WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2012 Haslam Signs TEAM Act (TN Report)

Joined by state employees, legislators and members of his Cabinet, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today signed the Tennessee Excellence, Accountability and Management (TEAM) Act into law on the Tennessee Tower plaza across from the State Capitol in Nashville. State governments role is to provide services that Tennesseans arent able to get on their own, and I believe it is my job to make sure were providing them in the most customerfocused, efficient and effective way, Haslam said just before signing the bill into law. In the next five years, almost 40 percent of state employees will become eligible for retirement, and in facing this challenge, it is our responsibility to build a top notch workforce for the future. For decades, employment decisions in state government have been based solely on seniority with job performance never being considered, and employees have either received modest, across the board pay increases or nothing at all. No one has been able to convince me that is a good way to manage our employees or serve our taxpayers. http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/04/24/haslam-signs-team-act/

Governor Signs Civil Service Overhaul Bill (Associated Press)

Gov. Bill Haslam on Tuesday signed his plan to overhaul state civil service rules that make it easier for executive branch employees to be hired and fired, and allow merit raises for high-performing workers and pay decreases for poor ones. The Republican governor put his name to the legislation in a ceremony across from the state Capitol. He was joined by state employees, legislators and members of his cabinet. The bill will also require written performance standards and annual evaluations, set a minimum of three candidates to be interviewed for openings, and reduce the minimum layoff notice from three months to 30 days. Veterans and their spouses will also receive preference if there are two candidates with equal qualifications and one is a veteran. Haslam said the legislation is necessary because over the next five years nearly 40 percent of state employees will be eligible for retirement. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/apr/25/governor-signs-civil-service-overhaul-bill/

Governor Signs State Employee Workforce Recruitment, Retention Revamp (TNR)

The state is overhauling how it hires and fires state employees, a move Gov. Bill Haslam contends might be the most important task his administration has undertaken since he took office. Haslam signed HB2384 into law Tuesday, a bill that stresses employee performance over seniority, creates a worker evaluation system and paves the way for merit pay among top-performing state employees. W e want to make certain that when we hire new employees, when we decide who gets promoted, we really are promoting and hiring those folks who can best serve our citizens. Thats what its about, Haslam told an audience of 100 or so state workers outside Tennessee Tower, a 31-story building down the street from the Capitol Building filled with state employees. Tennessees workforce is aging, Haslam added. The administration notes that 40 percent of state employees will be eligible to retire in the next five years, and those workers will need to be replaced. http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/04/24/governor-signs-state-employee-workforce-recruitment-retention-revamp/

Gov. Bill Haslam signs overhaul of state civil service (Times Free-Press/Sher)
Gov. Bill Haslam signed his overhaul of civil service into law today, saying that, of all the things hes done so far in office, I honestly think this might be the most important. It helps us to have employees that we need and want to give great customer service in Tennessee state government, and I also think its a great example of how good government should work, Haslam said. Haslam said that for decades, employment decisions in Tennessee government have been based solely on seniority. The new law changes that when it comes to promotions and layoffs, making job performance the top priority. The law is called the Tennessee Excellence,

Accountability and Management, or TEAM, Act. Haslam said the state now must get to work developing a new employee evaluation system to establish performance standards and expected outcomes for the estimated 40,000 people who work for the state. http://timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/24/gov-bill-haslam-signs-overhaul-state-civil-service/?breakingnews

Haslam signs civil service bill (Tennessean/Sisk)

New hiring rules come month after workers rally Gov. Bill Haslam signed his plan to rework the states civil service rules into law in an outdoor ceremony near the state Capitol on Tuesday morning. With his Cabinet, legislative leaders and representatives for state workers looking on, Haslam signed the Tennessee Excellence, Accountability and Management, or TEAM, Act, which gives managers in state government more power to hire, fire and promote whom they wish. The bill de-emphasizes seniority and calls for annual performance reviews that can be used to determine pay. Of the things that weve had a chance to do while weve been in state government, I honestly think this might be the most important, said Haslam, in his second year as governor. We want to make certain that when we hire new employees and when we decide who gets promoted, we really are promoting and hiring those who can best serve our citizens. About 150 people, many from his administration, attended the ceremony held on the plaza outside the William R. Snodgrass Tennessee Tower office building, where a similarly sized crowd of state workers rallied against the bill less than a month ago http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120425/NEWS0201/304250120/Haslam-signs-civil-service-bill? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Haslam signs civil service reform bill into law (Nooga)

In a ceremony outside the state capital Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Bill Haslam signed legislation aimed at reforming Tennessee's civil services into law. The bill, called the Tennessee Excellence, Accountability and Management, or TEAM, Act, is designed to provide more flexibility for state agencies in the selection, retention and termination of government employees. Along with streamlining the process for hiring, retention and firing, the bill allows for merit raises and pay decreases for both high- and low-performing workers. In a news release, Haslam said the bill was part of his efforts to build a "top-notch" workforce for Tennessee's future. "For decades, employment decisions in state government have been based solely on seniority with job performance never being considered, and employees have either received modest, across-the-board pay increases or nothing at all," Haslam said. "No one has been able to convince me that is a good way to manage our employees and serve our taxpayers. We have to do better." http://www.nooga.com/155005/haslam-signs-civil-service-reform-bill-intolaw/

Haslam signs TEAM Act into law (Herald-Courier)

Governor Haslam today signed into law the Tennessee Excellence, Accountability and Management Act. Haslam said the "TEAM Act" aims to transform state government by encouraging a performance-based government workforce rather than one driven by seniority. The final version of the bill came after the governor and state workers reached a compromise. "Seniority was very critical in making this bill work for us to be able to agree on it, says Lisa Moffett, District 1 Field Representative with the Tennessee State Employees Association. In the beginning, Haslam's TEAM Act did not have the support of the Tennessee State Employee's Association. "Our intent in meeting with the governor was to make this a better bill," explains Moffett. One of the key issues for TSEA was making sure seniority still carried importance in the state service workplace when it came to promotion and layoffs. "Our desires are to let those years of service be the value that they are, says Moffett. You cannot replace years of experience." Governor Haslam's goal with this act was to base employment decisions on performance instead of solely on seniority. http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/apr/24/haslamsigns-team-act-law-ar-1866592/

Former Foe Shares Stage for Civil Service Overhaul Signing (W PLN-Radio Nash)
Legislation that completely reworks how the state hires, fires and promotes its employees was signed into law Tuesday. Republican lawmakers believe it could transform how state government works. Many state employees remain skeptical of whether the civil service overhaul will function as advertised or just make way for departments to hire friends of the administration. The law ends a sole reliance on seniority to determine who gets laid off or promotedGovernor Bill Haslam says he understands why civil service rules were once needed to prevent political patronage, but in his words the cure was worse than what it was trying to fix. Standing behind the governor at the signing ceremony were smiling Republican lawmakers, and perhaps more importantly, the 2

head of the Tennessee State Employees Association. http://wpln.org/?p=36486

Haslam's spending plan headed to Senate floor (Associated Press)

