Author: Tom Pappert

Tennessee House Democrats Upset Over ‘Do Not Stand with Child Rapists’ Sign, Celebrate Refusal of State Rep. Jones to Lead Pledge of Allegiance

Tom Pappert

Tennessee State House Representative G.A. Hardaway (D-Knoxville) objected to signs urging lawmakers to stand against child rapists during a meeting of the House Criminal Justice Committee held just days prior to Haradaway’s defense of Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville), who refused to lead the legislative body in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition told The Tennessee Star that activists affiliated with the group were present at the Tennessee General Assembly last Monday, holding signs urging lawmakers, “Do not stand with child rapists,” following a subcommittee vote by Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) against HB 1663.

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Kari Lake Campaign Declares Sen. Sinema Has ‘No Path to Victory’ as Schumer-Sinema Border Bill Unveiled

Tom Pappert

The U.S. Senate campaign for Kari Lake told The Arizona Sun Times that Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) “has no path to victory” just before the former Democrat unveiled her Senate bill to address the border crisis with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

Sinema, who has still not declared whether she will seek reelection this November, unveiled a $118 billion border bill alongside Senators Schumer, James Lankford (R-OK), and Chris Murphy (D-CT).

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Virginia House Passes Bills to Ban Firearm Sales, Increase Minimum Wage

Tom Pappert

The Virginia House of Democrats successfully passed HB 1 and HB 2, which would see the minimum wage in the commonwealth raised to $15 per hour by 2026 and make the sale or transfer of “assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices” a misdemeanor criminal offense.

Filed by Delegate  Jeion Ward (D-Hampton), HB 1 would see Virginia’s current minimum wage of $12 per hour increased to $13.50 per hour in 2025 before increasing to $15 per hour in 2026. It passed through committee with partisan votes, and narrowly passed in the House of Delegates with 51 votes in favor and 49 votes against.

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Georgia Sues Biden Administration over Objections to Gov. Kemp’s ‘Pathways to Coverage’ Medicaid Expansion

Tom Pappert

The State of Georgia and Georgia Department of Community Health (GDCH) launched a lawsuit on Friday against the Biden administration over its objections to Governor Brian Kemp’s limited Medicaid expansion, the Georgia Pathways to Coverage.

Georgia, the lawsuit explains, entered into a five-year agreement with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement Pathways, but in January 2021, CMS told Georgia it “preliminarily determined” the program was “unlawful and should be suspended.”

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Jacksonville Sheriff Released Racist Manifesto Just Six Months After Shooting, Suicide

Tom Pappert
TK Waters

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters released in January the manifesto written by Ryan Palmeter, who fatally shot three people in a racially motivated attack that happened last August at a Dollar General in Florida last year before turning the gun on himself.

The manifesto was released following the completion of an investigation into the circumstances that led to the shooting by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department.

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Arizona Democrat Leezah Sun Resigns from State House After Threatening to Throw Government Official off Balcony

Tom Pappert
Leezah Sun

Arizona State Representative Leezah Sun (D-Avondale) resigned from her seat on Wednesday after the release of a report by the Arizona House Ethics Committee this week, which determined she repeatedly leveraged her position to intimidate other government officials, threatened to kill a government official, and interfered in a court-ordered child custody transfer using a badge with her legislative title printed on it.

Sun resigned just one day after Ethics Committee members, including Representatives Joseph Chaplik (R-Scottsdale), Travis Grantham (R-Gilbert), Gail Griffin (R-Hereford), Christopher Mathis (D-Tuscon) and Jennifer Longdon (D-Phoenix), made their report public.

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Fani Willis Allegedly ‘Stonewalling’ Defense Team, Refused Open Records Requests for Invoices, Contracts, Account of Vacation Time

Tom Pappert
Fani Willis

The Merchant Law Firm, which represents defendant Michael Roman, launched a lawsuit on Monday claiming Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, through her office, is “stonewalling” their defense team by refusing to comply with public records requests for invoices from special prosecutor Nathan Wade, contracts for other contracted prosecutors in her office, and an account of her vacation time.

Roman is a defendant in Willis’ case against former President Donald Trump, and the law firm behind the lawsuit claims Willis’ office continues to slow-walk the release of information that was originally requested by his attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, on September 1.

