Author: Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Should Continue Pressuring Iran Over Nuclear Program, Sen. Blackburn Tells Fox News

Jason M. Reynolds

  The United States needs to keep the pressure on Iran over its nuclear enrichment program, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn told anchor Charles Payne on Fox News. The interview video feed from “Sunday Morning Futures,” which aired Saturday, is available here. The transcript is available here. Blackburn is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Iran is desperate, the senator said, and, “Bear in mind, their economy is shrinking six to ten percent this year. Inflation is at forty percent.” President Donald Trump is doing the right thing with sanctions to stop them from enriching uranium and supporting terrorism, she said. This problem dates to the 1970s with the Iranian revolution. “The pressure is having an effect,” she said. The U.S. learned during President Barack Obama’s years that “leading from behind does not work,” she said in response to a question about getting European allies on board. Blackburn said she is holding out hope that diplomacy can work. Blackburn has been a consistent ally on President Trump’s efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions. On June 27, the Johnson City Press quoted her as saying she supports the president’s new sanctions, which are in response to Iran shooting down an…

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Democratic Presidential Candidate Beto O’Rourke Visits Nashville

Jason M. Reynolds

  Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke was welcomed by a large, raucous crowd during his Nashville campaign stop Sunday afternoon. Former U.S. Rep. O’Rourke (R-TN-16) tweeted a video from the rally. Nashville! pic.twitter.com/Gx6aGYvvPY — Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) July 7, 2019 In promoting the event, the Tennessee Democratic Party tweeted, “2020 Democratic presidential candidate @BetoORourke will hold a campaign rally at @MMusicWorks in Nashville tomorrow, July 7th at 3 p.m. CT! The event will feature live music from @Elizabeth_Cook and @RaelynNelson Band.” 2020 Democratic presidential candidate @BetoORourke will hold a campaign rally at @MMusicWorks in Nashville tomorrow, July 7th at 3 p.m. CT! The event will feature live music from @Elizabeth_Cook and @RaelynNelson Band. RSVP: https://t.co/WfP0aAVus7 — Tennessee Democratic Party (@tndp) July 6, 2019 The venue was Marathon Music Works on Clinton Street. Music was provided by Elizabeth Cook and the Raelyn Nelson Band. O’Rourke’s campaign billed the visit as his first stop in the Volunteer State. O’Rourke retweeted this tweet: “HAPPENING NOW! @BetoORourke in Nashville, Tennessee! He believes background checks on every gun sale can save lives and recognized @MomsDemand as making a difference across America! #gunsense #tnleg”. https://twitter.com/krayoncolorz/status/1147986578695950336 The Tennessee Holler, a liberal activist site, tweeted a photo with O’Rourke…

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Nashville La Raza Affiliate Conexión Américas Hires Juliana Ospina Cano as Director, Who Vows to Continue Social Justice Work

Jason M. Reynolds

  Juliana Ospina Cano will lead Conexión Américas, a Nashville Latino advocacy group, as its new executive director beginning today. Ospina Cano succeeds Renata Soto, who co-founded Conexión Américas 17 years ago. “Juliana is the ideal leader for Conexión Américas’ next chapter,” said Board President Terry Maroney. “She brings with her a sharp mind honed by her doctoral studies, an empathetic heart grounded in her own immigrant experience, and deep knowledge of Nashville, the state and Conexión Américas. Her combination of vision, skill, work ethic and history with this organization will be invaluable resources for our community.” Ospina Cano said, “It is with great excitement that I come home to Nashville. I look forward to re-joining an organization that views economic, civic and social integration as the vehicle to equip, inspire and mobilize immigrant families to fulfill their potential while celebrating their roots. My commitment to these values has been the compass guiding my professional and personal journey. I look forward to honoring Renata’s unparalleled legacy and serving the Tennessee community alongside Conexión Américas’ team, Board of Directors and partners.” Conexión Américas is an affiliate of The National Council of La Raza. The National Council of La Raza, the largest Latino…

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Superintendent Should Report to Nashville’s Mayor, Carol Swain Tells WSMV, But Education Expert Says State Requires School Boards to Oversee Directors

Jason M. Reynolds

  WSMV polled the four major Nashville mayoral candidates on whether the Metro Nashville Public Schools superintendent should report to the mayor instead of the school board, and only one said “Yes.” That candidate was Dr. Carol Swain. WSMV’s story is here. The Metro Nashville mayoral candidates who were polled were Swain, incumbent Mayor David Briley, State Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-TN-55) and at-large Metro Council member John Cooper. Swain told WSMV, “I believe the director of schools should report to the mayor because there has to be some accountability. We’ve had problems in the past. The school board has a budget of almost a billion dollars and we know that we have some of the worst performing schools in the state.” Briley, Clemmons and Cooper said “No.” One education expert told The Tennessee Star that requiring a superintendent to report to an authority other than a school board would be unprecedented. JC Bowman, executive director of the Professional Educators of Tennessee, said, “That structure does not exist in Tennessee. Mayors in urban areas around the nation have closely aligned economic development with K-12 education. However, we have elected school boards to exercise oversight in the state of Tennessee of public schools.”…

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Rep. Green Points Out Chinese Cybersecurity Threat During Forum at Brussels

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) participated in international forums and panel discussions on cybersecurity and transatlantic alliances last weekend. He attended the Brussels Forum organized by the German Marshall Fund, a nonpartisan public policy think tank dedicated to promoting cooperation between North America and Europe. The Brussels Forum is an annual high-level meeting of U.S., European, and global political, corporate, and intellectual leaders. Green met with leaders of NATO, Taiwan, and several European nations. Green tweeted, “I was able to join a great discussion in Brussels hosted by the @gmfus last weekend on election security. Watch a portion of our conversation below.” I was able to join a great discussion in Brussels hosted by the @gmfus last weekend on election security. Watch a portion of our conversation below. pic.twitter.com/jbK2cOhLaX — Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) July 2, 2019 In his opening remarks at the panel, Green said, “You probably have all heard of the DIME model or paradigm of warfare. And you’ve also probably heard of the domains of war. We think of an attack, we think of a strike against a building, and you see people and you see the wounded. But with a cyberattack, you don’t see that. It’s…

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Sen. Blackburn, Rep. Green Among the Speakers at Williamson GOP’s Annual Summer Dinner on Aug. 3

Jason M. Reynolds

  Williamson GOP and affiliated groups are holding their annual Summer Dinner on Saturday, Aug. 3 featuring “down-home BBQ with all the fixings,” live music and prominent political guests. Those guests will include U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07), and State Reps. Glen Casada (R-TN-63) and Brandon Ogles (R-TN-61), according to a promotional flyer by the organizers. The event website says there could be more speakers. The event will be held at Little Creek Farms, 6731 Cool Springs Road, Thompson Station. The time is 4:30-8 p.m., according to the event page, which is available here. The flyer promoting the event says, “Join us in the big red barn for delicious food, great fellowship, & important updates from our elected officials.” Music will be provided by the Austin Brothers Band with State Sen. Jack Johnson (R-TN-23). Tickets are $25 per Williamson GOP member, $35 per non-member, $50 per member family or $60 per non-member family. Family prices include children 12 and younger. Tickets are available online here. If you want to join Williamson GOP, the sign-up is available here. More information about Williamson GOP is available here. Other organizers also include the Republican Women of Williamson…

