Author: Steve Gill

Ethics Committee Legal Counsel Disputes Claims by Rep. Mike Carter Regarding Ethics Meetings

Steve Gill

  Earlier this month Representative Mike Carter (R-Ooltewah) complained about a series of meetings held with individual members of the House Ethics Committee, Chaired by Rep. Matthew Hill (R-Jonesboro), on Monday May 13.  The meetings were held in an effort to develop an approved advisory opinion regarding certain facts surrounding alleged actions of House Speaker Glen Casada (R-Franklin). Chairman Hill later indicated that the meetings with individual members of the Ethics Committee were necessary in view of the quickly developing story and the need to get input from members within a timeline that did not permit a full meeting. Carter claimed the development of an advisory opinion that had been requested by Casada was part of an attempt by Casada, through Hill, to protect his speakership. Carter said of his meeting with Hill and two of the Committee’s legal counsel: “my concern with the meeting is that it shows a heart for misrepresentation and political maneuvering to save the requestor’s office even at a loss of reputation and integrity of the House Ethics Committee. This is the most egregious act I have been made aware of.” Carter also implied that Casada was attempting to “rig and predetermine” action by the…

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Republican Caucus Conference Call Reveals Divide Among Republican Legislators Over Casada’s Future as Speaker

Steve Gill

  An emergency conference call hosted by House Speaker Glen Casada to address concerns among the 73 Republican caucus members over recent news stories involving Casada, his former Chief of Staff Cade Cothren and claims that the legislative culture needs to be changed revealed fault lines in the caucus, according to several Members who were on the call. The call was conducted at 1 pm Eastern Time on Wednesday, May 8. “The call lasted about 45 minutes and Glen spoke about the issues that have arisen since late last week before opening it up for Members to ask questions or share their thoughts,” one Republican legislator confidentially told The Tennessee Star. “About a dozen of the legislators spoke up, some in support of Glen and a handful of others expressing their view that he should step down as Speaker. At this point, barring some new and significant revelation of misbehavior by Glen, I think the Caucus will continue to stand with him.” Casada reportedly assured the Caucus that there is no other damaging information that will emerge. “There is nothing else to come out,” Casada said, according to those on the call. Republican legislators who have expressed the opinion that…

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Vanderbilt Poll Raises Questions About Methodology and Credibility of the Political Science Department

Steve Gill

  Vanderbilt University regularly conducts polling of Tennessee political and cultural issues through their Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions. Their most recent poll has just been released and is getting a lot of media attention. Sadly, the new poll reveals the same pattern of questionable methodology, inaccuracy and political irrelevance that should actually embarrass the University. Previous polls have focused on registered voters rather than likely votes, have been constructed with a favorable tilt towards Democrats in statewide polling despite Tennessee being a solid Republican state, and have usually polled for ridiculously long periods of time that no credible pollster would consider reasonable. For example, their last poll had a scant 7 point margin for Republicans over Democrats and was conducted over eighteen (18) days! Accuracy? In October 2016, just a few weeks before the Presidential campaign concluded, Vanderbilt claimed Trump was leading Clinton by an 11 point margin (44-33 percent). Trump won by 26. In May 2012 Vanderbilt claimed Mitt Romney had a tiny one-point lead over incumbent President Barack Obama in Tennessee; Romney carried the state by over 20 points. In 2018, Vanderbilt said Bredesen had a one-point lead over Blackburn in their poll just two…

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Steve Gill Commentary: ‘Like a BAT Out of Hell’

Steve Gill

The Tennessee teacher’s union, TEA, can’t seem to get out of their own way. Not only are they out of touch politically with most Tennesseans — with opposition to gun rights, funding for abortion groups, and support for Hillary Clinton — but they have also positioned themselves far to the left of their own members. This week they went “all in” and handed control of the parental choice debate to the most radical voices in their own organization who also seem to be encouraging an illegal strike that could cost teachers who join them their jobs. Tuesday retired teacher turned legislator Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) was on stage for a rally against school choice with union leaders Lauren Hopson Sorensen from Knoxville and Tikeila Rucker from Memphis.  Two of the three leaders helped form a group called TN Teachers United, and are self-described Bad Ass Teachers (BAT). Rucker even wore a controversial t-shirt to the Tuesday event with large letters F and U on the front. It is unclear, if her target was legislators or her own union leadership, which Rucker has criticized by asserting: “They’re not listening to the members.” Rucker’s goals seem to include sparking a teacher strike. She…

