Randy Boyd Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Tennessee Star

14th District State Senate Special Election Candidate Shane Reeves ‘Won’t Be Available at Least the Next Couple Weeks’ for Tennessee Star Interview

November 10, 2017November 10, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

Matt Herriman, campaign manager for Shane Reeves’ State Senate campaign in the special election in the 14th State Senate District to replace State Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), tells The Tennessee Star that Reeves “probably won’t be available at least the next couple of weeks” for an in person interview with The Star “as our schedule is packed as we jumpstart this campaign.” You can read Herriman’s complete response to our request for an interview here: Thank you for your email request to meet with Shane. Unfortunately, he probably won’t be available at least the next couple of weeks as our schedule is packed as we jumpstart this campaign. He will be on the road all across the district. If you’d like, for deadline purposes, to send your questions to me, I’ll get them in front of Shane and back to you as soon as I can. You are also welcome to use any photo from the website for your story. Thanks again for reaching out. The 14th State Senate District covers parts of Rutherford County, all of Moore, Marshall, and Bedford Counties, and the northern two-thirds of Lincoln County. The Republican primary is expected to be held in January, with…

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Gubernatorial Candidate Diane Black Hits Hard on Randy Boyd’s ‘B-Roll Run’

November 1, 2017November 1, 2017 Admin

Representative Diane Black’s latest hit on fellow gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd is sure to have news professionals chortling with the clever use of the media jargon ‘b-roll’ to describe Mr. Boyd’s 100-day publicity tour of Tennessee featuring his literally running across the state. The term ‘b-roll’ – sometimes called ‘cutaways’ – is a media industry phrase that is used to describe the images viewers see when the news-personality is talking about the story at hand. The lesser-used term ‘a-roll’ is the video of the interviewer or interviewee talking on-camera. For instance, when a story is presented about a bake sale, the footage of cookies, batter, icing, and cakes that show while the reporter talks about the where and when of the bake sale is ‘b-roll.’ Often, b-roll is considered the fluff or filler of a story. The strategy animating the ‘Run with Randy’ project is to showcase the Knoxville businessman’s outdoorsy, fitness-loving personality. However some are beginning to compare Boyd’s literal run to a similar strategy by fellow fitness enthusiast, Senator John Kerry, in his presidential bid of 2004. “Today, Randy Boyd completes his ‘B-Roll Run’ across Tennessee,” a statement from Diane Black’s campaign began. “But he’ll have to keep running if he wants to…

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Mae Beavers Bashes Bushes and Boyd for Undermining Trump Presidency

October 22, 2017October 22, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

Republican gubernatorial candidate Mae Beavers took the gloves off on Saturday and bashed former President George W. Bush, failed 2016 presidential candidate Jeb Bush, and gubernatorial rival Randy Boyd for undermining the presidency of Donald Trump. “We don’t need globalists who oppose the Trump agenda leading the country or the state of Tennessee,” Beavers told The Tennessee Star in an exclusive interview on Saturday. “That’s what you get with George W. Bush, Jeb Bush, and Randy Boyd,” the former State Senator from Mt. Juliet added. Beavers criticized Boyd for the leadership role he plays in one of the largest globalist organizations in the country. “Randy Boyd is a named member of the New American Economy, along with Democrats Rahm Emanuel and Karl Dean,” Beavers noted. Boyd’s position with the New American Economy, formerly known as the Partnership for a New American Economy (PNAE), was reported by The Star in March. The Star noted that “included in PNAE’s ‘15 key economic issues of immigration reform in America’ are:” Supporting legal status for the 11.4 million undocumented immigrants which PNAE says pay taxes and do the jobs American citizens won’t do, and despite being in the country illegally, “even start their own businesses.” In a…

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‘La Raza Randy’ Boyd Defends Never Trumper Jeb Bush

October 20, 2017October 20, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

On Thursday, the Randy Boyd for Governor campaign demonstrated that it has not yet grasped the first rule of holes: “When you’re in a hole, stop digging.” Boyd’s announcement on Wednesday that failed presidential candidate and prominent Never Trumper Jeb Bush will headline a November 30 fundraiser for the Knoxville businessman in Nashville was met with a fury of online scorn and pointed derision from his Republican gubernatorial rivals. “Please clap,” read the subject line of an email sent out by gubernatorial candidate Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) within minutes of the announcement. The email pointed out Bush’s consistent attacks on President Trump, and his long-term Never Trumper status. “As for Randy Boyd, his decision to bring the very unpopular Jeb Bush to Tennessee on his behalf shows how out-of-touch he is with issues affecting Tennessee’s schools,” gubernatorial candidate Mae Beavers told The Tennessee Star. The Chattanooga Times Free Press carried the Boyd campaign’s response to Black’s devastating critique of the Randy Boyd/Jeb Bush fundraising event: Republican Randy Boyd’s campaign is hitting back at GOP gubernatorial primary rival Diane Black after her campaign labeled his plans to have former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush headline a Nashville fundraiser as a “match made…

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Never Trumper Jeb Bush to Headline ‘La Raza Randy’ Boyd Gubernatorial Fundraiser in Nashville

October 19, 2017October 19, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

The Randy Boyd for Governor campaign confirmed on Wednesday that failed presidential candidate Jeb Bush will be the headliner at a November 30 fundraiser for Boyd in Nashville, The Tennesseean reported: Exact location and cost of attending the event were not immediately available. Bush is scheduled to be at this year’s National Summit on Education Reform, which is being held in Nashville beginning Nov. 29. Although Tennesseans favored former President George W. Bush in his two presidential elections, his brother Jeb Bush performed poorly in the 2016 presidential election. Jeb Bush received about 1 percent of all votes in last year’s Republican primary election, behind then-candidate Donald Trump, U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, neurosurgeon Ben Carson and Ohio governor John Kasich. In March, The Tennessee Star broke the news that “gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd and his wife Jenny donated a quarter of a million dollars to Conexion Americas, a non-profit Latino advocacy organization headquartered in Nashville founded by Renata Soto.” In 2015, Soto was elected as chairman of the board of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), an organization generously funded by George Soros. She had previously served as vice-president for three years. NCLR lobbies for Hispanic…