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Blackburn Joins Other Senators in Urging Trump Administration to Reach Consensus with Congress on Two-Year Budget That Fully Funds the Military

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined her colleagues in encouraging officials with President Donald Trump’s Administration to reach consensus with congressional leaders on a two-year budget deal to fully fund the military. Blackburn, along with Senators that include David Perdue (R-GA) and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK), sent the letter to Acting Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russ Vought, Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, according to a press release from Blackburn. The full letter is available online here. In the letter, the senators caution that another continuing resolution (CR) would devastate the United States military, delay the implementation of the President’s National Defense Strategy (NDS) and increase costs. Blackburn recently voted to fund the United States Military in Fiscal Year 2020, via the National Defense Authorization Act, The Tennessee Star reported Monday. The NDAA funds crucial projects that will directly impact military communities in Tennessee. According to the letter, “The Administration’s efforts last year to pass the Department of Defense (DOD) appropriations bill on time allowed our military for the first time in a decade to be properly funded without the use of a continuing resolution…

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Beacon Center Tells 30 Largest Tennessee Cities It Will Call Them Out on July 4, 2020 on How Free Their Citizens Are

Jason M. Reynolds

  Conservative think tank Beacon Center of Tennessee has placed the 30 largest Volunteer State cities on notice: On Independence Day 2020, it will call them out on how free their citizens are – or are not. The Beacon Center of Tennessee announced Tuesday it will release a City Freedom Index on Independence Day 2020. As many of our state and local elected officials know, thousands of people across the United States move to Tennessee each year. While their reasons may vary, many choose to live here due to state-level policies such as: Right to Work, a lack of a state income tax, low taxes per capita, and low levels of debt. These policies are well known and their benefits well documented. While certainly the state you live in has a large impact on your life, so does the city you live in. However, we have found there are few resources on the best places to live within Tennessee due to local level polices. In an emailed press release, Mark Cunningham, vice president of communications and outreach, said the center will rank the 30 cities according to an overall freedom score. Because this is a brand new report, Beacon is giving cities a…

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New Trump Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham Bruised After Brawl with North Korean Guards to Ensure Press Access to Kim Jong Un Meeting

Jason M. Reynolds

  President Donald Trump’s historic meeting with dictator Kim Jong Un, while reportedly cordial, did have some tension: North Korean guards tried to bar U.S. reporters’ way, but new press secretary Stephanie Grisham saved the day. The Guardian reported that Grisham ended up bruised in a scuffle with the guards. The jostling seen outside when Kim and Trump met worsened when North Korean guards tried to physically prevent reporters with the US press pool from entering a room inside the Freedom House on the southern side of the DMZ where the two leaders were about to start their meeting. Reports said the Secret Service had to intervene. Political commentator Edward Hardy tweeted a video of the confrontation: “This is the moment White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham got into a scuffle with North Korean security guards who were blocking US journalists”. This is the moment White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham got into a scuffle with North Korean security guards who were blocking US journalists pic.twitter.com/WSBkdDw17g — Edward Hardy (@EdwardTHardy) June 30, 2019 Sky News tweeted, “President Trump’s press secretary Stephanie Grisham ended up with bruises after being shoved by Kim Jong Un’s security guards. Donald Trump has become the first…

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Public Policy Group Calls for Ban on Sale of All U.S. Equipment to Huawei, Which is Accused of Having Ties to People’s Liberation Army, Chinese Communist Party

Jason M. Reynolds

  In the wake of President Donald Trump’s meeting with China’s Xi Jinping in Osaka, Japan Saturday, the Committee on the Present Danger: China (CPDC) called for a halt to the sale of all U.S. equipment to the Huawei communications company. Trump announced that “U.S. companies can sell their equipment to Huawei. I’m talking about equipment where there is no great national emergency problem with it,” CPDC said in a press release. The Committee on the Present Danger: China said it believes that all provision of products and services and licensing of technology to Huawei undermine the security of the United States, its allies, and partners. CPDC said it agrees with the findings of Trump’s executive order of May 15, 2019 titled “Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain.” This order addressed the threat posed by “foreign adversaries.” Huawei, a state-owned enterprise with known ties to the People’s Liberation Army, is such an adversary, the committee said. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in May accused the head of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies of lying about his company’s relationship with the government in Beijing, Battleground State News said. Huawei, the world’s largest maker of telecommunications network equipment, is…

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State Reps. Ryan Williams, Cameron Sexton Join Race to Succeed Glen Casada as House Speaker

Jason M. Reynolds

  The pieces are falling into place for the Tennessee GOP House Caucus to select the new speaker, with a couple of new faces entering the race this week. The caucus will meet July 24 to pick a nominee to replace disgraced outgoing Speaker and Rep. Glen Casada (R-TN-63) of Franklin, The Tennessee Star said. The meeting was called by House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-TN-44) of Portland. In a statement issued by Lamberth Wednesday, he said his call for the caucus meeting came, “following conversations with our members of the last several days.” In an exclusive interview with the USA TODAY Network – Tennessee, State Rep. Ryan Williams (R-TN-42) said he wants to unite the party and rebuild the state GOP brand. “I think there are some chasms between some members and others in our caucus, but the goal here is to unite the differences,” he said. “Like Ronald Reagan said, focus on the 80% we agree on.” Williams, a former GOP caucus chairman from Cookeville, is not the only candidate. The Chattanooga Times Free Press said the other declared candidates for speaker are Reps. Mike Carter (R-TN-29) of Ooltewah and Curtis Johnson (R-TN-68) of Clarksville, GOP Caucus Chairman…

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U.S. Reps. Green, Cuellar Introduce Legislation to Stop Chinese Military’s Acquisition of Sensitive American Technology

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) on Thursday introduced the bipartisan China Technology Transfer Control Act of 2019 in the U.S. House. The bill would stop the Chinese military’s acquisition of sensitive American technology and formally admonish China for its predatory trade practices. Green tweeted, “I am proud to work on this bipartisan, bicameral bill with @RepCuellar and @SenHawleyPress to stop the Chinese military’s acquisition of sensitive American technology and formally admonish #China for its predatory trade practices.” I am proud to work on this bipartisan, bicameral bill with @RepCuellar and @SenHawleyPress to stop the Chinese military’s acquisition of sensitive American technology and formally admonish #China for its predatory trade practices. https://t.co/iX7WxpkYIH — Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) June 27, 2019 In recent years, China has aggressively advanced its military capabilities through IP theft and exploitation of loopholes, Green said in a press release. The Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community have anxiously warned of China’s dangerous investments in U.S. firms working on facial-recognition, 3-D printing, virtual reality and autonomous vehicles to build up their warfighting capabilities. They have pushed U.S. companies into “pay-to-play” to operate in their country, requiring that they help their surveillance state and military or not participate in their market at…