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Anti-Immigration Group Claims Lee ‘Voucher’ Plan Will Fund Education for Illegals

Steve Gill

A writer for a Washington, D.C.-based anti-immigration group has weighed in on Governor Bill Lee’s Education Savings Account (ESA) plan that is slated for a House Education Committee vote next Wednesday. The Federation for American Immigration Reform has posted a piece by Jennifer G. Hickey, one of their web content writers, claiming that the Tennessee school “voucher” plan will provide taxpayer funded K-12 education access to illegal immigrants. It will. It’s the law; and has been since a 1981 U.S. Supreme Court case, Plyler v. Doe,  determined that illegal alien children are entitled to a free public education as a matter of equal protection under the 14th Amendment. Thus, illegal alien children in Tennessee WILL have the same access to public school funding regardless of whether they are provided that access through traditional public schools, charter schools, education savings accounts or vouchers. Nevertheless, neither Ohio nor Florida, which have instituted more generous voucher programs than the Lee ESA choice program, have had ever had a problem with a high proportion of illegals participating. Hickey expressed specific concern that illegal aliens will get an added financial benefit from “vouchers” that are not available to legal citizens: Most school systems fund their operations…

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Steve Gill Commentary: ‘Pay-to-Play’ Schemes Not Limited to College Admissions When Vendors Can Pay School Board Association for ‘Leads’

Steve Gill

The past several weeks have seen collective outrage at the revelation that some wealthy celebrity parents had paid bribes to gain unmerited admission for their children to elite colleges and universities. Criminal charges, lawsuits, and resignations have already resulted from the scandal.  Few expect that the list of those involved in these sorts of efforts to get unqualified students accepted into the nation’s top schools with bribery and fraud to be limited to those identified so far. Investigations will certainly continue. It is also abundantly clear that “pay to play” schemes are not limited to those photoshopping their unaccomplished child onto the faces of actual athletes in order to gain access to opportunities that might otherwise not be available. Here in Tennessee we see something remarkably similar. But instead of photoshopping the Tennessee School Boards Association actually publishes a price list to sell access to vendors seeking contracts with local school districts. The TSBA “Business Affiliates” program encourages those seeking contracts for the sale of products or services to Tennessee school systems to pay the TSBA in order to gain “credibility with boards or school system personnel who make decisions regarding products.” To make it even more clear, TSBA points…

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Tennessean Reporter ‘Rage Tweets’ Because of Tennessee Star Article ‘Discrediting My Story About the Racist Wall Incident at Sunset Middle’

Steve Gill

Amelia Knisely, the Tennessean reporter whose March 8 story titled “Racist incidents are occurring in Williamson schools,”  was discredited by the subsequent Tennessee Star article on March 15, “Williamson County Parent of Sunset Middle School Student Says Alleged ‘Racist Incident’ at School Claimed by Tennessean Never Happened,” went on a self described “rage tweet” on Monday morning about the two stories. “A thread of Monday rage: I don’t normally feel inclined to respond to @tnstar “reporting,” but a story has come out discrediting my story about the racist ‘wall incident’ at Sunset Middle,” Knisely, who “Prior to moving to Tennessee, Amelia was a television reporter and producer in West Virginia. She holds a master’s degree from Marshall University,” according to her Tennessean bio, tweeted. Her bio also notes that, “She previously served as editor of The Contributor in Nashville, and she has written extensively on poverty and homelessness.” At the end of her “rage tweets,” Knisely apologized for directing her tweets to @tnstar, rather then the Twitter account of The Tennessee Star, which is @TheTNStar. “Ah, yes, sorry @tnstar as you are not the @TheTNStar. Never rage tweet before coffee, y’all,” Knisely tweeted. Between those two tweets, Knisely added a…

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Tennessee Firearms Association Files Supreme Court Amicus Brief

