Tag: State Rep. Barry Doss

Former Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey Says ‘There Was Some Punishment Levied Against Some House Members’ for Voting No on Gas Tax

Chris Alto

During a press conference in Blountville, former Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey said that, “[w]hen I was in the legislature, let me assure you, actions had consequences,” as the reason why none of the new transportation funding is headed to Washington County. Ramsey summed it up this way: “There was no doubt, in the end, that there was some punishment levied against some House members on funding. Not against the Senate members, but against the House members.” For example, Ramsey said the Senate included funding for the Sullivan County Agriculture Center and East Tennessee State University, after which the House stripped away some of the funding. Rep. Timothy Hill, whose district covers Johnson County and parts of Carter and Sullivan Counties, voted against the gas tax. “Well, Timothy Hill’s district is the Ag Center. That’s one. I even made a phone call to say, ‘That this is kind of my pet project.’ It’s not up to the House members on that, but still they felt like it was time to ‘exact a pound of flesh’ was exactly the words that I heard” No TDOT projects were included for Johnson County which Hill also represents. Similarly, there were no TDOT projects listed for…

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Follow The Money: Campaign Receipts May Shed Light on Why Some Republicans Voted For The Gas Tax

Laura Baigert

  “Follow the money” is a catchphrase made popular in the 1976 movie, “All The President’s Men,” based on the actual events of the Watergate Break-in and suggests a money trail or corruption scheme within the political arena. While campaign receipts are no guarantee of how an elected official will vote on a particular issue, when a politician’s vote comes as a surprise to their constituents and political pundits, the behind-the-scenes world of money and power may shed light on the matter. The situation of campaign financing in the state of Tennessee is a complex web of individual and Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions and receipts to and from each other. The Tennessee Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance defines a PAC as a “multi-candidate politician campaign committee that participates in any state or local election.  ‘Multi-candidate committee’ is defined as a committee that makes expenditures to support or oppose two or more candidates for public office or two or more measures in a referenda election. T.C.A. 2-10-102(9).” The State of Tennessee’s Online Campaign Finance webpage includes a searchable database for contributions and expenditures to candidates and PACs and from candidates, PACs, private individuals or businesses/organizations. The complexity, special interests…

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House Majority Leader Glen Casada Defends His Vote to Increase The Gas Tax

Laura Baigert
Tennessee Star

House Majority Leader Glen Casada (R-Franklin), issued a press release Monday defending his vote to increase the gas tax through Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, after initially announcing on February 8 his support for the alternative Hawk Plan. The press release was forwarded via email, addressed to “Friends,” stating “I wanted to forward a statement I released to the press regarding my vote on the IMPROVE Act.” If the comments on Rep. Casada’s Facebook page responding to posts on the gas tax, the overwhelming majority of which are against the gas tax, is representative of other feedback he’s been getting, it likely prompted Casada’s need to explain his vote. The cover email continued, Though I still believe there was a better way to fund road construction for Tennessee that did not raise taxes, I did vote for the amendment that was the IMPROVE Act.  My support for the alternative plan that would have shifted funds to the Department of Transportation without raising the gasoline tax died twice in committee and again on the House floor.  Thus, my only option was to do nothing on road funding, or vote for the IMPROVE Act – the next best vehicle available to attain our goal of…

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6 Things Boss Doss Got Wrong In His Sales Pitch For Governor Haslam’s Gas Tax Increasing IMPROVE Act

Laura Baigert

  As the House sponsor of the IMPROVE Act Tax Cut Act of 2017 (HB 534), State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) was well versed on all of the related subject matter and respectful throughout his long and challenging sales pitch for Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act to the various committees and on the House floor. There were, however, several things Rep. Doss got wrong.  And, as former Majority Leader Gerald McCormick (R-Chattanooga) said several times through the process, “You can have your own opinions, but you can’t have your own facts.” Here are the top six things Boss Doss got wrong: 1. “I’ve been proud that we cut taxes by $300 million so far.” The state portion of the annual budget has grown from $13.7 billion in 2011-12 to a recommended $16.5 billion for 2017-18.  Since state law requires that all of the revenues be allocated, that’s a $2.8 billion, or 20 percent, increase in state spending in just six years. 2. The average family of 4 will recognize a monthly increase of $5.54 from the gas tax hike versus a savings in their food tax of $7.72, for a net savings of $2.18 per month. In terms of the…