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Sen. Blackburn Votes to Address Humanitarian Crisis at Border While Supporting Border Patrol Agents

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Wednesday voted to fund the needs of border patrol agents to address the ongoing humanitarian and security crisis at the southern border. The bill passed the Senate with a substantial bipartisan majority of 84-4, providing $4.59 billion in funds, Blackburn said in a press release. Presidential candidate U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) was too busy doing a press availability tour at a migrant facility in Miami to make the vote. She was scheduled to appear in the Democratic presidential debate Wednesday night as well. She criticized the detention of 2,300 illegal immigrant children, Fox News said. “This is not what we should be doing,” she argued. Taking aim at the president’s illegal immigration detention policies, Warren said that “these children pose no threat to people here in the United States and yet they are locked up for weeks, for months, because our government is following a policy of inflicting maximum pain.” On Wednesday, The Tennessee Star reported that President Donald Trump’s $4.5 billion border spending request faced obstacles because the House and Senate versions differed. The bills are similar on the amount of funding but differ on other topics like funding for Immigration…

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Hamilton County Commission’s Defeat of 34-Cent Property Tax Increase Leaves Teachers with ‘Defeated Faces,’ Disappoints School Board Member’s Dog

Jason M. Reynolds

  A split Hamilton County Commission voted 5-4 Wednesday against a 34-cent increase on property taxes for the school system, and one school board member reacted by saying his dog was disappointed in the outcome. Voting against were Greg Martin, Randy Fairbanks, Chester Bankston, Tim Boyd and Sabrena Smedley (pictured above), according to a story by The Chattanoogan. In favor were Chip Baker, Katherlyn Geter, Warren Mackey and David Sharpe. County Attorney Rheubin Taylor said the rejection means none of the budget will be approved until the schools come back with a new budget leaving out the requested $34 million in new funds, The Chattanoogan said. That will happen after the Hamilton County Department of Education meets again. The county commission has until Aug. 31 to approve the overall budget, according to a story by the Chattanooga Times Free Press. County Mayor Jim Coppinger’s proposed $819 million budget included $443 million for the school district’s general purpose budget, a 5 percent raise for teachers, plus the addition of 14 counselors, 15 social workers, 15 truancy officers, 11 art teachers, 10 special education teachers and 32 special education assistants, the newspaper said. News Channel 9 said teachers were disappointed. Teachers filed…

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Rep. Green Votes ‘No’ on Democrat Government Appropriations Bill Spending $400M More than President Trump Requested

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) voted “no” on H.R. 3351, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2020. He released the following statement explaining his vote: “Congressional Democrats must not be able to help themselves. They love spending taxpayer money,” said Rep. Mark Green. “The president requested lower spending via the budget he submitted to Congress. Yet again, Democrats proposed yet another spending bill that is $400 million above the President’s request and $1.8 billion more than last year’s levels. Just as I explained last week when I voted NO on the last spending package, Tennessee’s 7th District did not send me to Washington to grow the size of government. That’s why I voted NO.” Green also wrote a series of tweets laying out his position and linking to his statement. Just as I explained last week when I voted NO on the last spending package, Tennessee's 7th District did not send me to Washington to grow the size of government. That’s why I voted NO on this one too. More info here: https://t.co/NRAcHOU8Lb — Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) June 26, 2019 On June 20, The Tennessee Star reported on Green’s “no” vote on a nearly $1 trillion…

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Franklin Lands Mitsubishi Motors Headquarters With 200 Jobs Moving Here Beginning in August

Jason M. Reynolds

  Mitsubishi is saying “buh bye” to California’s high taxes and moving its headquarters to Franklin, multiple media outlets report. Mitsubishi was one of two final Japanese car manufacturers to have its headquarters in California, CNET said. Honda will be the lone Japanese holdout. Moving to Franklin will allow the company to be closer to its Alliance partner Nissan, which moved there around 13 years ago. Nashville Business Journal added that other Middle Tennessee automotive brand names include Bridgestone, General Motors, Hankook and suppliers and other related companies. The move will include about 200 jobs and an $18.25 million investment in corporate jobs including legal, finance, IT, sales and dealer operations. Mitsubishi is negotiating a long-term office lease plus a lease for interim use. A move to a temporary space will start in August and be done by the end of the year, Nashville Business Journal said. Automotive News said Mitsubishi cited Franklin’s high-tech community, cost savings, business-friendly work environment and, again, proximity to Nissan. Mitsubishi’s decision is yet another loss for Southern California, referred to in 2000 as “Motown West” for the concentration of automotive brands that based their U.S. operations there. Since then, the brands under Ford’s former…

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Blackburn Joins Other Pro-Life Senators in Introducing Bill to Halt Use of Taxpayer Dollars in Funding Abortion Services

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined several colleagues to introduce the Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act to halt the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortion services. “Sixty percent of Americans oppose their tax dollars being used to fund abortions,” Blackburn said in a press release. “We should honor their wishes by ending the use of public funds. The pro-life community should not be forced to directly or indirectly fund this abhorrent practice.” Co-sponsors are U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS). The House version is H.R. 833, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-04). The Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act is supported by the Susan B. Anthony List. In January, Blackburn introduced her first bill in the Senate, The Tennessee Star reported. That bill – S. 105, the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act – would strips all abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, of federal funding under Title X of the Public Health Service Act. Of the Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act, Cramer said, “Abortion providers do not deserve taxpayer subsidies. While current law prohibits federal funds from being used for abortions, companies like Planned Parenthood still receive millions of…

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We Build the Wall Online ‘Wall-A-Thon’ Raises $460K and Counting

Jason M. Reynolds

  Today is the final day to view the “Wall-A-Thon” held at the border by We Build the Wall. The broadcast feed is available here. “LIVE: Broadcast from our new border security wall funded by donors! Broadcasting daily June 24th – 26th! Bookmark this page! We’re excited to update you LIVE from the People’s Wall!” the group’s website says. “You are welcome to call in and speak with our team, including Brian Kolfage, Steve Bannon, Sheriff David Clarke, Congressman Tom Tancredo, Angel parents Mary Ann Mendoza and Steve Ronnebeck, PLUS MANY MORE! It will be an exciting and informative THREE day live event and we can’t wait to share it with you!” As of Tuesday evening, the “Wall-A-Thon” had raised $460,000. The link above provides a way to make a donation. A $100 donation will get your name on a brick. For $1,000 you get a bollard. For $5,000 you get a large bollard. The “Wall-A-Thon” began Monday with We Build the Wall’s Brian Kolfage and Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, KTSM reported. Kolfage told the TV station there are other projects in various stages of work. “We’re just taking it literally one at a time but right…

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Rep. Green Calls for ‘Permanent Solution to the Border Crisis’

