Author: Jason M. Reynolds

Mae Beavers and Diane Black Praise 6th Circuit Court Decision Upholding Right to Life ‘Amendment One’: Abortion is Not a ‘Right’ in Tennessee

Jason M. Reynolds

The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling on Tuesday upholding the choice of Tennessee voters on Amendment 1 in 2014.  Amendment 1, which was placed on the statewide ballot that year by the Tennessee General Assembly as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, passed with 53 percent of the vote, and amended the Tennessee Constitution to read, in part: Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion. “The Tennessee Legislative Powers Regarding Abortion, Amendment 1 was on the November 4, 2014 ballot in the state of Tennessee as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment, where it was approved,” Ballotpedia reported: The measure added language to the Tennessee Constitution empowering the legislature to enact, amend or repeal state statutes regarding abortion, including for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to protect the mother’s life. Amendment 1 was placed on the ballot by the Tennessee General Assembly in two separate votes. It was sponsored by U.S. Rep. Diane Black (R-6), who was a state senator at the time of introduction, and State Sen. Mae Beavers (R-17) as Senate Joint Resolution 127. . . The Tennessee General Assembly was required to approve the amendment in two successive sessions. In the first…

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Prankster ‘Welcomes’ California’s Sanctuary State Status

Jason M. Reynolds

California became an official sanctuary state at the start of 2018, and at least one prankster mockingly marked the occasion with fake “Welcome” road signs. The California Department of Transportation confirmed the discovery of five official-looking signs declaring the state as an “official sanctuary state,” the Washington Examiner reported Jan. 2. The signs are posted underneath official “Welcome to California” highway signs and appear genuine. There were no reports of the identity of the prankster or pranksters. A sanctuary city, or state, is one in which federal immigration policies will not be honored. One sign posted on Interstate 15 at Mountain Pass near the California-Nevada border has been taken down, California Department of Transportation spokesman Mark Dinger told the Washington Examiner. There was no word on the fate of the other fake signs. The Alternative News Media’s Instagram page showed a photo of one of the signs, which reads, “OFFICIAL SANCTUARY STATE Felons, Illegals and MS13 Welcome! Democrats Need The Votes!” The state seal and a logo with the Democratic Party’s donkey mascot adorn the fake signs as well. The law that took effect on Jan. 1 prevents police from asking people about their immigration status or participating in federal immigration…

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Barbers Making House Calls One of Many Law Changes in 2018

Jason M. Reynolds

Barbers may make house calls starting in 2018. That’s one of at least 16 changes to the Tennessee Code Annotated as of Jan. 1. According to the Tennessee Legislature, a change to TCA Title 62 will broaden “barbers’ ability to perform services in a residence from residences of persons who are actually ill to all residences regardless of the health of the person.” Barbers wishing to make house calls must earn a “residential barber certificate.” Barbers visiting clients’ homes is a national trend. The Hour reports on a new small business called Doorbell Barbers that has quickly gained traction in Norwalk, Connecticut, inspired by the Uber taxi business service. The Shelbyville Police Department posted on Facebook Dec. 18 regarding a new law governing the use of mobile phones in school zones. The updated law is a change to Tennessee Code Annotated 55-8-199: “It is an offense for a person to knowingly operate a motor vehicle in any marked school zone in this state, when a warning flasher or flashers are in operation, and talk on a hand-held mobile telephone while the vehicle is in motion.” The fine is not to exceed $50. The Legislature’s website adds that the law “makes it a…

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Rep. Scott DesJarlais Calls Impeachment Attempt ‘Political Stunt’

Jason M. Reynolds

One Tennessee congressman called U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s attempt to impeach President Donald J. Trump a “political stunt.” Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) and other House Democrats on Wednesday filed five Articles of Impeachment against the president. U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-03) told the Tennessee Star, “Americans voted for Donald Trump and Republicans to improve the economy and national security. That’s what we’re working on and would be glad to have Democrats’ help. I think that’s what the country would like. “Political stunts, which might make some feel better about an election loss, only slow progress on important matters like cutting middle-class taxes and rebuilding our military. I’m focused on a positive agenda for Tennesseans.” In the Articles of Impeachment, Cohen and his co-sponsors cited allegations of Russian interference in the presidential elections, alleged links between Trump’s campaign and Russia and the firing of FBI Director James Comey. The Democrats also accused Trump of profiting off his business brand during his presidency (a process called emoluments), the pardoning of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Trump’s disagreements with the news media. Cohen is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. He called for the committee to…