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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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Boss Doss Praises Radio Host Ralph Bristol During House Floor Debate for Calling Gas Tax Increase Bill ‘A Tax Cut’

Tennessee Star Staff

State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma) praised 99.7 FM WWTN radio host Ralph Bristol on the floor of the House on Wednesday during the debate over The IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017” for calling the gas tax increase bill “a tax cut.” On Wednesday morning, during a live interview with Governor Haslam (who unveiled the bill in January), Bristol called the expected vote in the House on the gas tax increase proposal “a momentous day in Tennessee.” Doss also quoted President John F. Kennedy’s famous 1961 inaugural challenge to the country as a reason to vote for The IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017”: Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. It was not immediately clear to the members of the gallery exactly how voting to increase the gas tax in Tennessee by 6 cents per gallon was the kind of patriotic sacrifice President Kennedy had in mind when he made that statement more than half a century ago. State Rep. Jerry Sexton (R-Bean Station) took exception to the comparison. Sexton questioned the connection between the reduction in Frachise and Excise Taxes for corporations to road construction. Doss…

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Boss Doss Claim That Tennessee is Lowest Taxed State in Nation Contradicted by Kiplinger Report

Laura Baigert
Tennessee Star

State Rep. Barry “Boss” Doss (R-Leoma), chairman of the House Transportation and champion of the IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017” claimed in the Finance, Ways and Means Committee last Tuesday that Tennessee is the lowest taxed state in the nation. The Kiplinger Report, a “leader in personal finance news and business forecasting” put together their list of “10 Best States to Live In For Taxes” in August 2016, and that list does not include Tennessee. In order, Kiplinger’s top 10 are: Wyoming, Alaska, Florida, Nevada, Arizona, Louisiana, Alabama, South Dakota, Mississippi and Delaware. Five states on the list, like Tennessee, do not have an income tax. Other robust criteria Kiplinger used for their ranking was property tax from U.S. Census’ American Community Survey, the Tax Foundation’s figure for average sales tax, fuel tax from The American Petroleum Institute, sin taxes from the state’s tax agency and the Tax Foundation, inheritance and gift taxes from each state’s tax agency, wireless taxes from the Tax Foundation, travel taxes from the state’s tax agency and a lodging tax study by HVS Convention Sports and Entertainment Consulting and the fiscal stability of the states by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.…

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Tennessee Republican Assembly Calls on Speaker Harwell to ‘Address Our Concerns’ About Boss Doss Conflict of Interest Over Gas Tax Increase

Tennessee Star Staff

The Tennessee Republican Assembly is calling on Speaker Beth Harwell “to fulfill her oath and address our concerns” about State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma) “having a conflict of interest while serving as Committee Chair for the Transportation Committee.” “On March 28, 2017, a letter from the Tennessee Republican Assembly (TRA) was hand delivered to Speaker Beth Harwell’s office. The letter contained well-defined examples of Rep. Barry Doss as having a conflict of interest while serving as Committee Chair for the Transportation Committee,” the TRA said in a statement released on Thursday. “This was an official request for a meeting with Speaker Harwell to discuss our valid concerns and it is not acceptable for Speaker Harwell to refuse to acknowledge or meet with the Board to discuss the matter, after repeated attempts to get her to do so,” the statement continued. “We are now publicly calling on the Speaker to fulfill her oath and duties and address our concerns,” the statement concluded. You can see the TRA statement here: [pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Harwell_Doss_pr_41317.pdf”]   “The Tennessee Republican Assembly has asked Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) to begin an ethics investigation of the business conduct of State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma), a vocal supporter of…

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Gas Tax Increase Passes House Finance Committee on a Voice Vote

