Tag: Bill Haslam

Cleveland Browns One of Next NFL Teams in Line with Large Taxpayer Stadium Subsidy Request

The Center Square
Cleveland Browns Stadium

Cleveland is one of the next cities asking for public funding for a renovation or new NFL stadium after the city councils of Charlotte and Jacksonville each approved more than $600 million in public funding.

Browns’ ownership, the Haslam Sports Group, has reportedly pitched Cleveland and Ohio state leadership on funding half of a potential $1.2 billion renovation of Cleveland Browns stadium or having state and local governments each pay $600 million of taxpayer funds – a total of $1.2 billion – toward building a new stadium in Brook Park.

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Trump Critic Co-Chairs Vanderbilt ‘Unity and American Democracy’ Project

Matthew Giffin
Jon Meacham

Outspoken former President Donald Trump critic Jon Meacham, who compared Trump’s rhetoric to that of Nazi Germany’s Third Reich, serves as a co-chair of Vanderbilt University’s “Project on Unity and American Democracy.”

Vanderbilt launched the project in 2021 because the United States “has become disconnected from evidence and reason” and suffers from political and ideological polarization, according to its website.

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Cleveland Browns Owners Endorse State Senator Matt Dolan for U.S. Senate

Hannah Poling

The Cleveland Browns owners on Monday endorsed State Senator Matt Dolan (R-Chagrin Falls) in his run for U.S. Senate against U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) in 2024.

The Cleveland Browns owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam announced their support for Dolan, who owns a stake in another professional sports team, the Cleveland Guardians, saying they have taken on the roles of his Senate campaign’s Statewide Finance Chairs.

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AP Reporter Takes Sides Against Tennessee Right-to-Work Campaign

Bradley Vasoli

The campaign for the constitutional “right-to-work” amendment appearing on this year’s Tennessee election ballot has garnered vocal opposition from labor unions and other left-wing thought leaders. Supporters could have expected that. Less predictably, a Nashville-based Associated Press reporter railed against the effort this week.

In a Twitter post, AP writer Kimberlee Kruesi opined strongly against Governor Bill Lee’s pronouncements on the issue, characterizing them as “false” and “outrageous spin.” 

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Majority of Tennesseans Support the State’s Right-to-Work Amendment

Bradley Vasoli

A recent poll asking Tennessee voters whether they would support a proposed constitutional “right-to-work” amendment indicates the measure has strong backing.

According to a Cygnal survey of 500 likely voters conducted from October 7 through 9, 58 percent of respondents said they expect they will vote on November 8 to approve Amendment One which would enshrine the policy in the Tennessee Constitution. Only 22 percent anticipated they will vote against the proposal and 20 percent had not yet decided. Positivity toward the proposed amendment enlarged to 60 percent when only voters who indicate they “always” vote on ballot initiatives were examined.

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Bill Haslam Says Republicans Under Donald Trump Too Extreme

Chris Butler

Former Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, according to an article The Atlantic published this week, “is trying to figure out how religious Republicans got so extreme.” Haslam granted an interview to Atlantic writer Emma Green. Green said “Haslam is disturbed by some aspects of the national Republican Party’s recent direction—particularly the way politicians and activists have frequently used religion as a cudgel.”

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Former Flying J Officials Want Change of Venue in Federal Trial

Chris Butler

Three former Flying J officials want a change of venue in their pending retrial on federal charges of cheating truckers out of diesel fuel rebates. This, according to an article that the website Transport Topics published late last week. The website reported that “the high-decibel press coverage from the east Tennessee media has poisoned the jury pool to the point that a fair trial in east Tennessee is impossible.”

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U.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty Leaves Position, Is Expected to Run for Lamar Alexander’s Senate Seat

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty has left the Land of the Rising Sun to return to the Volunteer State in a likely run for Lamar Alexander’s Senate seat. Hagerty tweeted, “Farewell Japan, and thank you for the incredible hospitality you have shown me and my family.  These past two years have been the greatest of our lives.” Farewell Japan, and thank you for the incredible hospitality you have shown me and my family. These past two years have been the greatest of our lives. 🇺🇸🤝🇯🇵 またお会いしましょう ! 👋🏼✨ https://t.co/j53xf4zODO — ラーム・エマニュエル駐日米国大使 (@USAmbJapan) July 22, 2019 Alexander (R-TN) announced in December that he would not run again for the Senate, The Tennessee Star reported. President Donald Trump earlier this month endorsed Hagerty’s potential Senate bid, which likely would be announced after he leaves federal government service, The Star said. Just a week ago, speculation was still running rampant on whether Hagerty actually would run for the Senate, the Nashville Post said, calling him the “hypothetical frontrunner.” Ward Baker, who ran Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s 2018 campaign, is expected to run Hagerty’s campaign, Politico said. Baker is the former executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. On a recent Tennessee…