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) on Monday called for a “permanent solution to the border crisis.” Green, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, made his statement in regard to both the Senate and House, which reportedly are working on bills simultaneously to bring humanitarian relief to the ongoing border crisis. According to both a press release and a tweet, Green said, “Whatever Congress passes must include a permanent solution to the border crisis. We must fix our legal loopholes. Via the president’s emergency declaration, we are getting the physical wall built. But we need to build a legal wall by fixing the loopholes.” Whatever Congress passes must include a permanent solution to the border crisis. We must fix our legal loopholes. Via the president's emergency declaration, we are getting the physical wall built. But we need to build a legal wall by fixing the loopholes. https://t.co/bPr4wduKTC — Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) June 24, 2019 The report that Green referenced was from The Hill, which said President Donald Trump’s $4.5 billion border spending request is facing obstacles in differences between the Senate and House versions. The bills are similar on the amount of funding but differ on…

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Constituents of Minnesota’s U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar Reportedly Being Polled About Potential Challengers for 2020

Jason M. Reynolds

  Someone in the Democratic Party may be considering a test drive of a new candidate to challenge controversial first-term U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) (pictured, center). Residents in Omar’s district reportedly are being polled on support for alternative candidates for the 2020 elections. Minnesota political activist Tane Danger tweeted, “Just got a polling robo-call asking if I would be supporting @IlhanMN or “potential candidate” Andrea Jenkins (@annapoetic) for Congress in 2020 (pictured, right). It was clearly testing out some negative messaging against Rep. Omar. Who is paying for this polling and why? #MN05”. Just got a polling robo-call asking if I would be supporting @IlhanMN or “potential candidate” Andrea Jenkins (@annapoetic) for Congress in 2020. It was clearly testing out some negative messaging against Rep. Omar. Who is paying for this polling and why? #MN05 pic.twitter.com/QXgWKlFX4R — Tane Danger (@TaneDanger) June 21, 2019 Danger is co-founder of The Theater of Public Policy, which describes itself as a merger of nonprofit work and improv comedy to tackle “big ideas.” Jenkins, a Minneapolis poet and artist, has been rumored as a potential challenger since February, The Minnesota Sun reported. Jenkins, who is also Minneapolis City Council Vice President, is best known…

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Public Policy Experts Engage in Panel Discussion on Threat Posed by China to American, Indian Economies

Jason M. Reynolds

  A who’s who list of public policy experts on Saturday expounded upon the “unrestricted warfare” that has been waged for decades by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against American electronics and other manufacturers and the importance of India’s help in fighting this threat. The National Indian American Public Policy Institute and the Committee on the Present Danger: China (CPDC) hosted the public event, forum and panel discussion Saturday afternoon at The Rana-Reagan Community Center in Carol Stream, Illinois, according to a press release. One of the panelists, Steve Bannon, former strategic advisor to President Donald Trump, provided The Tennessee Star an exclusive quote Saturday concerning the panel discussion. “It’s a great honor to address the Republican Hindu Coalition on the most vital issue facing America — the economic war China is engaged in against the industrial democratic West,” he said. “Few have felt the brunt of this more than the entrepreneurs of the Hindu American community as the manufacturing base was shipped to China. Today marks the beginning of an effort to reverse this.” Video coverage of the event is available here. Shalabh “Shalli” Kumar, founding chairman of the AVG Group of Companies of Chicago, an electronics inventor and…

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Pennsylvania Farmer Wins Supreme Court Case That Finds Federal Property Rights are Equal to Other Constitutional Rights

Jason M. Reynolds

  The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled in favor of a Pennsylvania farm owner who said the government effectively took her property without paying for it. Rose Knick won the victory in the case of Knick v. Township of Scott. In making its ruling, SCOTUS overturned a 1985 precedent, Williamson County Regional Planning Commission v. Hamilton Bank of Johnson City. The Supreme Court’s opinion is here. Knick was represented by Pacific Legal Foundation, which argued for SCOTUS to overturn the 1985 ruling that allowed federal courts to refuse to hear her challenge to a local ordinance that forced her to allow public access to her private farmland, according to a press release by PLF. PLF said in a story that Knick’s ordeal began in 2013, when government agents forced her to allow public access to a suspected gravesite on her farmland. She sued over the unconstitutional taking. A federal court refused to hear her federal claim, citing the 1985 decision. Hamilton Bank of Johnson City, Tennessee owned of a tract of land in Williamson County and intended to develop it into a residential subdivision, according to a case summary by Oyez. The Williamson County Regional Planning Commission denied the…

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren Follows Taylor Swift in Pushing for Equality Act

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) signed and promoted Taylor Swift’s Change.org petition asking the U.S. Senate to support the Equality Act. The presidential candidate’s statement is available here. Warren’s support follows the endorsement of U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), which was published on Change.org last week. Swift is the creator of the petition in question. It is available here. Warren shared this statement with Change.org users: It’s 2019 and our LGBTQ+ friends continue to face discrimination at work, school, and in their communities. Trans people in America are getting murdered – most of them women of color. In the name of protecting religious liberty, civil rights are being trampled on. It’s hard to find an affordable place to live that doesn’t discriminate based on your gender identity or expression, race, or who you love. Enough is enough. I’m proud to represent Massachusetts in the Senate, a state that has led the nation in protecting and promoting equality. But there’s so much more work to be done. We can start by passing the Equality Act – a bill that would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in their places of work, homes, schools, and other public accommodations. I’m glad to see the…

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Rep. Jay Reedy Joins Crowded Field in Running for State House Speaker

Jason M. Reynolds

  State Rep. Jay Reedy (R-TN-74) told his House colleagues in a letter that he would run for Speaker. The other announced candidates for Speaker are Reps. Mike Carter (R-TN-29) of Ooltewah, Matthew Hill (R-TN-07) of Jonesborough, and Curtis Johnson of Clarksville (R-TN-68) as announced candidates for speaker, according to a story by The Tennessee Journal: On the Hill. Possible candidates include Reps. Cameron Sexton (R-TN-25) of Crossville, Ryan Williams (R-TN-42) of Cookeville, and Jerry Sexton (R-TN-35) of Bean Station. The Erin, Tennessee, representative’s letter to his House colleagues read: The Eyes of Tennessee are upon us! Things are forgotten from one generation to the next, which should not be. It seems that we have forgotten God, Country, and Family. We hold to self-indulgence and moral corruption that goes against Gods (sic) Laws. We turn our backs on our country and family when we come to Capitol Hill and forget why we are elected. The reason that I fought to be elected to HD 74 was to continue my service to God and Country, as I had as an enlisted U.S. Army Soldier and later as a U.S. Army Reserve Officer. Respect and responsibility require much trust! The trust that…

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Rep. Green Votes No on $1 Trillion Spending Bill Full of ‘Partisan Garbage’

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) voted “no” Wednesday on a bill he said was full of “partisan garbage” that included funding for Planned Parenthood. The House passed the H.R. 2740, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Defense, State, Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2020. Green tweeted, “Congressional Democrats jammed as much partisan garbage into this nearly $1 trillion spending package as possible. I voted NO.” Congressional Democrats jammed as much partisan garbage into this nearly $1 trillion spending package as possible. I voted NO. pic.twitter.com/h7odAZljWw — Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) June 19, 2019 Green explained his no vote in a press release. “Congressional Democrats jammed as much partisan garbage into this nearly $1 trillion spending package as possible. If passed into law, this minibus would force taxpayers to pay for abortions in the U.S. and even overseas, continue funding Planned Parenthood, pay for an earmark program, and send half a billion dollars in aid to foreign countries most responsible for illegal crossings and trafficking on our border. Democrats opted to include these programs at the expense of Department of Defense funding and border wall funding, falling short of President Trump’s budget request. “Moreover, I…