Steve Gill

The Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) has filed an Amicus Curiae (Friend of the Court) brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the matter of Jeremy Kettler v. U.S. urging the Court to hear the case on appeal from the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. The brief was filed on Feb. 19, 2019, along with the Downsize DC Foundation and the Heller Foundation. Mr. Kettler, a military veteran, has war-induced hearing damage. He bought a suppressor (inaccurately called a silencer in some news reports) to protect his hearing during target practice with his lawfully owned weapons. He purchased the suppressor under the Kansas Second Amendment Protect Act (Kansas Act). The Kansas law protects guns and gun accessories from federal regulation if they were manufactured entirely within the state of Kansas and then sold in Kansas. The suppressor purchased by Mr. Kettler met both provisions of the law. (Tennessee and eight other states have enacted similar laws.) Subsequently, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) arrested Kettler and ultimately charged him with and a federal jury convicted him of a felony for possessing an unregistered firearm. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the conviction, ruling in part that ONLY…

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The Tennessean Stirs Up Biased Criticism of Williamson County Republican Party Newsletter Meme

Steve Gill

While the national news media outlets are engaged in a frenetic attempt to distance themselves from recent reporting debacles that have crippled their credibility, The Tennessean has produced a story attacking the Williamson County Republican Party for a meme included in a recent newsletter that mocked the intellect of the increasingly controversial new member of Congress, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  The meme has a picture of Ocasio-Cortez being asked about her opinion on Roe v. Wade (the Supreme Court decision that essentially legalized abortion on demand). It portrays her responding in support of it since those are the “only two ways Mexicans can cross the river.” The Tennessean claims the meme is racist. National media outlets have been quick to jump in as well. Williamson County GOP Chair Debbie Deaver noted that The Tennessean is engaging in the same sort of contrived controversy that we are seeing from other liberal news outlets. “As a political figure, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is going to be the subject of political satire and depending on your political view you may find it offensive others while others will find it humorous,” Deaver said. “When Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested her progressive agenda was analogous to gang rape (running train) the…

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Governor-Elect Bill Lee Appoints Long Time Deputy to Liberal Pro-LGBTQ Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero to His Cabinet

Steve Gill

Governor-elect Bill Lee has continued his preference for appointing those closely affiliated to either liberals or Bill Haslam to top positions in his Administration. His latest selection, Christi Branscom of Knoxville, whom he named to his cabinet on Thursday as head of the Department of General Services, fills both boxes. Branscom spent five and a half years as the Deputy Mayor and Chief Operating Officer for extreme liberal Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, during which time Rogero opposed 2d Amendment rights, advocated strongly for LGBTQ issues (including vocal opposition to legislation designed to protect women and girls from men entering their bathrooms and locker rooms), and actively supported the anti-Trump “Women’s March” protests, including speaking at the January 2018 event in Knoxville. Rogero is not new to liberal activism. During the mid-1970s, Rogero worked as an organizer for César Chávez’s United Farm Workers, a labor union that advocated for migrant farm workers. More recently, the pro-abortion community organizer was a Hillary Clinton delegate to the 2016 Democratic Party Convention and has embraced sanctuary city “lite” policies.  Her chief Deputy for five years is now the choice of “conservative Christian” Bill Lee as Commissioner of General Services. One conservative noted that if…

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Steve Gill Commentary: Why are Public School Teachers Avoiding Public Schools for Their Own Children?

Steve Gill

Would you eat at a restaurant that the cooks and wait staff avoided themselves? Wouldn’t that tell you everything you needed to know about the quality of the food they were serving? Likewise, as public school teachers send their own children to private schools at about TWICE the rate of the general public, and at an even HIGHER rate in our urban centers, doesn’t that tell us more about the quality of our schools than a huge stack of glossy, bureaucrat-generated reports about test scores? A survey conducted by EducationNext in 2015 found that 20% of public school teachers had sent their own children to private schools at some point compared to 13% of non-teachers. Those figures don’t include public school teachers who live in another county or district to avoid the schools where they teach. In 2004, an even more comprehensive national study by the Fordham Institute revealed even more disturbing figures. According to that survey, more than 1 in 5 public school teachers sent their children to private schools, which is consistent with the EducationNext study. Nationally, 11% of non-teachers made that same choice. But the Fordham Institute dug more deeply into the choices being made by parents…

