Tenn. NAACP State Conference Delegates to Legislative Day On The Hill 2009

The NAACP, Clarksville Branch #5582, participated in the Annual NAACP Legislative Day On the Hill. This year’s observance  celebrates the NAACP’s 100th Anniversary as branch delegates from across the state converged on the State Capitol and Legislative Plaza to confer with state legislators and sit in on committee meetings. Legislative officials came to the House Chambers to greet, welcome and acknowledge the annual event and the organization’s historic anniversary. Over 250-plus delegates and supporters filled the House of Representatives Chambers and visitors galleries to participate in and document the historic event.

Rep. Kent Williams, R-Carter County, Speaker of the House welcomes delegates to House Chambers

The day’s agenda was presided over by Tennessee State NAACP Conference President Gloria Sweet-Love. Officers of the State Conference and staff registered delegates and directed the day’s events and training. State government officials and officers welcomed the assembled delegates with warm accolades and recognition of the organization’s anniversary. Speaker of the House Kent Williams was the first state official to render greetings and welcome to the assembled representatives. He informed the group that Rep. Joe Armstrong had just returned to Memphis because his father had suffered a heart attack. The Speaker said he himself would be Memphis in the coming week to meet with local officials there. He declared that “Tennessee is not a red state or a blue state. I do not represent any one part of the state. We are one state.”

Rep. Larry Turner, Secretary of the Democratic Caucus, urged the delegates to meet with their respective legislators and they them know they are here to represent all the people. I hope you will call and write them and let them know that.”

Hardaman County NAACP Youth/College Delegation Contingent

Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey next addressed the assemblage and acknowledged the significance of the NAACP’s legacy and the achievement of its 100th anniversary. He linked that achievement with he himself being the first Republican Lt. Governor in Tennessee in 140 years. Youth and College State Conference President Monet Brown welcomed the youth contingent of the delegates to the hollowed halls of state government. Of the three hundred fifty-plus assemblage, fully one-third were youth/college-aged members and supporters.

Other speakers who addressed the assemblage included State Representative John D. DeBerry, Chair of the Tennessee Black Caucus, declared that “America is stronger because of the NAACP.’ He  told the group that, “God provides. We must possess, and that “the NAACP is paramount to our passing our pride onto our young people.” He reminded the group, “NAACP will be an effective leadership entity” in the twenty-first century.

Beverly Watts, Director of the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, said the commission looks forward to working with the NAACP. She told delegates that a bill had just been introduced to extend the commission for ten years. She asked delegates to lobby their respective legislators to support this extension.

A. J. Stallings, Political Director for the AFL-CIO, gave special thanks to the Tennessee State NAACP Conference and its Labor and Industry Director, Marilyn Brown. Jerry Lee, President of the AFL-CIO Labor Counci, acknowledged the assistance and support the AFL-CIO has received from the NAACP over the past years in struggles to improve standards and opportunities for Tennessee workers.

Joseph Clark Jr., Natl Staff Council, AFL-CIO

Joseph Clark, Jr., National Staff Council of the AFL-CIO, spoke of the effort to gather two thousand letters from average Tennesseans to be delivered to Tennessee Senator Bob Corker, letting him know that his declared opposition to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is not the sentiment or will of his constituents. Senator Corker had declared that he felt the economic recession’s downturn wasn’t as severe as characterized by President Obama and didn’t warrant any rash actions as such those being proposed by President Obama. He had specifically spoken out against federal assistance the automotive industry despite have significant automotive enterprises in eastern and middle Tennessee, which would be directly affected by any drastic shakeout of the Big Three Automotive Giants of the American automotive industry. Clark told the delegates that  there would be an action calling attention to the plight of working people in Tennessee. “This is a time we have to work collectively.”

Pastor Stacy Rector, Exec. Director, TCASK

Stacy Rector, executive director of Tennessee Coalition Against State Killing (TCASK), came to the podium as well. Acknowledging the history of the NAACP and its being founded to halt lynching of Black men in the South, she spoke of TCASK’s work to repeal the death penalty in Tennessee.

Rector pointed out that studies have shown that the Tennessee death penalty law lacks fairness, cost benefit on return, and most importantly, it lacks accuracy. TCASK seeks a moratorium on the death penalty in Tennessee.