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Virginia Democrats Shut Down Social Media Regulations After Gov. Youngkin Promised Bills to Protect Commonwealth Kids

Tom Pappert
Kids on a Smartphone

Two bills put forward by Republicans in the Virginia House of Delegates were defeated in the a subcommittee by Democrats on Monday, just months after Governor Glenn Youngkin said promised to file bills targeting social media companies, particularly TikTok, to protect children in the commonwealth.

Defeated by a margin of two votes, HB 1161 would have required social media platforms to obtain a verifiable form of parental consent for minors to use the platform and for parental consent to be obtained a second time before social media companies could collect personal data from minors.

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Two Metro Nashville Schools Where Students Allegedly Brought Weapons Received ‘D’s’ on Their State Performance Reviews

Tom Pappert

Two Metro Nashville students were arrested on Wednesday as a result of separate incidents at two Metro Nashville schools involving firearms. Both schools, a middle school and high school, received D grades by the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE).

A 14-year-old student was arrested on Wednesday at Hunters Lane High School after another student reportedly told school administrators he suspected a firearm in the other student’s backpack. School administrators searched the backpack and found a semi-automatic pistol, prompting the student’s arrest and transport to a juvenile detention facility.

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Arizona Approves Educational Materials from Prager University for Schools

Tom Pappert
AZ State Rep Jake Hoffman

Arizona State Senator Jake Hoffman (R-Queen Creek) and other lawmakers joined Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne on Wednesday for a press event to introduce a new partnership between the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) and Prager University, a nonprofit that provides educational resources that hold a positive view of the United States.

Hoffman and PragerU CEO Marissa Streit joined Horne at a press event outside the Arizona State Senate. They said the partnership with Prager University is about giving educators, parents, and students more choice and control in their education.

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Gov. Youngkin Announces Virginia Permit Transparency Website, Expanding Program Hailed as ‘Model for Other States’

Tom Pappert
Glenn Youngkin

Governor Glenn Youngkin announced on Wednesday the Virginia Permit Transparency (VPT) website, expanding a program Forbes hailed as “a model for other states” to include three Virginia agencies with more to follow.

The governor’s office explained in a press release that the VPT provides the public with “a centralized platform” to track daily status of their permit application.

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Fani Willis Fired Whistleblower Who Warned of Misuse of Federal Funds Shortly Before Paying Alleged Boyfriend Nathan Wade

Tom Pappert
Fani Willis

Audio emerged on Wednesday of a conversation between embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Amanda Timpson, a former subordinate who claims she blew the whistle to Willis about an alleged plan to misuse federal funding by a former member of her campaign who Willis retained as part of her team after taking office.

Timpson recorded the audio on November 21, 2021, according to The Washington Free Beacon, which originally unearthed the clip. This means Willis and Timpson spoke about alleged wrongdoing in at the Fulton County District Attorney’s office just under three weeks after Willis hired her alleged romantic partner, private defense attorney Nathan Wade, to oversee the criminal case against former President Donald Trump.

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NCAA Failed to Establish ‘Clear Guidance and Rules’ Prior to New Allegations Against University of Tennessee, Warns State Rep. Jason Zachary

Tom Pappert
UT Football

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) reportedly plans to bring a slew of new Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) complaints against the University of Tennessee (UT), prompting a fiery response from Chancellor Donde Plowman in a Tuesday letter to the NCAA. Plowman received the support of Tennessee State Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville), who argued the NCAA failed to create “clear guidance and rules” for institutions to follow.

Zachary wrote in a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the Tennessee General Assembly “worked with institutions across our state to craft strong NIL institution that established the framework” in the state, but the NCAA’s “moving target” made work “very challenging” for lawmakers.

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Virginia First Lady Suzanne Youngkin, Attorney General Miyares Hold First Event for ‘It Only Takes One’ Fentanyl Awareness Initiative

Tom Pappert

First Lady of Virginia Suzanne Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares on Tuesday held an event for their new fentanyl awareness initiative, called It Only Takes One. They were joined by Roanoke City Mayor Sherman Lea and the parents of a child who died after overdosing on fentanyl.

“Fentanyl is killing our young people and hurting families across the Commonwealth,” Youngkin said during her speech at the event. She added, “By bringing attention to the dangers of this illicit drug, while giving a voice to victims, we aspire to save lives. Ultimately, caring for one another is our higher calling.”