Gov. Bill Haslam's more than $31 billion spending proposal is headed for a vote on the Senate floor. Members of the Senate Finance Committee approved the plan 10-0 Tuesday night. It's expected to be voted on W ednesday. The plan seeks to phase out Tennessee's inheritance tax and lower the state's sales tax on groceries. The inheritance tax currently applies to estates worth more than $1 million, and was paid by 845 estates in the last budget year. Haslam's plan would bump that exemption up to $1.25 million next year and to $5 million by 2016. The sales tax on food would be cut from 5.5 percent to 5.25 percent. The proposal also calls for raises for state employees and more spending on construction on college campuses. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=39126111.story

Governor Leaning Against Foreign Worker Restrictions for Charter Schools (WPLN)
Governor Bill Haslam may be considering the legislative sessions first veto. He says this week he received the final version of a bill that limits the number of foreign workers that a charter school can employ. The legislation was pushed through the General Assembly by the same organization that tried to ban the practice of Sharia Law in Tennessee. Charter schools would have to disclose any ties to or financial support from foreign governments. The privately run but publicly funded schools would also have to limit their numbers of foreign workers to 3.5 percent of their total staff. Haslam calls the idea concerning. Were trying to encourage the growth of charter schools rather than put restrictions on them. The bill could become law without Haslams signature. The governor has another week to consider wielding his veto pen. Hes been encouraged to do so from several education leaders, including former chancellor of Washington D.C. schools Michelle Rhee. http://wpln.org/? p=36493

Haslam Mulling Embryo Legislation (Associated Press)

Gov. Bill Haslam says he's reviewing legislation that would make the embryo of a woman who is assaulted a victim. The measure passed the Senate 28-2 on Monday evening and the companion bill was approved 80-18 in the House last week. Under current law, the fetus is included as a human being. The legislation includes an embryo or fetus. Sponsors say the measure is necessary to punish a person for two counts of homicide or two counts of assault. Haslam told reporters on Tuesday that he's not sure what his decision will be, but he says the legislation seems to be an "extension or clarification" of a measure passed last year. He also noted the overwhelming bipartisan support for the legislation. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/apr/25/haslam-mulling-embryo-legislation/

Embryo Assault Bill Being Reviewed (WCYB-TV Chattanooga)

New legislation is being reviewed in Tennessee that would make the embryo of a woman who is assaulted a victim. Tennessee governor Bill Haslam says he's reviewing the legislation. It passed in the senate on Monday and the companion bill was approved in the house last week. Here are the facts -- under current law, the fetus is included as a human being. The new legislation includes an embryo or fetus. Sponsors say the measure is necessary to punish a person for two counts of homicide or two counts of assault. Haslam told reporters he's not sure what his decision will be. He also noted the overwhelming bipartisan support for the legislation. http://www.wcyb.com/news/30949222/detail.html

Grades, teacher evaluations hinge on TCAP (Times News)

As area students continue, start or soon begin TCAP tests, student grades, teacher evaluations and ultimately principal evaluations are riding on the results for the first time. The grades 3-8 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) test results account for 15 percent to 20 percent of student grades and at least 35 percent of teacher evaluations statewide. Kingsport City Schools are holding TCAPs today through Friday, then will finish up Monday. Makeup days are Tuesday and Wednesday, May 1-2. Sullivan County starts its TCAP testing Monday. The tests run through Thursday, May 3, with Friday, May 4, the makeup day. And in Hawkins County, the tests started Tuesday and run through Friday. Monday, April 30, is the makeup day. No matter which 3

system or what part of the TCAP window that system uses, the testing goes in the same order: reading, math, science and social studies. http://www.timesnews.net/article/9045746/grades-teacher-evaluations-hinge-on-tcap

Amazon Telling Tennessee Customers About Owed Tax (Associated Press)

Online retailer Amazon.com has begun emailing Tennessee customers, telling them they might owe taxes on their purchases. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported the notification follows the signing of a law about a month ago by Gov. Bill Haslam. The law requires Amazon to begin collecting sales tax on items sold to Tennessee residents, beginning in 2014. In the interim, Tennessee consumers are liable for a "consumer use" tax that applies to goods purchased online from a company that doesn't collect the sales tax. The notice from the company informs customers they might owe the tax and details the various divisions of Amazon.com from which goods were purchased. It also provides a link to the Tennessee Department of Revenue's consumer use tax return website, which explains the consumer use tax, who should file and how. State revenue officials hope the notification might bring in funds under a tax that is often overlooked. It's estimated the tax could generate $22.8 million for the state and $9.6 million for local governments "It would be extra money for the state," said Billy Trout, a spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Revenue. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/apr/25/amazon-telling-tennessee-customers-about-owed-tax/

Amazon.com issuing tax notices to Tennessee customers (M. Biz Journal)

Amazon.com isn't to begin collecting sales taxes from Tennessee customers until 2014, but it has begun emailing notices to Tennessee customers that they owe taxes on previous purchases. Amazon.com agreed to begin collecting Tennessee sales taxes in 2014, assuming national legislation is not enacted first, while it planned for several new distribution centers in the state. Though not widely known, that agreement also required Amazon to issue sales tax notices to Tennessee customers until the collection requirements kick in in 2014, The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. "The notification they may owe the use tax is an in-between step until Jan. 1, 2014, when responsibility for collecting and remitting the Tennessee tax will shift to the company," David Smith, spokesperson for Gov. Bill Haslam, told the Free Press. An Amazon spokesperson said the notice applies to all Tennesseans who bought from the Internet retailer last year. The company declined to say how many notices it sent out. http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/morning_call/2012/04/amazon-issuing-tax-notices-to-tennessee.html

Amazon sends tax notices to Tennesseans (News-Sentinel/Humphrey, Flory)

A couple of days ago, Travis Dalton used Amazon.com to purchase a CD by the indie-rock band Fun. Like most Tennesseans, the Knoxville resident didn't realize that he may be required to submit a tax payment to the state after buying from the giant e-retailer. That lack of awareness may be changing, though. Over the weekend, Amazon began sending email messages to customers in Tennessee, informing them of their total purchases in 2011 and highlighting their possible tax liability on those purchases. The awareness campaign is a by-product of legislation signed by Gov. Bill Haslam in March, which exempts the Internet retailer from collecting Tennessee state and local taxes until Jan. 1, 2014, at the latest. A lesser-known provision of that law required the company to send notices to its Tennessee customers, notifying them that under state law they may owe a "consumer use tax" despite the fact that the purchase was made on the Internet. The email messages state that Amazon does not report the purchase history directly to the state, but directs users to a website where they can pay the taxes in question. A company spokesman declined to comment. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/25/amazon-sends-tax-notices-to-tennesseans/

TDOT: Watch for workers (Johnson City Press)