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‘Please Clap’ – Diane Black Campaign Reacts to Jeb Bush/Randy Boyd Fundraiser

October 19, 2017October 18, 2017 Admin

Randy Boyd’s campaign for governor announced Wednesday it will host a fundraiser November 30 featuring former Florida governor and 2016 presidential hopeful, Jeb Bush. Representative Diane Black’s gubernatorial campaign was quick to respond, with a sharp email blast to media with the cheeky subject line: ‘Please Clap.’ “Today, it was announced that Jeb! would be coming to Tennessee to fundraise for ‘moderate Republican’ Randy!” the statement begins. It continues: It’s no surprise that Randy Boyd would bring in Jeb Bush to shake down Nashville donors…besides, they agree on pretty much everything. Jeb Bush said Donald Trump was the “chaos President” and refused to vote for him. Randy Boyd said supporting Trump would be “anathema to me.” Jeb Bush said illegal immigrants come out of an “act of love.” Randy Boyd gave $250,000 to a group that helps illegal immigrants integrate into Tennessee society. Jeb Bush helped create Common Core education standards. Randy Boyd is a “staunch supporter” of Common Core. Campaign spokesman Chris Hartline said, “Jeb Bush and Randy Boyd are a match made in establishment heaven. Their pro-illegal immigration, pro-big government, anti-Trump positions are more suited to the Democratic primary than the Republican primary.” Representative Diane Black (TN-06) is running to…

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Gov. Haslam Has Not Kept Campaign Promises to Curb Illegal Immigration in Tennessee

October 1, 2017October 1, 2017 Chris Alto

Broken promises from Bill Haslam’s 2010 campaign could figure prominently in any run for Bob Corker’s Senate seat. While campaigning for governor, Haslam repeatedly raised the issue of illegal immigration and how he, as governor, would work to insulate Tennessee from the negative fiscal effects of illegal immigration and from becoming a magnet for illegal immigrants. In his “Jobs4TN” written campaign materials Haslam tied job development and employment for Tennesseans to the problem of illegal immigration and promised: In order to keep Tennessee a great state, we must also work to provide more and better job opportunities for Tennessee residents. An important part of that effort must be making sure that available jobs are only going to individuals who are legally resident in the state. Tennessee is paying a price for the failure of the federal government to effectively secure our nation’s borders and enforce our immigration laws. As governor, I will enforce the state laws on the books and do everything within my authority to be sure that Tennessee does not attract illegal activity. After he was elected, however, Haslam began to incrementally retreat from considering illegal immigration a negative fiscal and/or employment issue. In 2009, during the Bredesen administration, Managing…

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Randy Boyd Only Gubernatorial Candidate Not Represented at Knox County GOP Forum

September 22, 2017September 22, 2017 Laura Baigert

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee – At the Knox County Republican Party Gubernatorial Candidate Forum held Monday evening at the Knoxville Expo Center, five of the six candidates were represented. Sen. Mae Beavers, Speaker Beth Harwell and Kay White appeared in person, while Congressman Diane Black and Bill Lee had surrogates. Randy Boyd was the only candidate not represented and no public explanation was offered for the absence. Knox County GOP Chair Buddy Burkhardt told The Tennessee Star that Boyd had a “prior commitment” and Lee had a fund raiser. Burkhardt also told The Star that he would only be involved in such an event if it was organized to provide all candidates an equal opportunity. Scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m., the event started with about 30 minutes of the candidates mingling with attendees followed by comments one at a time at the on-stage podium. The remainder of the event was to be another period of one-on-one time with the candidates, but the event quickly broke up after the formal comments segment. Brief stump speeches were made to an audience of approximately 100, the majority of whom were elected officials, candidates or campaign staff and volunteers, including State Representatives Martin Daniel, Roger…

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Randy Boyd Tells Beacon Center: Business Tax Incentives Can Work If Done Right

September 15, 2017July 17, 2018 Wendy Wilson

Tennessee Star

Tax incentives to attract and retain businesses in Tennessee can be a good thing for the state, gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd told the Beacon Center of Tennessee on Tuesday. “You’ve got to make smart decisions, but if you make the smart decision, you can get a good return on investment,” Boyd said. The Beacon Center has been conducting Facebook Live interviews of the candidates in the 2018 race for governor. Questions have centered around issues facing the state that are of particular interest to the Beacon Center, a Nashville-based think tank that promotes the free market. The Beacon Center is against so-called corporate welfare and has produced a short documentary on the topic called Rigged: The Injustice of Corporate Welfare. The center maintains that tax incentives offered to large companies hurt small businesses and put government in the position of picking winners and losers. In his comments about business tax credits, Boyd offered a contrast with state House Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville), Williamson County businessman Bill Lee and former state Sen. Mae Beavers, who were interviewed earlier. Harwell and Beavers were resolute in their agreement with the Beacon Center about corporate welfare, while Lee said there needs to be more transparency in the…

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Tennessee Attorney General Slatery Pushes Amnesty For Illegal Immigrants On Advice From Soros Funded Organization

September 12, 2017September 12, 2017 Chris Alto

Tennessee Star

Prior to withdrawing Tennessee from the coalition of state Attorneys General challenging the 2012 DACA program Attorney General Herbert Slatery, III, met with Stephanie Teatro, a co-Director of the TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), who convinced Slatery to ignore the Constitution and the entire body of U.S. immigration law and advocate instead for illegal aliens in Tennessee. After meeting with Teatro, Slatery reneged on his commitment to the coalition of Attorneys General challenging DACA. Even though there was no statutory or Constitutional authority for Obama’s unilateral action on DACA, or the fact that DACA does not alter anyone’s illegal immigration status, Slatery chose instead, to join TIRRC’s push for passage of the “DREAM Act of 2017” which would grant amnesty and a path to citizenship for the DACA eligible. Slatery’s push for amnesty is also in line with the campaign being led by the New American Economy. In 2013, this same organization then called the Partnership for a New American Economy (PNAE), was championing the “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill which included amnesty and was supported by Sens. Alexander and Corker. GOP gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd is a named member of the PNAE. In his letter to Sens. Alexander…