Laura Baigert
Tennessee Star

  Rep. Charles Sargent (R-Franklin), chairman of the House Finance, Ways, and Means Committee, presided over a voice vote on Tuesday that advanced the controversial IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017” to the Calendar and Rules Committee, where it awaits scheduling for a vote on the floor of the full House. Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma), as sponsor of the bill, once again presented the features of the  IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017.” Doss unexpectedly made a point of saying that the renaming of the bill last week to include The Tax Cut Act of 2017 was something that was not important to him, but it was to its sponsor, Rep. Gerald McCormick (R-Chattanooga). Chairman Sargent allowed a leisurely-paced question and answer period from Committee members to Rep. Doss, which came primarily from Democrat members of the Committee. Rep. Mike Carter (R-Ooltewah) pointed out that while he wished it wasn’t included in the IMPROVE Act “Tax Cut Act of 2017”, he wouldn’t vote for a bill that didn’t include the change from the franchise and excise tax to the single sales factor due to the loss of Polaris from his district to the state of Alabama. Rep. David Hawk (R- Greeneville)…

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Despite Ethics Cloud, ‘Proud’ Barry Doss Presented ‘New and IMPROVED’ Gas Tax Bill for ‘Rebranding’ as ‘Tax Cut Act of 2017’

Laura Baigert
Tennessee Star

  Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma) told the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday he was “proud to bring the bill before you,” as he presented Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, the gas tax increase proposal he co-sponsors, for consideration.   Rep. Doss continues to sponsor and present the bill, despite the call for an ethics investigation by the Tennessee Republican Assembly over potential Tennessee Department of Transportation contracts for his company. Doss statement of pride in the gas tax increase proposal came both in his opening statement and again later in response to Rep. David Hawk (R-Greeneville). Hawk said he would continue to work to “present a plan our colleagues can vote for, as opposed to presenting a plan that our colleagues may have to hold their nose and vote for.” Doss took exception to Hawk’s comments, and said again that he was proud to sponsor the gas tax increase bill and that he is “not holding my nose today.” He conceded, however, that it’s “going to take some education of our constituents,” something he said he has “been doing for a solid year.” Although he has served two previous terms in the House of Representatives, Rep. Doss has not been a member…

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Americans For Prosperity To Hold ‘A Gas Tax Day Of Action’ In Speaker Harwell’s District

Laura Baigert
Tennessee Star

  Americans For Prosperity-Tennessee (AFP) announced ‘A Day of Action’ in the fight against the gas tax hike in the home district of Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville), in order to encourage her to oppose the unpopular measure. Volunteers will be door-knocking all day Saturday, April 8 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Belle Meade, Forest Hills and Oak Hill areas of Nashville. Full details are available on AFP’s Facebook page. The gas tax increase is the more common term applied to Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act – recently renamed the “Tax Cut Act of 2017” – which, in its current form, includes a 6 cent per gallon gas tax increase and a 10 ten cent per gallon diesel tax increase. The tax hikes are slated to be phased in over a three-year period to fund the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) list of 962 projects that currently carry a $10.5 billion price tag. Speaker Harwell has played a key role this session in the advancement of the gas tax through the Tennessee House of Representaives. At the outset of the current 110th Tennessee General Assembly, she assigned the members and picked the chairmen of the House Committees and Subcommittees including the critical…

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Tennessee Republican Assembly Calls for Ethics Investigation of Boss Doss Over TDOT Contracts

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

The Tennessee Republican Assembly has asked Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) to begin an ethics investigation of the business conduct of State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma), a vocal supporter of Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase proposal, over potential Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) contracts for his firm. “The Tennessee Republican Assembly (TRA) is calling upon you, Speaker Beth Harwell, to investigate a potential ethics violation by Rep. Barry Doss, who also serves as Chair of the Transportation Committee,” the organization said in a letter dated March 27 signed by its entire leadership team and hand delivered to members of the Tennessee House of Representatives on Tuesday. “Chairman Doss should have recused himself from the proceedings that could potentially have a direct financial impact on his business,” the TRA said of his oversight of the Transportation Committee as it considered the gas tax increase proposal last week. “In this role, Rep. Doss has the capability to sway the committee by means of influence or by manipulation of the rules governing the committee derived from Mason’s Manual,” the letter continued. “In a stunning abuse of power, State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma) broke a long-standing rule of the Tennessee House of Representatives to ram…