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Steve Gill Commentary: The Christian Vote, Particularly the Catholic Votes, Are Critical to Trump’s Re-Election in 2020

Steve Gill

Three states in the midwest that Hillary Clinton was counting on to carry her to victory in 2016 narrowly ended up in the Donald Trump column — Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. If those three states had been won by Clinton, their 46 Electoral votes would have given her the presidency with slightly more than the necessary 270 needed to win. The total vote margin for Donald Trump in all three of those states was only 107,000! He carried Michigan by 11,837. Wisconsin by 27,257. Pennsylvania by 68,236. The big question as 2020 looms is whether he can retain or expand those margins regardless of whom the Democrats pick as their standard-bearer. Democrats won Senate races in all three states in 2018 and knocked off Republican Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin as well, giving them hope that they can swing them back to blue in 2020. Christian voters were a key component in Trump’s victory in those and other battleground states, like Ohio, Florida and Iowa. George Barna detailed the impact of the Christian vote in 2016 in his book The Day Christians Changed America.  Groups like Lift the Vote, a non-profit focused on energizing and mobilizing Evangelical voters in key…

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Steve Gill Commentary: Is a Tennessee Foundation a Key to Resolving Debt and Trade Issues with China?

Steve Gill

by Steve Gill   The ongoing trade dispute between the U.S. and China has occupied much of the business media’s focus in recent months. But an “old” debt battle between the two countries that has escaped notice by most political and business leaders in both countries has recently drawn the attention of President Donald Trump — and his top economic advisors. At the centerpiece of this issue is a little known Foundation based in Lewisburg, Tennessee that represents the holders of the debts owed by China. One of the cards held by China in the trade war is their nearly $1.2 trillion in U.S Treasury bonds that, if sold suddenly and at a discount, could be used as a weapon to cripple the American economy.  But what if the U.S. simply washed away the nearly $1.2 trillion in debt owed TO China by applying it against the bond debt owed BY China? Jonna Bianco, a Tennessee cattle-rancher and President of the American Bondholders Foundation (ABF), represents more than 20,000 owners of bonds issued by Chinese governments before the Communist revolution in 1949.  The ABF claims that American citizens are owed more than $2 Trillion by China. Today’s China is the…

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Steve Gill Commentary: It’s Time for Tennessee Republicans to Reject Toxic Tennessee Education Association Money… and Those Who Accept It

Steve Gill

During the 2018 mid-term elections the National Education Association (NEA), parent organization of the Tennessee Education Association (TEA), made recommendations for U.S. House races. There were 435 Congressional seats up for election, but only 10 of the 289 recommended candidates by the NEA were Republicans. All ten Republicans who received NEA support were incumbents. It doesn’t appear that the national teachers’ union has EVER supported a Republican challenger against a Democratic incumbent in Congress. Although their membership numbers are declining, the NEA remains “the largest labor union in the United States” according to their own materials. They spent $18,128,105, which placed them 13th in political contributions through the most recent campaign financial reporting periods. That money helped propel the Democrats, and possibly Nancy Pelosi, to power in the House. [pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GILL__TEA-2018-Contributions.pdf” title=”GILL__TEA 2018 Contributions”]   Under the NEA’s “unification policy,” all union members throughout the country are forced to pay dues to them. In other words, if you are a member of a local association, you must be a member of the state organization, and subsequently a member of the national organization—which means all local teachers’ unions members are also NATIONAL union members. This approach has enabled NEA to create…

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Phil Bredesen’s Connections to Hillary Clinton Go Back Decades to Their Work Together for Liberal Democrat Presidential Candidate Eugene McCarthy in 1968