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Tennessee State Legislators Caved to Leftists on ‘Soft Amnesty’ Instead of Upholding Constitution

September 7, 2017October 5, 2017 Chris Alto

Tennessee Star

Sixteen Republicans in the State Senate and twenty-seven in the House caved to the demands of the TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) when they voted to give in-state tuition to illegal aliens with deferred deportation under DACA, or who might become eligible for DACA. DACA does not alter a grantee’s illegal immigration status. Ignoring the illegal immigration issue and offering a “soft amnesty” to DACA illegal aliens, the forty-three Republicans voting “aye” for the Gardenhire/White 2015 in-state tuition bill, also voted to violate federal and Tennessee law. These lawmakers also ignored the fact that Obama’s DACA policy was neither a statutory nor Constitutional exercise of executive authority. Republican Senators voting for the 2015 in-state tuition bill: Janice Bowling, Richard Briggs, Rusty Crowe, Steve Dickerson, Todd Gardenhire, Mark Green, Dolores Gresham, Ferrell Haile, Ed Jackson, Brian Kelsey, Becky Duncan-Massey, Randy McNally, Frank Niceley, Doug Overbey, Steve Southerland, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey. Republican House members voting for in-state tuition: Harry Brooks, Kevin Brooks, Kent Calfee, Dale Carr, Mike Carter, Bill Dunn, Jimmy Eldridge, Andrew Farmer, Marc Gravitt, Mike Harrison, Ryan Haynes, Patsy Hazlewood, Bud Hulsey, Curtis Johnson, Sabi Kumar, Pat Marsh, Gerald McCormick, Steve McDaniel, Steve McManus, Bob Ramsey,…

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‘Drive to 55’ Likely Gives ‘Tennessee Promise Scholarship’ to Illegal Immigrants in a Boyd Administration

August 22, 2017August 21, 2017 Chris Alto

Tennessee Star

Gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd takes full credit for the “Drive to 55” higher education umbrella initiative which includes programs like the Tennessee Promise scholarship, but has made no definitive statement to date about whether illegal immigrants should be permitted access to this benefit or in-state college tuition. Boyd, however, is a named member of an organization that pushes state and local policymakers to support giving in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students and he has used his philanthropy to help expand an entrepreneurship program whose services are available to illegal aliens. He is also a board member of the “College Promise Campaign” which wants a universal and free entitlement for the first two years of a higher education. The board is led by the president of the leftist Joyce Foundation and honorary chair Dr. Jill Biden, wife of former Vice-President Joe Biden. A briefing book for state leaders posted on the College Promise website, Making Public Colleges Tuition Free, includes a reference to the “alternative application for undocumented students” used by two states for their college promise scholarships. Boyd also has six state legislators working to get him elected as governor, four of whom voted to give illegal immigrant students access to in-state college tuition.…

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Tennessee Taxpayers Fund Conexion Americas’ ‘Education Equity’ for Students Here Legally and Illegally

August 11, 2017August 11, 2017 Chris Alto

Last year Conexion Americas, a multi-million dollar funded Latino advocacy organization headquartered in Nashville, convened the Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition (TEEC), which it now leads. Partnering with the George Soros funded Migration Policy Institute, TEEC launched the “TN English Learner Network.” TEEC does not appear to be a separate corporate entity, but rather merely a “project” of Conexion Americas, according to the most recent Conexion Americas annual report. Renata Soto, founder and director of Conexion Americas, was elected in 2015 to lead the National Council of La Raza’s (La Raza) board. George Soros has generously funded La Raza over the years in amounts typically exceeding $2 million. Gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd is a mega donor to Conexion Americas, which received $250,000 from Randy and Jenny Boyd in 2016, and his education non-profit Complete Tennessee, which works in a reciprocal relationship with Soto and the TEEC. Soto serves on his board and his organization serves as a State Partner to TEEC. Both Complete Tennessee and the TEEC say they want to address “equity gaps” in the education provided to Tennessee students. Both Soto and Boyd are tied to organizations that support “tuition equity,” which is the legislative reference to a bill that would…

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Conexion Americas Led Coalition, With Randy Boyd’s Non-Profit as a ‘State Partner,’ Says Students Here Illegally Deserve ‘Educational Equity’

August 10, 2017August 10, 2017 Chris Alto

Conexion Americas, the convener and leading member of the Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition (TEEC), has issued a letter to Sens. Alexander and Corker asking them to continue Obama’s administrative bypass of Congress that unilaterally created the questionable DACA program. Gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd’s education non-profit Complete Tennessee, on which Conexion Americas’ founder and executive director Renata Soto serves as a board member, is listed as a State Partner on the TEEC website. TEEC was established in March 2016. Complete Tennessee was established in September 2016, about the same time that Randy Boyd and his wife Jenny Boyd donated $250,000 to Conexion Americas. TEEC says that students who arrived in Tennessee in violation of U.S. immigration law deserve “educational equity:” As members of the Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition, we write you to express our support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. The Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition is a diverse group of civil rights and education advocacy organizations whose goal is to build a shared advocacy agenda to address achievement and opportunity gaps for students across the state. We write you to respectfully request that you support the DACA program and that you urge President Trump to keep the DACA program intact until…

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Conexion Americas, Recipient of $250k From Randy Boyd, and TIRRC Are Defending Obama’s DACA Program for Illegal Aliens