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The Tennessee Star Report: Rep. Mark Green Discusses How Democrats Want a ‘Different Country’

Julie Carr

  During a discussion Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy spoke to Congressman Mark Green about how he will not be running for the Tennessee Senate seat and how the Democrats are working against the American people and themselves in their hopes of creating a different country. Towards the end of the segment, Congressman Green talked about how the Republicans are ahead of the game with candidates in an effort to take back the House and how they are instituting a similar system to the Democrats to raise funds, called Win Red. Gill: Big news this week as governor Bill Haslam, former governor Bill Haslam announces he will not seek the US Senate seat being vacated by Lamar Alexander which immediately turns speculation to congressman Mark Green. Would he run for the seat? Congressman Mark Green yesterday announcing he will not seek that Senate seat but will instead focus his attention on making sure that President Trump gets re-elected. Making sure that Republicans re-take the house and take that gavel back from Nancy Pelosi and her…

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Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty Endorsed by President Trump for U.S. Senate Seat

Anthony Gockowski

  President Donald Trump has endorsed Bill Hagerty, the current ambassador to Japan, in the U.S. Senate race in Tennessee. “Tennessee loving Bill Hagerty, who was my Tennessee Victory Chair and is now the very outstanding Ambassador to Japan, will be running for the U.S. Senate. He is strong on crime, borders and our Second Amendment. Loves our military and our vets. Has my complete and total endorsement,” Trump wrote on Twitter Friday afternoon. Tennessee loving Bill Hagerty, who was my Tennessee Victoy Chair and is now the very outstanding Ambassador to Japan, will be running for the U.S. Senate. He is strong on crime, borders & our 2nd A. Loves our Military & our Vets. Has my Complete & Total Endorsement! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2019 The announcement comes a day after both former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07) announced that they would not be entering the race. Hagerty will run for the seat currently held by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), who announced in December that he would not seek reelection in 2020. On Thursday’s Tennessee Star Report, Club for Growth Chairman David McIntosh discussed a potential Hagerty candidacy with the hosts.…

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The Tennessee Star Report Talks to Club for Growth’s David McIntosh About Tennessee Senate Race and the Freshman Democrats Running to the Left

Julie Carr

  On Thursday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill chatted with long time friend, David McIntosh, chairman of Club for Growth, about Bill Haslam’s decision not to compete in Tennessee’s Senate race and who the front runners might be. Towards the end of the show, McIntosh and Gill discussed how the new freshman Democrats have voted nearly one hundred percent of the time with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Gill: David McIntosh is the chairman of Club for Growth. Former Congressman from Indiana. Former candidate in Indiana is now heading up Club for Growth. And David, we wanted to talk about the new study that you all have done. And we’re going to talk about all these Democrats that ran claiming to be a new kind of Democrat have turned out to be exactly like the liberal whack jobs of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Nancy Pelosi. They’re voting alike about 91 percent of the time. But before we get to the study. Breaking news this morning, Governor Bill Haslam deciding not to run for the US Senate. I…

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Tennessee Star Poll Shows Haslam Leads Green by 9 Statewide Among GOP Primary Voters in U.S. Senate Matchup, But Green Has Lead in Middle Tennessee

Julie Carr

On Friday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – the duo dissected the recent Tennessee Star Triton poll numbers which show former Gov. Bill Haslam leads Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07) by 9 points statewide among likely GOP primary voters in a potential 2020 Republican U.S. Senate primary matchup. Green, however, leads Haslam in the three Middle Tennessee Congressional districts. Here is the transcript of that discussion: Gill: We’ve been talking a little bit about the Tennessee Star Triton poll that we did over the last week. Friday through Monday. A thousand three likely Republican primary voters were polled. And the reason that we polled frankly likely Republicans is whether you are looking at issues that will be moved through or blocked in the state legislature. The Republicans have super majorities in the state House and the state Senate.  What’s going to move those legislators to have concerns is going to be what do Republican primary voters think because that’s the only way most of these guys and ladies could get beat. Also when you look at the political reality…

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Tennessee Star Poll: Haslam Faces Difficult Challenge If He Seeks GOP Nomination for U.S. Senate

