Author: Chris Butler

Joe Biden and CNN Distort What Happened at Tuesday’s Williamson County School Board Meeting

Chris Butler

More than 1,000 parents who protested the Williamson County School (WCS) System’s new COVID-19 mask mandates attracted the attention of CNNThursday and, later, U.S. President Joe Biden, and not in a flattering way. An unidentified CNN anchor described the parents as “an angry minority.” The network showed footage of some, but not all, of the parents as they either attended this week’s meeting or, due to lack of space inside, protested outdoors.

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Maury County Mayor Andrew Ogles Tells Legislators to Rein in Gov. Bill Lee’s ‘Abuses of Power’

Chris Butler

Maury County Mayor Andrew Ogles on Wednesday called upon members of the Tennessee General Assembly to convene a special session to address Gov. Bill Lee and what Ogles said was the governor’s “continued abuses of power.” Ogles, in this proclamation, said Lee’s “indecisiveness and half measures” have “subjugated parents and their children to out of control school boards and superintendents, liberal mayors and a complicit commissioner of education.”

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Brad Raffensperger Wants Georgia Constitution to Make Plain That Only American Citizens Can Vote

Chris Butler

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger wants members of the Georgia General Assembly to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to clarify that the state constitution permits only American citizens to vote. Raffensperger, at a press conference Wednesday, said seeing this through was one of his top priorities when he ran for his seat in 2018.

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Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton Formally Asks Gov. Bill Lee for Special Legislative Session on COVID-19 Mask Mandates

Chris Butler

Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and more than 70 other Republican state representatives on Wednesday formally requested that Gov. Bill Lee call a special session of the General Assembly. Sexton said last week he and other legislators want to restrain public school officials who might mandate or have already mandated that students wear COVID-19 masks.

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Williamson County to Require Masks in Schools, Despite Warnings from Clay Travis and Other Furious Parents

Chris Butler

Parents in Williamson County who insist they — and only they — have the right to force a COVID-19 mask on their children faced off Tuesday night against members of the Williamson County School Board. Board members considered whether to implement a mask mandate to combat the Delta variant of COVID-19. They had not reached a solution before The Tennessee Star went to press late Tuesday night.

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Burt Jones Launches Campaign for Georgia Lt. Governor, Hints He Might Get Donald Trump Endorsement

Chris Butler
Burt Jones

Georgia State Sen. Burt Jones (R-Jackson) announced Tuesday he’s running for lieutenant governor, and, while he didn’t elaborate, said he feels “real good” about getting an endorsement from former U.S. President Donald Trump. The Georgia Star News asked Jones Tuesday if he knows something about a possible Trump backing that he has not yet publicly disclosed.

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Brentwood High School Students Allegedly Asked About Their Gender Pronouns

Chris Butler

Brentwood High School staff members gave students a questionnaire on the first day of school this year and allegedly asked them to identify themselves by the gender pronouns “She/her/hers,” “He/him/his,” “They/them/theirs,” or “other.” Middle Tennessee residents posted a screenshot of the questionnaire on their Facebook pages late last week. The posters said someone at Brentwood High — whom they did not identify — took the photograph.

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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s New COVID-19 Executive Orders Threaten Liberty, Observers Warn

Chris Butler

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order late last week regarding the state’s continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but some people worry it infringes upon basic liberties. Among other things, Lee’s executive order permits more flexibility in behavioral health care to relieve capacity strain and allows medical laboratory directors to monitor facilities remotely. But the order also gives the state government discretion to use the National Guard in connection with certain health care and emergency services operations.

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Aspects of Tennessee’s New ‘Anti-Critical Race Theory’ Law Worry Some

Chris Butler

A Spring Hill woman who says she helped craft a new state law that limits teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in public schools said she objects to certain guidelines state officials have proposed on the matter. Tricia Stickel told The Tennessee Star Sunday that she is not an activist. Instead she describes herself as “an effectivist” — someone she said is effective at making positive changes.

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Tennessee State Rep. Bruce Griffey Says Special Session Should Restrain Governor’s Emergency Powers

Chris Butler

Tennessee State Rep. Bruce Griffey (R-Paris) said Sunday that if he and other state legislators hold a special session then they should consider restraining the governor’s emergency powers. Griffey said legislators should take up the governor’s authority to declare and extend public health emergencies. The governor can do this without oversight by the Tennessee General Assembly.