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Georgia Bill Seeks to Ban AI Deepfakes in Elections, Make Releasing Them a Felony Crime

Tom Pappert
John Albers

A bill was filed last week that could see “deepfake” audio and images, including those created using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, made a felony in Georgia if they are used in the context of an election.

Georgia State Senator John Albers (R-Alpharetta) filed SB 392, which, according to its summary, would make it a criminal offense to use deepfake technology to interfere with an election.

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Democrat State Representative Files Bill to Make Ballot Harvesting Easier in Arizona

Tom Pappert

Democratic State Representative Stahl Hamilton introduced SB 2336 last week, which would allow mail-in ballots to be handled and delivered by individuals who are not related to the voter who cast the ballot.

Hamilton’s bill specifically strikes language that mandates, “A person may only handle or return their own ballot or the ballot of family members, household members or persons for whom they are a caregiver” and declares it “unlawful” to “handle or return the ballot of any other person.”

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Tennessee Ag Commissioner Charlie Hatcher Did Not Sign Letter by Officials in 12 States Accusing Banks of Pushing ESG on Farmers

Tom Pappert

The Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner, Dr. Charlie Hatcher, was not among the top agriculture officials from 12 different states who signed a letter on Monday that warned the heads of six elite banks that their “Net-Zero Banking Alliance” (NZBA) will force economically destructive Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) policies on American farmers.

The Tennessee Star contacted Hatcher’s office by phone and email to ask why he was not among the agriculture officials behind the letter, and to ascertain whether he is concerned by the claim that banks are foisting ESG policies on farmers, but did not receive an immediate response.

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Tennessee House Speaker Sexton Provides New Details on Constitutional Amendment to Refuse Bail for More Violent Criminals

Tom Pappert

A spokesman for Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) on Monday provided The Tennessee Star with new details about the constitutional amendment proposed last week in Memphis to allow Tennessee judges to refuse to grant bail to more violent criminals.

Sexton was joined by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) and Memphis Mayor Paul Young in a Friday press event with other lawmakers and community leaders to call for the constitutional amendment, which would need to be approved by Tennessee voters in a public referendum.

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Draft Bill for Expansion of Tennessee School Choice Shows Scholarships Will be Available to All Students

Tom Pappert

The Tennessee Star obtained on Monday a draft of the forthcoming Education Freedom Scholarship Act previously announced by Governor Bill Lee in November.

Lee announced in November that he would champion new school choice legislation in 2024 that will ultimately allow all Tennessee families to choose where their children are educated.

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Kari Lake Praises New Arizona Republican Party Chair Gina Swoboda as ‘Election Integrity Hero,’ Confirms She Released AZGOP Audio

Tom Pappert

Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake expressed full confidence in newly-elected Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) Chair Gina Swoboda during a Sunday interview. She also offered new insight about the alleged bribe that was relayed by former AZGOP Chair Jeff DeWit.

Speaking to “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo, Lake called Swoboda “an incredible woman who is an election integrity hero and will make prioritizing securing our elections a top priority” before the November elections.

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Virginia State Senator Louise Lucas Suggests Democrats Will Stop Cooperating with Youngkin if He Vetoes $15 Minimum Wage Bill

Tom Pappert

Virginia State Senator L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) indicated on Friday that Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) could see Democrats, who narrowly control the Virginia General Assembly, end their cooperation if he vetoes her bill to raise the commonwealth’s minimum wage to $15 per hour.

In a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, the senator predicted that Youngkin “will quickly find the cooperative tone from Democrats changing” should the governor veto her minimum wage bill.

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Georgia State House Candidate C.J. Pearson Blasts ‘Rogue Operation’ to Smear Him by ‘Atlanta Political Establishment’

Tom Pappert

C.J. Pearson, who is running in the February 13 special election to fill the seat in the Georgia State House vacated when former Representative Barry Fleming accepted an appointment to a judgeship by Governor Brian Kemp, told The Georgia Star News the political attacks about him are due to his strident conservatism.

Political operatives and organizations connected to Kemp are reportedly “taking aim” at Pearson with political advertisements claiming his previous work for Prager University and prior support for Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in 2016, when Pearson was himself just 13-years-old, are proof he does not share Georgia’s values.