Steve Gill
Phil Bredesen and Hillary Clinton

These days former Tennessee Governor and Democratic Party nominee Phil Bredesen is working overtime to distance himself from his huge donations to liberal Democratic political candidates, including over $44,000 to help elect Hillary Clinton.  A Tennessee SuperPAC is working to remind voters about that. Bredesen recognizes that his partisan political past doesn’t really fit his rebranding as a “non-partisan” who is “willing to work with President Trump.” The fact that Tom Steyer, the liberal Democrat billionaire from California who is spending $100 MILLION to impeach Trump, has made financial contributions to the Bredesen campaign also tends to undercut his “media makeover.” But Bredesen’s close connections to Hillary Clinton predate his financial support for her failed Presidential run in 2016. While the media hasn’t paid much attention to the fact, the truth is that Hillary and Bredesen worked together in New Hampshire in 1968 for liberal Democratic Presidential candidate Eugene McCarthy. Bredesen worked as a volunteer for McCarthy that year.  He wasn’t alone, as the New York Times says Hillary “found her voice” in the tumultuous political arena of 1968 when she ALSO worked for McCarthy in New Hampshire. Liberal birds of a feather flocked together in 1968. They still do. Another…

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Gravis Poll Says Lee Leading Dean by 11; Blackburn Over Bredesen by 4

Steve Gill
Phil Bredesen, Marsha Blackburn, Bill Lee, Karl Dean

A new post-primary poll conducted by Gravis Marketing shows the Tennessee Republican candidates for Governor and Senate leading their Democratic Party opponents. The poll of likely November voters indicates that Bill Lee has an 11 point margin over Karl Dean, with 9% uncertain, in the Governor’s race. In the Senate battle to fill the seat of retiring Senator Bob Corker, Marsha Blackburn leads Phil Bredesen by a 48-44 margin with 8% uncertain. [pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/GRAVITAS_Tennessee-August-12-2018-v2.pdf”] The poll surveyed surveyed 620 likely voters between Aug. 9 and 11. Polls by Gravis Marketing have not always been considered among the most reliable in political circles. In fact, they have been identified as the worst polling company in America by some. Based upon the relatively low approval numbers for President Donald Trump in this poll, 54% approval in a state he carried with over 60% of the vote, and 79% approval among Tennessee Republicans when other state and national polls have shown him with approval ratings in the mid to high 80s among his party, the Gravis Poll may be showing less support for the Republican candidates than they actually have. Nevertheless, there are some interesting tidbits within the data. Both Blackburn and Lee…

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A Big-Time Tennessee U.S. Senate Race is Looming … in 2020!

Steve Gill
United States Capitol

As voters in Tennessee turn their attention from the just ended primary campaigns, complete with brutal attack ads, negative mailers, hateful radio spots and dinner-interrupting robocalls, get ready for a lot more of the same in the not-so-distant future. No, that doesn’t refer to the November 6, 2018 general election, though it will be a slugfest. I’m  talking 2020! And that election battle started TONIGHT! Tennessee’s Republican Senator Lamar Alexander is up for re-election in 2020, the same year President Donald Trump is almost certainly going to be on the ballot seeking reelection in the March SuperTuesday Primary and the November general election. A recent Tennessee Star statewide poll (June, 2018) of likely GOP primary voters showed Alexander with a dangerously low mix of approval and disapproval numbers. Only 37.3 percent had a favorable view towards Alexander, while 38.1 percent viewed him unfavorably. Alexander was reelected in 2014, receiving less than 50% of the vote in the Republican primary. Alexander lost a dozen counties to Joe Carr in that primary contest, including most of the suburban counties around Nashville, plus Sevier and Blount County in East Tennessee. At this point, Alexander (who will be 80 years old in 2020) is…

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Steve Gill Commentary: Anti-Trump, Liberal Extremist Tom Steyer Donated $5400 to So-Called ‘Moderate Democrat’ Phil Bredesen

