Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Cuts $115 Million from State Police Budget

Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.), the radical governor of Michigan who has come under overwhelming criticism for her excessive coronavirus lockdowns, has cut as much as $115 million from the budget for the Michigan State Police, as reported by Breitbart.

Whitmer made the budget cuts through Executive Order 2020-155, demanding that $115.07 million be taken from the state police budget, in addition to a slash of $392.67 million from Michigan’s Department of Corrections, and another $36.46 cut from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

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Minnesota Lawmakers Pass Police Accountability Package

The Minnesota Legislature passed a broad slate of police accountability measures early Tuesday that includes a ban on neck restraints like the one that was used on George Floyd before his death in Minneapolis.

The package also bans chokeholds and so-called warrior-style training, which critics say promotes excessive force. It imposes a duty to intercede on officers who see a colleague using excessive force. It changes rules on the use of force to stress the sanctity of life. It makes changes in arbitration rules affecting police unions. Officers will get more training on dealing with people with mental health issues and autism. The measure also creates a new advisory council for the state board that licenses officers.

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Blackburn Joins Bill to Strip Federal Funding from ‘Anarchist Jurisdictions’

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has added her name to a bill that would prevent federal funding from going to cities with “violent anarchist jurisdictions.”

The bill, carried by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), defines an anarchist jurisdiction as a city or state that abdicates its constitutional duty to its citizens to uphold the rule of law, or fails to provide police, fire, or emergency medical services to its residents, according to Blackburn’s office.

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Citing Racial Bias, San Francisco Will End Mug Shots Release

San Francisco police will stop releasing the mug shots of people who have been arrested unless they pose a threat to the public, as part of an effort to stop perpetuating racial stereotypes, the city’s police chief announced Wednesday.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said the policy, which goes into effect immediately, means the department will no longer release booking photos of suspects to the media or allow officers to post them online.

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State Reps Introduce Bill to Ban Police Use of Chokeholds in Ohio

Two Ohio Democrats introduced a bill Friday to criminalize the use of chokeholds by law enforcement officers in Ohio.

“Chokeholds can cause serious injury or even death. The NYPD ban on chokeholds didn’t prevent the death of Eric Garner. We cannot leave this up to cities and individual departments any more. The state must act. We need greater law enforcement accountability in Ohio,” said Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown), who introduced the bill with Rep. Tavia Galonski (D-Akron).

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More Than 75 Percent of Americans Approve of Police in Their Community: Poll

There is a disparity between how Americans view policing countrywide and how they view policing in their own communities, a national poll found.

Seventy-seven percent of respondents said they approved of how their local police did their job, according to the Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday. Debate over police reform has been heating up in the wake of the death of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis police custody May 25 after an officer knelt on his neck, video showed. Floyd’s death has been the catalyst for protests and riots across the country.

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Tennessee Star National Correspondent Neil McCabe Talks About the Democrats’ Strategy for Police Reform

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. –  host Leahy welcomed Tennessee Star National Correspondent Neil McCabe to the newsmakers line.

During the third hour, McCabe discussed the Democrat’s immediate agenda and strategy for law enforcement and police reform. He pointed out that their intent is not to defund the police but to federalize it via a blueprint inspired by the Obama administration.

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Senate GOP Propose Police Changes

Senate Republicans unveiled proposed changes to police procedures and accountability Wednesday, countering Democratic policing legislation with a bill that is less sweeping but underscores how swiftly the national debate has been transformed five months before elections.

Republicans are embracing a new priority with the “Justice Act,” the most ambitious GOP policing proposal in years, in a direct response to the massive public protests over the death of George Floyd and other black Americans. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he believes America is not a racist country but “the stain is not totally gone” from slavery and the Civil War.

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Thomas Homan: Democrats Want Chaos So They Can Defeat Trump in the 2020 Election

Live from Music Row Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was joined on the line by author and former Acting Director of ICE Tom Homan.

During the second hour, Homan checks the mayor of Seattle and chief of police and the unlawful order requesting that the chief abandon her precinct. He adds that all of this is designed to create chaos by the Democratic party so they can get rid of Donald Trump in the upcoming 2020 general election.

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Ohio Governor Proposes Outside Probes of Police Shootings

All shootings by Ohio police officers and any deaths of individuals in custody would be investigated by independent agencies under a proposal announced Wednesday by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine in his first major response to days of protests over police treatment of minorities.

As part of the proposal, the State Highway Patrol, which is under DeWine’s direct supervision, will no longer investigate its own shootings, the governor said.

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Trump Finalizing Executive Order, Says He Wants to Increase Police Funding

President Donald Trump said Thursday that his administration was finalizing an executive order focusing on police reform amid widespread protests over the death of George Floyd.

The statement, which came during a roundtable with law enforcement officers in Dallas, addressed police funding, social workers and de-escalation tactics, Politico reported. It also came amid demonstrations and rioting over Floyd, who died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for about nine minutes, video showed.