Admin

A new Tennessee Star poll reveals that former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam could face a serious challenge if he seeks the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Lamar Alexander. As noted previously in the Tennessee Star, Haslam’s approval lags far below the support level for President Donald Trump, Senator Marsha Blackburn and Governor Bill Lee. And now it appears that even in a potentially crowded primary field Haslam would start off within reach of a significant challenge by conservative Congressman Mark Green. In a prospective matchup against Green, former Economic Development Commissioner and current Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty, and west Tennessee businessman Jeff Webb, Haslam secures 28.7% support, Green 12.7%, Hagerty .9%, and Webb 1.3% with a huge number of voters (56.3%) undecided. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill points out that such a huge undecided number among likely Republican primary voters with Haslam having served the past 8 years as Governor should be big red flag that Haslam shouldn’t ignore. “The other 3 potential opponents are not as well known, and voters would clearly like to learn more about them before they decide to support Haslam.” The Triton Polling survey was conducted over…

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Tennessee Star Poll: Bill Haslam Lags Far Behind Trump, Blackburn and Lee Among Likely Republican Primary Voters in Approval Rating

Admin

A new Tennessee Star poll reveals that President Donald Trump is retaining his consistently sky-high approval ratings among likely Republican Primary voter (87.7 percent), with Governor Bill Lee (73.5 percent) and Senator Marsha Blackburn (76.1 percent) also enjoying extremely strong support. However, former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam is slightly below 50 percent at 49.1 percent approval with Republicans and lame-duck Senator Lamar Alexander is underwater with an approval-disapproval rating of 31.4 to 46.9 percent, similar to but not nearly as bad as the low approval ratings recorded by former Senator Bob Corker before he chose to not seek reelection. Nevertheless, Alexander’s numbers have declined from his 37.3 percent approval to 38.1 percent disapproval recorded among likely Republican primary voters in a poll conducted by the Tennessee Star last June. Since announcing he would not seek reelection, Alexander has broken with President Trump on a couple of key votes, including a vote against emergency funding for a southern border wall. The new Triton Polling survey was conducted over four days (April 13-16) and polled 1003 likely Republican Party primary voters statewide. It has a margin of error of 3.1 percent. Haslam and Alexander’s current approval numbers closely mirror the results of…

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Haslam Talks About Possible 2020 Senate Run with His Friend, Vice President Mike Pence

Jason M. Reynolds

Former Gov. Bill Haslam reportedly met with Vice President Mike Pence to talk about possibly running for the Senate, and Pence encouraged him to make the bid, Politico reported. Haslam has been interested in running for the seat being vacated next year by U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN). Haslam and Pence met Wednesday to talk about the potential run, WREG said. Haslam said he would decide sometime in this spring. U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07) and Dr. Manish “Manny” Sethi have also shown interest in running, the station said. Pence and Haslam drum up a friendship when Pence became governor of Indiana in 2013, and the men worked together as governors, WBIR said. The vice president notwithstanding, Tennessee’s former governor may have worn out his welcome among conservatives. The Club for Growth Action, a conservative Super PAC, earlier in March released a video aimed at discouraging Haslam from running for Alexander’s seat, The Tennessee Star reported. The video, titled “Dirty Laundry,” is available to watch here. Club for Growth Action’s video shows what it alleges is a history of Haslam “profiting from his business interest, which had been infected with fraud, racist rants, and practices designed to exploit Hispanic and other…

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Club for Growth PAC Airs Haslam’s ‘Dirty Laundry’ in Video, Website

Jason M. Reynolds

Club for Growth Action, a conservative Super PAC, has a message for former Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam: You’re not welcome in the 2020 Senate race. Club for Growth Action last week released a 60-second digital ad, according to a press release here. The video is available to watch here. The PAC’s video shows what it alleges is a history of Haslam “profiting from his business interest, which had been infected with fraud, racist rants, and practices designed to exploit Hispanic and other customers,” according to the press release. The transcript of the video reads: Racist photos. Resignation refusals. Criminal allegations of rape and assault. Reprehensible slurs vile beyond belief. Liberal Democrats are up to their knees in dirty laundry. And liberal RINO Bill Haslam…he’s dirty, too. Prosecutors say the Haslam family business was infected with fraud. Over a dozen company executives and employees convicted for a conspiracy to defraud mom and pop truckers. Haslam got filthy rich as company co-owner, lining his pockets on the backs of working people. His campaigns for Governor fueled with fat contributions from the executive who masterminded the scheme, Haslam’s golfing buddy Mark Hazelwood. The same man caught on tape spewing racist, drunken rants…

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Taxpayer-Funded TSBA Has $5.3 Million in Assets, Paid Top Two Execs $499k Annually, Offers Special Access to Business Affiliates