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Rep. Steve Cohen Files Articles of Impeachment Against President Trump

Jason M. Reynolds
Rep. Steve Cohen

U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) and other House Democrats on Wednesday filed five Articles of Impeachment against President Donald J. Trump. “The time has come to make clear to the American people and to this President that his train of injuries to our Constitution must be brought to an end through impeachment,” the congressman from Tennessee’s 9th District said in a press release. “I believe there is evidence that he attempted to obstruct an investigation into Russia’s interference with the U.S. presidential election and links between between Russia and the Trump campaign, most notably the firing of FBI Director James Comey.” Cohen is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. The Articles of Impeachment may be read here. Other reasons given include: National Security Advisor Michael Flynn misled Vice President Pence about his discussions with the Russian Ambassador to the United States. • Donald J. Trump demanded F.B.I. Director James Comey’s loyalty, and asked Comey to let Flynn go. • Donald J. Trump fired F.B.I. Director James Comey while the F.B.I. was investigating Russian interference with the 2016 presidential election including possible collusion with the Trump campaign. Donald J. Trump admitted in a television…

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Apologetics Conference Brings Global Evangelists to Murfreesboro

Jason M. Reynolds

“I don’t have enough faith to be atheist.” That statement may make atheists scratch their heads or utter a mocking remark. However, it is the focal point of Christian apologist Frank Turek’s ministry. He will share his arguments for Christianity at the Defending Truth Apologetics Conference on Nov. 4 at New Vision Baptist Church in Murfreesboro. He will be joined by global evangelist Ravi Zacharias; J. Warner Wallace, author of “Cold-Case Christianity;” and evangelist Stuart McAllister. Defending the Truth will equip people with tools to engage non-Christians within the secular American culture, people with “a sense something is wrong with the world and everyone knows there is something wrong.” In his ministry, Turek makes the case that Christianity is more rational than unbelief. Every person has a sense of justice. What is justice? What is the source of justice? Why should we fight for justice? “None of that makes any sense unless God exists,” Turek said. “There is no justice if we are just molecular machines like the atheists say. Everybody wants to right wrongs, but there can’t be something wrong unless there is something right, and right does not exist unless a standard of right exists — that’s God.”…

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NFL May Flag Players Who Kneel For Anthem

Jason M. Reynolds

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell may signal a penalty on players who disrespect the flag and national anthem. Goodell sent a letter to all 32 NFL teams on Tuesday, Oct. 10 saying the league needs to move on, Business Insider reports. “Like many of our fans, we believe that everyone should stand for the National Anthem,” Goodell wrote. “It is an important moment in our game. We want to honor our flag and our country, and our fans expect that of us.” The topic will be discussed at a league meeting next week. Owners may allow players to give input, but they can make a decision without the union’s approval, the Daily Mail reports. The NFL may have already quietly changed its national anthem policy to allow teams to directly players instead of relying on the league to do so, the Daily Mail quotes ESPN reporter Chris Mortensen as saying. The policy now reads, “'[Players’ f]ailure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.’” Goodell does, however, plan to provide players a “platform,” Business Insider reports.…

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Small Businesses Carry Burden of High Taxes in Tennessee

Jason M. Reynolds

Small business owners in Tennessee are paying the price — literally — for large corporations raking in tax breaks. “What we keep seeing is that small business owners are taking on the burden of higher taxes for governments to give their tax dollars to big businesses,” said Mark Cunningham, a spokesman for the Beacon Center of Tennessee, a nonpartisan think tank. Nashville has waived property taxes or given grant money for many new downtown hotels, Cunningham said. Those funds must be replaced from somewhere, and somewhere often means small businesses. With Nashville and Memphis competing with other cities for the new Amazon headquarters, whoever lands the deal will pay out the “biggest corporate welfare deal” for 50,000 jobs, Cunningham said. “It’s a terrible deal.” In effect, he said, Tennessee has two tax codes: one for big businesses and one for small businesses. The Beacon Center of Tennessee would prefer everyone pay lower taxes. The piling on of multiple taxes from different government bodies year after year takes a toll, some small business owners say. Small business owner Kasey Parsons ignited a firestorm when she posted to Facebook the city and county property tax bills for only one of her several…