Tennessee Department of Transportation project manager Jason Farmer has seen it all when observing motorists driving through road construction zones cell phone calls, texting and make-up application to name a few. The biggest thing is people not paying attention to their surroundings, Farmer said. TDOT wants to draw more attention to that problem this week, which is National Work Zone Awareness Week. We are heading into the busiest construction time of the year, and there will be hundreds of active work zones across Tennessee, said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer in a news release. Reducing speeds, staying alert and exercising caution is the best way to ensure workers and motorists stay safe on our roadways. Road construction workers on a local project know all too well the dangers. Contracted by TDOT, a work crew from Summers Taylor lost an employee earlier this year on the Tenn. Highway 75 project. It happened Feb. 9 shortly after 3 p.m. Michael Johnson, 49, of Hampton, was working at the site and was struck by a vehicle. Johnson was carrying a 15-foot 4

length of pipe across the highway near Sam Gammon Road when a driver hit him. http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=99909#ixzz1t35240Z8

Aging Highway 130 bridge nears replacement date (Times-Gazette)

Nearly $4 million worth of bridge replacement work will begin later this year over the Duck River, with another important safety project kicking off this week. State Sen. Jim Tracy informed the city of the Tennessee Department of Transportation's current project status list, which shows that bids for the Sydney "Bud" McGrew Memorial Bridge over Duck River on State Highway 130 were recently awarded to Concrete Structures, Inc., at a price of $3,821,199.68. Estimated completion date is October 2013, but city manager Jay Johnson said he did not know when work will begin. Duck pond work Work starts on Wednesday for long-awaited improvements to the intersection at Fairfield Pike and Tulip Tree Drive. According to public works director Mark Clanton, TDOT will start the grinding work this week followed by taking out the northern fork of Hickory Drive, which runs between two duck ponds at the site. http://www.t-g.com/story/1840897.html

State grants LMU law school extension in bid for accreditation (NS/Boehnke)
A state board granted Lincoln Memorial University's law school a five-year extension Tuesday in its bid to achieve national accreditation from the American Bar Association, meaning its students can sit for the Tennessee bar exam through at least December 2017. "What it really means, to me, is a stamp of approval by the legal community in East Tennessee, and it certainly points out there is a real need for another law school in East Tennessee and they're supporting us on this," said Pete DeBusk, chairman of the LMU board of trustees. "This is a very good thing, and we can't be appreciative enough." The John J. Duncan Jr. School of Law in downtown Knoxville received notification of the extension Tuesday in a letter from the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners, which initially accredited the school in 2009 with the caveat that it receive approval by the American Bar Association by December 2012. The American Bar Association, however, denied the school preliminary accreditation in December, leading Lincoln Memorial to file a lawsuit against the association in U.S. District Court. The suit, which alleged antitrust and due process violations, was stayed by Judge Thomas Varlan on April 2, pending an appeal the school filed with the American Bar Association. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/25/state-grants-lmu-law-school-extension-in-bid-for/

TN

Court

of

Criminal

Appeals

judge

can

work

despite

DUI

arrest

(Tennessean/Gang)
Rules don't prevent hearing of cases A state Court of Criminal Appeals judge can continue hearing cases, including those related to driving under the influence, despite his own arrest Monday night on a DUI charge, court officials said. Although the Tennessee Supreme Courts Code of Judicial Conduct states that judges shall respect and comply with the law, nothing in the rules precludes them from hearing cases when facing a misdemeanor charge. Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Jerry L. Smith was arrested Monday night while in Knoxville and now faces two misdemeanor charges related to driving under the influence. Casey Mahoney, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts, said the court learned of Smiths arrest Tuesday and it was too early to comment. Tim Discenza, the Court of the Judiciarys disciplinary counsel, said it would be inappropriate for him to comment on whether the panel that disciplines judges would address Smiths arrest. He said nothing in the court rules would preclude Smith from hearing cases while facing the misdemeanors. Discenza said any recusal would be up to Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Joseph M. Tipton. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120425/NEWS03/304240063/TN-Court-Criminal-Appeals-judge-can-workdespite-DUI-arrest?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

No admin. action for now against appellate judge charged with DUI (NS/Jacobs)
A drunken driving charge filed Tuesday in Knoxville against a judge who sits on the state Court of Criminal Appeals won't impact his ability to hear cases for now. Jerry Lynn Smith, 58, of Nashville was arrested shortly before midnight Monday on charges of drunken driving and violating the implied consent law, said Knoxville Police Department spokesman Darrell DeBusk. Police Sgt. Ray Offenbacher stopped the silver 2010 Subaru Forester that Smith was driving in the 1800 block of Cumberland Avenue, records show. "The rear hatch was open and luggage was about to fall out," DeBusk said of the reason for stopping the judge's SUV. Smith exhibited classic symptoms of drinking alcoholic beverages slurred speech, unsteady and bloodshot eyes 5

and refused to submit to a blood test, records show. The judge also was unable to perform field sobriety tests. Smith was ordered released on his own recognizance after he was sober, records show. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/25/no-administrative-action-for-now-against-judge/

GOP rejects Tennessee budget proposal (Commercial Appeal/Locker)

House committee tables Democrats' spending plan Republicans in the legislature on Tuesday night voted down a Democratic budget proposal that would double the cut in sales taxes on food, reduce college tuition increases this fall and restore other health and education spending the governor has proposed to cut. The House Finance Subcommittee tabled the $212 million plan that House Democrats proposed as an amendment to the $31 billion budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 submitted by Gov. Bill Haslam. The Democratic plan was based on an estimated $200 million upturn in state tax revenue beyond what the governor's budget plan is based upon. Most of it replaces spending that has been cut over the past four years of recession. One element of the Democrats' plan would have cut the 5.5 percent state sales tax on grocery food to 5 percent starting July 1, rather than to 5.25 percent sought by the governor and expected to win final legislative approval today. Another would eliminate the 1.9 percent funding cut, or $16 million, to public higher education that the governor's budget proposes. House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh, D-Ripley, said that would cut in half the tuition increases of 6 to 8 percent that will occur this fall. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/apr/25/gop-rejects-budgetproposal/(SUB)

'Loser pays' lawsuits, ailing legislators (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Humphrey)

After more than two hours of debate, the House voted 58-38 on Tuesday for a "loser pays" lawsuit system that Democrats contended will intimidate average citizens from going to court against big corporations. Under HB3124, if a judge grants a defendant's motion to dismiss a lawsuit as having "no basis in fact or law," the plaintiff who brought the lawsuit would have to pay the defendant's attorney fees of up to $10,000. Sponsor Rep. Vance Dennis, R-Savannah, said the bill would help "small businessmen and farmers trying to defend against frivolous, bogus lawsuits" and who otherwise would have to pay their own lawyers "thousands of dollars." Critics such as Rep. Mike Stewart, D-Nashville, said the real effect would be to make people of modest means fearful of going to court when there was any chance of losing. Stewart said the "chilling effect" of a $10,000 penalty on average citizens would, in contrast, be inconsequential to wealthy corporations and insurance companies. Democrats offered several amendments that were killed by the Republican majority. One by Stewart, a lawyer, would have declared that, if a judge rules against the defendant on a motion to dismiss, the defendant would then have to pay the plaintiff's lawyer up to $10,000 in legal fees. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/25/legislative-notebook-loser-pays-lawsuits-ailing/