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Bills Would Let Some Tennessee Gun Owners Carry in Restricted Areas, Strip Ability to Restrict Firearms in Buildings and Private Property

Tom Pappert
Jody Barrett

Tennessee State Representative Jody Barrett (R-Dickson) filed a bill last week that will allow Tennessee gun owners with an enhanced handgun carry permit to bring their firearm into buildings that otherwise prohibit or restrict carrying weapons.

A second bill filed by Barrett, which would prevent individuals, businesses, or governments in Tennessee from prohibiting firearms, is scheduled to be heard this week.

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Virginia Attorney General Miyares Launches Media Campaign for Operation Ceasefire to Address Gun Violence

Tom Pappert

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares confirmed on Thursday a $2.8 million media campaign to support Operation Ceasefire, the campaign he began in 2022 to lower gun violence throughout the commonwealth.

A trailer for the attorney general’s campaign, posted to YouTube last month, reveals an upcoming “public awareness and media campaign” titled Ceasefire Virginia. Miyares intends to reach “young people who may be considering gang or violent criminal activity” by targeting them on social media.

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Republicans in Georgia State Senate Want to Expand RICO Law Used Against President Trump, Rapper Young Thug, ‘Stop Cop City’ Protesters

Tom Pappert
John Albers

A total of 10 Republicans in the Georgia State Senate are now sponsors of SB 359, originally filed by State Senator John Albers (R-Alpharetta), which would expand Georgia’s Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act to allow misdemeanor crimes to be included in RICO cases.

The bill would also allow enhanced sentences to be considered in RICO cases based on a defendant’s political affiliations or beliefs.

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Gina Swoboda Wins Election to Arizona Republican Party Chair in Decisive Victory

Tom Pappert
Gina Swoboda

The Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) voted on Saturday to elect Gina Swoboda to be its next chair following the abrupt resignation of Jeff DeWit. Out of 1,600 votes cast, sources told The Arizona Sun Times that Swoboda won over 1,000 votes and her nearest opponent, Arizona Corporation Commissioner Jim O’Connor, won slightly more than 400.

Swoboda, formerly the party’s 3rd vice chair, won the election at the annual AZGOP Mandatory Meeting of the State Committee at the Dream City Church in Phoenix on Saturday and will lead the party ahead of the November elections.

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Vivek Ramaswamy Endorses Kari Lake to Represent Arizona in U.S. Senate, Vows Trump’s ‘America First Movement’ Can Last ‘Next 250 Years’

Tom Pappert
Vivek Lake

Former U.S. presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Friday endorsed Kari Lake in her campaign to represent Arizona in the U.S. Senate. Ramaswamy predicted Lake’s election will be instrumental to securing the southern border and lauded her ability to “hold the media accountable.” Ramaswamy endorsed Lake in a video posted to X, the website formerly known as Twitter. “The slogan of my campaign was ‘Truth.’ That means I am going to support people who are willing to speak hard truths that other Republicans aren’t,” said Ramaswamy, adding that “Kari Lake is one of those fearless Republicans, and that’s why I’m going to endorse her for candidacy for U.S. Senate, and I do expect her to be the next U.S. Senator from the State of Arizona.” Ramaswamy, who dropped out of the Republican race for president and endorsed former President Donald Trump after losing the Iowa caucuses, said his endorsement of Lake is informed by her stance on the southern border, calling it “a nonpartisan issue right now.” The former Republican presidential candidate said, “This isn’t about Republicans versus democrats, and the people who try to make it into that are the ones who have a vested interest in continuing this crisis.”…

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Tennessee House Speaker, Senate Majority Leader Call for Constitutional Amendment to Let Judges Deny Bail for Violent Criminals

Tom Pappert
Memphis Press Conference

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) joined Memphis Mayor Paul Young and a number of lawmakers from both major political parties at a Friday press event in Memphis to call for an amendment to the Tennessee Constitution that would empower judges to deny bail more often.

Sexton, Johnson and Young were joined by State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) and State Representative Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis), and other local leaders, to call for the constitutional amendment.

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Tennessee House Speaker, Senate Majority Leader to Hold Joint Event in Memphis with Paul Young

Tom Pappert

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) will hold a joint event with Memphis Mayor Paul Young at Memphis City Hall.

In a Thursday media release from Sexton’s office, the leaders revealed they plan to “make a major announcement alongside Mayor Young, law enforcement officials and community leaders” on Friday at 10:30 a.m.