Steve Gill
Tom Steyer, Phil Bredesen

Phil Bredesen is hoping to convince Tennessee voters, who overwhelming supported President Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, that he is not one of “those kind” of Democrats that are out of step with Tennessee values and issues. He has attempted to distance himself from his donations TO liberal Democrats like Elizabeth Warren and over $40,000 to Hillary Clinton.  But now he is also having to separate himself from the donations FROM “those kind” of Democrats. Despite Bredesen’s claim that he isn’t running ‘against President Trump” his supporters sure are. Tom Steyer, a California billionaire who has compared Trump to Hitler and called for his impeachment is a donor to Bredesen. Bredesen’s latest FEC reports shows Steyer donating $5400 to the campaign. Steyer has also pledged $30 million to help Democrats retake the House, which would put Nancy Pelosi back in the Speaker’s office.  Plus he has promised another $110 million to redefine Democrats.  It is clear he is not redefining Democrats in the mold of moderates willing to work WITH President Trump. His organization, Need to Impeach, makes that abundantly clear. He is a liberal extremist who is bankrolling the most vitriolic elements of the Democratic Party.  And he’s for Phil…

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Steve Gill Commentary: Why Can’t Johnny Read in Our Nation’s Capital?

Steve Gill
Steve Gill

Perhaps we should pay more attention to the abysmal reading and math scores being produced in the public schools in our nation’s capital rather than spending our time, energy and resources keeping our southern border wide open to tens of thousands of those who are illegally entering our country. There are about 13 million AMERICAN children living in poverty. Shouldn’t we care for them first before bringing in a massive wave or impoverished and uneducated children and adults that divert resources from dealing with our own infrastructure, education, healthcare and other demands? How bad are the test scores that are being produced in Washington, D.C.? In 2010-11, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, 83 percent of D.C. public school students were not proficient in Reading; 89 percent were not proficient in math. Clearly Johnny can’t read…or do math. But, some might argue, it is because we aren’t spending enough money to adequately teach those children. According to the Census Bureau figures, when calculated accurately, we are spending over $29,000 per pupil per year in D.C.  That means we are spending nearly three quarters of a million dollars per classroom of 25 students per year. We can’t teach basic…

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Steve Gill Commentary: Are Summer Legislative Study Sessions and Meetings Worth the Cost to Taxpayers?

Steve Gill
Steve Gill

Conservatives disagree on many policies among ourselves, but in general we do agree in strengthening the free enterprise system, championing families and pro-moting limited and efficient government. Conservatives detest waste, fraud, and abuse—especially in government. In January Tennessee will have a new Governor, due to Governor Haslam being term-limited, and a new Speaker of the House, because Speaker Beth Harwell is running for Governor rather than for re-election to her House seat. A large number of new legislators will be sworn in as well, due to an extremely high turnover this cycle resulting from retirements, those seeking higher office and others who have taken government jobs. Those new leaders will have a unique opportunity to make a compelling case for more efficient and effective government operations while exercising spending restraint to keep the state’s budget under control. One area that candidates who are looking to fill those slots should focus on is the unnecessary cost of travel for meetings and attendance at legislative conferences and summer study meetings. Do we really care what the California or New York legislative delegations think about most issues facing Tennessee? Our House members are elected every two years, so why during election years would…

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Steve Gill Analysis: Does Justice Kennedy Control the Post Midterm Balance of Political Power in the US Senate?

Steve Gill
Kennedy

In early March Nevada Senator Dean Heller reignited speculation about the long-rumored retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, a somewhat conservative but often swing-vote on critical legal issues. The 81 year old Justice who will turn 82 in July is the second oldest serving on the Court, behind Ruth Bader Ginsberg who is 85, and was appointed by President Ronald Reagan after Judge Robert Bork fell short of confirmation. Kennedy is the longest serving Justice on the current court. Justice Robert Gorsuch, appointed last year by President Donald Trump, once served as a law clerk for Kennedy.  While there had been some speculation prior to the appointment of Gorsuch that Kennedy might soon retire, once he was named to the Court most observers correctly assessed that Kennedy would spend at least one term on the Court with his former law clerk. But despite their history and the obvious fondness that Kennedy has for Gorsuch, they have not been completely aligned in their rulings. In divided cases, Kennedy and Gorsuch were on the same side of issues in their first term together 38% of the time; by comparison Gorsuch sided with Justice Clarence Thomas 100% of the time. As the…

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Steve Gill Commentary: Gaming the System