Lawmakers Could Pass Penalty for Frivolous Lawsuits (WPLN-Radio Nashville)

State lawmakers are close to passing a penalty for frivolous lawsuits. Critics complain it would unfairly discourage poor people from going to court. The proposal would punish people who file a lawsuit if its dismissed as groundless. A judge could make them pay up to $10 thousand to cover court costs and the other sides attorneys fees. Memphis Democrat Joe Towns told fellow state House members the measure could turn away low-income people who have valid cases. Its wrong to prevent people from having their day in court. This bill is not right its unrighteous and its penalizing citizens of the state of Tennessee for seeking even seeking justice. The measure passed the House 58-38, and could get a Senate vote this week. http://wpln.org/?p=36492

Lawmakers Jockeying on Guns-in-Lots Legislation (TN Report)

Seeking to pit Republicans against one another and to force them to choose between key conservative-leaning constituencies, Senate Democratic Leader Jim Kyle attempted Monday to suspend the chambers regular rules and place the controversial guns-in-parking-lots bill directly on the floor. Im in somewhat of a quandary on this bill I cant vote against it if it is not brought to the floor, quipped the Memphis lawmaker, garnering a few chuckles from both Republicans and Democrats. And therefore it seems to me that the Senate and the folks of Tennessee need to be able to see where each and every one of us are on this piece of legislation. Kyle worried he wont be able to officially demonstrate his opposition if it never gets a vote. Currently, the guns-in-lots bills are parked in the floor-debate scheduling committees of both the House and Senate. Even though the bills have passed through committee-hearing process, Republican leaders have thus far indicated little interest in seeing the measures come to the floors for votes. http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/04/24/lawmakers-jockeying-on-guns-inlots-legislation/ 6

House panel kills guns bill, NRA pushes floor vote (Associated Press/Schelzig)
A House committee voted Tuesday to kill a guns measure that has pitted firearms advocates against business groups. The bill backed by the National Rifle Association would allow anybody with a state-issued handgun carry permit to store loaded guns in vehicles parked on company lots regardless of their employers' wishes. The House Calendar Committee voted 15-8 to send the measure sponsored by Democratic Rep. Eddie Bass of Prospect to a study committee after the Legislature adjourns for the year. Rep. Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville and the panel's chairman, said the move was justified because the companion bill has stalled in the Senate. NRA lobbyist Darren LaSorte said he will push for bringing the bill directly to the House floor. It would take a two-thirds vote in the 99-member chamber to override the committee action. "There haven't been a lot of fair and honest brokers in this process this year," LaSorte said. "W e want to get that fair and open vote in the public's eye." The proposal is opposed by Gov. Bill Haslam and the Republican speakers of the House and Senate for failing to provide exclusions for large businesses or the campuses of colleges or public schools. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=39116497.story

Tennessee gun bills headed to summer of study (Times Free-Press/Sher)

The dispute over controversial guns-in-parking-lots legislation turned into a running, daylong firefight in the Legislature on Tuesday, starting with the Tennessee Firearms Association chief's call for the political crucifixion of a top Republican who opposes the measures. The remarks drew angry denunciations from other Republicans, including House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, who described Firearms Association Executive Director John Harris' behavior as "bizarre." Later in the day, the Republican-controlled House Calendar and Rules Committee met in a sometimes-raucous session and voted to ship the measures off for summer study. But whether that kills the bills, one of which strips employers of their ability to ban employees with handgun-carry permits from storing weapons in their locked vehicles, remains to be seen. National Rifle Association lobbyist Darren LaSorte later told reporters that gun-rights advocates will try to resurrect the bills on the House floor and warned that Republican opponents face political retribution in upcoming elections. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/25/gun-bills-headed-to-summer-of-study/?local

Puzzling

crucifix

email

comes

as

TN

guns-in-trunks

bills

delayed

(Tennessean/Sisk)
Threats tinge gun bill debate A senior House committee voted to delay guns-in-trunks legislation until at least next year, despite a day of heated debate that included a call for the political crucifixion of a top Republican leader. The House Calendar & Rules Committee recommended further study of a pair of bills barring employers from punishing workers who leave firearms in their cars, a move that denied a floor vote on the legislation. The decision came over the objections of Democrats and the National Rifle Association, both of which have demanded on-the-record votes on an issue that has pitted gun rights advocates against business groups. The Republican-dominated committee took action on the bills swiftly, drawing a threat of litigation from a top Democratic lawmaker for not following proper procedures. Republican leaders also stood by their decision not to bring the bills to a floor vote, even after a prominent gun rights activist sent an email calling on followers to use this falls elections as an opportunity to set up a used crucifix at the Capitol as a warning to future legislators who defy them. The choice of words, which was never explained, roiled an already volatile debate. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120425/NEWS0201/304240030/Puzzling-crucifix-email-comes-TN-gunstrunks-bills-delayed?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Gun lobbyist urges political 'crucifixion' in parking-lot bill debate (CA/Locker)

The hardball legislative battle over the guns-in-parking-lots bills has turned even nastier, with lawmakers of both parties denouncing an e-mail alert Tuesday from a gun lobbyist calling for the political "crucifixion" of a top House Republican. The action came on a day when a committee moved to kill one of the bills for this year, but gunrights advocates vowed to keep fighting to bring the bill to a floor vote. The e-mail alert by Tennessee Firearms Association executive director John Harris to his members attacked House Republican Caucus chairman Debra Maggart of Hendersonville and other GOP leaders for what he calls their efforts to block the hotly controversial guns bills from floor votes in both chambers. The e-mail says, "Rep. Debra Maggart's political career needs to end much as the Romans crucified criminals -- not just to end her tenure but as a glaring example to other Republicans that you cannot take the grassroots groups or the rights of citizens for granted and then put your 7

hand out to Big Business for their support all the while expecting to be re-elected. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/apr/24/24gunweb/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Senate Nudges Congress to 19th Century View of Commerce Clause (WPLN)

Tennessees Senate is calling for the state to have more control over its own commerce. The legislators passed a bill Tuesday declaring the 20th century view of the federal Commerce Clause to be unfair to Tennessee. The Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution was originally supposed to keep the 13 ex-colonies from charging each other customs duties. Senator Mae Beavers says that, beginning with New Deal legislation, Congress has used the Commerce clause to impose its will on the states. Her resolution tells Congress to back off. Congress now regulates commerce occurring entirely within a state, to the detriment of each state and the country. The enactment of the federal health care reform is justified by some with invocations of the Commerce Clause. Democrats argued that the resolution should have been addressed to the Supreme Court, not Congress. The resolution had already passed the House. The Senate concurred, by a vote of 17 to 11. http://wpln.org/?p=36505