August 9, 2017August 9, 2017 Chris Alto

Tennessee Star

Conexion Americas and TIRRC (Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition) are taking action this Friday to defend recipients of Obama’s unilateral 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program who are euphemistically referred to as “dreamers.” After the “Dream Act” failed in 2010, the Obama administration used an administrative bypass of Congress to execute unilateral executive amnesty in the form of the DACA program. On Friday, Conexion Americas, a Nashville Latino advocacy organization and recipient of a $250,000 donation from Randy and Jenny Boyd, is offering a popsicle to anyone who stops by and sends a postcard to Tennessee’s D.C. legislators requesting support for the newest “Dream Act.” Recently introduced by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democrat Dick Durbin, the bill provides even greater protection for the DACA eligible by offering a path to citizenship. Boyd is one of five announced candidates for the Republican nomination for governor of Tennessee. Conexion is taking a subtle approach to undermine the rule of law and preserve an unconstitutional action by the Obama administration, whereas TIRRC’s approach is more direct – they are asking Tennessee teachers to take their politics into the classroom. TIRRC’s Friday “Educator Day of Action” in defense of DACA…

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Gubernatorial Candidates Beavers and Black Consistently Support Bills to Curb Illegal Immigration, But a Key Bill Sets Them Apart

August 8, 2017August 8, 2017 Chris Alto

Tennessee Star

On the issue of illegal immigration, gubernatorial candidates Mae Beavers and Diane Black both consistently vote for bills intended to curb illegal immigration. However, in 2001, a Democrat controlled legislature passed HB983, a bill which allowed driver’s licenses to be issued to someone without a social security number enabling illegal aliens to obtain a Tennessee drivers license. It was estimated that more than 180,000 licenses were issued after the law was passed. Beavers voted against HB983 while Black voted for it. Black doesn’t deny voting for the bill, but explained it as “an unintended consequence of a bill that was supposed to allow legal immigrants to get licenses and co-sponsored legislation to repeal it.” Just months after Tennessee’s legislative session concluded, the 9/11 terrorist attack occurred and the question of easy access to state driver’s licenses was highlighted by the FBI raising the same question in state legislatures around the country, including Tennessee. This prompted a bill at the start of Tennessee’s next legislative session to fully repeal the illegal alien driver’s license bill. Even though the bill was not passed, both Beavers and Black signed on as co-sponsors and both voted for it. In 2004, the Tennessee General Assembly and the Governor’s office…

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Mark Luttrell, Mayor of Tennessee’s Largest County, Endorses Randy Boyd For Governor

July 27, 2017July 26, 2017 Laura Baigert

Republican Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell endorsed gubernatorial candidate and former state head of economic development (ECD) Randy Boyd Wednesday. Shelby County is Tennessee’s largest with a population of over 900,000. The connection between Luttrell and Boyd goes back not just to their small-town rural roots in West Tennessee, but to economic and community development projects like the joint state and local infrastructure investment project for the area surrounding St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Luttrell switched his support to Boyd from state Senator Mark Norris (R-Collierville), when Norris accepted the nomination from President Donald Trump to a federal judgeship, according to The Commercial Appeal. Boyd, after leaving his state ECD position in January, was the first to announce his intention to run for governor to replace term-limited Bill Haslam, but since then Franklin businessman Bill Lee, state Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) and House Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) have entered the race and the expectation is that U.S. Congresswoman Diane Black (TN-06) will be announcing shortly. Luttrell was one of 12 candidates to run in the 2016 Republican primary for Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District, a seat held at that time by Stephen Fincher, but lost to David Kustoff with 27.4…

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Gubernatorial Candidate Randy Boyd’s GOP ‘Great Opportunity Party’ Likely to Include Illegal Aliens

July 19, 2017July 19, 2017 Chris Alto

Tennessee Star

“As a member of the Republican Party and the GOP, I’ve always been a little concerned and also as a marketer, having a brand being the ‘Grand Old Party’ isn’t something that people necessarily aspire to, but I think the ‘Great Opportunity Party’ can stand for something,” gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd told Knoxville radio host Jim Brogan during an on-air interview in May (beginning at the 42:50 mark in the interview). And when I think about opportunity I think about this opportunity for a better education. Wouldn’t it be great if people from around the country they think of Tennessee, they think yeah, that’s the land of opportunity. That’s where you go to get a great education. You can go to technical community college free even as an adult now as a result of this past legislation. It’s where you can go to get great jobs. They’ve got factories and companies all across the state willing to pay top dollar. It’s the place to go to get great jobs. And also it’s the place where you can go to rural communities and live a great quality of life because they’re not leaving people behind. It’s an opportunity, a state of opportunity…

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OFF THE RECORD: ‘The Ballad of La Raza Randy’ Sorta Has That ‘Special’ Ring to It

July 12, 2017July 12, 2017 Chris Alto

A clever and obviously talented follower of FACTS that have been reported about gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd, penned this little ditty which arrived via The Tennessee Star tip line. After reading The Ballad of La Raza Randy, it’s only natural to wonder if and when the ode to “Mayor Moonbeam Megan Barry” will show up. In the meantime, see if you can make it all the way through to the end without having to wipe the tears rolling down your cheeks from laughing too hard… The Ballad of La Raza Randy Randy Boyd’s running all over the state, says he’ll spend whatever it takes. Money’s no object for this Governor who-would-be and his plan of “greater opportunity”. Greater opportunity for all citizens (or not), he’s the best friend illegals have got! He talks of education and jobs galore, all from a supporter of common core. Nothing we haven’t heard before, typical RINO campaign de jour. He’s Haslam 2.0, of that you can be sure! But Randy has a new name and it’s getting around! It’s sure to follow him from town to town! La Raza Randy is his new name , La Raza Randy, aren’t you ashamed? What is La Raza and for…

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La Raza Affiliate Conexion Americas Stands ‘Indivisible’ Against Trump

