Tag: Tennessee

Gov. Bill Lee Offers Incoherent Defense of His Refugee Decision in Interview with Brian Wilson

Chris Butler

  Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee hemmed, hawed, and waffled Friday as he tried to defend his controversial decision to allow more refugees to resettle in Tennessee. This happened when he appeared on Nashville’s Morning News with Brian Wilson, broadcast weekday mornings on 99.7 FM WWTN. Lee was incoherent while answering Wilson’s straightforward questions, including the one Wilson, a former FOX News broadcaster, started off with: You made a decision, one of the few Republican governors who made the decision to continue taking refugees into the state of Tennesse. This was not something that pleased the speaker of the House or the lieutenant governor or many listeners to this show. Many conservatives were not happy with that decision. What led you to make that decision? “Yeah you know, what led me to that decision was my conviction, my beliefs, my principles,  and my values,” Lee responded, before he added several vague platitudes and tried to appeal to the people who voted for him in 2018 — by invoking the name of U.S. Republican President Donald Trump, who is still wildly popular with the conservative base: I think leadership requires that you act on your strong beliefs and principles and convictions…

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Will Tennessee Conservatives Get Behind a Republican to Challenge Democrat Jim Coopers Seat in 2020?

Julie Carr

During a specific discussion, Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.– Leahy was joined in studio by all-star panelist and former Nashville mayoral candidate, Carol Swain to talk about the Democrats local and national state of mind.

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Yet Another Tennessee Public Entity Has to Pay Obamacare Penalty Costs

Chris Butler

  Rockwood, Tennessee’s public utility officials didn’t file the proper Obamacare forms with the Internal Revenue Service on time, and now the utility must pay the feds more than $25,0000 in penalty costs. This, according to an audit Tennessee Comptrollers released about Rockwood Electric Utility on Monday. REU officials did not return The Tennessee Star’s repeated requests for comment. Specifically, utility officials failed to file Form 1094-B and Forms 1095-B with the IRS or provide Form 1095-B to employees and former employees. “Failure to timely file/provide these forms causes the Utility to not be in compliance with the Affordable Care Act,” according to the audit. “Forms filed after the mandated due date are subject to penalties. The estimated penalty for the Utility is $25,720.” Form 1094-B is the Transmittal Form for Form 1095-B. Form 1095-B is the Health Insurance informational return. A separate Form 1095-B must get filed for each employee and former employee covered by the utility’s health insurance plan during the year, Comptrollers wrote. This is not the first instance this year of the IRS penalizing a public entity in Tennessee. As The Star previously reported: • The IRS assessed nearly $400,000 in penalties and interests against the Maury County…

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Carol Swain Meets With Nashville Mayor, John Cooper Who Makes Good on Open Door Policy

Julie Carr

In a special interview, Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy was joined by former Vanderbilt professor and former Nashville mayoral candidate, Dr. Carol Swain to discuss her recent visit with Mayor John Cooper.

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Commentary: Senators Blackburn and Hawley Want to Move Washington Out of Washington

Admin

What do you suppose the Alliance for American Advertising has in common with the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the American Society of Civil Engineers, or American Apparel and Footwear? Apart from beginning with the letter “A,” they are among the nearly 3,500 trades or firms that have dedicated lobbying operations in Washington, D.C.

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Carol Swain Answers Speculation Of a Run for Congress on The Tennessee Star Report

Julie Carr

Live from music row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy was joined in studio by all-star panelist Dr. Carol Swain to discuss the speculation that she may run for Congress in the district of Mayor John Cooper’s brother, Jim Cooper.

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More Politics and Less Proficiency Plagues the Metro Nashville School Board with Upcoming Election

Julie Carr

Live from music row Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy was joined in studio by all-star panelists, Nashville Metro Councilman, Steve Glover, and Crom Carmicheal.

During the show, the men discussed the upcoming school board vote with the resignation of Will Pinkston and the role of the director of schools in Nashville. Glover described the position as one that needs to be acting like they are running a business more than the running of a school system. He was bewildered in seeing how administrators have put politics before the children’s education.

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TN Congressman Scott DesJarlais: While Important Legislation is Neglected, Democrats Focus on Impeachment

Julie Carr

  Live from music row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy was joined on the newsmakers line by Representative Scott DesJarlais about the Soviet-style impeachment led by Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff. During the show, DesJarlais made it clear that the goal post by Democrats continues to shift due to inter-party confusion potentially as a result of Republican agreement to allow a quick process. He also admitted concern for more important legislation that is being neglected at the expense of Americans, Mexico and Canada because the Democrats fear a win for the President. He stated, ‘I know the Democrats would vote for it. I know the people that are pushing it out there. They just don’t want Trump to get that win. they’d rather see America fail than Trump succeed. It’s hurting our farmers. It’s hurting our businesses. It hurts Canada. It hurts Mexico. Purely political and that’s a sham. We’ve got legislation to lower prescription drug prices. We’ve got to secure the border.’ Leahy: We are joined now by Representative Scott DesJarlais who represents the 4th congressional district in Congress.…

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Saving Nashville Fairgrounds: Attorney Jim Roberts Weighs in on Legalities of the Fight

Julie Carr

Live from music row Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy was joined in studio by all-star panelist, Attorney Jim Roberts from Nashville to talk about his background as a conservative in law and how he aims to help serve the taxpayers.