Senate GOP calls for rejection of U.N. agenda (Associated Press)

A proposal that calls for the rejection of a United Nations agenda on the environment and poverty has passed the Tennessee Senate. The resolution, which recognizes the destructive and insidious nature of United Nations Agenda 21, was approved 19-11 on Tuesday. The House passed the measure 72-23 last month. The agenda came out of the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 following discussions on sustainable development. Republicans say the agenda is a veiled attempt to take away property rights. They say the 300-page document contains catch phrases such as sustainable development, which they say actually means Tennesseans could lose their land or businesses. But Democratic Sen. Andy Berke of Chattanooga said the agenda is about caring for the environments future, which is exactly what we should be doing. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120425/NEWS0201/304250121/Senate-GOP-calls-rejection-U-N-agenda? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Senate Joins House in Condemning UNs Agenda 21 (W PLN-Radio Nashville)

The Tennessee Senate added its voice to the state House in condemning the United Nations Agenda 21 on Tuesday. The program is an environmental initiative meant to encourage sustainable development. A majority of Tennessee lawmakers now describe it as destructive. The United Nations Agenda 21 has never been endorsed by the U.S. as a treaty, but it has become a hot button issue among grass roots conservatives who see the United Nations as the first step to so-called one-world government. Resolution sponsor Mike Bell, a Republican from McMinn County, held up a black loose leaf folder several inches thick. There is over 300 pages, like I said, contained in this document. I can best describe this as zoning rules on steroids. But Chattanooga Democrat Andy Berke says the resolution implies that simple environmental planning is a conspiracy to remove Americans property rights. http://wpln.org/?p=36507

Anti-Abortion Doctor Regulation Passes Senate (WPLN-Radio Nashville)

Doctors performing abortions in standalone clinics will have to have admitting privileges in nearby hospitals under a bill that has passed the state Senate. Republican Senator Mae Beavers says the bill will ensure that when an abortion procedure goes bad, the patient can more quickly be checked into a hospital. They should have hospital admitting privileges so that a woman that has complications will know where to call, where he will be available to treat her. Despite heated controversy in both houses, neither side has been able to say how many clinics will be affected. Opponents argue that the measure targets physicians based at abortion clinics since hospitals and out-patient surgical centers are already regulated under different laws. The legislation called the life defense act had already passed the state House. http://wpln.org/?p=36502

TN

state

fair

could

leave

Nashville

under

proposed

legislation

(Tennessean/Wilson)
Nashvillians object as House passes bill A bill that would establish a board to run the Tennessee State Fair and potentially move it outside of Davidson County passed the full state House and a Senate committee Tuesday. The legislation overwhelmingly passed the House after an extended debate and is now set to go before the full Senate. It would create a state fair and exposition commission that would include the president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau and the head of the University of Tennessee Extension office. During debate about the 8

bill on the House floor, several legislators said they were concerned the legislation would be the final straw for any hopes the state fair would stay in Nashville, where it has been held for more than 100 years. Rep. Mary Pruitt, D-Nashville, vehemently opposed the thought of the fair leaving the district she represents. She said she had not been consulted about the bill. There was legislation sent years ago to Nashville-Davidson County, she said. That legislation would give Davidson County the privilege of having the fair year after year after year. An amendment that would require the reorganized fair to stay in Davidson County failed on the House floor. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120425/NEWS0201/304250099/TN-state-fair-could-leave-Nashville-underproposed-legislation?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Henry taken to hospital for tests (Associated Press)

A spokesman for the Senate Democrats says veteran state Sen. Douglas Henry has been taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for tests. Colby Sledge said the 85-year-old Nashville Democrat began to experience high blood pressure and felt dizzy in a caucus meeting after the Senate floor session ended Tuesday. Sledge said Henry was lucid and talking and even tried to discuss a bill with Republican Sen. Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro as he was leaving for the hospital. Henry has been a state senator since 1970. His District 21 seat represents southwestern Nashville, including some of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods. http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=tennessean&sParam=39124945.story

State Senator Hospitalized With High Blood Pressure (W PLN-Radio Nashville)

State Senator Doug Henry has been hospitalized. The Nashville Democrat is the longest-serving current member of the state legislature. A spokesman for senate democrats says the 85-year-old was experiencing higher-thannormal blood pressure, and was lucid and talking with a colleague about the state budget when he left the capitol. http://wpln.org/?p=36497

Hensley announces run for Senate seat (Columbia Daily Herald)

A veteran legislator is running for the newly-created 28th Senate district, which would in part represent Maury County, and he said creating jobs will be his main focus. Rep. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, made the announcement last week and said his most important campaign issue will be making the 28th district more business-friendly to help stimulate job growth. Hensley has been a family physician for 26 years and currently represents District 70, which includes Lawrence, Lewis and Wayne counties. He has represented the district for about 10 years. Im certainly an advocate for small business and making them able to produce jobs, Hensley said. The representative said he will focus on ways to make it easier for small businesses to get loans for expansion and create greater tax incentives for any future businesses. Hensley said he will also tackle issues relating to education, including the controversial Dont Say Gay bill, which would prevent teachers in grades K-8 from teaching about alternative lifestyles in the classroom. (The bill) leaves it up to the parents (if they) want to teach their children about homosexual lifestyles (or) alternative lifestyles, he said. Certainly, lots of parents dont want their children to be taught that. http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/sections/news/local/hensley-announces-run-senate-seat.html

Basil Marceaux to do time in workhouse (Times Free-Press/Harrison)

Tennessee state House candidate Basil Marceaux Sr. will spend the next 10 days at the Hamilton County workhouse facility after deriding a judge during a court appearance. Marceaux was in Criminal Court Judge Rebecca Sterns courtroom Monday on charges of failure to maintain lane and not having insurance, both of which were filed Jan. 6, according to court records. While standing before Stern, Marceaux became disorderly, according to the court order. The defendants conduct included a verbal display of disagreement with the courts ruling, telling the court that was out of order and that when the defendant wins an election the court is going down, Sterns order states. Stern sentenced Marceaux to 10 days of work at Hamilton Countys Silverdale Correctional Facility. He cannot bond out. Marceaux who has been on the ballot for governor, state senate and Tennessees 3rd Congressional District in recent years is currently running for the District 27 seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/25/basil-marceaux-dotime-workhouse/?local

Murfreesboro

mosque

public

notice

fight

may

cause

change
9

(Tennessean/Stockard)
A legal battle over public notice in Rutherford Countys approval of a mosque site could affect how and where governments can advertise their meetings. In a two-day trial that starts today, plaintiffs will argue that the county government failed to provide adequate public notice of its May 2010 Rutherford County Regional Planning Commission meeting, where officials were to vote on a site plan for a new mosque for the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro. In this case, the issue should be whether the published notice should have included more information about the agenda, not which publication, said Frank Gibson, public policy director for the Tennessee Press Association. County commissions must give five days notice for public meetings, he said. The public notice published in the Murfreesboro Post did not state that mosque site approval was on the agenda because Rutherford Countys zoning laws allow places of worship to be treated the same as residential developments. No rezoning was required; therefore, no public hearing was needed before the planning commission reviewed the site plan and voted. Efforts by plaintiffs in the case to paint the mosque as a compound for terrorist activity have been unfounded and dismissed by the court, leaving the plaintiffs only remaining course to challenge it through the public notice process. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120425/NEWS01/304250108/Murfreesboromosque-public-notice-fight-may-cause-change?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