Rep. Johnnie Shaw, past Chair Tenn. Black Caucus greets delegates

Rep. Johnnie W. Shaw, past Chair of the Tennessee Black Caucus, greeted the delegates and thanked them for coming to Legislative Plaza. He told the delegates to call their congressional leaders and tell them to support the stimulus plan. “We need that money. We need it.” He has introduced a bill to modify the current laws that restore voting rights to ex-felons. Under his proposal, convictions would be expunged for lesser serious crimes. He also has a bill that supports small minority businesses by removing the steep bonding issues that currently blocks small enterprises from pursuing larger contracting opportunities. The legislation would waive those bonding issues for small business. He stated that, “The State of Tennessee should do business with its citizens.”

President Sweet-Love outlined the Tennessee NAACP State Conference Priorities:

1. Repeal Work At Will laws.
2. Increase minimum wage to a Liveable Wage level.
3. Health Care for all, colo-rectal cancer screenings must be covered by insurance plans.
4. Moratorium on the death penalty.
5. Make Environmental Justice an issue in Tennessee.
6. Revise HOPE scholarship retention standards.
7. Eliminate requirement of child support status verification from ex-felon voter restoration law.
8. Oppose Auto Title Predatory Loans.

President Sweet-Love introduced the youngest delegate, young Master Caleb Bradford, four -years-old, an NAACP member since he was six-weeks-old, and her grandson. She also introduced Shelby County Mayor Will Spencer to the delegates. Spencer is only the second African American to be elected county mayor in Tennessee. Memphis Branch Executive Director Johnnie Turner instructed the delegates on how to conduct their meeting with legislators.

Conference delegates seated in TN House Chambers

Rep. Joe Towns brought greetings to the delegates and said, “It’s good to see you here in Nashville. We have to address issues of ex-felon reintroduction into society. Getting a high school diploma or GED and securing employment are paramount issues to successful re-integration into society as productive members of society.” Rep. Towns urged the delegates to attend a  rally calling for “Support for Working Families in Tennessee.” The conference then recessed to allow the delegates to begin their rounds of meetings with legislators and have lunch.

The Clarksville Branch delegation had previously contacted all members of the Montgomery County Legislative Delegation to arrange appointments. Senator Tim Barnes and Representative Joe Pitts both  confirmed the appointments. However Representatives  Curtis Johnson and Phillip Johnson failed to acknowledge the communications and made no provision for any appointments.  Neither were  available for even a brief meeting. Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey assured all conference delegates that their respective representatives were well aware of their presence on the Hill and would be available to meet with them.

In meetings with Rep. Pitts and Senator Barnes, the delegation discussed their position on (1) the minimum wage become a livable wage, (2) health care for all (universal health care), (3) moratorium/repeal of the death penalty, (4) increasing the number of minority students maintaining their HOPE scholarships, (5) assertive application and enforcement of environmental justice, (6) reform of predatory auto title loans in Tennessee, and (7) state recognition of Tennessee Native Americans. These issues were discussed in addition to the priorities raised in the House Chambers.

The Clarksville delegation additionally sat in on two committee meetings and toured Legislative Plaza to become familiar with its accommodations and offices.  Following these activities, the delegation returned to the House Chambers for the afternoon session which was to feature an address by Governor Bredesen.

TN Gov. Phil Bredesen with State Conf. Pres. Gloria Sweet-Love

President Sweet-Love reconvened the conference for the afternoon session and introduced the governor. Gov. Bredesen gave the delegates a warm welcome, stating, “It’s always good to the people in their house.” In his address, he repeated several primary points of his “State of the State” speech. Economic development and growth are key to the stability and future growth of this state. This will be the means whereby the people of Tennessee will best anchor their individual prosperity and that of the state as a whole. “The importance of higher education has never been more obvious. There is an undeniable need for more Tennesseans to have college diplomas. ” As the location of Hemlock Semiconductor in Tennessee signals the state ’s shift into a leading position  in the ‘Green Technology’ industry, higher education degrees will be paramount for our people to secure the advantages this new technology will present.

TN Gov. Bredesen and the TN Conf. & Branch Presidents celebrate the NAACP's 100th Anniversary

Following the governor’s address, President Sweet-love called for all branch presidents to assemble in the Capitol Legislative Lobby to pose with the governor and the 100th Anniversary cake. Then the entire delgation gathered on the western steps of the capitol for the annual “Day on the Hill” commemoration group picture. After the picture taking, delegates returned to Legislative Lobby for refreshments and cake, thus concluding the 2009 Tennessee NAACP Legislative Day On The Hill.