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Concerned Veterans of America: ‘Veterans Being Used in Tennessee Tax Hike Ploy’

Laura Baigert
Tennessee Star

Concerned Veterans of America (CVA)  blasted Tennessee’s Republican political establishment on Monday for using veterans in a “Tennessee [gas] tax hike ploy.” “The politicians pushing for this gas tax increase know that it’s unpopular, so they’ve resorted to using veterans as pawns to push their big government agenda. Pretending that this massive tax hike is good for the military community is an unconscionable move that disrespects those who fought and sacrificed for this country,” Mark Lucas, executive director of CVA said in a statement. “The truth is that this gas tax will hurt families and veterans alike who rely on affordable transportation in the state. Veterans deserve property tax relief, but not as part of a glaringly obvious ploy to increase taxes across the board. We urge the Tennessee legislature to look for ways to cut wasteful government spending instead of approving this disingenuous and costly tax hike,” Lucas said. The amended version of Gov. Haslam’s IMPROVE Act gas tax increase that passed the Senate Transporation Committee last week “includes a small tax relief for veterans which would exempt them from paying property taxes under certain circumstances, but would not protect them from the impact of the massive gas tax…

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Boss Doss Breaks Rules to Ram Amended Gas Tax Increase Through House Transportation Committee

Laura Baigert
Tennessee Star

In a stunning abuse of power, State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma) broke a long-standing rule of the Tennessee House of Representatives to ram an amended version of Gov. Haslam’s gas tax increase through the House Transportation Committee he chairs on Tuesday. A bill containing the new and improved IMPROVE Act amendment, which restores many of the elements of Gov. Haslam’s original gas tax increase proposal,  passed the House Transportation Committee in an 11 to 7 vote, but that outcome could not have taken place on Tuesday had not Chairman Doss broken Rule 34 of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Rule 34 of the Tennessee House of Representatives allows any member the privilege of “separating the question” when an amendment is added to a bill that is up for consideration. A key element of Rule 34–which is known to every member of the House–is that it is a “privilege” that can be exercised without question whenever a member invokes it in a committee hearing. It is not a “motion,” which is subject to a vote of the committee. Every chairman of every committee in the Tennessee House of Representatives, including  Rep. Doss, is well aware that Rule 34 is a privilege,…

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House Transportation Committee Delays Vote on The IMPROVE Act Another Week

Laura Baigert

  State Rep. Courtney Rogers (R-Goodlettsville), Vice-Chair of the House Transportation Committee, acted as Chair when the committee convened on Tuesday in the absence of Chairman Barry Doss (R-Leoma), who was not present at the hearing. Acting Chair Rogers reported to the committee members present that Chairman Doss had asked that HB 534, the “caption bill” for the IMPROVE Act, be “rolled” for one week. The request, which constitutes the second delay in as many weeks of a vote on the bill, seemed an unexpected turn of events to the full-to-capacity meeting room that included media, camera crews, and several Tennessee Department of Transportation representatives. As The Tennessee Star reported last week, the committee voted 9 to 8 when it met one week earlier on March 7 to “roll” the bill forward to this Tuesday’s meeting in order to allow the committee members to review the numerous amendments proposed to the bill. A point of order raised at the March 7 meeting by State Rep. Timothy Hill (R-Blountville)–whether it was in order for Chairman Doss, as sponsor of the bill, to preside over the hearing–was raised indirectly at Tuesday’s meeting. Hill’s earlier point of order was resolved at the March…

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Gas Tax Apologists Unable to Explain Why the 15 Percent of User Fees Diverted From Highway Fund is Not Spent on Road Construction