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Rep. Green Says Secretary of the Army Mark Esper Is a ‘Great’ Nominee for Secretary of Defense

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) told Fox News that Mark Esper is a “great” nominee for Secretary of Defense and mentioned that he was a fellow classmate at West Point even as details emerge of what happened to the nomination of Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan. Shockwaves were felt when President Donald Trump announced that Shanahan would not seek the job on a permanent basis, leading to Esper being nominated. Shanahan withdrew his name after reports surfaced of an alleged domestic abuse incident with his ex-wife almost a decade ago, Bloomberg reported. “It is unfortunate that a painful and deeply personal family situation from long ago is being dredged up and painted in an incomplete and therefore misleading way in the course of this process.,” Shanahan said in a statement. “I believe my continuing in the confirmation process would force my three children to relive a traumatic chapter in our family’s life and reopen wounds we have worked years to heal.” The Trump Administration never submitted formal paperwork needed to start Shanahan’s confirmation to the Senate, Government Executive reported. There were rumors that the president was backing off or that something was delaying the background check. Now that Esper…

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Metro Nashville Council’s Planned 16 Percent Property Tax Hike Would Increase Cost of Living for All Residents and Is ‘Unacceptable,’ Carol Swain Says

Jason M. Reynolds

  Nashville Mayoral candidate Dr. Carol Swain is taking aim at Metro Council’s proposed 15.8 percent property tax increase. Two council members — Budget Committee Chairwoman Tanaka Vercher and At-Large Councilman Bob Mendes — combined efforts after having had differing plans, Nashville Public Radio said. Mendes is dropping his plan to support Vercher’s plan of raising property taxes by 15.8 percent, increasing the rate to $3.653 per $100 of assessed value. Mayor David Briley told Nashville Public Radio he opposes a tax increase and that he’s alarmed by the council’s plan. Swain said in a press release she also takes issue with that and that if she were elected, she would balance the budget. With the council’s planned tax hike, a home valued at $250,000 would see an increase of about $300, Swain said. Briley could veto the proposal and it would take a two-thirds majority vote to override. “City Council is proposing a property tax increase that raises the cost of living for all Nashvillians without any intention of giving Metro employees the 6 percent raise they need and deserve. Mayor Briley has stated that Nashville’s forecasted revenues are up by about $100 million without property taxes. If the Mayor…

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Putnam County Library Remakes LGBTQ Children’s Display to Highlight ‘Families and Togetherness,’ Tennessee Pastors Network Says

Jason M. Reynolds

  The Tennessee Pastors Network says it won a victory in convincing the Putnam County Library to remake a display promoting LGBTQ children’s books. TNPN President Dale Walker has been petitioning the Putnam County Library to give equal attention to Christian views and traditional marriage that at least match the promotion of the LGBTQ agenda during Pride Month, which is in June, according to a press release from the network. “We feel this is important because Christians feel their biblical worldview is being marginalized in the Putnam County Library, and their children are not seeing a balanced display when they bring them in,” Walker said in a letter to the library. “This is offensive to many Christian families—that their view isn’t also presented equally.” In response to its community, the library removed two displays earlier this month promoting LGBTQ materials to children and families, TNPN said. The library, Walker said, had showcased Pride Month in the children’s reading section. Multiple books, he added, were highlighted as recommended reading to promote the LGBTQ agenda. Few, if any, books, Walker said, promoted Christianity. The library director responded to Walker that a new display “now contains only books celebrating families and togetherness,” along with a…

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President Donald Trump’s Mexico Deal Has ‘Teeth’ to Fix Border Crisis, Rep. Green Tells Fox News

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) spoke about the U.S.-Mexico border deal and the border crisis Sunday with Eric Shawn of Fox News. Video from the interview is available here. Green said that while immigrants are suffering, the border crisis is affecting Americans in terms of money and that 300 Americans die every week from overdose of drugs like heroin. Almost all fentanyl comes from across the southern border, and he cited data from Doctors Without Borders that many of these women immigrants are being sexually assaulted. Democrats are more interested in creating talking points for the 2020 presidential race than they are in helping people, Green said. Green also talked about the $4.5 billion appropriations request made by HHS and DHS as well as the U.S.-Mexico border deal President Donald Trump’s been touting backed up by threats of tariffs. Trump “added teeth” to the deal, which makes it more likely to work, Green said. The policy also would end the “Flores Agreement.” Under that agreement, if an asylum-seeker “grabs a child, they’ve got a visa to get into the United States,” Green said. More of his interview can be found at the link above. President Trump last week…

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We Build the Wall Approaches Record of Top GoFundMe Page, Founder Brian Kolfage Says

Jason M. Reynolds

  We Build the Wall is on the verge of becoming GoFundMe’s largest ever fundraising campaign, founder Brian Kolfage says. Kolfage made the announcement Monday in a press release. He said the record belongs to TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund which is a major force in the “MeToo” movement. TIME’S UP’s GoFundMe page, which is closed to donations, says it raised $24,206,200 of its $24.5 million goal. That page was created on Dec. 20, 2017. The last update was in December 2018. As of Monday evening, We Build the Wall’s GoFundMe page had raised $24,066,879. Kolfage posted on We Build the Wall’s GoFundMe page update section, “JOB WELL DONE! Watch our new video you will LOVE IT! We are about to surpass the liberal #MeToo movement for the largest Gofundme ever. Theirs was funded by hollywood celebs, ours American patriots. Lets get it done!” The post links to this YouTube video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWdOmVzBWLI Regarding TIME’S UP, Kolfage said in his press release, “I’m not going to say anything about them because I’m busy building BIG BEAUTIFUL BORDER WALLS like the one we just finished in Sunland Park, NM! “I may be a tad biased, but I believe that all of…

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International Commission Says It Will Lock Private Border Gate at Night But Unlock It During the Day for Maintenance of Federal Dam

Jason M. Reynolds

  The U.S. section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) announced Tuesday it will lock We Build the Wall’s private gate at night “due to security concerns” but open it during the day. “Our border wall & gate are secure again and we still have not had a single breach. I want to thank the IBWC for acting swiftly and we look forward to working with you on our future projects,” We Build the Wall founder Brian Kolfage tweeted. https://twitter.com/BrianKolfage/status/1138629318270226432 Kolfage also tweeted, “Thank you IBWC for your dedication to allow us to protect the citizens of sunland park and El Paso.” https://twitter.com/BrianKolfage/status/1138836897680285701 The IBWC’s press release is here. It adds: The USIBWC is continuing to work with We Build the Wall regarding its permit request. Until this decision, the private gate was in a locked open position. We Build the Wall, a private organization, built a gate on federal land in Sunland Park, N.M., near El Paso, Texas, without authority, and then locked the gate closed on June 6, 2019. The private gate blocks a levee road owned by the U.S. Government. After repeated requests to unlock and open the private gate, the United States Section of…