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Youngkin Declared Biden Can’t ‘Deal with Our Border’ Before Announcing ‘Virginia Stands with Texas’

Tom Pappert
Youngkin Border

Governor Glenn Youngkin responded on Wednesday to President Joe Biden referring to former Governor Terry McAuliffe as the “real governor” of Virginia before he later announced “Virginia stands with Texas” in the standoff between Governor Greg Abbott and the Biden administration over Abbott’s efforts to protect the state’s southern border.

Biden launched a Tuesday campaign event by greeting Virginia and “the real governor, Terry McAuliffe,” which White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted was a joke. After Biden’s apparent attempt at comedy, Youngkin told 12 On Your Side on Wednesday that he was not surprised the president “doesn’t know who the Governor of Virginia is.”

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Fani Willis Reportedly Accused Trump’s Lawyer of Racism in Email Chain over Discovery Documents

Tom Pappert
Fanni Willis

A report containing emails from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, sent two days after she was accused in a court filing of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with the special prosecutor she appointed to investigate former President Donald Trump, reveal she made allegations of racism against Trump’s attorney, Steve Sadow.

On January 8, Willis was accused of engaging in a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who she appointed to oversee her case against former President Donald Trump, in a court filing by Michael Roman, who is a co-defendant in the Georgia election case against Trump.

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Trump Cancels Arizona Appearance, Arizona Republicans Cancel Freedom Fest in Wake of AZGOP Audio Release

Tom Pappert
Donald Trump

Former President Donald Trump canceled his planned travel to Arizona for Freedom Fest, an event held by the Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP), which was also canceled despite other speakers planning to attend.

The AZGOP’s decision to cancel the event came just one day after the party’s chairman resigned following the release of audio in which he relayed an offer to U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake that would see her receive a well-paying job in the private sector in exchange for staying out of politics.

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Gov. Bill Lee Supports Gov. Greg Abbott in Southern Border Standoff: ‘Tennessee Has Always Stood With Texas’

Tom Pappert

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee confirmed on Thursday that he supports Texas Governor Greg Abbott in his standoff with the Biden administration over Texas’ defense of its southern border.

After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government had the authority to remove border defenses erected by Texas to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing the southern border, Abbott invoked the state’s right to self defense on Wednesday, declaring the Biden administration failed in its duty to protect the country and President Joe Biden “violated his oath to faithfully executive immigration laws enacted by Congress.”

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Annual Report by Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy Reveals Focus on Diversity, Fairness as Memphis Faced Crime Surge

Tom Pappert
Steve Mulroy

A new report released by the office of Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy on Tuesday reveals the district attorney made his office more diverse and focused on fairness during his first year in office. Memphis suffered a crime wave during Mulroy’s first year on the job, ultimately giving it the highest homicide rate per capita in a study of large U.S. cities.

Mulroy began his report with a statement claiming “Crime and Reform” are “complementary,” arguing, “Reform restores public confidence in the fairness of our system, which is understandably low after years of neglect,” which in turn will lead to more “cooperation” with law enforcement, leading to a decrease in crime.

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Gov. Brian Kemp Prefers Changing Law Stalled by Georgia Supreme Court over Senate Investigation into Fani Willis, Nathan Wade

Tom Pappert
Brian Kemp

Governor Brian Kemp said on Tuesday that he would prefer Georgia lawmakers make changes to the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission (PAQC) rather than pursue the effort by Republicans in the Georgia Senate to form a new investigative committee to explore allegations Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is engaged in a romantic affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

Not only was Willis recently accused of engaging in the inappropriate relationship, it was also alleged by one of the defendants in her election case against former President Donald Trump that she financially benefited from Wade’s appointment through her participation in luxurious vacations paid for by Wade.

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Biden Administration Stiffed Nonprofit That Helped with Afghanistan Withdrawal, Virginia Democrats Claim

Tom Pappert
Tim Kaine

The Biden State Department reportedly failed to pay nearly $700,000 to the Northern Virginia Emergency Response System (NVERS), a nonprofit partnership of Virginia governments, hospitals, and other private sector groups, after it was called to support the Biden administration’s relocation of Afghan citizens in the aftermath of the 2021 withdrawal of the United States military from Afghanistan.

A letter addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken detailing the unpaid debt was signed by six Democrats representing Virginia in Congress, including Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, as well as Representatives Jennifer Wexton (VA-10), Don Beyer (VA-08), Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), and Gerry Connolly (VA-11).