In Need of Repair (Memphis Daily News)

County administration building one of many requiring renovation The Shelby County Trustees office is out of the Vasco Smith County Administration Building and in the county government building across Second Street at 157 Poplar Ave. The last workers and their boxes were moved the week before Easter. Were all under one roof now. We do have signs at our old location and signs at our new location, Trustee David Lenoir said of the switch, which affects not only employees but also citizens. We went from two floors, really one-and-a-half floors, in the old space to three-and-a-half floors over here. The renovated building at 157 Poplar is older than the county administration building built in the mid-1960s. It was the first site for some parts of county government as city and county government began to outgrow the Shelby County Courthouse, which was the seat of both governments for most of the first half of the 20th century. The administration building at 160 N. Main St. is one of several government buildings including City Hall and the Odell Horton-Clifford Davis Federal Building and the Donnelly J. Hill State Office Building that were constructed at about the same time as part of a civic center plaza plan of the early 1960s. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/apr/25/in-need-of-repair/

Sullivan struggling through lean times, as 'cash is very, very low' (Times-News)
Time and time again in recent years, Sullivan County officials have pointed to the lack of layoffs from the countys payroll as an accomplishment in what has been a lean economy. Now, after years of refusing to consider a tax increase and depending on fund balances to balance the yearly budget some county officials say the accomplishment will be just meeting payroll for the next few months. Sullivan County Mayor Steve Godsey has issued a memorandum to all county department heads requesting they curtail all but emergency purchases until at least July 1, when the next budget cycle begins. Thank you so much for your efficiency and cooperation in this endeavor, Godsey wrote. The nationwide slowing of the economy these past three years has affected all of us, and we want to be extra responsible and very cautious in handling the county funds. Hopefully next years national business climate will be improved so that both Tennessee and Sullivan County will see fruits of the labors we have put in to bring success to all of us. The Times-News asked County Trustee Frances Harrell just how bad is the countys cash flow situation? http://www.timesnews.net/article/9045751/sullivan-struggling-through-lean-times-as-39cash-is-very-very-low39

Critics see hypocrisy in GOP freshmen's stance on tariff breaks (TN/Bewley)

Rep. Stephen Fincher and other freshman Republicans have touted the ban on congressional earmarks that passed after they took office last year as a step toward reducing wasteful government spending. But Fincher, Tennessee Rep. Chuck Fleischmann and 63 other first-term Republican lawmakers now stand accused of betraying that spirit of fiscal restraint by pushing for consideration of a tariff measure loaded with breaks for specific imports. Critics say such breaks qualify as earmarks. The lawmakers signed an April 20 letter asking House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio to consider a measure that would suspend duties on certain imports unavailable in the U.S. in an effort to lower costs for domestic manufacturers. It is already 20 percent more expensive to manufacture in America relative to our major competitors, the lawmakers wrote. The way to build manufacturing in America and create high-paying jobs is to reduce those costs not to raise them. Lawmakers must propose lowering tariffs on a specific import before April 30 for the proposal to be included in the overall 10

tariff measure. Typically, lawmakers rely on recommendations from companies in their districts to decide which imports to favor similar to how lawmakers chose local pet projects to fund before Congress banned earmarks last year. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120425/NEWS02/304250074/Critics-see-hypocrisy-GOP-freshmen-sstance-tariff-breaks?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Weston Wamp refuses to address if sister filmed Mayfield video (TFP/Carroll)

Congressional candidate Weston Wamp declined Tuesday to say whether his younger sister recorded or posted online a video titled Scottie Mayfield Struggles to Answer Basic Questions. The origin of the video is unimportant to us, Wamp campaign manager Bonnie Brezina said in an emailed statement. The substance of what Mr. Mayfield said is important to voters. W amp and several of his advisers declined to answer several yesor-no questions about whether Coty W amp attended the relevant meeting, filmed the video or uploaded it to YouTube. Dairy executive Mayfield and W eston W amp, the 25-year-old son of former U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, are running against U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann in Tennessees 3rd Congressional District Republican primary. Ron Bhalla also is vying for the GOP nod. Posted April 18 and apparently filmed hidden-camera style, the YouTube video shows Mayfield telling the University of Tennessee in Knoxvilles College Republicans club that he must get elected to Congress before he gets too focused on what he wants to do there. A student at University of Tennessee College of Law, Coty Wamp attended the meeting and may have taped it, according to Tyler King, president of UTs College Republicans. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/25/weston-wamp-refuses-address-if-sister-filmed-mayfi/?local

Bid to Block Postal Service Bill Falls Short in Senate (New York Times)
The Senate on Tuesday defeated a Republican attempt to block a vote on a bill to save the struggling Postal Service. The vote was 62 to 37. The Senate had hoped to have a final vote on the legislation on Tuesday, but Senator Jeff Sessions, Republican of Alabama, raised a point of order to try to derail the bill. Now a final vote could come Wednesday on the wide-ranging measure, which would allow the Postal Service to study the elimination of Saturday deliveries and to provide a broader range of potentially lucrative services like delivering beer and wine for retailers. The bill would also provide retirement incentives for cutting some of the agencys 547,000 positions and would restructure benefit programs, including stretching out and reducing payments for the health benefits of future retirees over a 40-year period. Mr. Sessions and three other Republican senators Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Dan Coats of Indiana and Bob Corker of Tennessee argued that the bill would add $34 billion to the national debt. The measure would allow the Postal Service to collect $11 billion that the agency overpaid into a pension fund and allow it to defer $23 billion in payments that would go toward its retiree health benefit plan. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/us/politics/postal-service-bill-moves-forward-in-senate.html?ref=todayspaper (SUBSCRIPTION)

Most hospitals expect health reform to cut revenue (Nashville Business Journal)
About 55 percent of hospitals are bracing for a decline in revenue because of health care reform, according to a new survey. Twelve percent, meanwhile, anticipate an increase in revenue, and 28 percent dont know what to expect, according to research by Woburn, Mass.-based benefits management firm HighRoads and Detroit-based human resources consultant Sullivan Cotter. The survey included responses from 178 participants, including 126 health systems. About 42 percent plan to become an accountable care organization, a structure the federal government is encouraging. And 18 percent plan to structure their employee health plan as an ACO-like program. http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/2012/04/most-hospitals-expect-health-reform-to.html

