Tag: State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss

Indicted Lawrence County Sheriff Jimmy Brown Loses Election

Jason M. Reynolds
Jimmy Brown

Lawrence County Sheriff Jimmy Brown, who is under indictment for alleged abuse of power, lost his re-election bid last Thursday. And, a race with statewide interest is drawing questions over irregularities. Military and law enforcement veteran John Myers, a Republican, beat the Democratic sheriff by 53 percent to 31 percent, The (Columbia) Daily-Herald reported Saturday. Independent Rick Osborne took approximately 16 percent of the vote. ‘Boss Doss’ loss raises questions The Lawrence County election process was called into question, especially over the narrow defeat of State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) lost to newcomer Clay Doggett, The Tennessee Star reported. A 16 hour delay occurred in the reporting of the results in the Republican primary. “The fact that several different and inconsistent vote numbers have been reported from Lawrence County over the past 24 hours raises serious questions about whether the disparities are due to incompetence or actual technical issues or something more sinister. The fact that the Secretary of State’s office seemed to have no idea that there were problems indicates that an investigation or a full audit is in order,” Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill said. Late Friday, the Election Administrator’s office confirmed to The Tennessee Star that Lawrence…

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Delay by Lawrence County in Reporting Results That Narrow ‘Boss’ Doss Loss Raises Serious Questions

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

A 16 hour delay in reporting of the results in Thursday’s Republican primary in State House District 70 by Lawrence County election officials that resulted in a dramatic narrowing of the margin by which State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) lost to newcomer Clay Doggett is raising serious questions about the conduct of those officials. “The fact that several different and inconsistent vote numbers have been reported from Lawrence County over the past 24 hours raises serious questions about whether the disparities are due to incompetence or actual technical issues or something more sinister. The fact that the Secretary of State’s office seemed to have no idea that there were problems indicates that an investigation or a full audit is in order,” Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill said. Late Friday, the Election Administrator’s office confirmed to The Tennessee Star that Lawrence County Election Commissioner Stephen Thompson, who previously served as a campaign advisor to Barry Doss in one of his first elections, was in the Lawrence County Election Office Thursday night when the “problems” with vote counts occurred. A screen shot taken of the Tennessee Secretary of State election results website at 11:59 pm on election day, Thursday, August…

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Boss Doss Thumped in 70th State House District GOP Primary Loss

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

The state legislator who broke the rules of the Tennessee House of Representatives to jam through Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase in 2017 has been sent packing by voters in the 70th State House District. State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) was thumped at the ballot box by political newcomer Clay Doggett on Thursday. According to results reported by the Tennessee Secretary of State as of 11:59 pm Thursday, Doggett easily defeated Doss in the Republican primary in the 70th State House District, 55 percent to 44 percent, an 11 point margin of victory. Doggett received 4,490 votes, while Doss received 3,584 votes in the GOP primary. He will now face Jessica B. Yokley, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary, in the November general election. Complete final results have not yet been reported. The Tennessee Star documented in great detail all of the maneuvering and legislative sleight of hand deployed by Doss in 2017 to push through Gov. Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, which raised the gas tax by 6 cents per gallon and the diesel tax by 10 cents per gallon. The bill also authorized the 12 largest counties in the state to use the referendum process to increase local taxes…

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Gas Tax Increases Another 1 Cent Per Gallon Today Thanks to Gov. Haslam, Democrats, and ‘Moderate’ Republicans

Tennessee Star Staff
Gas up

The state gas tax increased another 1 cent per gallon today, thanks to the IMPROVE Act passed by Democrats and “moderate” Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Bill Haslam in May 2017. The controversial law raised state gas taxes by 6 cents per gallon and diesel taxes by 10 cents per gallon. The gas tax increases were phased in over three years. The first 4 cents per gallon increase went into effect on July 1, 2017. An additional 1 cent per gallon gas tax increase goes into effect today, and the final 1 cent per gallon gas tax increase goes into effect July 1, 2018. The law was deemed necessary to fund road construction by Haslam and his allies despite the fact the state of Tennessee had a $2 billion surplus at the time it was passed and signed into law. One under reported element of the law at the time was a provision that allowed the twelve largest counties in the state to hold local referendums to increase local taxes to fund transportation projects. It was this provision upon which former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry relied when she introduced her $9 billion transit…

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Boss Doss Admits To TDOT Contract After Being Elected

Laura Baigert
Tennessee Star

For the first time, State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma), who is the House sponsor of Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017” and is serving as Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, admitted to having a contract with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) since he was elected in 2012. The admission came during an interview with WSMV Monday, as he was attempting to refute conflict of interest charges related to his sponsorship of the IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017.” The potential conflict of interest, as reported by The Tennessee Star, was raised on March 27 via a letter from the Tennessee Republican Assembly (TRA) to Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) that called for an ethics investigation.  Rep. Doss, serving as Chairman of the Transportation Committee and House sponsor of Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act with his “capability to sway the committee” or “manipulation of the rules” with the outcome of the legislative process having the potential for “direct financial impact on his business” did not meet the “Guiding Principle” of avoiding even the appearance of conflicts, TRA said. Thus far, Speaker Harwell has not responded to the request for an investigation and Doss had not commented. That was until Monday, when Rep.…