July 10, 2017July 10, 2017 Chris Alto

Despite trying to use hands-contorted-into-hearts to try and soften the radical opposition of the progressive left’s “Indivisible” campaign, Conexion Americas’ “Indivisible” organizing is no different than any of the other self-identified “Indivisible” groups that have formed to resist President Trump’s agenda for America. A number of left wing Nashville political figures, including Mayor Megan Barry, have posed for photos with Renata Soto, co-founder and director of Conexion Americas, displaying the “hands-contorted-into-hearts” sign. Last week, Conexion’s Gini Pupo-Walker, senior director of education policy and strategic growth, told The Tennessee Star that “[w]e didn’t know there would be other groups using the same word.” However, looking at Conexion’s twitter promotion of other “Indivisible”groups, the Indivisible Guide itself, and alignment by Conexion on key issues included in The Guide, strongly suggest otherwise. Conexion Americas director Soto has stated publicly that “[w]e at Conexion Americas have launched a campaign called #Indivisible” using a hashtag of a Twitter site which promotes the original Indivisible Guide and Indivisible groups scattered across the country. On December 10, 2016, Soto, issued a public invitation to join her Indivisible campaign. Four days later, a link to the Indivisible Guide, written by former Congressional staffers, was tweeted out. Angel Padilla an Indivisible Guide author, was an immigration policy consultant at National Council of La Raza (La Raza) in 2014. After leaving…

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Tennessee Data Shows LegaI & Illegal Immigrants Displacing Native -Born in Job Market

July 6, 2017July 16, 2017 Chris Alto

Unemployment line

A 2017 analysis of labor force participation rates using the government’s Current Population Survey (CPS) data for Tennessee, shows that: immigrants (legal and illegal) accounted for all of the net increase in the number of working-age (16-65) people holding a job in Tennessee between the first quarter of 2007 and the first quarter of 2017 – even though the native-born accounted for 77 percent of growth among the total working-age population. Prior analysis indicates that 30 percent to 40 percent of immigrants in Tennessee are in the country illegally. Of the 229,000 immigrants in the state working, 70,000 to 90,000 are likely to be illegal immigrants. Not much has changed from when the article Who Got the Jobs in Tennessee?, was published by the Center for Immigration Studies in 2014: All of Tennessee’s employment growth since 2000 has gone to immigrants, yet natives accounted for two-thirds of population growth. Reference to “immigrants” in both the 2014 and updated 2017 analyses include both legal and illegal entrants. Both reviews used CPS survey data which is collected by the federal government and is considered “the nation’s primary source of information on the labor market.” This data measures the percentage of the population that is…

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La Raza Affiliate That Randy Boyd Gave $250,000 Is Holding Another Anti-Trump Event in Nashville

June 30, 2017June 30, 2017 Chris Alto

Tennessee Star

Renata Soto, is the co-founder and director of Conexion Americas, a named partner affiliate of the National Council of La Raza (La Raza). In 2015, she was made Chairman of La Raza’s board and the following year, gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd donated $250,000 to her Nashville organization. Shortly after Trump was elected President, Soto announced that she would begin organizing against the new administration by starting an “Indivisible” chapter in Nashville. “I invite you to join INDIVISIBLE, a campaign bringing together concerned Americans who commit to protect the promise of an indivisible nation that celebrates the roots and possibilities of all its people,” Soto wrote in a December 2016 op-ed published in The Tennessean. On Friday, Soto will hold another ‘Indivisible’ event at the Conexion Americas building Casa Azafran. Among the activities promoted at the event, attendees of all ages are invited to “RAISE YOUR VOICE Write postcards to our legislators supporting the principles of an INDIVISIBLE community.” Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s early support for the ‘Indivisible’ campaign is no surprise given her own left-wing open borders, pro-illegal immigrant political philosophy. https://twitter.com/MayorMeganBarry/status/822516452053942274 ‘Indivisible’ organizers are working to obstruct President Trump’s agenda for the nation including the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. The Indivisible…

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Soros Open Borders Progressives Working to Turn ‘Welcoming Nashville’ into Safe Zone for Illegal Aliens

June 29, 2017June 29, 2017 Chris Alto

This week, talking points on BL2017-739 were provided to Metro Nashville Council members so they could explain to constituents why they support an ordinance that would effectively convert Nashville’s “welcoming city” into a legally recognized sanctuary city. The talking points were written by Soros funded organizations that work to shield illegal aliens from deportation. Councilman Mina Johnson who is a co-sponsor of the ordinance says “[she] would like to call [the ordinance] “Nashville Together” or the “Family Friendly City Bill” because it will: give immigrant families peace of mind that their families will not be separated so long as they continue to live their lives abiding by the law. This ordinance will make Nashville a truly warm and welcoming city and a safe place for all to live. The TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) assisted in drafting the ordinance and along with the San Francisco – based Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), also helped draft the talking points being circulated by Metro Council members. Both TIRRC and the ILRC are recipients of funding from the George Soros Open Society Foundations and the Soros front group Neo Philanthropy. The Soros funded Open Society Foundations grants help support “organizations that promote open borders,…

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Randy Boyd: ‘If I’m Elected Governor, I Will Work to Make Sure There Are No Sanctuary Cities in Tennessee’

June 28, 2017June 28, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

Tennessee Star

Gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd posted on his campaign’s Facebook page late Tuesday evening that he is opposed to sanctuary cities, and urged residents of Davidson County to tell their Metro Council members to oppose the proposed sanctuary city ordinace. “Sanctuary Cities are illegal,” Boyd’s post began. “Washington has made a complete mess of our immigration system. But here in Tennessee, we will follow the law and must say NO to illegal immigration and Sanctuary Cities,” Boyd said. “I encourage everyone in Metro Nashville/Davidson County to quickly contact their Metro Council members and encourage them to strongly oppose these Metro ordinances that would ignore the law. If I’m elected Governor, I will work to make sure there are no Sanctuary Cities in Tennessee on my watch, ” Boyd concluded. Later on Tuesday evening, Boyd released a slightly longer version of his Facebook post as a statement on his campaign website, which included an extra sentence in which he “commend[ed] our state’s legislative leaders for speaking out.”: Nashville, Tenn. – Randy Boyd, Republican candidate for Governor, released the following statement today regarding proposed Metro Council ordinances and current Sanctuary City debate in Nashville: “Sanctuary Cities are illegal. Washington has made a complete…

