Tag: Tennessee Republican Party

Tennessee Republican Party Issues Statewide Call For Support of Governor Lee’s Education Savings Account

Laura Baigert

As Governor Bill Lee’s legislation on Education Savings Accounts is set to be voted on by the full House Education Committee on Wednesday, March 27, the Tennessee Republican Party calls for support of his education plan. The Tennessee Republican Party (TRP) sent a personalized email Friday saying, “We need your help!” “Governor Lee and Tennessee’s students are counting on us!” The TRP said that Governor Lee “has put forward a bold, conservative plan to ensure that every child in Tennessee has access to a high-quality education.” To help the Governor’s agenda and show support for school choice, the email includes a link to send an automatic email to the respondent’s legislator. The link connects to page with a heading “Show your support for Education Savings Accounts,” and a quote from Governor Bill Lee, “We’re not going to get big results in our struggling schools by nibbling around the edges. That is why we need Education Savings Accounts in Tennessee, this year.” The page goes on to explain ESAs: Education savings account programs (ESAs) give parents greater opportunity to use their state education dollars to find the best learning environment for their children ESAs can be used for school tuition and…

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Bill Hobbs (1964 – 2019)

Jason M. Reynolds

Tributes have been pouring in following the death of Bill Hobbs, former communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party, who lost his fight with cancer on Saturday. Hobbs was also a professional photographer. His website is here. He also was a former reporter and blogger. Jeff Hartline, executive director of the Tennessee Spotlight and vice chair of the Wilson County GOP, on Saturday paid tribute to Hobbs in his newsletter, from his unwavering conservative beliefs to his faith in Jesus. Hartline said, in part: In the process of raising three children, building a business and being engaged in the life of the Ashwood Church and its eventual move, I lost personal track of Bill. But I was aware that he had landed at the Tennessee GOP and, as Communications Director, was making Democrats in Tennessee run for cover with his groundbreaking and penetrating messaging. I suspect he was front and center when it came time to throw then Rep. Kent Williams out of the Republican Party when he colluded with House Democrats to elect him as speaker following the Republican takeover of the House after Ron Ramsey led the Republican takeover of the Senate. As many would recall, Republicans won…

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Tennessee House Republicans Introduce Series of Bills to Empower Patients, Reduce Healthcare Costs, Promote Free Market

Jason M. Reynolds

State House Republicans on Thursday introduced a free-market plan that focuses on patients, nicknamed CARE, to transform healthcare in Tennessee, especially rural areas. The Tennessee House Republicans press release is available here. The legislative package is composed of 11 bills throughout the session, which the state GOP caucus said will “reshape healthcare in Tennessee through Consumerism, increasing Access, improving Rural health systems, and Empowering patients to ensure individuals and families to make all medical decisions, instead of insurance companies or the government.” The CARE Plan will generate price transparency and increased data on prices, Republicans said. A claims database will provide consumers with information to allow them to save money and improve the healthcare system’s performance. Other benefits include streamlining of billing, promotion of competition, better drug prices, use of telemedicine and more. The plan will help people even if they have pre-existing conditions, Republicans said. The move by Tennessee Republicans comes days after North Carolina’s state legislators introduced a bill to address healthcare costs, Forbes said. The publication said: Earlier this week Republican legislators who hold majorities in the North Carolina House and Senate introduced Senate Bill 86, the Small Business Healthcare Act, legislation introduced by Senators Dan Bishop…

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Tennessee Republican Party Supports President Trump’s Commitment to Border Security

Jason M. Reynolds

Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden has come out in support of President Trump’s visit to the U.S.-Mexico border Thursday. “The most important job a president has is to protect Americans, and today’s visit to the southern border by President Trump further illustrates his strong commitment to our nation’s safety,” Golden said in a statement. “While Democrats continue to play petty partisan games with our security, drug dealers, human traffickers and enemies of this country flaunt our sovereign border. The games have to end, and Democrats need to work with President Trump to make America a more secure nation. This is non-negotiable.” Trump visited the border in Texas Thursday, Fox News reported: During an afternoon briefing with border agents at a patrol station in McAllen, Trump highlighted the prevalence of guns and drugs along the border. The president spoke in front of a table of items border agents have seized, including a rifle, handguns, a plastic bag full of cash and black-taped bricks of heroin and meth. “If we had a barrier of any kind, a powerful barrier, whether it’s steel or concrete…We would stop it cold,” Trump said of human trafficking. The president posted a Twitter video of himself with…