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Titans’ Delanie Walker to Fans: Stay Home

Jason M. Reynolds

The Tennessee Titans’ tight end Delanie Walker may believe money grows on trees, for he apparently does not think ticket-buying fans pay his salary. The NFL player smack-talked his team’s fan base earlier this week when he said those who are upset about high-salaried players kneeling for the national anthem should stay home, Fox News Insider quoted from other media reports. Or perhaps the athlete thinks people pay to hear his political opinions rather than watching him compete in a sporting event. “OK. Bye,” the tight end was reported saying about Titans’ fans. Walker has a two-year, $13.3 million contract. Coach Mike Mularkey told the media that he thought it was a team-wide decision to remain in the locker room Sunday, Sept. 24. The Titans media office declined to comment to The Tennessee Star on Walker’s remarks and referred to their Sept. 24 statement: “As a team, we wanted to be unified in our actions today. The players jointly decided this was the best course of action. Our commitment to the military and our community is resolute and the absence of our team for the national anthem shouldn’t be misconstrued as unpatriotic.” Jessie James Decker, the country singer and wife of…

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Christian Agencies Use Know-How to Help Hurricane Victims

Jason M. Reynolds
Tennessee Star

The Daily Caller reports that Christian non-profits do more than any government agency to support victims of disasters like hurricanes Harvey and Irma. The story says that faith-based organizations provide the bulk of relief, even when compared to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, quoting a national media story. The National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) works with FEMA to distribute resources in disaster areas and help victims find the help they need. Seventy-five percent of NVOAD’s membership is comprised of faith-based organizations, The Daily Caller reports. The disaster coordination agency’s membership, includes notables like the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team and Convoy of Hope, plus many denominational response organizations including those for the Adventists, Disciples of Christ and Episcopalians. There are non-Christian and secular groups as well. Such organizations have the experience and logistical infrastructure to effectively respond to disasters and work with devastated communities in the long-term. Jake Raabe, in the Baptist Standard, speaks out against the “second disaster” created when well-intentioned people send useless items like teddy bears that overwhelm meaningful relief operations. Supply planes could not land in Honduras after Hurricane Mitch ravaged that nation in 1998 because Americans had donated so much used clothing that boxes of…

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From Utilities to Sea Turtles, Tennesseans Help Hurricane Victims

Jason M. Reynolds

Tennesseans’ responses to the recent hurricanes has included the traditional measures of sending money and supplies as well as more creative efforts like providing housing for evacuees and sea turtles. The Volunteer State lived up to its name as individuals, churches, utilities, emergency responders and others offered their support to residents of Texas, Louisiana, Georgia and Florida from hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Metro Nashville Water Services sent 27 employees to Key West and Key Largo, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency reported on Sept. 15. The utility has experience in restoring services after disasters, such as the 2010 Nashville flood. The utility workers will spend 11 days repairing water lines along the Florida Keys Aqueduct which serves almost 50,000 customers in the Florida Keys. The team will operate from Marathon, Florida. “Power restoration and petroleum supplies are of significant concern, and many survivors cannot reach their homes due to debris and flooding,” Patrick Sheehan, TEMA director, said in the statement. Tennessee’s emergency services response to Irma victims has included five ambulance strike teams, two public health incident management teams, an urban search and rescue team, and a nurse strike team, TEMA reported. The Murfreesboro Fire Rescue Department and Rutherford County Special…

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Tech Company Fights for Parental Control of Video Entertainment