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star

At least 15 percent of the $1.2 billion in highway user fees collected by the state of Tennessee in FY 2015-2016–$189 million– was diverted away from road construction (see page A-65 of The Budget: State of Tennessee, Distribution of Actual Revenue by Fund, FY 2015-2016). Under Gov. Haslam’s proposed FY 2017-2018 budget, virtually the same amount of highway user fees–$187 million–will continue to be diverted away from road construction. (see page A-67 of The Budget: State of Tennessee, Distribution of Estimated Revenue by Fund, FY 2017-2018). FY 2015-2016 is the most recent year for which actual expenditures are available. Throughout the public debate over the past two months about Gov. Haslam’s proposed IMPROVE Act, which includes a gas tax increase of 7 cents per gallon, apologists for a gas tax increase–including House Transportation Committee Chairman Barry Doss (R-Leoma), House Senate Transportation Chairman Paul Bailey (R-Sparta), and 99.7 FM WWTN radio’s Ralph Bristol, host of Nashville’s Morning News–have yet to answer one key question about the state’s budget priorities: With a $1 billion surplus in the state budget, why do you support a gas tax increase when much of the purported road construction shortfall could be addressed by simply re-allocating the $187…

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House Transportation Committee Fails To Advance IMPROVE Act, Despite Multiple Tactics By Chairman Doss

Laura Baigert

  The House Transportation Committee failed to advance Gov. Haslam’s IMPROVE Act (HB 0534) on Tuesday, despite multiple tactics employed by Chairman State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma), a vigorous proponent of the governor’s gas tax increase proposal, to accomplish that outcome. The committee voted instead to roll the vote over for another session in one week. Voting in favor of a one-week delay were Representatives David Alexander (R-Winchester), Dale Carr (R-Sevierville), Timothy Hill (R-Blountville), Bo Mitchell (D-Nashville), Courtney Rogers (R-Goodlettsville), Bill Sanderson (R-Kenton), Jerry Sexton (R-Bean Station), Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster) and Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville). Voting against the delay were Chairman Doss, and Representatives Barbara Cooper (D-Memphis), Bill Dunn (R-Knoxville), Kelly Keisling (R-Byrdstown), Eddie Smith (R-Knoxville), Ron Travis (R-Dayton), Sam Whitson (R-Franklin), John Mark Windle (D-Livingston). Chairman Doss initially declared that the motion to delay the vote for one week had failed, even though the roll call vote was 9 to 8 in favor the delay. When several members vocally objected, Chairman Doss declared the motion passed and the meeting was quickly adjourned. The day began in subterfuge, when Chairman Doss held a bill review session one hour prior to the scheduled full committee meeting. That bill review session was…

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Haslam Gas Tax Proponent State Rep. Barry Doss Says ‘No One’s Talking About the Tax Cuts That We’re Doing’

Tennessee Star Staff

State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma), Chairman of the House Transportation Committee and a leading proponent of Gov. Haslam’s proposal to increase the gas tax by 7 cents per gallon, told 99.7 FM WWTN’s Ralph Bristol on the Thursday edition of Nashville’s Morning News that he wanted to remind WWTN listeners how much the Tennessee General Assembly has cut taxes recently. “What is this important argument that nobody has heard yet?” Bristol asked Doss. “One thing that we’re not concentrating on,” Doss began, “no one’s talking about the tax cuts that we’re doing.” “I would like to remind all of your listeners that five years ago we lowered the inheritance and gift tax which was a $110 million tax cut, and we knew five years ago there was a drastic need for new revenue for infrastructure, yet we chose to lower taxes $110 million instead of shifting that money over to revenue,” Doss said. Doss was one of the key figures in the legislative drama at the Tennessee General Assembly on Wednesday in which proponents of Gov. Haslam’s plan forced it through the Transportation Subcommittee, which was tied 4 to 4, by making the unusual move of bringing in House Speaker…

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State Rep. Barry Doss Dodges Key Questions on Haslam Gas Tax