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Tennessee Attorney General Fails to Join Lawsuit Against ‘Critical Race Theory’

Chris Butler
Attorney General Herb Slatery

Tennessee Attorney General Herb Slatery has failed to join several other attorneys general in a lawsuit against Critical Race Theory (CRT).

JustTheNews.com reported this week that attorneys general in more than half of the 50 states disagree on how to address alleged racial disparities in school discipline. Both sides filed competing briefs through a U.S. Department of Education proceeding that reportedly attracted 2,700 comments.

The website reported that Arizona “led a coalition of 15 states to oppose the reinstatement of the Obama administration’s “disparate impact” guidance, which said statistical differences between the races in school discipline could serve as the basis for a federal civil rights investigation.”

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U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk Warns Georgia that Federal Officials Want to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccine

Chris Butler

U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA-11) said this weekend that forces within the Biden administration and other Democrats in Washington, D.C. want to force a COVID-19 vaccine upon all Americans. “There are few things that remain very consistent, and one of those — and it is of grave concern to most of the people in our district, and I believe most of the people in America — is the attacks on our individual liberties. The one that is most prominent right now is the government trying to force a medical procedure, a vaccine, on every citizen,” Loudermilk said during a podcast Saturday.

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Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton Drafting Letter Requesting Special Session on COVID-19 School Mask Mandates

Chris Butler

The Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) Board’s decision to impose a COVID-19 mask mandate upon their students has prompted Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) to, as promised, call for a special legislative session. “We are starting discussions with House members,” Sexton told The Tennessee Star by text Friday.

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Tennessee Officials Propose Rules on Teaching Critical Race Theory in Public Schools

Chris Butler

A new state law that limits teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) has prompted the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) to propose new rules as it pertains to teaching on the subject of race in public schools. According to state of Tennessee’s website, educators may not teach that one race is superior to another race. They also cannot teach that an individual is privileged due to race or sex, whether consciously or subconsciously. They also may not teach that the United States is fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist.

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Metro Nashville Schools Special Meeting on COVID-19 Masks Are a Waste of Time, Board Member Says

Chris Butler

Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) Board members will hold a special meeting later this week to discuss COVID-19 mask requirements, but one board member said Tuesday that it’s a waste of time. MNPS Board members have scheduled the meeting for 11 a.m. Thursday at the MNPS Central Administration Building on 2601 Bransford Avenue, said District Six Board Member Fran Bush.

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U.S. Rep. Austin Scott Says Wage Disparities Across the Border Make It Hard for American Farmers to Compete

Chris Butler

U.S. Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA-08), who serves on the U.S. House Agriculture Committee, shared his worries about cheap produce imports, the impact of cheaper labor costs in Mexico, and how this affects Georgia farmers. Committee members held a hearing entitled, “21st Century Food Systems: Controlled Environment Agriculture’s Role in Protecting Domestic Food Supply Chains and Infrastructure.”

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Tennessee May Need Special Session to Deal With School-Related COVID-19 Matters, Speaker Cameron Sexton Says

Chris Butler

Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) said Monday that it’s time for students to put their virtual learning behind and walk back into their classrooms — without a COVID-19 mask mandate. And Sexton also said he and other state legislators have a plan to restrain public school district officials who think otherwise.

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U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter Files Bill to Back up Federal Immigration Officers

Chris Butler

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA-01) has introduced the Empowering Law Enforcement Act to provide backup to federal immigration enforcement officials. “I’ve visited the border four times as a member of Congress, including twice this year, to fully understand the struggles we face there. Immigration is getting out of control and every state is becoming a border state. As of last month more than 1.1 million illegal immigrants have been encountered at the border,” Carter said in an emailed newsletter to his constituents Sunday.

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U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Announces More Taxpayer-Funded Goodies for Memphis

Chris Butler

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) this week voted for a seven-bill “minibus” that he said increases spending for several government social programs. The bill increases spending for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and other school nutrition programs. Cohen said in a press release that the money also increases spending on the Small Business Administration, consumer protection agencies, veterans affairs and veterans medical services.

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Georgia Officials File Motion to Dismiss U.S. Department of Justice’s Lawsuit Against SB 202

Chris Butler

Georgia officials have filed a motion to dismiss the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) lawsuit against the state’s new voter integrity law, Senate Bill 202. Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr this week released a statement and called the lawsuit “politically-charged” and said it seeks “to intrude into the State of Georgia’s constitutional authority to regulate the time, place, and manner of its elections.”