Chris Butler

The taxpayer-funded Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) had $5.3 million in assets at the end of 2017 and paid its top two executives $499,000 annually in 2016, according to audited financial statements and IRS Form 990 reports. The TSBA filed those reports, which The Tennessee Star obtained copies of this week. Tennessee taxpayers contributed more than 85 percent, slightly more than $2 million, of the TSBA’s $2.3 million revenues in 2016 through Local Education Agencies (LEA- the formal name for public school districts in Tennessee) dues and no bid contracts. The no bid contracts were a gift to the TSBA, which was organized way back in 1939, provided by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1990. “In 1990, the Tennessee Legislature mandated that school board members attend one full-day training session each year. The State Board of Education authorized the Tennessee Department of Education to plan and implement the program. The Department of Education contracts with TSBA to conduct all of the training. TSBA also conducts a variety of meetings, workshops and seminars throughout the year to inform board members and administrators about key issues and topics affecting public education, ”  according to the TSBA website. Taxpayer funding to TSBA came in at…

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Closed Tennessee Primaries Possibly On the Way

Chris Butler

A bill in this year’s Tennessee General Assembly would, if enacted into law, require people register with a political party before they vote in any Tennessee primaries. State Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden, sponsors the bill. According to TNJ: On the Hill, Holt’s bill advanced on a voice vote in the Elections & Campaign Finance Subcommittee Wednesday. Not all Republicans, however, are reportedly keen on the idea. “Former Republican Gov. Bill Haslam called closing primaries ‘a silly proposal,’ arguing that if the change had been made earlier, it would have been much harder for Republicans to get to the position of power they’re in today,” TNJ: On the Hill reported. “Gov. Bill Lee, who won the Republican nomination amid record turnout in last year’s gubernatorial primary, was similarly dubious about the proposal, telling reporters that ‘the current system we have is working.’” According to the website, anyone in Tennessee can vote in a party primary if they are affiliated with it. In other cases, the voter must declare allegiance to that political party in a primary in which they intend to vote. “The law has been interpreted to mean that seeking a party ballot is a declaration of allegiance. In practice, many Tennesseans…

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Bill Haslam Joins Never-Trumper Bill Kristol and Abdul El-Sayed at Liberal DC Institute

Jason M. Reynolds

Now that Bill Haslam has left office as Tennessee’s governor,  he has joined several Never-Trumpers as “spring fellows” instructors at American University’s Sine Institute of Politics in Washington, D.C. The fellowship’s website says, “As an incubator for policy innovation and convener of the best minds in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, the arts, and journalism, the Sine Institute is pleased to announce its inaugural class of Fellows and Distinguished Lecturer. These experts will lead discussions and study sessions with students, as well as convene and participate in campus-wide events throughout the year.” Haslam should fit in with a cast of Never-Trumpers at the university. He said last year that Trump should not endorse any gubernatorial candidate seeking to replace him, referring to Diane Black. Who are Haslam’s fellow “best” colleagues? Several of them are Never-Trumpers. Abdul El-Sayed, innocuously listed by AU as a former Democratic gubernatorial candidate, doctor and former executive director of the Detroit Health Department. There is more to El-Sayed’s story. According to an Aug. 3, 2018 story by The Intercept, El-Sayed is a Muslim American of Egyptian descent who has gained the adoration of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Last Saturday, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., endorsed…

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Governor Bill Lee Delivers Inspiring Inaugural Address Short on Specifics

Chris Butler

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Republican Bill Lee took the oath as governor on Saturday and then delivered a broadly inspiring, almost pastoral, inaugural address in a 15-minute speech that did not provide much in the way of the specifics of his agenda. The inauguration was held indoors at War Memorial Auditorium due to rain. Lee began his address with a compelling historical note that traced his own family’s history in Tennessee. “In 1796 a man and his young family made their homestead on the banks of the Cumberland River just up the way from here. That was the year that the great state of Tennessee was founded. And 223 years later and 50 governors later, we stand here on the banks of the Cumberland River, celebrating our history and anticipating our future,” the new governor said. A few minutes later, Lee identified the man. “The man that I spoke of was Charles Blaxton Lee, and he was my seventh great-grandfather.” Lee said we in Tennessee “stand here today beneficiaries not of great governments of the past but of the lives of the great men and women who have come before us. Men and women who forged difficult lives on the frontier who formed…

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Local Entrepreneur Robert C. Sherrill Receives Pardon from Gov. Bill Haslam

Scott Wallace

Robert C. Sherrill has been running for a long time. In 2002, he ran away from a youth halfway house that made him serve time in an adult prison when he was finally captured. His running, in his words, comes from being in a broken family. When his father passed away when Sherrill was young, he ran. When he got out of prison, he ran a lucrative drug ring. This week he received news that made him run around and shout. Government Bill Haslam called him to let him know that he would sign papers that would pardon him. “It was like a breath of fresh air, I really don’t know how to describe it,” said Sherrill. “I am truly blessed, I’m truly humbled and I am truly thankful. I have been running my whole life it seems. It was a process on this journey to get pardoned. It was a three-month process. Very frustrating. But nevertheless, I am thankful.” Sherrill credits his faith in God and his rough upbringing to keep him focused. Before the pardon, he was able to own several businesses including; Imperial Cleaning Systems Inc., The Lab Nashville, Vanguard Transportations and RCS Holdings Real Estate. Sherrill…