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House Republican Conservatives Put Up a Valiant Fight Against Gov. Haslam’s Gas Tax Increase, Setting Stage for 2018 Election

Laura Baigert

  When the Tennessee House of Representatives passed Governor Haslam’s gas tax increase bill by a 60 to 37 margin on Wednesday, a bare majority of Republicans–37 for and 35 against—voted yes in favor of the unpopular tax increase. The 35 conservative Republicans who stood for the foundational principle of limited government were not sufficient to withstand the huge financial and political pressures mounted by the special interests who wanted the bill to pass. Those forces arrayed against the conservative opposition were significant, beginning with Governor Haslam’s taxpayer funded statewide tour that promoted a 962 road project list in all 95 counties, the support of lobbying groups numbering in the thirties, tax reductions for a select group of businesses, and a reported $250 million taxpayer funded deal for the Democrats. These conservatives lost the battle in 2017, but the war for the Tennessee General Assembly election in 2018 has just begun. The arguments made by these 35 stalwarts on the floor of the House on Wednesday will resonate throughout the state over the next year and a half. The process through the House subcommittees and committees was not without controversy including the make up of the Transportation Committee, procedural issues, breaking…

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Jeff Hartline Commentary: In Tennessee, Growing Government is the New Faux ‘Conservative’

Tennessee Star Staff

By Jeff Hartline We hear from time to time the graying generation express “Fifty is the new Thirty” or we hear fashionistas tell us that “Red is the new Black”. In trying to piece together the policy “MOAB” that went off yesterday in the Tennessee General Assembly, we have concluded “Growing Government is the new faux ‘Conservative’ “. How so, you say? Well, for years conservatives have been hearing that all we need to get Tennessee back on track is to elect more Republicans. So, Tennessee voters did just that. In fact, the voters overachieved by electing a Republican Governor, seventy-four State Representatives (out of a possible 99) and twenty-eight State Senators (out of a possible 33). We heard “It matters who governs” and “We want to right-size government”. So, how’s that working out for conservative policy? Well, if you consider conservatism to be standing up for smaller and more limited government, more Constitutionally-focused government, less taxes, limited state spending, more efficiency, more transparency, less cronyism and focused attention on traditional family values, you have been sorely disappointed. Politically-savvy individuals realize that when you have divided government, you must be willing to compromise on issues in order to get anything…

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Judson Phillips Commentary: RIP Tennessee Republican Party

Judson Phillips

  RIP Tennessee Republican Party. The Tennessee Republican Party died on April 19, 2017. Ten years after the GOP became the majority party in Tennessee, led by a liberal governor, the party committed political suicide. By voting for the largest tax increase in the history of the state of Tennessee, the Republicans in the state legislature knifed their base in the back and repudiated everything they claim to stand for. Tennessee Republicans routinely make campaign speeches talking about how conservative they are and how they believe in limited government. Today, Tennessee’s conservative base knows this is a lie. Despite that, these same politicians will return home and tell the local people how conservative they are. Clearly these politicians think that the people who make up base are idiots. After all, they seriously think they can name the largest tax increase in the history of the state, the “Tax Cut Act of 2017” and expect the base to believe them. Unfortunately, the Tennessee Republicans supermajority in the legislature chose to listen to a lame duck, feckless crap weasel governor instead of the people who put them in office. Since the Tennessee Republicans did not listen to their base, it is time…

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Haslam Bargained with Democrats and Establishment Republicans to Pass Gas Tax Increase Bill

Laura Baigert
Tennessee Star

  Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017” (HB 534), which includes a 6 cents per gallon gas tax increase and a 10 cents per gallon diesel tax increase phased in over three years, garnered 23 votes from Democrats and 37 establishment Republicans, which was more than sufficient to get it to pass in the Tennessee House of Representatives by a vote of 60 to 37 late Wednesday. It was a long day for State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss, the leading co-sponsor of the bill, who spent several hours presenting the case for the bill on the floor of the House prior to the final vote. Only two Democrats, State Rep G. A. Hardaway (D-Memphis) and State Rep. John Mark Windle (D-Livingston), joined the conservative caucus  of Republicans, who cast 35 votes against the IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017.” Rumors swirled throughout the capitol Wednesday that Governor Haslam had made a deal with the Democrats to secure their votes. Rep. Doss (R-Leoma) was seen conversing on the floor with several Democrats throughout the day, which was not, by itself, particularly unusual. More significantly, Democratic Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley) was seen accompanying administrative staffer Warren Wells to the…

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