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Georgia Department of Community Health Says COVID-19 Justified No-Bid Contract

Chris Butler

Georgia officials rewarded an Alpharetta-based medical company with a generous no-bid contract and cited a provision in state law that allowed them to do so during emergencies — in this case, COVID-19. Jackson Healthcare provides medical staff to several of Georgia’s hospitals and nursing homes through its subsidiary Healthcare Workforce Logistics (HWL). Company CEO Rick Jackson donated generously to Georgia’s top politicians, including Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Jackson’s company subsequently received a $434 million no-bid contract. Company officials said politics “had absolutely nothing to do with it.”

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Vanderbilt Medical Professor Supports Wearing Masks, Even for Those Vaccinated Against COVID-19

Chris Butler
William Schaffner, M.D.

A professor at Vanderbilt’s School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases reportedly said this week that new government guidelines saying that even vaccinated people should wear masks in some areas is an idea with which he agrees. William Schaffner, who serves as a professor of medicine, reportedly told The Epoch Times that he believes the new guidance makes sense.

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Thales Academy to Host Open House in Franklin Next Week

Chris Butler

Officials at the Thales Academy in Franklin have scheduled an open house next week to allow prospective parents to tour the campus, visit classrooms, meet teachers, acquaint themselves with the school’s curriculum, or to ask questions. Franklin Academy officials have scheduled the open house for 6 p.m. Thursday, August 5 at their campus, located at 3835 Carothers Parkway in Franklin. Franklin Academy is an independent and private school.

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Georgia Campaign Donor Says Politics Did Not Influence Generous No-Bid COVID-19 Contract

Chris Butler
Richard L. Jackson

The president of an Alpharetta-based medical company whose CEO donated generously to Georgia’s top politicians and subsequently received a $434 million no-bid contract said Tuesday that politics “had absolutely nothing to do with it.” Rick Jackson, the CEO of Jackson Healthcare, donated roughly $1 million to various statewide political candidates. Jackson donated to, among others, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

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Tennessee Comptrollers Allege Massive Theft with Head Start Program

Chris Butler

Tennessee Comptrollers this week announced that government officials in Carter and Greene counties allegedly, in separate cases, stole thousands of dollars for their own personal benefit. According to a Comptrollers’ press release, authorities in Carter County have indicted Joyce Parsons, the former administrative assistant for Carter County’s Head Start program.

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Mitch McConnell Mocks Amy Klobuchar, Other Democrats for Georgia Hearing

Chris Butler

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) reportedly disapproves of a field hearing that U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) held in Georgia last week to undermine that state’s new voter integrity law, Senate Bill 202. This, as Klobuchar and four other Democratic U.S. senators who attended refused to answer The Georgia Star News’ questions about other states whose voting requirements are stricter than Georgia’s.

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State Senator Says Tennessee Children Could Still Get COVID-19 Vaccine Without Parental Consent, but Only in Rare Circumstances

Chris Butler

State Sen. Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield) on Friday accused the media of trying to drive a wedge between him and Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH) Commissioner Lisa Piercey when it comes to giving the COVID-19 vaccine to children. Roberts co-chairs the legislature’s Joint Government Operations Committee. He voiced concerns this week about state officials administering the vaccine to children without parental consent. Roberts said Thursday that he and Piercey agreed that administering the COVID-19 vaccine to children — without parental consent — violates TDOH policy.

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State Sen. Kerry Roberts Clears Up Misinformation About COVID-19 Vaccinations for Children in Tennessee

Chris Butler

Tennessee State Sen. Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield), who co-chairs the legislature’s Joint Government Operations Committee, this week said he had to clear up misinformation about administering the COVID-19 vaccine to children throughout the state. Roberts said in an emailed statement that he and certain other committee members worried Tennessee had marketed the vaccine to minors and administered it without parental consent.

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Tennessee Officials to Help Install Electric Vehicle Chargers at State Parks, but Won’t Cite Demand

Chris Butler

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) officials announced Wednesday they have entered a partnership to install charging stations for Electric Vehicles (EVs) at all 56 state parks. But, when asked, TDEC officials would not discuss how or whether the demand for these charging stations exceeds any possible costs to the state or anyone else.

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