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We Build the Wall Declares End to Standoff With Government Bureaucracy, Which Locks Gate at Private Border Wall

Jason M. Reynolds

  The private builders of a border wall in New Mexico say their standoff has ended with a government bureaucracy to secure a gate and keep criminals out of the border. We Build the Wall founder Brian Kolfage on Tuesday night posted the last of several updates by press release. He said: The IBWC has decided to close and lock the Border Wall gate we built tonight and every night going forward! They will only be opening the gate at intermittent times during the day as necessary going forward. Further calls to the IBWC are no longer necessary and WeBuildTheWall looks forward to working with them as we continue to secure other segments of the border that they operate on. “Our border wall & gate are secure again and we still have not had a single breach. I want to thank the IBWC for acting swiftly and we look forward to working with you on our future projects!” Kolfage also tweeted. That news was a turnaround from Tuesday morning, when Kolfage announced in a press release that, “yesterday our wall and our nation came under attack by a globalist bureaucracy called the IBWC (International Boundary and Waterway Commission). This group which is half…

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Bannon Says Biden Is Making ‘Happy Talk’ to Hide His Financial Ties to Chinese Communist Party

Jason M. Reynolds

  Joe Biden is “a useful idiot” for the Chinese Communist Party, Steve Bannon told The John Fredericks Radio Network. The full interview with Bannon is available here. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vz2H25yyIBo&feature=youtu.be Bannon, with Citizens for the American Republic, has long said it is globalists like Biden who are managing the decline of economies all over the world, Fredericks said. Bannon criticized a story by The Hill as “an outrageous attack” on Trump concerning China. Biden, in Iowa, is trying to “happy talk his way past China.” However, Biden has not addressed his being compromised by China’s communist government and how his son Hunter allegedly took $1.5 billion from the Bank of China. “That’s how the Chinese Communist party does influence peddling,” Bannon said. The Community Party provides capital for politicians. Yet Biden blames Trump for China’s economic war against America, Bannon said. Biden supported NAFTA and every trade deal to destroy middle-class jobs. Trump is the first president to engage the Communist Party in an economic war and bring the supply chain back to the U.S., Bannon said. “He’s the only president who stood up for the middle-class people.” In The Hill story, Biden called Trump an “existential threat” to the nation,…

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State Sen. Gardenhire Wants to Create Incentives for Grocery Stores to Open in Urban Areas, So Called ‘Food Deserts’

Jason M. Reynolds

  State Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-TN-10) wants to boost inner-city and rural access to fresh food to fight “food deserts,” The Chattanoogan reports. Gardenhire made the announcement Monday to the Hamilton Place Rotary Club. The Hamilton County senator said he wants to provide incentives for grocery stores to open in the inner-city. The senator made reference to a Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations report from January that found 21 percent of Tennesseans live in an area considered to be a food desert. Fifteen percent live in an urban food desert, while 6 percent live in rural food deserts. The TACIR report is available here. Residents in “food deserts,” or areas with lowered access to healthy food, “tend to have a less nutritious diet and poorer health outcomes than those living in other communities,” the report says. Also, according to the report: While not always limited to food deserts, a variety of policy alternatives have been implemented in states and communities around the US to both improve access to and encourage the consumption of healthy food, including improving transportation to and from healthy food retailers, bringing the food to the customer through mobile markets or food delivery, providing vouchers for…

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We Build the Wall Founder Brian Kolfage Posts Plethora of Tweets Showing Immigrants Crossing Border, Including Armed Men He Says Are Cartel Members

Jason M. Reynolds

  We Build the Wall founder Brian Kolfage is pulling out all the stops in reporting on the flood of illegal aliens pouring through the southern border, including providing shocking video and photos of armed alleged cartel members. Kolfage on Sunday tweeted a link to a story by KTSM showing an alleged armed cartel member leading immigrants across the border two miles from the wall he built. He said, “Hats off to our videographer our Phil, he sits out in the desert in a ghillie suit all day getting our incredible video! We’ll keep exposing the crisis until it’s resolved. We have many more breaking videos to release and won’t stop!” https://twitter.com/BrianKolfage/status/1138136267496054784 The KTSM story is available here. We Build the Wall finished the first half-mile section of the border wall in Sunland Park, New Mexico on June 2, Battleground State News reported. The organization has published a map showing where its wall closes off an easy route in Sunland Park. The video was reportedly captured to the west of the mountains (see the red arrow).   Kolfage on Sunday tweeted another video of a man he claims was a cartel member crossing a border barrier. He said, “Another video…

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Blackburn, Other Senators Introduce Bill to Crack Down on Fentanyl Drug Traffickers, Dealers

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is tackling the fentanyl crisis. Last week, Blackburn and Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), John Kennedy (R-LA) and Ben Sasse (R-NE) introduced he Ending the Fentanyl Crisis Act of 2019, the Tennessee senator said in a press release. The bill aims to ensure that sentencing penalties for trafficking fentanyl reflect the deadliness of the drug. This legislation marks a major step toward addressing the nation’s opioid epidemic, Blackburn said. “Fentanyl is deadly, and it is killing Americans every single day,” Blackburn said. “It’s time the punishment fit the crime for these drug traffickers.” The bill reduces the amount of fentanyl that drug traffickers and dealers must be caught with in order for mandatory sentencing minimums to apply. Under current sentencing guidelines, a trafficker with 2 grams of fentanyl is treated the same as a trafficker with 5 grams of heroin even though fentanyl is 50 times deadlier than heroin. Cotton and the other senators joined Blackburn in discussing their reasoning for introducing the bill. “Fentanyl is one of the most dangerous drugs there is,” Cotton said. “It killed nearly 30,000 Americans last year and has been a driving force behind the opioid crisis in the…

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Sen. Blackburn Calls for More Boots of the Southern Border, Closer Look at Big Tech Business Practices

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is gaining attention for her strong stands on border security and “big tech.” On Saturday, she joined Fox News’ Neil Cavuto on “Cavuto Live” to discuss her trip to the border in El Paso, Texas, Friday to meet with Customs and Border Patrol officials. Blackburn also discussed how Congress should assess the size of big tech companies.   ‘Big tech’ Cavuto called it “an odd confluence of events” to have many Republicans and Democrats agreeing on a subject — the need to watch “big tech.” Regarding “big tech,” Blackburn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said “They are big ad companies. They have pretty much built monopolies in their space and it is time to review their practices and see how much we know about what they are doing with, as I call it, your Virtual You – you and your presence online.” Congress needs to “do a deep dive” and examine the companies’ business practices before making any sort of recommendations to the Department of Justice, Blackburn said. In April, Blackburn said tech companies should embrace “the spirit of the First Amendment,” The Tennessee Star reported. She called out media giants to…

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Businessman Who Owns Private Border Wall Property Disputes ACLU Claim That Wall Blocks Access to Historic Border Monument