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Company Accused of Screwing Up TNReady Wants Another Chance

Chris Butler

Tennessee auditors may have recently put out a rotten review of how Questar Assessment, Inc. handled TNReady, but that is reportedly not discouraging company officials. According to the Chattanooga-based WRCBtv.com, Questar officials want the job again. Specifically, they want a new state contract to continue overseeing the same service in the fall. They will bid for it, the website reported. As The Tennessee Star reported last month, the TNReady online student assessment tests had login delays, slow servers, and software bugs, according to an audit Tennessee Comptrollers released. As reported, last year Republican Gov. Bill Haslam said TNReady “has had several hiccups” and that criticism of it “was earned.” Auditors, however, went into more detail in their report. “The first signs of trouble began on April 16, 2018 and continued through the end of the month,” auditors said in a press release. “Auditors determined that many of these issues occurred primarily because of Questar Assessment, Inc’s performance and updates to the student assessment system. Auditors also found the Department of Education’s oversight of test administration fell short of expectations.” Over the course of the audit, the department and Questar worked constantly to address the issues that caused or contributed to the spring…

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City of Memphis Employees Allegedly Steal Gas

Chris Butler
Gas up

Employees who work for the City of Memphis are using taxpayer money to fill up their personal vehicles with gasoline, according to that city’s CBS affiliate WREG. No word yet on whether Tennessee’s fuel tax increase drove those city employees to do this. City officials, the station went on to say, have launched an internal investigation. “According to that investigation, the city doesn’t do a good enough job of tracking who’s getting gas and where it’s going. That’s largely because some fuel stations don’t have an effective way of doing it,” WREG reported. “Two city employees have been fired for filling up their personal cars with city gas, purchased with taxpayer dollars. Security at city-owned pumps varies. Some are padlocked, requiring a special key. Others are automated, unlocked using electronic key fobs.” The audit, the station went on to say, says those pumps track gas usage easily. The others, however, typically require manual logs that don’t always exist. “The issue increases the potential for fraud. The city’s General Services Division says it’ll fix the problem by putting devices to unlock pumps directly into city vehicles,” WREG reported. “They’re designed to track who’s driving, how much gas they’re getting and when…

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OFF THE RECORD: Bill Lee Names Six Additional Commissioners as He Works Toward Completing His Cabinet

Admin

Governor-elect Bill Lee will be inaugurated on Saturday January 19. As that date approaches he and his team are working feverishly to complete the selection of his Cabinet and fill many of the top deputy positions in key departments of state government. Thursday afternoon, Lee announced six new commissioners: David Gerregano has served as Governor Bill Haslam’s Commissioner of Revenue the past two years, and helped shepherd the Haslam tax increase (including adding $300 million per year in higher gas taxes) through the Legislature last year. He will continue to serve in that capacity for Lee. Bob Rolfe was appointed in March 2017 by Haslam to fill the slot of Commissioner of Economic and Community Development that Randy Boyd vacated when he left to run for Governor. Rolfe is being retained by Lee in that same position. Gabe Roberts is presently serving as Deputy Director at TennCare and will be elevated to the top slot by Governor Lee. As Deputy Director at TennCare Roberts was actively involved in Governor Haslam’s efforts to expand Medicaid/Obamacare which was derailed by the Legislature in special session in 2015 and again in the regular Session. And during Roberts tenure at TennCare the department apparently paid…

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TNReady Problems Documented in Full Detail in New Audit

Chris Butler

The TNReady online student assessment tests had login delays, slow servers, and software bugs, according to an audit Tennessee Comptrollers released Wednesday. As reported, earlier this year Republican Gov. Bill Haslam said TNReady “has had several hiccups” and that criticism of it “was earned.” Auditors, however, went into more detail in their report. “The first signs of trouble began on April 16, 2018 and continued through the end of the month,” auditors said in a press release. “Auditors determined that many of these issues occurred primarily because of Questar Assessment, Inc’s performance and updates to the student assessment system. Auditors also found the Department of Education’s oversight of test administration fell short of expectations.” The performance audit’s nine findings include five issues surrounding TNReady. These findings include: • The department’s lack of sufficient, detailed information on its Work Plan with Questar rendered it less effective as a monitoring tool to ensure Questar met all deadlines. • Questar’s decision to make an unauthorized change to text-to-speech software without formally notifying the department. This change contributed to the online testing disruptions. • Questar’s failure to sufficiently staff customer support, resulting in lengthy call wait times and high rates of abandoned calls. •…