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Tennessee Republican Party Re-Elects Scott Golden as Chairman

Jason M. Reynolds

The Tennessee Republican Party re-elected Scott Golden Saturday as its chairman to a second two-year term. “I am deeply honored and grateful to have the opportunity to lead our state’s Republican Party once again, and I thank the members of our State Executive Committee for their continued trust,” said Golden in a statement. “Tennessee Republicans made history this past year and we continued to build on a foundation of success that put us in prime position to expand our supermajorities in the General Assembly and help re-elect the president in 2020.” “I would like to congratulate Jennifer Little, Shannon Haynes, Beth Scott Clayton Amos and Pat Allen on their elections to vice chair, treasurer, vice treasurer and secretary respectively.” said Golden. “These women have the skills and long history of dedication to our party that will be instrumental to our success during the 2020 cycle.” Golden chaired the Tennessee Republican Party through the 2018 general elections, a historic year for Republicans in the Volunteer State: Republican Marsha Blackburn was elected as the first woman to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate. Republican Bill Lee was elected as the first Republican to succeed a Republican governor in Tennessee. Republican supermajorities were…

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Tennessee Republican Party Also Asks Legislature to Increase Number of Signatures Required on Petitions to Run for Public Office

Jason M. Reynolds

The Tennessee Republican Party’s State Executive Committee voted to approve several election-related resolutions urging the 111th General Assembly to update the state’s election laws. The party issued a statement about the resolutions over the weekend. The GOP Executive Committee met Saturday. Resolutions included: Required Signatures for Public Office: This resolution asks the 111th General Assembly to increase the number of signatures required to run for public office to be equal to the level of office being sought. Timing for Special Elections: This resolution asks the 111th General Assembly to create a requirement for a special election to be called in the case of a vacancy within forty-five (45) days of the general election. In other business, the Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee re-elected Scott Golden to his second two-year term as party chairman. Also, the State Executive Committee passed a resolution urging the General Assembly to close the primaries to allow only registered party members. Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden released the following statement on the resolutions: These common-sense resolutions will help maintain the integrity of our elections and elect the best-qualified Republican candidates to federal, state, and local offices. We ask that the General Assembly consider and adopt the…

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Tennessee GOP Votes To Close Primaries

Laura Baigert

FRANKLIN, Tennessee – The State Executive Committee (SEC) of the Tennessee Republican Party voted overwhelmingly at its organizational meeting to require party registration in order to vote in a party’s primary election, more commonly known as closing the primaries. The SEC has a potential of 66 seats consisting of one committeeman and one committeewoman for each of Tennessee’s 33 Senate districts. In a roll call vote, there were 45 votes in favor of closing the primaries, 14 for the primaries to remain open and one abstention. Two SEC members were absent with no proxy present, and four seats are currently vacant. The resolution will be provided to the Tennessee General Assembly with the expectation of getting a bill passed by the Republican-controlled Senate and House to address voter registration during the upcoming legislative session which will begin in January, thereby putting an end to the perceived finger-pointing as to whether it is the SEC or legislature that must close the primaries. A press release issued shortly after the vote and meeting adjournment on Saturday titled “TNGOP Passes Election Resolutions,” stated that the Tennessee Republican Party’s State Executive Committee voted to approve a resolution that asks the 111th General Assembly “to…

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Bredesen Digs Immigration Hole Deeper, Says Illegal Alien Army is ‘More of a Washington Issue’

Jason M. Reynolds

Phil Bredesen is “talking out of both sides of his mouth,” the Tennessee Republican Party said in response to his latest missive on the illegal alien army marching toward the United States. “Must be a day of the week that ends in ‘y,’” the GOP said. To mark the occasion, the Tennessee Republican Party launched a new ad regarding the Democratic Senate candidate, which is available to watch here. The GOP said Bredesen is scrambling to undo the damage he caused when, during a TV news interview, he smirked and said, “A few thousand very poor people coming to our border is not a threat to our, is not a threat to our security.” After the Bredesen team dashed off an emergency op-ed to The Tennessean – which tried to walk back everything Bredesen said in the video – his team realized it wasn’t enough, and rolled out a new ad talking about how the man who called the wall “political theater” and said the migrant caravan was “not a threat” was tough on the border, the Tennessee Republican Party said in a press release. The Democratic former governor’s latest missive is that the criminal illegal alien army is “more…