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Faced with Making Food for State Troopers, Workers Walk Out

Forced to choose between their beliefs and their jobs, four restaurant workers say, they walked out after they were threatened with being fired for refusing to help fill an order for a law enforcement agency that was policing nearby race protests.

The employees at a Columbus location of Condado Tacos, a regional Mexican chain, walked out this week over a catering order for 250 Ohio Highway Patrol officers who were working the protests of the Minnesota death of George Floyd.

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Bill Prohibiting the Governor from Using Law Enforcement to Enforce Unconstitutional Executive Orders Advances in Tennessee House

  A bill that would prohibit a governor of Tennessee from using law enforcement to enforce executive orders that violate constitutional rights advanced in the House State Committee Wednesday. While the bill will serve to address elements of fascism that could be used in conjunction with executive orders such as those issued for the sake of containing the spread of COVID-19, the eloquent and passionate presentation of the bill by its sponsor Bud Hulsey (R-Kingsport) also serves as a straightforward explanation of what happened over the past two months as well as a lesson in constitutional principles. Prior to the legislature’s adjournment on March 19 until June, Hulsey’s HB2291 would have amended a portion of the Tennessee Code dealing with the investigations of police officers. Returning to committee meetings the week of May 25 in preparation for session the week of June 1, Hulsey offered a different amendment to deal with the more contemporary issues related to the handling of COVID-19. Before explaining the specifics of the amendment that makes the bill, Hulsey said he would have to preface it with some remarks about his perspective on what we’ve been through the last two and a half months in the…

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Kerry Roberts: Now Is a Great Opportunity for Gov. Lee to Show Leadership by Un-Declaring the Tennessee State of Emergency and Put People Back to Work

On Tuesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed his weekly regular guest and all-star panelist Tennessee state Senator Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield) to the newsmakers line.

During the second hour, Roberts weighed in on Governor Lee’s recent order which allowed law enforcement access to private citizens’ COVID-19 test results. He expressed his disagreement with the order and suggested Lee show leadership by undeclaring a state of emergency.

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New American Populist Founder Jeff Webb Criticizes Governor Lee’s Decision to Give COVID-19 Patient Data to Law Enforcement: It’s a Pattern of Government Overreach

Live from Memphis on the newsmakers line Monday morning, New American Populist founder Jeff Webb joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.– to discuss his concerns about government overreach amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Tennessee Providing Names And Addresses of COVID-19 Patients to Law Enforcement, Report Reveals

The Tennessee government is providing the names and addresses of COVID-19 patients to law enforcement agencies and other first responders, documents obtained by the Associated Press reveal.

According to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) obtained by the outlet, the Tennessee Department of Health is “disclosing” the information to the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board, which in turn passes the information along to first responders.

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The Tennessee Star Report: ‘Transnational Crime is the Real Threat to America’, says Former Director of Special Ops Division Derek Maltz

  On The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy was in Washington, D.C. last week talking to Derek Maltz who is the former Director of the Special Ops Division with 28 yrs in federal law enforcement.  Maltz went into detail of what really threatens our national security by dissecting the terrorism and criminal activity that lie within the transnational crime rings. He believes that it’s the transnational crime that is the true threat to America. During the second segment, Maltz who thinks the new FBI director is a smart and very nice guy expressed his discontent for the choice stating that he believes the role needs real leadership which could only come from someone that has been in the trenches like an ex-law enforcement person. “In my personal opinion, you have to put people in charge of law enforcement agencies that have the requisite skills, experience, and leadership,” said Maltz. Leahy: And our special guest is Derek Maltz, a former special agent with the DEA. He’s going to tell us a little bit about the difficulties of putting these task forces together. Welcome,…

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Starbucks Apologizes After Police Were Kicked Out of Store Because Their Presence Made Customer Uncomfortable

by Audrey Conklin   Starbucks apologized Sunday after six police were kicked out of a Tempe, Arizona, franchise because their presence made a customer “uncomfortable.” “On behalf of Starbucks, I want to sincerely apologize to you all for the experience that six of your officers had in our store on July 4,” Starbucks Executive Vice President Rossann Williams wrote in an official statement Sunday. “When those officers entered the store and a customer raised a concern over their presence, they should have been welcomed and treated with dignity and the utmost respect by our partners (employees),” the statement continues. “Instead, they were made to feel unwelcome and disrespected, which is completely unacceptable.” The company’s apology comes after the customer in question — a white man — became “anxious, nervous or uncomfortable” upon seeing the officers and asked a barista several times what they were doing in the cafe, The New York Times reported. “The barista said, ‘These guys come here all the time,’” Starbucks spokesman Reggie Borges told The NYT Sunday. “The barista repeatedly said, ‘They come here all the time. There is nothing wrong.’” But the barista eventually asked the officers to “move out of the customer’s line of sight or to…