Jason M. Reynolds

  The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico is trying to claim that the construction of the private border wall blocks access to a “historical monument.” The ACLU of New Mexico says the Sunland Park, New Mexico private wall blocks access to Monument One, a border monument dating to 1855 that’s on the National Register of Historic Places, according to a story by KOAT. The ACLU is calling on the International Boundary and Water Commission, who manages the monument’s land, to intervene. The border wall is on private land, but it was built across from Monument One, which is on federal land but accessed from a road and a gate. The commission told KOAT that it has not given We Build the Wall a permit but their application is being reviewed. However, Brian Kolfage, founder of We Build the Wall, says the ACLU is lying and that it is trying to help the drug cartels that are being blocked by the new wall. Kolfage tweeted, “The ACLU is acting like this alleged monument is Yellowstone Natl. Park. The only people coming here are drug smugglers, it’s a dangerous area. Stop LYING TO Americans @ACLU it’s on private property too! Here’s…

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Nashville Mayoral Candidate Swain Points Out Contradictions in Briley’s Proposed Budget

Jason M. Reynolds

  Metro Nashville Mayoral candidate Dr. Carol Swain is calling for answers following Mayor David Briley’s contradictory statements and budgetary moves on his controversial parking meter plan. “How can Mayor Briley promise voters he’ll hold off on his widely opposed parking meter plan, at the same time his administration is quietly planning to spend the up-front $30 million it would bring in if passed? Which one is it—the bill is on hold so the public can weigh in, or the mayor will ram it down our throats as soon as he no longer needs our votes? The public deserves honest answers,” Swain said in a press release. Just two weeks ago, Briley said he was “hitting the pause button” on his plan to privatize parking meters, The Tennessee Star reported. “It is clear to me that residents still have questions about the merits of this proposal. Residents need more time – and it is unfair to the public and to Council to rush this process,” Briley wrote. Worse yet, others are using misinformation to further confuse and scare people. It’s politics at its worst. For these reasons, I am hitting the pause button on this proposal.” However, Swain said that last Tuesday,…

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Planned Parenthood Attacks Longtime Memphis Democratic Rep. DeBerry for Voting for Fetal Heartbeat Bill

Jason M. Reynolds

  Planned Parenthood doesn’t like that longtime State Rep. John DeBerry (D-TN-90) voted to support the heartbeat bill in the recent legislative session. Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood took advertising out for three billboards in Memphis to attack DeBerry on his vote, WBBJ said. The Memphis Democrat ran unopposed in 2018. His seat is up for reelection in 2020. According to WMC,  Francie Hunt, Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood executive director, said, “Today, we are kicking off a billboard campaign to help inform more people about his stance.” Norma Lester, Democratic Women of Shelby County president, told WMC, “There should never be a situation where Representative DeBerry has been allowed to be comfortable with what he has done.” DeBerry, the Democratic Leader Pro-Tempore, served as the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators Chaplain in the 111th General Assembly, according to his legislative biography. He has served in the Legislature from the 99th through the 111th General Assemblies. Although the heartbeat bill passed in the House, it stalled in the Senate and was sent to summer study. The Senate version of the Heartbeat Bill, SB1236 sponsored by Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) was sent to “summer study” by the Judiciary Committee on…

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Tennessee Court of Appeals Says Sons of Confederate Veterans Do Not Have Standing to Stop Removal of Statues at Memphis Parks

Jason M. Reynolds

  The Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) do not have standing to stop the removal of Confederate statutes at parks the City of Memphis had sold to Memphis Greenspace. Davidson County Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle ordered Memphis Greenspace Inc. to maintain and preserve the statues of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest, President Jefferson Davis, and Captain J. Harvey Mathes until a contested case hearing is held with the Tennessee Historical Commission, The Tennessee Star reported in January 2018. Memphis Greenspace is the nonprofit owned by Shelby County Commissioner Val Turner who ‘bought‘ and removed the statues in a questionable transaction with the City of Memphis in December 2017, The Star said. The city sold the parks for only $1,000 each. The Sons of Confederate Veterans had filed for injunctive relief, according to the appeals court ruling. Prior to filing its complaint, the society filed a petition for declaratory relief with the Tennessee Historical Commission that sought a declaration on the applicability of the Tennessee Heritage Protection Act of 2016 (“THPA”) to two parks and related monuments In the present action, the historical-preservation society requested a temporary injunction under the THPA to preserve the parks and monuments…

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Senators Blackburn, Blumenthal Sound Alarm Over Chinese Telecom Giant Huawei’s Role in National Defense Technology

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) are expressing concerns about the inclusion of Huawei in the development of next-generation sharing technology in a band of spectrum critical to national defense. The senators wrote a letter on the topic Wednesday to Patrick Shanahan, Acting Secretary of the Department of Defense, and Ajit Pai, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. The letter was also signed by U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Edward Markey (D-MA) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK). “For years, alarm bells have been ringing over concerns about Huawei, especially in regards to national security and economic competitiveness,” Blackburn said in a press release. “Yet, as far back as 2016, and as recently as 2018, representatives from Huawei have been meeting with government officials regarding their work to develop next-generation spectrum sharing technologies between the United States Navy and the commercial sector. Spectrum sharing is a solution to spectrum management, but serious questions need to be answered regarding Huawei’s involvement.” Blackburn also tweeted her concerns, saying, “Alarm bells are ringing about Huawei – especially in regards to national security & economic competitiveness. That’s why @SenBlumenthal & I wrote a letter to @ActingSecDef…

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Sen. Blackburn Introduces Resolution to Protect Freedom of Speech at Universities

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) spoke on the Senate floor Wednesday about her newly introduced resolution to encourage free speech and inclusive debate on college campuses. Video of her remarks on the Campus Free Speech Resolution of 2019 is available here. College campus protests in the 1960s framed Americans’ ideas for what modern protests look like, Blackburn told the Senate. “Once-sleepy college campuses became the scenes of widespread unrest,” she said. Blackburn referenced the Supreme Court ruling in Healy v. James that found that Central Connecticut State University had deprived students of their First Amendment rights when the university prevented the formation of a local chapter of Students for a Democratic Society. Free speech of conservative views is being stifled at universities today, she said. Blackburn, in a press release, said, “On the eve of National Higher Education day, I am introducing the Campus Free Speech Resolution of 2019. It’s a first step in restoring sanity to free speech for American college students. It recognizes that universities should protect the free and open exchange of ideas and that freedom of speech is worth protecting in a world increasingly hostile to democracy.” The Campus Free Speech Resolution of 2019 is…

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Senators Blackburn, Toomey, Tillis to Hold Press Conference Today to Push for Act to End Sanctuary Cities