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Blackburn Praises Senate for Confirming Kavanaugh, While Tennessee GOP Leader Calls It Fulfillment of President Trump’s Promises

Jason M. Reynolds

Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn, who has strongly supported Judge Brett Kavanaugh, praised the Senate Saturday for confirming the newest Supreme Court justice. The Senate confirmed Kavanaugh on Saturday afternoon following a grueling process in which Democrats waged war against the judge’s character. U.S. Representative Blackburn (R-TN-07) said, “Judge Brett Kavanaugh will make a fine Supreme Court Justice, and I applaud the Senate for confirming his nomination. After weeks of delay tactics and eleventh hour smear campaigns by the Democrats, I am thrilled to see he will serve the American people on the Supreme Court. I am disgusted by Democrats who are already discussing impeaching Judge Kavanaugh before he has even been sworn in. If Phil Bredesen were to be elected, Democrats would take the majority, and they would do everything they could to block President Trump’s nominees to the Supreme Court and the federal bench. Phil Bredesen and the Democrats will get it wrong every time, but I will always vote to confirm good constitutionalist judges and justices who do not legislate from the bench.” Blackburn referred to her Senate election opponent, Democratic former Governor Phil Bredesen. He has been harshly criticized for waiting nearly three months to give an insipid…

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New Video Clarifies ‘Phony Phil’s’ Claims

Jason M. Reynolds
Phil Bredesen

The Tennessee Republican Party is having fun with “Phony Phil” Bredesen’s latest campaign ad filmed outside his grandmother’s American-flag-clad house in New York state. “Phil Bredesen’s most recent campaign ad left out some crucial details, so we decided to make our own video that gives Tennesseans some helpful context,” the Tennessee GOP said in a press release. The GOP took the U.S. Senate candidate’s campaign video and inserted comments clarifying the Harvard graduate’s claims to be a regular guy who wants to stop Washington, D.C., Democrats from telling others how to live. The GOP added comical music and sound effects to complete the experience. Watch the GOP’s video is available to watch: Scott Golden, Tennessee Republican Party Chairman, said, “The lack of self-awareness in Phony Phil’s new ad is truly remarkable. Phil complains about ‘educated, secure people who love telling the rest of us how to live’, but he’s only describing himself: a Harvard-educated, limousine liberal who owns a private plane and describes himself as ‘more sophisticated’ than regular Tennesseans. Phony Phil doesn’t pass the smell test, and Tennesseans will let him know this November.” The Chattanooga Times Free Press filmed a video interview with Bredesen in which he said…

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Former Governor Winfield Dunn Among Tennessee Republicans Honored At Statesmen’s Dinner

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Former Tennessee Governor Winfield Dunn was the recipient Thursday of the Howard Baker Award at the annual Statesmen’s Dinner held by the Tennessee Republican Party. The fundraising event took place at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville. The keynote speaker was Vice President Mike Pence. Dunn, 90, served as governor from 1971 to 1975, and was the first Republican elected to the office in 50 years. He was born and raised in Mississippi but later moved to Memphis, where he became a dentist. After serving as governor, he moved to Nashville permanently and worked for 10 years managing government and public relations for Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). He ran for governor again in 1986 but lost to Democratic Ned McWherter in the general election. Dunn’s conservative views were influenced by Barry Goldwater’s 1960 book, The Conscience of a Conservative, and concerns about the spread of communism. As governor, he was known for unifying the state’s three major regions with fair distribution of government resources, and for a lack of corruption, which had been a problem in the past. He started new departments in state government, including the Tennessee Housing Development Authority, and spent money on new initiatives. But he…

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Vice President Mike Pence Praised By His Tennessee Fans