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Law Enforcement Officers Tell Senate Committee That Medical Marijuana Supporters Are Blowing Smoke, While Co-Sponsor Bowling Says Her Plan Provides Alternative to Opioids

State Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) on Thursday shared her continued support for allowing medical marijuana after a vote was postponed. The vote was delayed after Wednesday’s hearing in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, WJHL said. Bowling, of Tullahoma, is a co-sponsor of SB0486, the Tennessee Medical Cannabis Act. The bill’s tracking information is available here. The bill will next be heard on Wednesday, April 10. Bowling made her statement of support after law enforcement officers testified against the bill in the committee. The senator said the bill would be dispensed as an oil and would provide for an alternative to opioids and would be monitored under a physician’s and pharmacist’s care. “This legislation is about arming doctors and patients with an effective tool to treat a range of medical conditions and increase Tennesseans’ quality of life to successfully manage pain without the use of opioids,” Bowling said in a press release. “Opioids are highly addictive and are deadly. We were not in the committee yesterday to talk about the marijuana industry. We were there to present a bill on medical cannabis that will bring positive, life-altering treatment to people who are suffering. For them to conflict and conflate the two different…

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Is Soros Money Floating Behind the Push For a Civilian ‘Police Oversight Board’ in Nashville?

Internal documents from George Soros’ Open Society Foundation (OSF) and an admission from an OSF representative about their grants addressing “police brutality,” should leave no one surprised that Soros money is floating behind the push in Nashville to establish a civilian oversight board. “Community Oversight Nashville,” (the Coalition), is the coalition which succeeded in bringing the question of a civilian community oversight board to a referendum. On November 6, 2018, Davidson County voters will decide whether to permanently embed the police oversight board into the governing charter. According to the “Vote No” campaign, this board would require a $10 million dollar tax hike over the next five years to pay for the $1.5 million dollar annual expenditure required by “Amendment #1” on the ballot. If the police oversight board initiative referred to as “Amendment #1” is passed, civilians appointed by Metro Council members would have broad authority to investigate and punish Metro Nashville police officers. Opponents of the initiative point out that at least eight layers of bureaucracy which include both civilians and government officials, are already in place to hold MNPD officers accountable. Organizations that have joined the Coalition and others that support passage of “Amendment #1” have either been…

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The Crisis of Confidence in the United States’ Intelligence Community Reaches New Heights

Kremlin Capitol

by Printus LeBlanc   The FBI is in serious trouble, not just the people in the bureau that lied to the Office of Inspector General, fixed the Clinton investigation, and spied on a political campaign. The American people are losing confidence in the bureau. FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich stated in January, “When I look through the prism of risk for our organization, I find the No. 1 risk for our organization is losing the faith and confidence of the American people.” The FBI has reason to be fearful because public trust in the institution is headed in the wrong direction. A recent poll by Axios showed that less than half of America had confidence in the FBI, with only 38 percent of Republicans having faith in the bureau. This should be extremely worrying to any prosecutor using the FBI’s evidence or agents as a witness at a trial — and a dream for any defense attorney. Half the jury pool has an unfavorable opinion of the feds, and recent revelations about the once revered law enforcement agency are sure to increase the unfavourability. The FBI’s treatment of Carter Page was reprehensible. The propaganda outlets never mention it, but Carter Page was a witness…

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Report: Painters Union Center in Nashville Luring Illegal Aliens Using False Information

An “ICE Free Zone” flyer  was reported to have been posted on the door of the new worker resource center opened in Nashville by Local 456 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT). Regardless of the union’s effort to lure illegal immigrants to the the center, it is not, according to ICE guidelines, off bounds to immigration officials. The Star asked ICE Public Affairs Officer, Mr. Nestor Yglesias whether an “ICE Free Zone” would discourage ICE officers from entering the premises if they had probable cause to believe a removable alien was inside the building. Mr. Yglesias referred The Star to the FAQ on Sensitive Locations and Courthouse Arrests posted on ICE’s website. “Sensitive locations” are those places where ICE enforcement and removal actions are less likely to occur although there are circumstances under which, exceptions will be made and enforcement actions will proceed. Places like the union’s Nashville office are not included in any of the “sensitive location” categories. Local 456 has teamed up with the TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and Worker’s Dignity Dignidad Obrera to provide information and assist those who seek out the center’s resources. Nashville Workers Dignity organized in 2010 to represent “wage theft” from low wage…

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4 Examples of What Happens When Jurisdictions Don’t Cooperate With ICE

“Sanctuary” policies haven’t kept federal immigration authorities from doing their job, but there have been numerous cases of local jurisdictions refusing to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer requests. In some cases, those released have been charged with murder and other crimes. Sanctuary jurisdictions are cities or counties that have formal policies that prohibit local…

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