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JC Bowman Commentary: What I Didn’t Say About the Departure of TN Dept. of Education Commissioner Candice McQueen

JC Bowman

Tupac Shakur said, “Behind every sweet smile, there is a bitter sadness that no one can ever see and feel.” I spent time with Commissioner McQueen as more than a casual observer. Her heart and passion were always for the children and teachers in Tennessee.  She fought battles which nobody knew about and which, despite the lofty title in front of her name, she had little control. 

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Bill Lee Discusses Transition Plans at First Press Conference as Governor-Elect

Chris Butler

FRANKLIN — Republican Bill Lee had his first press conference as governor elect Tuesday night, minutes after giving a gracious acceptance speech at The Factory at Franklin. From this point forward, Lee is in transition mode as he prepares to take the reins from outgoing Gov. Bill Haslam, also a Republican. To do that, Lee said he and his team members will build a strategy, execute it, and work with legislators. Lee said he’s open to having a Democrat serve on his team. “I want a team that is the best that can be assembled,” Lee said. Part of that strategy includes working on areas of economic development, particularly in rural communities, and working on criminal justice reforms Lee said will create safer neighborhoods. Another important focus for the incoming governor — improving the state’s education system, particularly with a focus on vocational and technical education. As for his election night win, Lee said running a positive campaign paid off. “We have an environment in the political world that is more divisive than it ought to be. I want to be the person who brings people together and doesn’t divide, and I want to do that starting from day one,”…

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New Studies Explore Good, Bad, and Ugly on Tennessee’s Fiscal Health

Chris Butler
Tennessee Capital building

Two different organizations released good and bad news Tuesday about Tennessee’s fiscal health. The Washington, D.C.-based Cato Institute called out Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Haslam for “substantial spending increases in recent years.” The Mercatus Center at George Mason University, meanwhile, ranked Tennessee in the top five of the 50 states for good fiscal health. Cato’s Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governor’s 2018 graded state executives on fiscal policies from a limited government point-of-view. Haslam scored a B on the 2016 report. This year, though, he earned a D, according to the report. “The state general fund budget rose 4.7 percent in 2017 and 9.8 percent in 2018. State government employment has been trending upwards since 2013,” the report said. The report mentioned how Haslam signed a bill increasing the state’s gas tax by 6 cents per gallon. He increased the diesel tax by 10 cents per gallon, all while increasing vehicle fees. The study, however, gave Haslam credit elsewhere. “In 2016, his big reform was repealing the ‘Hall tax,’ which was a 6 percent tax on dividends and interest,” according to the report. “Tennessee has no broad-based income tax, but it had this anti-savings levy. The reform reduces the…

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Lee and Dean Offer Differing Views in Memphis Gubernatorial Debate

Chris Butler

Republican Bill Lee and Democrat Karl Dean offered differing views on the issues in a gubernatorial debate in Memphis on Tuesday. Lee used the debate to make the case that he is the candidate who thinks outside the box when it comes to tackling the state’s crime and education woes. Dean offered answers many career politicians have given before. Panelists asked the two men what role the state government has in reducing gun-related violence and crimes involving firearms. Lee, the Williamson County businessman and GOP nominee, spoke of how he has worked in a nonprofit re-entry program for prisoners for 15 years and mentored a man released from prison. Lee said he’s also worked with other incarcerated men. “We have to develop a system that is tough on crime and smart on crime at the same time,” Lee said. “That means we need to address those most egregious criminals in a profoundly serious way and yet at the same time look hard at the way we intake and re-enter folks if we really want to reduce the crime rate.” When it was his turn to talk about how best to fight crime, Dean shared his views on the Second Amendment.…

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Bill Lee Strong in Gubernatorial Debate with Karl ‘Marx’ Dean 

Chris Butler

CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this story, The Tennessee Star incorrectly referred to comments made by Mr. Dean and Mr. Lee in earlier debates as comments made in Tuesday’s debate in Memphis. The Star has corrected this story to reflect that those comments were made in the earlier forums. The Star will run a complete story on the Tuesday debate in Memphis between Mr. Dean and Mr. Lee tomorrow. The Star regrets the error. A Tuesday Tennessee gubernatorial debate in Memphis between Republican candidates Bill Lee and Democrat Karl Dean revealed, perhaps not unexpectedly, Lee is a conservative and Dean is a left-winger. That was most evident in how both men answered panelists’ questions during the televised event. This after various mainstream media outlets last week tried to portray Dean as a political moderate. This past week, The Associated Press and The Tennessean said Dean is a political moderate who admires Haslam. In a press release that came out after the debate, Tennessee Republican Party spokeswoman Candice Dawkins said Lee won the debate. She also said there is a disconnect between what Dean wants and what s good for Tennessee. “He spoke passionately about the importance of criminal justice reform and vocational education,…