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — President Trump may have been at the top of the ticket, but it was obvious from the enthusiasm shown for Vice President Mike Pence in Nashville on Thursday that he has his own strong fan base. People interviewed by The Tennessee Star at the Music City Center cited Pence’s conservative beliefs and Christian convictions as reasons they support the vice president. Pence was in Nashville to be the keynote speaker Thursday evening at the annual Statesmen’s Dinner held by the Tennessee Republican Party. During last year’s presidential campaign, Pence was seen as a steady presence and influence on Trump, who lacked Pence’s political experience and has a more flamboyant personality. Before serving as vice president, Pence was governor of Indiana and a congressman. But Pence is not without his colorful side. “He rides a Harley,” said Ken Nelson Jr. in offering another reason he backs the vice president. Nelson is a real estate agent who serves on the board of the Wilson County Republican Party. Gail Jones and her friend Vicki Beaty, both of whom live in Cleveland, Tennessee, had nothing but praise for Pence. “I like everything he stands for,” said Jones, an office manager for…

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Vice President Mike Pence Visits Nashville, Thanks Tennesseans For Supporting President Trump

Wendy Wilson

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday personally thanked the Volunteer State for helping put President Trump in office. “We were counting on Tennessee last fall and Tennessee delivered,” Pence said during his keynote speech at the Tennessee Republican Party’s Statesmen’s Dinner. The annual fundraising event was held at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam gave opening remarks. In November, Trump won 61 percent of the vote in Tennessee, taking all but three counties – Davidson, Shelby and Haywood. Pence in his speech also celebrated the news that broke Thursday about West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice switching from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. Pence devoted most of his speech to praising Trump’s successes in office and his plans for the coming months. He said Trump is slashing more regulations than any other president in American history, and noted the president’s efforts to roll back progressive environmental policies, such as ending the “war on coal” and withdrawing from the Paris climate accord. Pence also lauded Trump for increasing defense spending, strengthening border protection and cracking down on gangs such as MS-13. In the area of foreign policy, Pence said other countries know that…

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Vice President Mike Pence To Speak Aug. 3 at Tennessee GOP Dinner in Nashville

Wendy Wilson
Tennessee Star

  Vice President Mike Pence will be the keynote speaker for this year’s annual Tennessee GOP Statesmen’s Dinner to be held Thursday, Aug. 3. “This is an exciting time for the Tennessee Republican Party as we continue to grow and gear up for 2018’s critical elections,” said party chairman Scott Golden in a news release. “With Vice President Mike Pence as our Keynote Speaker and Governor Bill Haslam as our Dinner Chair, we expect this will be one of the largest and most successful Statesmen’s Dinners to date.” The event will be held at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville, with receptions beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the dinner and program starting at 6:30 p.m. Attire is business professional. Individual tickets are $250 and can be ordered online at secure.anedot.com/tennessee-republican-party/tngop-statesmens-dinner. If you would like to purchase tickets to the Congressional Reception at $5,000, Keynote Photo line at $10,000 or Vice President’s Reception at $25,000, contact Ashley Harbin at [email protected] or 615-269-4260. Past Statesmen’s speakers include former South Carolina Governor and current U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley (2016), former Florida Governor Jeb Bush (2015), New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (2014), U.S. Senator Tim Scott (2013), former Vice President Dick Cheney (2002) and former Vice…

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State Rep. Judd Matheny Speaks at Jackson County GOP Reagan Day Dinner

Tennessee Star Staff

State Rep. Judd Matheny (R-Tullahoma), who told The Tennessee Star last week he was “100 percent in the race for Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District” provided Rep. Diane Black chooses to run for governor, spoke at the Jackson County GOP Reagan Day Dinner Thursday night at the Center Grove Community Center in Gainesboro. The event featured Tennessee Republican State Party Chairman Scott Golden as the main speaker. Matheny made news again this week on Tuesday when he appeared on 99.7 FM WTN with Dan Mandis and tore into the Metro Nashville Council’s proposed ordinance that would, in effect, turn Nashville into a sanctuary city: “It’s the most egregious move against public safety that the city of Nashville could possibly expose its citizens, and emergency services and social work to,” Matheny said. “It’s completely antithetical to the United States Constitution, and America. And the city of Nashville – with all due respect – they need to remember that the City operates at the pleasure of the State,” Matheny added. “Plus, I’m telling you, the General Assembly in Tennessee will cut off funding to Davidson County if they pursue this,” Matheny stated. Matheny spoke briefly before Golden, and told the audience about his law enforcement career,…

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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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