House of Blues eyes Nashville med mart site (Nashville Business Journal)
The world's largest live entertainment company wants to build a new music venue downtown, with the space currently slated for the long-delayed Nashville Medical Trade Center as a leading site. California-based Live Nation Entertainment Inc. wants to bring House of Blues a music venue that seats 1,000 to 2,000 people to Music City, and the company is trolling downtown for viable sites, according to various entertainment and commercial real estate professionals. Since November 2009, there has been little public discussion about alternative uses for the city-owned Nashville Convention Center, real estate that has been pegged primarily for 11

the $250 million Medical Trade Center. This proposal provides a window into the range of development possibilities for a prime piece of downtown real estate, regardless of what happens with the highly anticipated med mart project. http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2012/04/24/house-of-blues-eyes-nashville.html

Is House of Blues in if medical mart fizzles? (Tennessean/Ward)

Buzz grows as developer works to get tenants Is the proposed medical mart complex on Lower Broadway about to be replaced by rock n roll? Alternatives appear to be emerging for other possible uses for the longtime Nashville Convention Center site downtown, if plans for a medical trade center fizzle there. One buzz in Nashville real estate circles centers around concert promoter Live Nation shopping the concept of using part of the space for a music and restaurant venue under its House of Blues brand. The adjacent Renaissance Nashville Hotel also could be interested in taking over some of the space that would go vacant inside the aging Nashville Convention Center once the spacious Music City Center project opens south of Broadway next year. W ere constantly looking at great cities with great music around the country for new venues, and Nashville is one of those cities, said a spokesman for House of Blues Entertainment, declining to confirm specific interest in the medical mart site. Still, the chatter has picked up steam as marketing efforts by the Dallas-based developer of the planned medical mart hasnt translated into enough signed tenants. That has delayed the idea of adding eight floors atop the current convention building for the marts year-round showrooms for manufacturers of medical products, distributors, as well as trade shows and medical conferences. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120425/COLUMNIST03/304250097/Getahn-W ard-House-Blues-medicalmart-fizzles-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Schools face losing federal funds (Leaf Chronicle)

Local revenues to feel resulting pressures Federal funding for the school system will tumble in the next academic year, a shift that insiders said will likely put added strain on local funding. The Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board reviewed projections for five of the six funds that make up the school systems total budget during a Tuesday meeting. Budget projections for the federal projects, child nutrition, transportation, the extended school program and capital projects funds were presented. The sixth, a projected general purpose budget, which will draw most heavily from local dollars, will be presented next week. The projected federal projects fund, which is made up of federal money, sank $4.5 million, representing a 20 percent fall from last years allotment. Much of that loss was due to an expiring jobs bill that had bankrolled a pay matrix, but two other areas were especially hard hit. The big story on federal projects is, really, less money, said Schools Director Mike Harris. That will impact two major issues: special education and after-school programming. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120425/NEWS01/304250016/Schools-face-losing-federal-funds? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Recommendations on unification points near accord by committee (CA/Kelley)

The commission planning the transition in Shelby County to a unified school district is closing in rapidly on its recommendations, its chairwoman told the unified school board Tuesday night. "This has been an arduous process. We actually are kind of pinching ourselves that we're coming to a point where we can come forth with recommendations," said Barbara Prescott, whose Transition Planning Commission has been on the school consolidation case since last September. TPC members are "very aware" that the recommendations are for the board and the state Department of Education to accept or reject, she said. But the staff of both Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools have been intimately involved in the process, there has been input from various segments of the community, and "it's getting kind of serious here toward the end." Look for the first draft of the transition plan to emerge in about a month and a half, Prescott said, based on recommendations that are being processed in the TPC's various committees. Last week brought the final report of the TPC Assessment Committee, a sort of inventory of the two school districts and their enrollment demographics. Within the next two weeks, Prescott said, board members who have not been attending meetings of the TPC probably would benefit from hearing about the commission's progress firsthand. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/apr/25/proposals-to-unify-schools-near-accord/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Germantown mayor outlines school issues (Commercial Appeal/Patterson)

Holding out hope that the state will soon pass legislation to allow municipalities to proceed with creating their own school systems, Germantown Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy spoke Tuesday night about the city's desire to let 12

voters decide the future of their school systems. Before a crowd of about 50 at the East Shelby County Republican club, the mayor gave a brief synopsis of the issue, dating back to the Memphis School Board's decision to dissolve its charter and force a merger with the county. With an outcry from suburban residents who said they felt voiceless after the city's decision, Sen. Mark Norris wrote legislation outlining how a merger would work, and included an option for municipalities to break off on their own. "We've been in hot pursuit of that goal ever since," said Goldsworthy. She noted that the last three weeks have been challenging for suburban officials left waiting for decisions on the state level that will affect the municipalities' next moves on the issue. "We are in the moment of waiting as we're lobbying and making our pitch and shoring up support in the General Assembly," she said. "This legislation will allow us to avoid litigation on when we can go about the process" of putting a referendum before citizens. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/apr/25/gtown-mayor-outlines-schoolissues/(SUB)

Wisconsin: Wisconsin High Court Stalemated Over Fracas (W all Street Journal)
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is wrestling with an unusual disciplinary case against one of its own members in which every justice could serve as a potential witnessan ethical bind that could end the matter before it gets to a hearing. The case revolves around an incident last June when a justice placed his hands around the neck of a fellow justice, while other members of the court looked on. "In my view, every member of the Supreme Court is disqualified by law from sitting on the case," said Justice David Prosser, who has told investigators that placing his hands on the neck of Justice Ann Walsh Bradley was a "reflex" as she rushed toward him in a bid to get him to leave her office. A special prosecutor declined to bring criminal charges in the case last summer. But the Wisconsin Judicial Commissiona nine-member panel of judges, lawyers and non-lawyers appointed by the Supreme Court and the governor to oversee judicial conductfiled a complaint with the Supreme Court on March 16. The report accuses Justice Prosser of violating the state code of judicial conduct, which requires judges to be "patient, dignified and courteous" in their official duties. The complaint also cites an earlier meeting of justices in which Justice Prosser called Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson "a total b." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303978104577364330536316036.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBCRIPTION)

OPINION Editorial: Civil service reform will bring better workers (Jackson Sun)
On Tuesday, Gov. Bill Haslam signed the centerpiece of his 2012 legislative agenda: Civil service reform. This is good legislation that will lead to a better state employee workforce. In a national political environment where little 13

seems to get done because opposing sides on issues refuse to compromise, civil service reform legislation in Tennessee is a good example of how to get things done by working together. Haslams proposal initially was met with resistance from the Tennessee State Employees Association and a number of state lawmakers. But, as Haslam pointed out at the signing, lots of voices were heard during the debate that helped create a bill that could be supported by state workers, lawmakers and members of the governors cabinet. The measure passed the state Senate on a 30 to 3 vote and the state House on a 74 to 19 vote. Over the next five years, 40 percent of state employees will be eligible for retirement. That means there is going to be a lot of turnover, and a lot of opportunity to build the most effective and efficient state workforce. The legislation ushers in a host of changes in how state employees are hired, fired and promoted: Hiring procedures are streamlined with a minimum of three candidates to be interviewed for job openings. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120425/OPINION/304250004/Our-View-Civil-service-reform-will-bringbetter-workers