Chris Alto

After Gov. Haslam ally and gas tax advocate State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma) voted “yes” in the House Transportation Subcommittee on Wednesday to send the governor’s IMPROVE Act to the full Transportation Committee which he chairs, The Tennessee Star contacted him and asked three simple, yet key questions pertinent to any further consideration of the gas tax: Can you confirm that 25% of  Highway Fund user fees go to the general fund? Can you confirm that suppliers and retailers of both gas and diesel can hold the tax money anywhere from 20-51 days depending on the month before remitting to state per dept. of revenue fuel tax schedule?” Was there any particular reason these important and highly relevant issues were not raised prior to the subcommittee vote today? Rep. Doss did not respond to The Star prior to our deadline. As the House Transportation Committee which he chairs now takes the IMPROVE Act under consideration, Rep. Doss has an opportunity to bring the answers to these questions out in the open for public consideration. The answers to those questions are of great relevance to the public, since “[o]ne of the principles asserted by Governor Haslam in support of his IMPROVE…

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Shenanigans at the State Capital

Admin
Tennessee Star Letter to the Editor - Shenanigans at the State House

  Dear Tennessee Star, Shenanigans at the State Capitol never cease. The proposed Gas Tax is a tax that will definitely affect every single Tennessee citizen in more ways than one. The Transportation House Sub Committee suddenly adjourned their meeting last week and the next meeting is at HIGH NOON, March 1 in LP Room 16.  I wonder if more time was needed in order to twist more arms in order to vote a certain way. If you like paying more taxes, pay this article no mind. But, if you realize that many politicians can’t spend enough Tennessee citizens’ money…read on and contact the House Transportation Sub Committee members below and then pass this information on to others and ask them to do the same. Haslam’s Gas Tax Proposal The governor proposes a 7 cent increase in gas tax and 12 cent increase in diesel tax Also, there is a pesky automatic index to future gas tax increases…which means this proposed gas tax will automatically increase. That means, this gas tax will keep on taking bigger bites out of your wallet as time moves on, and you, the taxpayer will have no say in the matter. Haslam says that it will be “revenue neutral.” Not buying that one. The math doesn’t add up. Keep in mind of that pesky automatic increase that…

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Source: State Rep. Barry Doss Huddled With Gov. Haslam’s Top Staffer to Stop Hawk Plan at Subcommittee

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Star - Doss Huddle during Transportation Subcommitee Meeting

Reporting by the Chattanooga Times Free Press that State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma), a strong supporter of Gov. Haslam’s plan to increase gas taxes by 7 cents a gallon to fund more road construction, was the driving force behind the sudden adjournment of the Transportation Subcommittee on Wednesday prior to the expected vote on the Hawk Plan, the popular alternative to the governor’s plan, was re-enforced by photographs of the event taken by The Tennessee Star. In that photo, Doss is seen having an intense conversation with two unidentified individuals immediately before the sudden vote to adjourn was taken. According to a long-time legislative operative, the people in the photo appear to be State Rep. Barry Doss, Stephen Smith (the governor’s recently named legislative director) and an unnamed political operative with a beard. If indeed the person whose back is to the camera is Stephen Smith, it would underscore the governor’s near-panic that his gas tax was in major trouble last Wednesday. “I have seen sneaky legislative maneuvers before,” said the source. “And the presence of Stephen Smith huddled together with the governor’s lackey, Rep. Doss, would be understandable. The governor sending his #1 staffer to the legislature at this…

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Haslam Gas Tax Hike Opponents Gather at ‘Tank the Tax’ Rally Set for Wednesday

Christina Botteri
Tennessee Star - Tank the Tax Rally March 1

As the Haslam IMPROVE Act plan to increase fuel taxes returns to the Transportation Subcommittee on Wednesday March 1, Americans for Prosperity and other activists plan to “turn up the heat” by gathering at Legislative Plaza to express opposition to the proposed tax increases. The Transportation Subcommittee, Chaired by Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster), is scheduled to meet at noon. Andy Ogles, Tennessee Director of Americans for Prosperity, said that activists will be coming from across the state to express opposition to the proposed tax increases. “Once taxpayers realize that the huge tax increases proposed by the Governor are coming when we have a TWO BILLION DOLLAR SURPLUS their reaction to the plan becomes almost a unanimous ‘NO’ and they can’t understand why their elected officials are even entertaining the idea,” Ogles noted. “The only way the Haslam Plan passes is if their supporters successfully hide the truth about what the plan actually means to the wallets of working men and women in Tennessee. To stop it, we simply need to get the truth out and encourage taxpayers to get engaged in this fight.” Ogles also expressed concern about the glaring absence of conservative leadership in the Legislature on this issue.…

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House Transportation Subcommittee Adjourns Before Any Action Taken on Road Funding Proposals.