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) will hold a press conference today on their legislation to protect communities from violent criminals who are in the United States illegally. The Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act (S.1644) would put an end to dangerous sanctuary city policies – like the ones in Philadelphia and San Francisco – that forbid local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, even when they wish to do so, Blackburn said in a press release. The senators will hold the press conference at 11:30 a.m. today in the Senate Radio & Television Gallery, S-325, in the Capitol. Toomey introduced the Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act in the Senate on May 23 and has 22 cosponsors. Companion legislation was introduced in the House by Congressmen Tom McClintock (R-CA-04) and Darin LaHood (R-IL-18). Toomey tweeted, “Sanctuary city policies pose a threat to public safety. I spoke with @CharlesFLehman from @FreeBeacon yesterday about my legislation to get local politicians to comply with federal immigration law.” Sanctuary city policies pose a threat to public safety. I spoke with @CharlesFLehman from @FreeBeacon yesterday about my legislation to get local politicians to comply with federal immigration…

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Hamilton County Mayor Seeks 34 Cent Property Tax Hike to Hire 350 School System Personnel That One Board Member Says Are Unneeded

Jason M. Reynolds

  Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger on Tuesday presented a budget that includes a 34-cent property tax increase for the school system, The Chattanoogan reported. The proposed budget does not include any increase for the county general budget, the publication said. Coppinger had previously talked about including 15 cents for that portion of the budget, for a 49-cent increase. The proposed tax increase of 34 cents would cost the owner of a $100,000 house $85 per year, The Chattanoogan said. The proposed 17 percent property tax increase is meant to hire 350 positions for the school district, The Tennessee Star reported. Proposed new positions include counselors, graduation coaches, a data warehouse programmer, 15 truancy officers and more. School Board member Rhonda Thurman, a critic of the proposed bump in spending for the school system, recently told The Star that even if the 350 personnel do not help to raise test scores, they likely still will keep their jobs. “We never get rid of a program. All we do is keep adding on to them,” said Thurman, who said these positions are unneeded. Coppinger’s proposed budget is $819 million, a $65 million increase from the current year, with almost $60 million…

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Rep. Green Accepting Applications for Nominations to U.S. Military Service Academies

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green announced Tuesday that he has begun accepting applications for nominations to U.S. military service academies. Later in the fall of 2019, members of Green’s staff will host information sessions across the state for high school students and recent graduates who are interested in applying to enter an academy, Green’s office said in a press release. Four of the five service academies — the U.S. Military Academy (West Point), the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy — require a congressional, vice presidential or service-connected nomination as part of the application process. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy does not require a nomination. Representatives from Green’s office, the Tennessee congressional delegation and the military service academies will be available at the upcoming information fall sessions to field questions from prospective applicants and parents. Green tweeted, “I have the privilege of nominating some of the best and brightest young people from across Tennessee to our nation’s military service academies. These nominees are the future leaders of our military.” I have the privilege of nominating some of the best and brightest young people from across Tennessee to our nation's military service academies. These nominees are the future leaders of our military. https://t.co/mbbqsDVQH1 — Rep. Mark…

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Dr. Manny Sethi Announces Bid to Replace Retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander

Jason M. Reynolds

  Dr. Manish “Manny” Sethi on Monday announced he would seek to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN). According to a story by The Chattanoogan, Sethi said he was running as an outsider. “Tennesseans want a conservative outsider who will take on the Establishment, support President Trump, fight illegal immigration and work to repeal ObamaCare,” said Dr. Sethi. “That’s why I’m running for Senate.” Many political experts were surprised by the timing because they were waiting to hear what former Gov. Bill Haslam would decide, according to a story by The Tennessee Journal: On the Hill. But Sethi and his team apparently ran out of patience and decided to pull the trigger, using “outsider” themes echoing those made by similarly little-known Bill Lee when the latter was making surprise march toward the governor’s office last year. Sethi called upon Lee consultant Jordan Gehrke, as well as Chris Devaney, a former state Republican Party chairman who served as Lee’s campaign manager, to handle campaign operations, TNJ: On the Hill said. In December, The Tennessee Star reported on Sethi’s interest in running for the Senate seat. Sethi is an orthopedic trauma surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Sethi and wife Maya…

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Court Orders Portion of Line 3 Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement to Return to Minnesota Public Utility Commission for Reconsideration

Jason M. Reynolds

  The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday overturned a portion of the environmental impact study of Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 oil pipeline replacement project. The court’s ruling is available here. The ruling says: Although we reject most of realtors’ assertions of error, we agree that the FEIS is inadequate because it does not address the potential impact of an oil spill into the Lake Superior watershed. Accordingly, we reverse the commission’s adequacy determination and remand for further proceedings consistent with this decision. FEIS refers to the final Environmental Impact Statement. Enbridge in April 2015 applied for a certificate of need and routing permit to install of 337 miles of pipe and facilities from the North Dakota-Minnesota border to the Minnesota-Wisconsin border to replace the already existing Line 3, part of Enbridge’s Mainline System, the court said. Environmental organizations and tribal bands had challenged a decision made last year by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission  (PUC) which found the FEIS was adequate, the court said. However, the court also upheld most of the environmental impact statement and dismissed most of the opponents’ arguments, Minnesota Public Radio said. The rejected arguments included claims that the study didn’t take into account the…

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House Speaker Glen Casada Starts Discussions With Republicans on Date He Will Resign

Jason M. Reynolds

  Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada is holding discussions with Republican lawmakers on when he will resign, now that he has returned from a vacation in Europe, WKRN reported. The station quoted Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden as saying Monday that Casada would “meet with the leadership team and those discussions are going to start today.” However, some Republicans are voicing frustration that his talks are going through the end of this week and he has refused to set an actual date to step down, NewsChannel 5 said. State Rep. Casada (R-Franklin) said in late May he would resign as speaker after House Republicans voted “no confidence” by a margin of 45-24, The Tennessee Star reported. Another question looming before the House is who will fill Casada’s shoes. Steve Gill, Political Editor of The Star, said, “Once speaker Casada announces the timetable for his departure, the fight to replace him will begin in earnest. So far, there has been some positioning and preparation but it will be full on Game of Thrones soon.” “Some potential candidates may ultimately decide to wait for another shot, not because they don’t want to be Speaker but because they make the calculation that…

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We Build the Wall Finishes First Half Mile Section in New Mexico

Jason M. Reynolds

  The first half mile section of the border wall in Sunland Park, New Mexico was completed Sunday, even as armed drug cartel foots soldiers probed the wall over the weekend. “Foreman Mike” of We Build the Wall was featured in an update late Sunday morning on YouTube and the organization’s other social media accounts. At that point, about 39 feet of the section remained to be done. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3vbw2HG03E&app=desktop There is still work to do on the roadway and lighting, Foreman Mike said on this version of the We Build the Wall video on Twitter feed of organization founder Brian Kolfage. Foreman Mike projected the entire project would be completed Tuesday. https://twitter.com/BrianKolfage/status/1135185537848020992 Work resumed last week after Sunland Park Mayor Javier Perea backtracked on his claim the wall violated city law, after the city had issued a cease and desist order, Battleground State News reported. Foreman Mike said on Sunday’s video that crews were working around the clock and pointed out the formidable, mountainous terrain. The wall runs up a 31 percent grade. He said Tommy Fisher of Fisher Industries and Stanley Jobe of Jobe Concrete were leading the work. You can see the wet concrete,” Foreman Mike said, pointing…

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