Jason M. Reynolds

  “Watch movies and TV however the BLEEP you want.” That is the motto of a modern technological David taking on corporate Goliaths. VidAngel Inc. offers filtering of certain stream-on-demand media, said CEO Neal Harmon. Consumers have the option of removing objectionable content while watching Netflix, Amazon Prime and HBO Amazon Channels, all from the comfort of their home. The technology can remove obscene language, nudity and violence. By age 18, a youth has seen 16,000 murders on movies and TV, according to a 1998 study titled “Psychiatric Effects of Media Violence” by the American Psychological Association, as reported on a VidAngel promo video. Parents don’t have to worry about covering their children’s eyes or covering their ears. Consumers can filter the streaming videos through the VidAngel app on most devices, Harmon said. Does that degree of parental control sound like a good idea? Some media giants do not think so. VidAngel has been locked in a legal battle with Disney, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm for more than a year. The fight is uphill at this point as the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Aug. 24 denied the company’s appeal of a preliminary injunction that was…

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Abortion Is Weapon to Keep Blacks Under Control Says Commentator Kevin Jackson

Jason M. Reynolds

The battle over access to abortions is a battle of life and death. One black conservative activist also says it’s a battle against racism. Black Lives Matter, an activist group founded in 2012 and which says it protects black lives, lists a number of causes it stands for, from globalism to transgender affirming to black feminism. The website’s category for family advocacy lists “dismantling the patriarchal practice that requires mothers to work ‘double shifts’ that require them to mother in private even as they participate in justice work.” Nowhere does the lists of causes mention preventing the abortion of black babies. Political commentator Kevin Jackson, who is black, said he does not consider Black Lives Matter to be an actual group. Instead, it pretends at humanitarian efforts, said Jackson, who publishes TheBlackSphere.net blog. His site says he wants to “set the record straight on the destruction of the black community at the hand of the Democratic Party.” Jackson is a talk radio host on Salem Communications, author of such books as “Race Pimping: The Multi-Trillion Dollar Business of Liberalism” and a regular Fox News political commentator. The eugenics movement has always sought to “keep the population of blacks at what they call…

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Knoxville Monument Protest Ends Without Violence

Jason M. Reynolds

The Confederate monument protest in Knoxville Saturday ended without violence, police said. The Knoxville Police Department (KPD) tweeted Saturday that the demonstration in Fort Sanders was “peaceful and successful.” The protest was held against a monument in the historic neighborhood that honors fallen Confederate soldiers from the Battle of Fort Sanders on Nov. 29, 1863. WATE reported the city had shut down a portion of 17th Street to vehicles. Earlier in the day, the KPD tweeted that guns, knives and face coverings would not be permitted. Police also reported handing out water to protestors. Petitions were posted online last week calling both for the removal and the preservation of the monument, WATE reported. The monument was vandalized and then cleaned up. WBIR reported about 300 people gathered near the monument. Most protested the structure, while a few showed support. Some chanted “not in Knoxville,” while one woman displayed a sign reading “defend our monument.” The KPD tweeted that the drivers of dozens of cars that towed from the protest area would not have to pay. The department tweeted the name and number of the city impound lot. Democratic Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero tweeted “Thank you @knoxsheriff, @TNHighwayPatrol, @OakRidgePolice, @TBInvestigation, @KnoxvilleFire, @UTPolice &…

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Traffic Cameras An On-Going Fight in Tennessee

Jason M. Reynolds

  One legislator is campaigning against efforts by local governments to collect traffic citations he says they have no right to obtain. State Rep. Andy Holt (R-Dresden) championed a 2016 law that said vendors’ contracts for speeding and traffic light cameras could not renew once their terms expired. That law did not apply to the contracts of cameras used in school zones and along S-curve streets. “Photo enforcement has not been banned in Tennessee, but that’s why I have been going on a full-bent effort to inform folks they do not have to pay photo enforcement citations,” Holt said. “I fully believe the best way to get rid of photo enforcement is to starve the beast.” A police industry spokeswoman disputes claims that the Legislature changed the laws governing traffic cameras. “They did not change the statute any,” said Maggi M. Duncan, executive director of the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police. “All it (the new law) did was say what’s in the statute. The back-and-forth has some drivers confused, like Wayne Forkum of Knoxville, which has cameras. “When the cameras were first installed, the duration of the yellow caution light was shortened in order to catch motorists expecting the…

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