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OFF THE RECORD: Commenter Nails Gubernatorial Candidate ‘La Raza Randy’

June 27, 2017August 13, 2020 Chris Alto

Tennessee Star

Tennessee Star readers are the bomb when it comes to creative, but fact-anchored monikers for Tennessee’s public figures. Yesterday’s story about gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd and his quarter of a million dollar donation to a Nashville La Raza affiliate while still not dissing Metro Nashville for wanting to formally become the MOST LIBERAL SANCTUARY CITY IN THE U.S., seems to have inspired a Tennessee Star reader to comment on our story Monday, “Gubernatorial Candidate Randy Boyd Donated $250,000 to La Raza Affiliate And Has Not Renounced Nashville Sanctuary City Ordinance,” that “La Raza Randy . . . shows his real colors.” So now, “La Raza Randy” joins “Boss Doss” in our list of favorite fact-anchored monikers, because public figures aren’t entitled to be insulated from ridicule for the decisions they may ultimately wish they hadn’t made. The Tennessee Star is in the business of reporting FACTS. Unfortunately, we can’t help it if the FACTS show that when Boyd made his $250,000 donation, “the single largest individual gift” to the coffers of a named La Raza affiliate the founder and director of the Nashville organization was also already…. the Chairman of the Board of….La Raza! “La Raza Randy”? Sort of rolls off your tongue.

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Speaker Beth Harwell Keynote Speaker at Grainger County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner

June 27, 2017June 26, 2017 Laura Baigert

Tennessee Star

RUTLEDGE, Tennessee – The Grainger County Republican Party had an impressive turnout of about 150 people at their Lincoln Day Dinner on Saturday, June 24 held in the nicely decorated Grainger County High School cafeteria, that featured Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) as the keynote speaker. Harwell was introduced by Sen. Frank Nicely (R-Strawberry Plains) during the Legislative Welcome by him and Rep. Jerry Sexton (R-Bean Station). Nicely’s comments were limited to “making everyone mad” as he put it, by saying that if she decides to run, he would be supporting Beth Harwell for governor. Speaker Harwell spoke on the three pillars of the Republican Party: That Government is best which lives within its means; that government is best which governs least; and, that government is best which is closest to the people. While she provided examples of where she thinks Tennessee has succeeded in those areas, the politically engaged would have plenty of material to critique in terms of Harwell omitting the recent fuel tax and fee increases of the IMPROVE Act, the backstory as to who supported or tried to subvert the legislative advances she cited, and how much work remains to fully live up to the three pillars. The agenda also…

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Gubernatorial Candidate Randy Boyd Is High Bidder For Custom Chair He Says He Will Put In The Governor’s Office

June 27, 2017June 26, 2017 Laura Baigert

RUTLEDGE, Tennessee – Rep. Jerry Sexton (R-Bean Station), owner of upholstered furniture company Sexton Furniture Manufacturing, donated a striking, custom-made chair embroidered with the Republican party elephant mascot and the words “Grainger County Republicans … Always Right” as a fund raiser for the Grainger County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner held Saturday evening. The chair was one of about two dozen items donated for the auction, intended as fund raisers for the local Republican party. The chair was the final auction item and garnered the greatest haul, with a high bid of $625 by gubernatorial candidate, Randy Boyd. When the bidding was done and as attendees slowly made their way out the doors, Boyd graciously posed for pictures. Predicting the outcomes of both the August 2018 Republican primary and the November 2018 general election, Boyd told Sexton he wanted to have the chair for the governor’s office.

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Gubernatorial Candidate Randy Boyd Donated $250,000 to La Raza Affiliate And Has Not Renounced Nashville Sanctuary City Ordinance

June 26, 2017July 9, 2017 Chris Alto

Almost immediately after the Metro Nashville Council voted on second reading to pass a sanctuary city ordinance last week, Congressman Diane Black (R-TN-06), State Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma) and gubernatorial candidates, Mae Beavers and Bill Lee, issued strong rebukes to the city’s move to violate federal and state law. The Randy Boyd campaign, despite being asked directly by The Tennessee Star for a comment regarding the proposed Nashville ordinance, did not respond. In a state where The Tennessee Star’s polling results showed that 1,007 likely Republican primary voters rejected in-state college tuition for illegal aliens by a stunning 84 percent to 11 percent margin and where 1.5 million voters helped elect President Trump, Boyd’s silence on a key immigration issue, could prove costly to his campaign. Three days after announcing his candidacy for governor on March 6, 2017, The Star reported on Boyd’s $250,000 donation in 2016 to Conexion Americas, an affiliate partner of the National Council of La Raza (NC La Raza). Renata Soto, co- founder and executive director of Conexion Americas served for three years as vice-president of the NC La Raza Board and was elected to lead the NC La Raza board in 2015, the year before Boyd made his donation. Days later The Star asked Boyd whether he knew…

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Partnership for a New American Economy Promotes Legal and Illegal Immigration in Nashville

June 23, 2017June 22, 2017 Chris Alto

The Partnership for a New American Economy (PNAE) whose named members include gubernatorial candidates Randy Boyd and Karl Dean, awarded twenty cities “Gateways for Growth” (G4G) grants designed to “integrate immigrants as part of an economic growth strategy.” Openthebooks.com’s report Federal Funding of America’s Sanctuary Cities identifies half of the G4G grant recipients as sanctuary cities, including Nashville. The Tennessee Star asked the Randy Boyd campaign specifically for a comment on the Metro Nashville ordinance that would make Nashville a sanctuary city but has received no response. PNAE’s “15 key economic issues of immigration reform in America” include: Supporting legal status for the 11.4 million undocumented immigrants. In a 2014 Wall Street Journal oped, PNAE co-founder Rupert Murdoch said that illegal immigrants who are already here should be provided a path to citizenship. Supporting resettlement of refugees who PNAE says that after living in the U.S. between 16-25 years are earning well above the income of refugees who have been here for five years or less. Moreover, PNAE believes refugees are the answer to reviving aging and declining communities. Pushing state and local policymakers to support in-state college tuition for illegal immigrant students. The PNAE, now shortened to “New American Economy,” is a powerful and well-funded…