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Kari Lake Confirms She Recorded AZGOP Audio, Reveals Daughter’s Concern Helped Motivate Release

Tom Pappert
Kari Lake

Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake confirmed on Thursday that she recorded the audio of former Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) Chair Jeff DeWit relaying an offer for Lake to receive a well-paying private sector job in exchange for staying out of politics. She also said listening to the audio with her daughter was a key motivation to release the recording.

Lake, during an appearance on “Louder with Crowder” on Thursday, confirmed she recorded the audio of DeWit, who resigned from his position leading the AZGOP after the audio surfaced and gave conservative commentator and comedian Steven Crowder new details about its release.

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Tennessee House Democrats Want Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds to Resign over Lack of Classroom Qualifications

Tom Pappert

Tennessee Commissioner of Education Lizzette Reynolds is facing calls to resign over her appointment allegedly failing to comply with the Tennessee law governing her office, which was originally written in 1925 which specifies commissioners must be qualified to teach in the state’s classrooms.

A collection of Tennessee Democrats and the statewide party held a press conference on Monday to call for Renyolds’ resignation, claiming she is not legally qualified for her position, citing Tennessee Code Section 4-3-802, which specifies the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) must be overseen by a commissioner who “shall be a person of literary and scientific attainments and of skill and experience in school administration” who is also “qualified to teach in the school of the highest standing over which the commissioner has authority.”

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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Fails to Join 16 GOP Governors Who Told Biden to Drop Electric Vehicle Mandate

Tom Pappert
Bill Lee Evs

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee was not among the 16 Republican governors who sent a letter to President Joe Biden demanding his administration drop its controversial electric vehicle mandate that would force two-thirds of automobiles sold to be electric by 2032. Lee’s office did not respond to a press inquiry from The Tennessee Star seeking information about why he did not represent Tennessee in the letter.

The letter, revealed on Monday by the Republican Governors Association (RGA), includes signatures from Republican governors representing four of Tennessee’s neighboring states, namely Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Tennessee, Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, and Governor Mike Parson of Missouri.

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Tennessee U.S. Senate Candidate Gloria Johnson Was Only Lawmaker to Vote Against Giving Death Penalty to Child Rapists

Tom Pappert
Gloria Johnson

U.S. Senate Candidate Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) on Tuesday was the only member of the Tennessee State House Criminal Justice Subcommittee to vote against legislation that would allow prosecutors to pursue a death penalty sentence for convicted child rapists.

After an exchange with Representative William Lamberth (R-Portland) over his bill, HB 1663, which amends existing law to authorize “the death penalty as a punishment for rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, or especially aggravated rape of a child,” Johnson quietly voted against the legislation and was seen on video verifying her “no” vote would be recorded by making a thumbs down gesture.

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Fulton County Commissioner Demands Answers from Fani Willis over Alleged Affair as Georgia State Senator Files Legislation to Investigate

Tom Pappert
Willis Ellis

Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis, in his capacity as the chair of the Fulton County Audit Committee, sent a letter on Monday demanding answers from District Attorney Fani Willis over her alleged affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who she appointed to prosecute her case against former President Donald Trump and has compensated more than $650,000 in taxpayer dollars.

Ellis wrote in his letter to Willis that he “must reasonably inquire” about the allegations she “misused county funds and accepted valuable gifts and personal benefits from a contractor/recipient of County funds.”

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Virginia State Senate Unanimously Passes Bill to Ban Universities from Giving ‘Special Treatment’ to Legacy Admissions

Tom Pappert
College Students

The Virginia Senate unanimously passed on Tuesday a bill that would ban colleges and universities in the state from giving preferential treatment or consideration to legacy admissions, which are typically the family members of graduates.

Passed with 39 votes in favor and one senator not voting, the summary for SB 46 reveals the lawmakers voted to prohibit “any public institution of higher education from providing any manner of preferential treatment in the admissions decision to any student application on the basis of such student’s legacy status,” which the bill defines as those students with a familial connection to either an alumnus or a donor.

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Republicans Now Have Most Registered Voters in Arizona as Democrats Lose Nearly 60,000

Tom Pappert
Voter Registration

A plurality of Arizona voters are now registered Republican, becoming the dominant political structure in the state and reversing a previous trend that saw the majority of Arizona voters registered independent.