Steve Gill
Tennessee Star

How the Teachers Union Has Manipulated the State into Subsidizing Political Action For over three decades the Tennessee Education Association (TEA) has held a privileged position in regard to payroll deduction of membership dues for Tennessee teachers. It is a virtual monopoly that is inherently unfair to both educators and taxpayers. The primary purpose is retaining political power rather than promoting professional growth for the members. Tennessee has clearly established that teachers should have the right to join the professional association of their choosing, so it follows that we should establish a process that makes the payment of their dues to their chosen organization fair, honest and simple. Many of the districts who currently offer payroll deductions to support the TEA are not allowing the choice of other organizations, or they impose barriers to equal access to the teachers in the system in order to create an almost insurmountable obstacle to competition. With the union’s unified dues structure, this means school districts are not only collecting local and TEA dues, but NATIONAL Education Association (NEA) dues as well. FUNDING POLITICAL ACTIVITIES Determining political activity has never been fully vetted or explained. In Tennessee the Attorney General confirmed last June (AG…

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Steve Gill Commentary: Crony Capitalism Drives the Haslam Gas Tax Plan

Steve Gill
Tennessee Star

  The Haslam Administration is doling out over $113 million in tax CUTS to some of Tennessee’s largest corporations to justify over $350 million in tax INCREASES on working Tennesseans. According to the Times Free Press, just 24 large manufacturing companies will each receive tax breaks of over a million dollars a year under the Haslam plan. Those two dozen companies will reduce their tax burden by over $57 million and receive OVER HALF of the proposed $113 million in Franchise and Excise tax reduction. Tennessee law doesn’t allow the state to release the specific identities of the 24 companies that will benefit most from the Franchise and Excise tax cut. However, according to the Times Free Press certain companies that fit the profile of those who are most likely among the 24 sharing in the $57 million tax break include Nissan, Volkswagen, and General Motors. “This whole tax scheme appears to be built upon a foundation of special treatment for the Governor’s friends while sticking it to ordinary working Tennesseans,” according to State Rep. Judd Matheny. “Before the plan moves one step forward there needs to be full and complete disclosure of who exactly stands to benefit, and how…

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Commentary: NO, It ISN’T a Tax Cut for Regular Tennesseeans

Steve Gill
Tennessee Star

Proponents of Governor Bill Haslam’s fuel tax increase claim it is actually a tax CUT thanks to reductions in a couple of large corporate taxes, like the Franchise & Excise tax. Cutting taxes on businesses to create more job growth while we have a $2 billion surplus is a great idea…but you don’t have to increase taxes elsewhere to justify it. As Nike ads used to proclaim: “Just DO It!!” The claim that a large tax increase on drivers in Tennessee with a slight reduction of taxes on food is a “net cut” because it is combined with unrelated cuts that benefit a few of the Governor’s cronies is the kind of misrepresentation that“fuels” a legitimate distrust of government. The tax INCREASES on fuel far surpass the CUTS in the sales tax on food. It’s not even close. Muddying the water with corporate tax cuts that benefit a few doesn’t change that truth. As the Haslam IMPROVE Act currently stands, it is a $345 million tax increase. Approximately $188 million will come from the increase in the gasoline tax; another $100 million will be generated by the increased diesel tax; and finally, about $57 million will be collected in the…

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Commentary by Steve Gill: It’s Not About the Roads!

Steve Gill
Tennessee Star - Steve Gill

As Governor Bill Haslam continues to tout the need for a massive tax increase in order to fund road and bridge construction and maintenance in Tennessee it is increasingly clear that the well-funded and heavily lobbied campaign for higher taxes actually has nothing to do with roads. It is actually about spending billions in surplus and increased recurring revenue on everything EXCEPT roads! A good magician is a master of misdirection. While you are captivated by what they are doing with their right hand the real trick is happening in the left hand. Governor Haslam is using the same sort of misdirect move to hide the truth about his tax increase scheme. While Tennessee currently has a surplus of a billion dollars AND an extra billion dollars in recurring revenue the Governor is fighting against any an all efforts to spend ANY of that money on roads. He prefers to impose higher taxes on Tennessee drivers with a seven cent increase in the gasoline tax and a twelve cent increase in the diesel tax (plus additional fees and taxes) that will generate about $300 million a year more for state and local road projects. State Representative David Hawk has proposed…

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