Guest columnist: Event-ticketing bill needs work (Tennessean)

Legislation in summer study has anti-consumer provisions Recently, a bill that would have given Ticketmaster an even tighter grip on the sports and entertainment ticket market was not approved by the Tennessee General Assembly. The so-called Fairness in Ticketing Act was instead sent to a summer study committee for muchneeded further examination. That was a good thing for Tennessee consumers. I am a former director of the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs, where I spent eight years protecting consumers from unfair business practices. That experience gave me a good sense of which laws benefit consumers and which laws do not. The Fairness in Ticketing Act falls in both categories, which is why I hope the study committee gives it a very thorough review before the legislature revisits the issues next year. The event-ticketing industry is fraught with controversy and disrepute. Consumers love their favorite performers, but they despise Ticketmaster. Consumers enjoy buying bargain sports tickets that are resold by Predators and Vols season-ticket holders, but are angered by scalpers using illegal software to grab all the best seats the first minute a concert goes on sale. These are the tickets you see selling for as much as three or four times face value. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120425/OPINION03/304250084/Event-ticketing-bill-needs-work? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Editorial: Bring 'guns in parking lots' to open vote (Daily News Journal)
A secret House Republican vote this week to keep the contentious guns in parking lots bill from coming to a floor vote was a cop-out. This measure, which would guarantee workers the right to store firearms in vehicles parked on employer lots, deserves a vote up or down. But instead of dealing with pressure from the National Rifle Association and risking a failing grade from its lobbying arm, the House GOP took the easy way out. Thats disappointing because it gives short shrift to public deliberations and lets legislators hide from constituents how they feel about the measure. Quite simply, if they think its a bad bill, it should be voted down. If not, they should vote for it. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam and the states top legislative leaders, Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey and House Speaker Beth Harwell, make no bones about their opposition. They contend its too broad because it doesnt let large employers bar guns from their parking lots, and even worse it would force colleges and K12 schools to allow guns on campus. This legislation is tying Republicans in knots because it pits gun rights activists against big business, both of which are major Republican backers. http://www.dnj.com/article/20120425/OPINION/304250016/EDITORIAL-Bring-guns-parking-lots-open-vote? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Gail Kerr: I-24 weekend closings painful, but alternatives are worse (Tennessean)
In 2008, state highway officials made a tough, but good, decision. Instead of dragging out weekend repairs to I40 in downtown Knoxville for more than three years, they shut down the interstate completely and worked straight through. The project was complete in 14 months. So why cant they do the same thing on I-24 in downtown Nashville? Couldnt they shut it down and fix the bridge in 26 days instead of 13 weekends? Because it would create complete traffic gridlock, morning and night, Monday through Friday, state officials say. We did consider the total closure option, said Paul Degges, deputy commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Transportation. We just didnt feel like we had the option. W ith 114,000 cars going through there every day, we didnt feel like it was the best solution. If we do that and an 18-wheeler flops over on I-65, then Im stuck. To compare, TDOT considers anything over 30,000 a heavily traveled road. Doing the project straight through over a month would create the same scenario as has happened during two snowstorms in recent years. It took people hours to get anywhere. Traffic was noticeably heavier Saturday morning on I-440 around downtown, the first 14

weekend I-24 was closed between the I-40 and I-65 split. TDOT is replacing the bridge over Main Street. It has to do it the bridge was built in 1961, rehabbed in 1985, and recently the decking has sometimes had holes in it. No one in his right mind would support ignoring this. The $8.7 million project will use prefabricated pieces of bridge deck that are dropped into place as hunks are removed. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120425/COLUMNIST0101/304250081/Gail-Kerr-24-weekend-closingspainful-alternatives-worse?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

Clay Bennett Political Cartoon: Missing (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)

http://media.timesfreepress.com/img/news/tease/2012/04/24/120425_Mayfield_t618.jpg? ba5b5b122dd3d37cc13d83e92a6a0ec0d5bfa32a

Editorial: Immigration law enforcement must remain federal duty (News-Sentinel)

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments today over Arizona's controversial immigration law. The law would allow state and local law enforcement in Arizona to enforce federal immigration statutes, but it has been struck down at the district and appeals court levels. The Supreme Court should do the same enforcing immigration law is an extension of foreign affairs and is the exclusive domain of the federal government. And it is not necessary anyway. Arizona and other states do not need to pass their own laws to help federal authorities. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, has programs in place that use local law enforcement as "force multipliers" to deal with illegal immigration issues. The Knox County Sheriff's Office is mulling participation in one such program, dubbed 287(g) after the provision of federal law that authorizes its use. Under 287(g), local law enforcement agents receive training and equipment from ICE. They then can act as immigration officers under the direction of ICE supervisors. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/25/editorial-immigration-law-enforcement-must-duty/

Frank Munger: DOE had a long way to go in going green (News-Sentinel)

Earlier this week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released its updated list of Top 50 Green Power Partnership organizations, which voluntarily use clean, renewable electricity "from resources such as solar, wind and low-impact hydropower." Intel led the list, followed by Kohl's and Microsoft. The U.S. Department of Energy was No. 13 on the Top 50 list. The EPA, interestingly, was ranked No. 18 on its own list. I posted this information on my blog, Atomic City Underground, as well as on Twitter, which prompted some interesting comments. Some folks thought it was embarrassing that DOE should be ranked so low, suggesting that the Energy Department should lead the way in clean energy at its own facilities. I'm not so sure that's reasonable. DOE had to get rid of a lot of World War II and Cold War baggage before it could really get green at such places as Oak Ridge National Laboratory, whereas some of the leading companies, such as Microsoft, were born of more recent vintage and, to some extent, were cool from the get-go. Just a thought. Given the progress, DOE might be No. 1 in another five years or so. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/25/frank-munger-doe-had-a-long-way-to-go-in-going/

Editorial: Subsidize Students, Not Tax Cuts (New York Times)

In 2007, President George W. Bush signed a bill that cut in half interest rates on subsidized student loans until 2012. Those low rates will expire on July 1 going back to 6.8 percent from 3.4 percent and, to prevent college from becoming even more unaffordable for millions of students, the obvious move is to renew them. But nothing is that easy or sensible anymore in Washington, where House Republicans are far more interested in cutting taxes, largely for the rich, than they are in helping low- and middle-income students get a college education. House Republicans say the country cannot afford the $6 billion a year that it costs to pay for the lower rates. The Ryan budget, recently approved by the House, would allow the rates to double, and, at the same time, would cut taxes by $10 trillion over a decade. Representative John Kline Jr., the chairman of the House Committee on Education and the W orkforce, said keeping the rates low would mean piling billions of dollars on the backs of taxpayers. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/25/opinion/subsidize-students-not-tax-cuts.html?ref=todayspaper (SUB) ###

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