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Statewide, the senate district 22 race was viewed as a bellweather for future political upheaaval. Many early voters were repulsed by the last minute negative advertising of the incumbent. Now there is a recount challenge and accusations of voter misdirection. Did someone take a page from the Karl Rove ‘Book of Dirty Tricks?’ How will all this play out in the end?

This year, the state senate race for District 22 was one of the most closely watched battles in the state. Media and political pundits all across the state were keen to see if incumbent Rosalind Kurita would survive the intra-party effort of her own Democratic Party to unseat her in retaliation for her betrayal vote in January 2007 which gave control of the state senate to the Republican Party. Would Lt. Governor Ramsey’s fundraising encouragement save the day?

Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville and Memphis political insiders and pundits were all speculating that her party affiliation switch was inevitable, no matter what the outcome of this election. This battle alone had marked Tennessee as a ‘State in Contention’ for the November election.

Kurita was known to be a aggressive, hardball campaigner. That is a given when one reviews her previous campaigns against Brenda Radford and Wallace Redd. However, many opined that a new low was reached when in the final two weeks of the campaign, character assassination material against challenger Tim Barnes repeatedly starting filling voters mailboxes. These colorful over-sized supercards seriously misrepresented Barnes’ law practice and principles.

The smears were so detestable that on election day, thirty-eight Clarksville lawyers placed a full page ad in the Leaf Chronicle denouncing Kurita for the smear and demanded she apologize for the misrepresentations. Attorney Mark Olson wrote a separate letter ridiculing the senator’s serious apparent lack of basic understanding of our legal system. He called her actions, “shameful, and beneath the dignity, and the honor, of a Tennessee Senator.” Even the Nashville Bar Association took note of the ad as “regrettable.”

As a state senator, she, herself, is a lawmaker. Lawyers work to enforce those laws enacted by the legislature. Thus, the lawyers contend that her assault on Barnes invariably was an assault on her own lawmaking role as well.

Winning by the slim margin of 19 votes, what acts of contrition will she offer? Many early voting supporters were embarrassed by the last minute smear campaign against Tim Barnes. Currently, everyone is awaiting the results of a recount and an investigation of alleged voter misdirection. Will she seek to mend broken fences with her fellow Democrats? Will she fulfill East Tennessee political pundits predictions and finally switch to the State Republican Party? Will she apologize to the legal community for so negatively savaging the legal profession? Thus far, no “mea culpas” have not been forthcoming. At least, not publicly.

Noting that so many of her fellow legislative colleagues are, themselves, lawyers or have close associations with lawyers, should she prevail in the recount, her return to the state senate chamber should prove rather interesting indeed, to say the least.

Kirk said this was “a difficult decision’; initially the TFCD said that they would not be making any endorsements in partisan primary races. However, it became clear that the active membership of the organization supported Barnes because of his stances on the issues and his eagerness to do the work of and to be the representative of the citizens of the 22nd Senatorial district.The actions of Sen. Rosalind Kurita also played a pivotal role in the decision for the TFCDs endorsement.In 2007, Senator Kurita voted to remove Tennessee’s most senior statesman, John Wilder (D-26 Somerville) for Lt. Governor in favor of Ron Ramsey (R-2 Blountville). For this controversial move, she was rewarded with a leadership position in the Republican controlled chamber. This vote led to the stalemate that exists in the Tennessee State Senate today, as well as the hold up of several important pieces of legislation including issues of Lottery Scholarship GPA and Judicial Selection.

In making this announcement, Tennessee Federation of College Democrats President Leah Kirk said, “Tim Barnes is someone who will represent the students and young people well. He isn’t afraid to stand up for change and gives us hope for the future, our future.”

“College Students across the state are tired of the degrading acts of Senator Kurita to the Democratic party’s values and ideals in Tennessee,” Kirk said. “We are standing up for our issues. We need someone in the State Senate willing to vote with and for Legislators who care about minimum wage, HOPE Scholarship funding, as well as funding to allow more Tennesseans the opportunity to attend college,” Kirk continued.

Tim Barnes is a graduate of Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas and The University of Arkansas Law School in Fayetteville. Tim has been practicing law for 23 years and continues to maintain his office in historic downtown Clarksville. He, his wife Linda, and their three children Patrick, Molly and Fergus are members of the First Presbyterian Church in Clarksville. Tim is also a member of the American Red Cross Board in Montgomery County.