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JC Bowman Commentary: Grow Your Own Teachers

JC Bowman

Tennessee is a unique state, not only because we have the greatest citizens, but because of our geography.  We border eight states.  That can be an advantage and a disadvantage at times.  When economic times are good, people want to relocate to our state.  When economic times are difficult, it allows residents to move to a neighboring state and pursue more money in their chosen occupation.  In education, we lose teachers to our border states on a regular basis.

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Manny Sethi Says If Elected to U.S. Senate He Will Not Vote for Mitch McConnell as Majority Leader

Julie Carr

  In an exclusive interview Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – host Michael Patrick Leahy spoke with Dr. Manny Sethi in-studio to discuss his background and reasons he is running for the Republican nomination for the United States Senate in Tennessee. Sethi told Leahy that, if elected and sworn in as a Republican United States Senator, he will not vote for Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as Senate Majority Leader. “Right now, we’ve got Mitch McConnell up there, and this guy just shuts everybody down. And the career politicians, the establishment, they just run the day. But that’s why we need folks up there who come from outside the government, to change things,” Sethi said. “Mitch McConnell, if the Republicans maintain control of the Senate, he will still probably be the Majority Leader,” Leahy said. “He won’t have my vote,” Sethi responded. “He won’t have your vote?” Leahy asked. “I will not vote for him. I don’t know who I’ll vote for, but I won’t vote for that guy,” Sethi said. “You just made some news here,” Leahy noted. “If you…

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Melissa Smithson Talks Mayor Cooper’s Left-Wing Task Force and Ill Spent Taxpayer Money

Julie Carr

Live from music row Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy welcomed in-studio guest Melissa Smithson, Chairman of the Davidson County Republican Party to the show to speak about her new show on Fox News 17 and Mayor Cooper’s recension of ex-Mayor Briley’s illegal executive order that demanded Metro employees NOT cooperate with ICE officials.

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The Tennessee Star Report: Metro Councilman Steve Glover Discusses Nashville’s First Steps Towards Fiscal Responsibility

Julie Carr

Live from music row Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy and in-studio guest Metro Councilman Steve Glover discussed the Nashville city budget and how Mayor Cooper’s taken a good first step to get $12 million back from the Music City Convention Center.

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Hagerty Blasts Romney for Not Opposing Impeachment of President Trump: ‘Mitt Is Flat Wrong’

Julie Carr

  Bill Hagerty, the former Ambassador to Japan under President Trump and candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in Tennessee, blasted Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) for failing to defend President Trump on Friday’s edition of  The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am. “Mitt is flat wrong” in his statements on the issue of impeachment, Hagerty told Leahy. “Mitt Romney hasn’t yet decided whether President Donald Trump should be impeached, but the Republican senator from Utah on Thursday stuck by criticism that has earned him a stream of insults from Trump on Twitter,” the Associated Press reported early Friday morning. In his in-studio interview with Leahy on Friday, Hagerty made it clear that Romney’s failure to oppose the impeachment of President Trump is a big mistake for Romney, for Republicans, and for the country as a whole. “I think the Democrats have been hell bent on impeaching this president from day one,” Hagerty told Leahy. “The Democrats can not stand the fact that they lost 2016. This is just another iteration of that,” he continued. “That has been extremely troubling. It should be…

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Tennessee Gives Out $2.4 Million of Taxpayer Money to 59 Counties

Chris Butler

  Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe have announced that 59 counties will receive $2.4 million of taxpayer money for various community development initiatives. State officials are disbursing this money through what is known as a ThreeStar grant program. These community development initiatives include local workforce training, health, and economic development initiatives, according to an ECD press release. The Tennessee Star contacted officials in 10 of the 59 counties and asked how they plan to use this money. We also asked whether this investment of money will exceed the benefits to taxpayers. Of the 10, officials in only four of those counties responded. Grundy County Mayor Michael Brady said he oversees “a distressed, rural community” and he and other county officials will use the $50,000 they receive to offer workforce development classes. “We used that money before to buy equipment, and we started a welding program after hours for adults and our high school graduated 12,” said Brady, whose county currently has about a 7 percent unemployment rate,” Brady said. “I know of at least five of those folks that found employment after they graduated.” Meanwhile, in Wilson County, ThreeStar Coordinator…

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The Tennessee Star Report: Noah Tyler of Classic Learning Test Talks About Their Alternative to the ‘Progressive’ Influenced SAT and ACT Standardized Testing

Julie Carr

Live from music row on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy spoke to Chief Strategy Officer Noah Tyler from Classic Learning Test about their new approach to standardized testing.

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