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Self Proclaimed ‘Moderate’ Gubernatorial Candidate Randy Boyd Sends Mailer Trying to Appeal to Conservatives

June 9, 2017June 9, 2017 Laura Baigert

Tennessee Star

Former commissioner of the state Economic and Community Development turned gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd, who has publicly described himself as a “moderate,” is now appealing to conservatives for support through a recent direct mail campaign. “I’m probably the most hated, disrespected, untolerated political entity in existence,” Boyd said, continuing, “I’m a moderate,” according to an April 2015 interview with the Knoxville Mercury. Apparently, Boyd now considers himself a conservative, as he makes references to conservatives and conservative values in all four pages of his four-page letter as well as the sheet intended to be returned with a financial contribution or volunteer sign-up. The mailing was packaged in a standard letter-sized envelope, with about a quarter of the front conspicuously covered with a picture of Randy Boyd accompanied by the statement, “I’m not a professional politician. I’m a businessman. That alone won’t elect me as Tennessee’s next Governor. But it’s a darn good place to start.” The enclosed letter starts off with an appealing story about a young man who recognized Boyd at a gas station as “the dog guy” who made “community college free.” After addressing why he decided to run for governor – “to try and make a…

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Republicans Eyeing Job As Tennessee Governor Respond To Timely Questions At Event Thursday

May 26, 2017 Wendy Wilson

While announced and expected Republican candidates for Tennessee governor differed little in their comments at a Rutherford County GOP event on Thursday, they handled questions about tough and timely issues. Businessmen Randy Boyd and Bill Lee spoke at at the annual Reagan Day Dinner, as did state Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) and Congresswoman Diane Black. Boyd, who formerly served as Gov. Bill Haslam’s economic commissioner, and Lee are the only two who have officially announced their candidacies for the 2018 race. On sanctuary cities, all four in attendance said they were strongly against Tennessee cities refusing to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. There are no cities in the state that have technically refused to cooperate with ICE, though Nashville Mayor Megan Barry is seen as sympathetic toward illegal immigrants. Moreover, lax immigration enforcement nationwide under previous presidents has meant ongoing problems with criminal illegal immigrants who continue to commit crimes. “No city in Tennessee will be a sanctuary city under my watch,” said Boyd, who is regarded as an establishment Republican and who last year gave a large donation to Conexión Américas for its culinary entrepreneurship program. Renata Soto, the founder and director of the Nashville group, is…

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Nashville Chamber Coalition Pushes Ahead With Study Examining Tax Revenue For Transit

May 23, 2017May 22, 2017 Wendy Wilson

A pro-transit coalition of business and community leaders backed by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has begun the second phase of a project studying possible sources of tax revenue. In addition to raising the gax tax to fund road improvements, the IMPROVE Act recently passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Gov. Bill Haslam allows municipalities to hold referendums on raising local taxes for transit. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry plans to have a referendum on the ballot in 2018 to raise taxes to support a tentative $6 billion regional transit plan to be phased in over 25 years. The plan would include light rail and rapid buses. Barry announced last month that a light rail project along the Gallatin Pike corridor would begin immediately. The Moving Forward coalition will examine four potential local revenue sources: property tax, sales tax, hotel/motel tax and wheel tax, according to a news release issued May 11. The study will encompass the 10-county Middle Tennessee region. Property tax was not mentioned in the IMPROVE Act but local governments in Tennessee already have the authority to increase the property tax rate. The new release said that “the study will provide multiple scenarios…

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Seven Republican Candidates For Governor To Speak At Rutherford County Event

May 18, 2017May 18, 2017 Wendy Wilson

Republican candidates for Tennessee governor will speak at this year’s Reagan Day Dinner sponsored by the Rutherford County GOP. The lineup for the May 25 event will include seven “announced and expected Republican gubernatorial candidates,” according to promotional material. They include businessmen Randy Boyd and Bill Lee, Congresswoman Diane Black, State Senators Mark Green (R-Clarksville), Mark Norris (R-Collierville) and Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet), and Speaker of the State House of Representatives Beth Harwell (R-Nashville). Only Boyd and Lee have announced to date. Part of the mission of local chapters of the Republican Party is to inform voters about candidates running for office, said Donna Barrett, chair of the Rutherford County GOP. “What better way than to have the candidates present at functions where we can personally hear where they stand on issues?” Barrett told The Tennessee Star. On the most important state issues in 2017, the gas tax increase included in the IMPROVE Act passed by the Tennessee General Assembly and signed by Gov. Haslam, the seven announced and expected Republican gubernatorial candidates hold positions that range from support to opposition to no comment so far. State Senator Mark Norris and Speaker of the House Beth Harwell voted yes…

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Gubernatorial Candidates Randy Boyd and Karl Dean Will Fight for Votes of Political Moderates

May 12, 2017May 12, 2017 Chris Alto

Tennessee Star

Four months into his 2015 appointment as the new Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, and two years before he announced his run for governor, Randy Boyd told his hometown weekly that, “I’m probably the most hated, disrespected, untolerated political entity in existence… I’m a moderate.” Former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, the first declared gubernatorial Democrat candidate also describes himself as a moderate and recognizes that he will need “moderate Republican votes” in order to win. Both candidates say education and economics are the top priorities, both say they are business-friendly and both shower admiration on Haslam’s leadership. For voters, however, even those who identify as “moderate” or “independent,” it will be difficult to distinguish between Boyd and Dean, except perhaps for choosing whether to vote in the Republican or Democrat primary. Political analysts suggest that states with open primaries like Tennessee, work to the advantage of moderate candidates. Both candidates have been married to the same partner for a long time and while Boyd made his fortune by copying a similar commercially available product, Dean married into his wealth. His wife Delta Anne Davis, is an heir to the millions her uncle Joe C. Davis made through the coal…

