican Party Chair Scott Golden, in a statement exclusively provided to The Tennessee Star, reports that 2022 saw a record number of GOP candidates qualifying to run for office in the state.
“Red Wave ’22 is sweeping across the Nation and there are more Republicans than ever before running in Tennessee. We have more candidates for more offices in more counties than we have ever had in the history of Tennessee,” said Golden.
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The appointment of Tennessee’s attorney general is a process unique to this state.
The attorney general is appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court and is the only state attorney general that is a member of the judicial branch, not the executive branch.
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Hundreds of radical pro-abortion activists protested at Legislative Plaza on Saturday on Saturday May 14, and Sunday, May 15.
These protests come in the wake of the leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court, which in turn is empowered to appoint the state’s attorney general, is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the General Assembly.
The Tennessee Supreme Court is currently made up of justices Jeffrey S. Bivins, Sarah K. Campbell, Holly Kirby, Sharon G. Lee, and Roger A. Page.
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Jake Evans, the Trump-endorsed candidate in the May 24 Republican primary for Georgia’s 6th Congressional District seat said, “We’ve got to finish the wall.”
Evans’ comments come as part of a wide-ranging conversation that he had with The Georgia Star News.
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Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) condemned the leak of the draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and spoke out against inaccurate characterizations of what that decision would accomplish.
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Planned Parenthood and the Women’s March Foundation are hosting a pro-abortion rally on Saturday, May 14 in Nashville.
The rally is scheduled to take place from noon to 2pm at Legislative Plaza, located at 719 Church St. Nashville, TN 37203.
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Pennsylvania Sixth Congressional District Republican candidate Guy Ciarrocchi spoke with The Pennsylvania Daily Star and discussed his role was one of the ringleaders of the #VoteYes campaign, the successful effort resulting in the passage of a constitutional amendment in the Keystone State that limits the powers of emergency declarations.
The candidate explained the process that led to the passing of ballot measures that ended the Pennsylvania governor’s ability to issue emergency declarations lasting more than 21 days.
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The Tennessee Supreme Court, which appoints the state attorney general, is likely to appoint a new one this year via a public application and hearing process in a similar manner to the one it used in 2014 to appoint Attorney General Herbert Slatery.
Slatery, who has been Tennessee’s attorney general since 2014, is not seeking an additional eight-year term.
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