Tennessee Star Staff

The House Transportation Subcommittee adjourned suddenly on Wednesday after State Rep. David Hawk (R-Greeneville) presented his alternative road funding plan. A report late Wednesday in The Chattanooga Times Free Press makes it clear that State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma) (pictured in the headline image), a member of the subcommittee, “who is chairman of the full House Transportation Committee and who is carrying the governor’s bill” is the force behind the surprise adjournment. “[W]e were about to get the governor’s bill out today. But evidently there were some people who were uncomfortable, maybe, with the Hawk plan. And they weren’t ready to vote on the Hawk plan,” Doss told The Times Free Press: Doss said he sees the adjournment vote as a response to the Hawk bill. “And I think there’s a lot of people uncomfortable with that bill,” Doss said. “We come back next week and I think more people are comfortable with the governor’s plan.” The “Hawk Plan” increases road funding in Tennessee without increasing taxes and has been embraced by conservative legislators seeking an alternative to the plan presented by Governor Haslam which dramatically increases gasoline and diesel fuel taxes for Tennessee drivers and guarantees automatic future increases through “indexing”. Immediately…

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House Transportation Chair Favors Gas Tax Increase; Opposes Haslam’s Proposal to Index for Annual Inflation

Tennessee Star Staff
State Rep Barry Doss

State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Leoma), chairman of the House Transportation Committee, told his fellow panelists and studio audience at the WWTN Gas Tax Town Hall on Thursday that he favors Gov. Haslam’s 7 cents per gallon gas tax increase, but opposes the part of governor’s proposal that would index the tax for future annual increases tied to the consumer price index. “There are those of us up here who disagree with indexing. That’s putting a perpetual tax increase on the people,” Doss said. “If we get rid of indexing and we lower taxes above and beyond what the Governor has proposed, guys, we hope to be able to leave this session in the end of April this year saying we did not raise taxes.” Andy Ogles, executive director of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, which opposes both the proposed 7 cents per gallon gas tax increase and the Governor’s proposed indexing, explained the simple math of what he called a very bad idea. If the General Assembly had approved indexing in 1989, when the gas tax was increased to 20 cents per gallon, it would today be a whopping 41 cents per gallon, Ogles said. ( A 1.4 cent per gallon special…

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Former Lt. Gov. Ramsey A Paid Consultant to Pro-Gas Tax Coalition

Tennessee Star Staff
Ramsey at Townhall

Former Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey told The Tennessee Star on Thursday he is a paid consultant to the Tennessee Coalition on Transportation, an advocacy group that supports Gov. Haslam’s 7 cents per gallon gas tax increase and a 12 cents per gallon diesel tax increase. Ramsey’s revelation came during a break in the two hour broadcast of the WWTN Gas Tax Town Hall, moderated by Nashville Morning News host Ralph Bristol on the Dan Mandis Show. The event featured a studio audience, which was virtually unanimous in its opposition to the gas tax. Ramsey advocated strenuously on behalf of the gas tax increase. He was one of eight panelists at the event. Other members of the panel included Andy Ogles, executive director of the Tennessee chapter of Americans for Prosperity, which opposes the gas tax, David Smith appearing on behalf of Gov. Bill Haslam, State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), State Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Sparta), State Rep. Barry Doss (R-Lawrence County), Rep. Brian Terry (R-Murfreesboro), and Rep. David Alexander (R-Winchester). “I did leave the legislature back, I made my announcement in March, and left in November, of course, at the election,” Ramsey said in his opening remarks as a member of the…

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