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Mark White’s In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrant Students Will be Back in 2018

April 19, 2017April 19, 2017 Chris Alto

In the House Education committee today, State Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) moved his second bill, HB660 that would legalize in-state tuition for illegal immigrant students in Tennessee, to the 2018 legislative session. Last week when this bill failed in committee on a 6-6 vote, White indicated he would seek a motion for the committee to reconsider their action on the bill, but likely discovered that he could not overcome the required procedural hurdle. Moving his bill to 2018, allows him to avoid having the motion to reconsider fail, earning yet another strike against his campaign to secure in-state tuition for illegal immigrant students. White’s first bill this year that would have granted in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students, HB863, was voted down in committee in a 7-6 vote. This bill closely tracked the language of his 2015 bill, HB675, that failed on the House floor by one vote. During an earlier House Education subcommittee hearing on White’s HB660, concern was raised by Chairman Harry Brooks, as to whether Section 5 of the bill would allow the school governing boards to offer in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students because that section removes the paying of in-state tuition from being a state…

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Randy Boyd Uses Haslam’s ‘Leadership Tennessee’ to Advance His Gubernatorial Platform

March 31, 2017January 22, 2018 Chris Alto

Tennessee Star

Leadership Tennessee, a program funded by Governor Haslam and his allies, was launched to promote “collaborative leadership” across political, cultural and business lines that could problem-solve for the “common good.” Complete Tennessee is gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd’s initiative to “complete the mission of education and economic development initiatives” of the Haslam administration. According to the President of The Cornerstone Foundation a funder and early promoter of Leadership Tennessee, a “terrific example of collaboration in action” was SCORE’s Executive Director Jamie Woodson, the biggest and most well-financed lobbyist for Common Core in Tennessee. Common Core standards championed by the Obama Department of Education, the Gates Foundation and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, was a cornerstone of Haslam’s education reform platform during his 2010 gubernatorial campaign. Haslam’s plan to fully embed these standards into Tennessee’s K-12 system was derailed in 2013 by House conservatives. Five months before announcing himself as a gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd who describes himself as a political “moderate,” launched Complete Tennessee, “a nonprofit 501(c)3 education advocacy organization focused on increasing postsecondary access and completion in Tennessee.” Boyd is getting help in his “complete” mission from fellow Leadership Tennessee classmate, Janet Ayers who is a Complete Tennessee and SCORE board…

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If Mark Green Does Not Run, Mae Beavers Will Be Only Potential or Announced GOP Candidate For Governor Who Opposes The Gas Tax Increase

March 22, 2017March 22, 2017 Tennessee Star Staff

Tennessee Star

“Sen. Mae Beavers, R-Mt. Juliet, said she is in the early stages of a possible run at the state’s top position after the leading conservative candidate might be headed to the nation’s capitol,” the Lebanon Democrat reported on Monday. If State Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville) becomes the next Secretary of the Army, as many insiders expect will be the case, State Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) will be the only potential or announced GOP candidate for Governor who opposes the gas tax increase. “Beavers said the idea to run for governor emerged recently after several phone calls and comments from supporters, many of which she spoke with at the recent Wilson County Republican Party Convention,” the Lebanon Democrat noted. “I said on Friday I would throw out the idea and see what happens,” Beavers told the Lebanon Democrat. “Sen. Green was the most conservative candidate. A lot of people felt the need to support a candidate who shares similar views,” she added. When the State Senate Transportation Committee passed an amended version of Gov. Haslam’s Improve Act last week that raised the gas tax by 6 cents per gallon rather than 7 cents per gallon, Beavers was the sole no…

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Randy Boyd Endorses ‘Partnership for a New American Economy’ Approach to Illegal and Legal Immigration

March 16, 2017March 15, 2017 Chris Alto

Gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd is a named member of the Partnership for a New American Economy (PNAE). The PNAE has shortened its name to “New American Economy” but hasn’t changed its advocacy for comprehensive immigration reform which highlights the work ethic and perceived business ambitions of legal and illegal immigrants over native-born Americans. Founded in 2010, the PNAE is a powerful and well-funded coalition led by business leaders and chambers of commerce which formed to convince the public and policymakers that comprehensive immigration reform like the 2013 “Gang of Eight” amnesty bill would help grow the economy and create jobs for Americans. Included in PNAE’s “15 key economic issues of immigration reform in America” are: Supporting legal status for the 11.4 million undocumented immigrants which PNAE says pay taxes and do the jobs American citizens won’t do, and despite being in the country illegally, “even start their own businesses.” In a 2014 Wall Street Journal oped, PNAE co-founder Rupert Murdoch said that illegal immigrants who are already here should be provided a path to citizenship. Supporting resettlement of refugees who PNAE says that after living in the U.S. between 16-25 years are earning well above the income of refugees who have been here…

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Boyd Campaign Silent on Questions Related to Conexion Americas Donation

March 14, 2017March 13, 2017 Chris Alto

One year after Renata Soto, founder and director of Nashville-based Conexion Americas was elected as chairman of the board of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd and his wife Jenny donated $250,000 to Soto’s organization. In a letter signed by Soto the Boyd donation was described as an “historic investment” and as “the single largest individual gift” to Conexion Americas in its 14-year history. Soto’s other organization, NCLR has been generously funded by George Soros. On Friday, March 10, 2017, The Tennessee Star asked the Boyd campaign’s communications director the following questions: Can you confirm whether Randy Boyd knew about Renata Soto’s leadership role with NCLR when he donated the $250K to her Nashville organization? Was he aware that Ms. Soto’s Nashville organization is a named affiliate of NCLR? If he was not aware of Ms. Soto’s leadership role with NCLR, would he have still made the donation had he known about her leadership role with NCLR? Did Randy Boyd know about Ms. Soto’s leadership role with NCLR when she was asked to join the board of Complete Tennessee? Does Randy Boyd support the Governor’s fuel tax proposal? The Boyd campaign has not responded.

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