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Tennessee Star Poll: Governor Bill Haslam Retains Relatively High Approval Rating

Admin
Bill Haslam

As Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam moves closer to full lame-duck status when his successor is elected on November 6 it appears he will leave office with a relatively high approval rating from Tennessee voters. A Tennessee Star survey of likely November general election voter conducted in early September shows the Governor with a “favorable” approval rating from 47.8%; “unfavorable” from 27.1%, “ and “not sure or don’t know” at 25.1%. Haslam’s approval figure is 4 points lower than the approval rating for President Donald Trump in the same poll. However, the disapproval number for Haslam is 15 points lower than the response of those surveyed regarding President Trump. Trump and Senator Lamar Alexander received virtually identical disapproval responses in the survey, 42.4% and 40.8% respectively. Haslam and Alexander both recorded high levels of “not sure/don’t know” responses regarding the voters’ opinions of the two men, 27.4% and 25.1% respectively. Tennessee Star political editor Steve Gill points out that the Trump and Alexander disapproval ratings reflect the bitter partisan divide in the country and state. “Those who support Trump really support him and those who don’t really don’t,” Gill says. “Despite Alexander’s long term appeal across the political aisle, his support…

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TV and Film Producers Who Cheat Tennessee Taxpayers Might Go to Jail

Chris Butler
tv film production

A federal appeals court just ruled that states that hand out TV and film credits — as Tennessee does — can prosecute people who lie or mislead to get those corporate welfare benefits. Tennessee gave out millions of dollars in incentives to the fictionalized TV drama “Nashville” and more than $300,000 in incentives to the Robin Williams film “Boulevard.” That movie, filmed in Nashville in 2013, was about a man who starts a relationship with a male prostitute. According to Bloomberg, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled film and TV tax credits are property and thus subject to federal mail and wire fraud laws. That means states can better monitor fraud involving TV and film tax credits. The case, United States vs. Hoffman, involved film and TV tax credits in Louisiana. The court ruled “the fraudulent issuance of those credits would deplete the state treasury, meaning Louisiana had a property interest in the tax credits and could prosecute for fraud in relation thereto,” according to Bloomberg. Members of the Beacon Center of Tennessee, a Nashville-based free market think tank, have spoken out against those tax credits for years. Beacon spokesman Mark Cunningham told The Tennessee Star…

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Gov. Bill Haslam Says Don’t Throw in the Towel on TNReady

Chris Butler
Bill Haslam

Before he packs up and vacates the Tennessee governor’s mansion early next year, Bill Haslam wants a dialogue with you about ways to improve TNReady. Haslam, at the state capitol Tuesday, announced what he described as a listening tour to do just that. The current governor and a team of handpicked educators will travel to six different cities as part of that tour, he said. The first scheduled stop is Friday, in Knoxville. TNReady, Haslam said, has had several hiccups. “Recently, there has been a lot of criticism of TNReady,” Haslam said. “Much of that criticism was earned. We experienced significant problems with the implantation and delivery, and these are problems that we know are unacceptable.” Haslam said he wants to fix the problems instead of “pointing fingers and casting blame.” “I am committed to doing what I can as governor before I leave to get this right,” Haslam said. “To throw in the towel on assessment is the wrong approach.” As he talked, Haslam was flanked by several people he described as “TNReady Ambassadors” — teachers, assessment coordinators, and other educators from around the state. Among them — Wayne Miller, a former executive director of the Tennessee Organization of…

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New Funding to Combat School Shooters Coming to Tennessee

Chris Butler
security at schools

Tennessee’s public schools will get more money for trained school resource officers in the event a disturbed student goes on a shooting spree. State officials identified the lack of trained resource officers as a major area of risk in the event another such tragedy was to occur. School Resource Officers are sworn law enforcement agents selected and trained to serve at designated schools. They are typically employed by local law enforcement agencies or even state police. Some schools, according to a new school safety plan put forward by Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, don’t have SROs due to lack of funding. “The governor’s proposed budget and school safety plan doubles the amount of recurring school safety grant funding for schools, which can be used toward SROs or other facility security measures,” according to the plan. Haslam announced the plan in March. This week Haslam announced $35 million to improve the state’s school security situation. Haslam spokeswoman Jennifer Donnals, in an emailed statement to The Tennessee Star, said 99 percent of schools have already completed a safety assessment as part of that plan. According to Knoxville TV news outlet WATE, this is the first-ever statewide assessment of school facilities, safety procedures…