Data published by the Arizona Secretary of State for January shows 34.58 percent of the state’s voters are now registered Republican, followed by 34.38 percent who are registered “Other” or independent, and 29.55 percent who are registered Democrats.

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Georgia Republican Party Leadership Challenge Rumors Unfounded: Party Officials

Tom Pappert

Three Georgia Republican Party (GAGOP) officials confirmed to The Georgia Star News on Monday that rumors of a forthcoming leadership challenge against two of the party’s top officials were unfounded and no leadership challenge was mounted at the Saturday GAGOP State Committee meeting on St. Simons Island.

In an email reviewed by The Star, Cross cited an editorial from the owner of a Georgia radio station, which claimed a scheme to remove both 1st Vice Chairman Brian Pritchard and 2nd Vice Chairman David Cross from their party positions was scheduled to take place at the Saturday meeting.

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Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes Frustrated Biden Justice Department Won’t Prosecute ‘Threats Against Election Administrators’

Tom Pappert

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D) expressed “frustration” with the Biden administration during a Monday interview with Rolling Stone in which he claimed Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice should be targeting those who make “threats” to election workers and administrators.

Fontes called Garland a “cautious” person and asserted “he is being far too cautious here, when it comes to these investigations and prosecutions of threats against election administrators and election workers.”

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Tennessee Democrats Silent on Nashville Mayor’s Biden White House Trip During Snowstorm, but Upset Glenn Jacobs Campaigned with Trump

Tom Pappert

Democrats in Knox County issued a series of statements on social media last Tuesday which claimed Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs was “absent” during the recent winter weather because he traveled to Iowa to campaign for former President Donald Trump ahead of the state’s caucuses.

The Knox County Democrats posted to social media on Tuesday, “Why is Glenn spending more time this week with Trump, MTG, Matt Gaetz, Kari Lake, and Jim Jordan than with county employees clearing roads or at local churches hosting warming centers?”

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Virginia U.S. Rep. Bob Good Formally Endorses Donald Trump for President

Tom Pappert

Representative Bob Good (R-VA-05) formally endorsed former President Donald Trump in his third bid for the White House in his Monday appearance on The John Fredericks Show after previously endorsing Governor Ron DeSantis last May.

Good told host John Fredericks, the publisher of The Virginia Star, that “it’s time for the entire Republican party to unite” behind former President Donald Trump, who he added is “obviously our imminent nominee.”

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Tennessee Judge to Consider Releasing List of Seized Items from Covenant School Shooter, May Set Court Date for Manifesto Release Hearing

Tom Pappert

Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles set a court date last Friday for this week, during which she will hear motions regarding the possible release of a list of documents written by Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale and to determine a future hearing to decide whether she will release Hale’s manifesto to the public.

Myles will hear two motions this Friday, reported WSMV on Saturday, including a motion regarding the release of “a list detailing the documents” written by Hale, the biological female who identified as a transgender male before she fatally shot three six-year-olds and three staff members at the Covenant School in March 2023, which were “turned over to the judge for her private viewing” last year.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Signs Executive Order for ‘Car-Free Streets,’ Expanding Initiative Started by Disgraced Mayor Megan Barry

Tom Pappert
Nashville Mayor

Metro Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell signed 44 executive orders on Friday, including Executive Order 45, which expands Metro’s Green and Complete Streets policy with calls for the city to close some streets to vehicles and “serve the most vulnerable users of the transportation network.” The policy was originally introduced by disgraced former Mayor Megan Barry in 2016.

The text of O’Connell’s order acknowledges inspiration from Barry’s Executive Order 31, signed in 2016, which aimed to “[a]pproach every transportation improvement project phase with the purpose to create greener, safer, and more accessible streets for all users” to “enhance environmental quality” of Metro Nashville.

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YoungkinWatch: Virginia Democrat Files Bill Supporting Governor’s Plans for Washington Capitals, Wizards Sports Complex in Alexandria

Tom Pappert

Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell (D-Richmond) filed SB 718 on Friday to form the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Authority and Financing Fund to oversee the funding and eventual construction of the new sports complex to house the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards proposed by Governor Glenn Youngkin in December.

The Authority that would be created by Surovell’s bill would consist of nine members, including six appointed by Virginia’s governor and three appointed by elected leaders in Alexandria, Virginia, where the new complex is being contemplated.

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