Gun Legislation Part 2 February 25, 2009

Closing gun records passed the House Subcommittee.

Gun Legislation Day February 25, 2009

   Today,  a House subcommittee is set to hear several bills dealing with the state’s firearms laws.  There are bills that would allow for guns in parks and bars.  Then, there is a bill that would close handgun permit applications.  This has been a hot button issue for some time.  The Tennessean and the Memphis [...]

Bonds or Stimulus Money? February 24, 2009

      As part of Governor Bredesen’s plan to close the books for the 2008-2009 fiscal year, he wants the state to use bonds to help pay for the state’s obligations to VW and Hemlock.  In order to bring those two companies to Tennessee, the state offered hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives.  The state [...]

Not Gonna Happen February 24, 2009

    The abortion-related Constitutional amendments will not be heard today.  I talked with the chair of the House subcommittee, Rep. Hensley.  He told me all of those bills will be rolled to a special calendar in a couple weeks, once all of the abortion-related bills have been filed.

Abortion HJRs February 24, 2009

A House Subcommittee is scheduled to hear dueling versions of a proposed constitutional amendment to remove abortion protections at 4 this afternoon.  From everything I’m hearing, this is still going to happen this afternoon but who knows?  Now, this is the battle over SJR 127 stemming back from the Supreme Court ruling that abortion is [...]

All Quiet on the HHS Front February 20, 2009

     So it’s been a week since we’ve really heard anything new on speculation about who would become President Obama’s HHS Secretary.  All of the talk and speculation is now going on in Kansas, where Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is now rumored to be the top choice for the post.  If she does take the job, [...]

Sagging Pants Ban? February 19, 2009

   Getting caught with your pants down could take a on a new meaning here in Tennessee.  State Rep. Joe Towns Jr. (D-Memphis) is trying to make it a crime to wear your pants low and show off your underwear.  This would apply to both men showing off boxers and women flashing their thongs.  He [...]

And the Speaker is… February 11, 2009

Deputy Speaker Steve McDaniel is the temporary speaker. This move is happening because Speaker Kent Williams and Speaker Pro Tempore Lois Deberry are both out. Williams is out because his mother is sick. Deberry has been hospitalized with an unspecified illness. This was approved by the house 94-0.

Bredesen’s Fighting Back February 10, 2009

     Governor Bredesen isn’t too happy about some of the criticism flying around the country in regards to him as a possible HHS choice.  Today he said advocacy groups were filling up trash cans and dumping them on him, and he felt the need to defend himself from having his “reputation assailed unfairly.”
      What’s interesting, [...]

The State of the State February 10, 2009

   There has been a ton of news today out of the Capitol, from the latest chapter in the Kent Williams saga to the state of the state address.  I apologize about the lack of posts, the on air stuff took up most of my afternoon.  I also managed to fall down the capitol steps [...]