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Tennessee Mayor Questions Certain TDOT Spending Priorities

Chris Butler
James Mayberry

Take two pieces of infrastructure. Maybe one is a road. Maybe the other is a sidewalk. Both of those things are under the oversight of the Tennessee Department of Transportation. One project might need more attention than the other. Sometimes the project that doesn’t need as much attention is TDOT’s priority, said Crossville Mayor James Mayberry. Mayberry told The Tennessee Star he sometimes doesn’t grasp why. But Mayberry did say he’s grateful for a new $1.3 million grant to pay for sidewalks in his city and that the money is needed. The money will also pay for new streetlights and crosswalks in Crossville’s downtown area. With that new grant money city officials will bring up sidewalks to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, among other things. Main Street, where much of this work will take place, is a state highway, Mayberry said. “If you drove on it right now you’d understand why it needs to be paved. Having said that, I don’t agree with everything TDOT does,” Mayberry said. “I’ve been told not to ask ‘Why’ sometimes, because it’s hard to get a good explanation as to why certain things get done. I’ve been told not to ask why…

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Bill Lee Embraces Gov. Haslam’s Legacy

Julie Carr
Steve Gill

On Tuesday’s Gill Report, broadcast live on WETR 92.3 FM in Knoxville, conservative pundit and Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill contemplated the contradiction of Bill Haslam’s endorsement of Bill Lee – whose base was turned off by Randy Boyd’s campaign because of his ties to Haslam. “As the campaign in the Tennessee Governor’s race turns from the primary to the general election. You’re starting to see the endorsements flow in,” Gill began. He added, “President Trump has endorsed Bill Lee for governor. He’s also endorsed Marsha Blackburn as we’ve pointed out in the last segment. Also, Bill Haslam the current Republican Governor is endorsing Bill Lee as well, putting his support in an ad that’s been produced by the Republican Governor’s Association chaired by Governor Bill Haslam behind Bill Lee.” Gill played the audio of the 30-second spot featuring Governor Haslam: (Audio plays) BILL HASLAM: For eight years I’ve had the privilege of being your Governor. Together, we’ve made a lot of progress. More people have jobs than ever before. Our taxes are lower, our students are improving faster than anywhere in the country, Tennessee is stronger than ever, Bill Lee is the right choice to take Tennessee to…

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Governor Bill Haslam Wades Into Governor’s Race with Endorsement for Republican Bill Lee

Admin
Bill Haslam, Bill Lee

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, current Chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association (RGA), is working to ensure that while he works to keep or expand the number of Republican Governors across the country he doesn’t drop the ball in his home state. He’s endorsed Republican nominee Bill Lee in a new television ad purchased by the RGA. In the ad, Haslam touts the progress that Tennessee has made during his tenure as Governor and says Bill Lee is the “right choice” to take the state to the next level. The RGA has put $500,000 behind the ad buy. RGA ad “Right Choice” transcript: Bill Haslam: “For eight years I’ve had the privilege of being your Governor. Together, we’ve made a lot of progress. More people have jobs than ever before. Our taxes are lower, our students are improving faster than anywhere in the country. Tennessee is stronger than ever. Bill Lee is the right choice to take Tennessee to the next level. We can trust him to make the right decisions, not the political ones. He’s been doing that his whole life. I’m asking you to join me in supporting Bill Lee for Governor.” Ironically, much of the criticism directed at…

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Ignore the Man Behind The Curtain: Haslam Conspires to Block Diane Black Endorsement by Trump

Julie Carr

In the audio below, conservative political commentator and Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill of The Gill Report, broadcast live on WETR 92.3 FM in Knoxville, called out “Never-Trumper” Bill Haslam for his attempts to block a Trump endorsement for Tennessee’s Diane Black in the Tennessee Governor’s race and whether or not this will entice President Trump to do so. Gill reflected, “We were talking earlier in the show about the possibility of a Trump endorsement of Diane Black. Well now the Knoxville News Sentinel is reporting along with the Nashville Tennessean and Memphis Commercial Appeal that Governor Bill Haslam has said Trump should stay out of the republican primary for Tennessee Governor.” He continued: Now there’s been a few stories that have been done by the New York Times and the Tennessee Star pointing out that Bill Haslam was hoping to block a Trump endorsement of Diane Black. And we exposed that he was actually working behind the scenes to try and block that endorsement. Well now apparently, it’s been confirmed as the Governor has been outed that he is in fact telling people I don’t think it would be helpful for the White House to be in primaries.…

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