Topic: Republican Party

Tim Barnes’ cross-cultural campaign resonates with voters

By Terry McMoore | July 23, 2008 |

Leaders from Montgomery County gathered to hear State Senator Thelma Harper speak and give her support to Tim Barnes, Democratic Candidate for the Tennessee State Senate District 22. They left this event with a deeper understanding about what this race is really all about.

Thelma Harper has served in the Tennessee state Senate for more than 14 years; she has seen more than her share of politicians come and go. Harper addressed the audience with the kind of fire that has made her one of the most powerful senators to ever represent Tennessee. But sadness in her voice could also be heard every time she mentioned the name of the current senator Rosalind Kurita.

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Sections: Issues, News, Opinion, Politics | 2 Comments

General Assembly adjourns; approves ‘09 budget with “no new taxes”

By Tennessee Republicans | May 22, 2008 |

GOP Week In Review: General Assembly adjourns “Sine Die”

The 105th General Assembly adjourned “Sine Die” this week, concluding a contentious session in which lawmakers were forced to make difficult decisions regarding the lottery scholarship program and the budget. Ultimately, legislators came together to form compromise legislation that will greatly benefit Tennesseans by allowing more students access to college, passing a budget with no new taxes, and providing seniors with more healthcare options.

Budget passes both chambers at eleventh hour

The 2008-2009 budget was passed late Wednesday night, and is lauded by Republicans as a fiscally responsible one in which reasonable cuts in growth were made. The total budget, which includes federal dollars, for 2008-2009 is $27.5 billion, $245 million less than originally proposed in January. The 2007-2008 total budget was $27.75 billion, $250 million more than this year’s. The state portion of this year’s budget was $13.6 billion, a $200 million decrease from 2007-2008.

April 2008 was the worst month on record for revenue growth in Tennessee, and the third quarter of this fiscal year was the second worst quarter on record. Projections show that the fourth quarter—of which the state is halfway through—could be even worse. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: News, Politics | No Comments

House GOP Review for 02/28/2008

By Tennessee Republicans | February 29, 2008 |

The House GOP Review is a weekly feature that gives Tennesseans an in-depth look at what our Republian state legislators have been working on this week, and a glimpse into what’s planned for the coming week at our state house. 

Lawmakers from the Senate and the House held a press conference this week to promote key healthcare proposals aimed at helping elderly and disabled Tennesseans receive more options in their healthcare, including staying in their homes for as long as possible.

The long term care legislation is part of a series of bills aiming to help citizens “age in place.” One bill, which has already passed the Senate health committee, calls for a pilot program that allows individual patients to choose from specific services that fit their needs and also allows them to choose who performs the tasks. Consumers would receive a monthly budget based on their needs, and could use the money to hire personal assistants, make home modifications, and more. Legislators stressed the importance of the legislation, saying that Tennessee should give its seniors more options with regards to home and community based care, noting that whereas some citizens need the 24 hour attention a nursing home can give them, others simply need an assistant to come to their home a few times a week to give them a bath, assist with medication, or perform other household tasks.

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Sections: Politics | No Comments

Senator Kennedy on Republican efforts to block minimum wage increase for the poor, by tying it to more tax breaks for the rich

By Bill Larson | January 26, 2007 |

Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) goes off on Senate Republicans as they again try to block the first minimum wage increase in 10 years. These people have no shame, no compassion, or empathy for their fellow man.

One of the best suggestions I have recently seen is to require Senators to live on the minimum wage while in office. But barring that we should at least tie Congressional pay raises to increases in the minimum wage. To paraphrase the Soup nazi from the popular Seinfeld TV show episode… No minimum wage increase, NEXT! no raise for you.

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Sections: Politics | No Comments

Are we becoming a Theocracy, Religion and Politics part III

By Bill Larson | September 3, 2006 |

Our country was founded by people looking for freedom, the freedom to worship their God in their way. It’s one of the things which makes our nation great. Some Evangelical and Charismatic Christians aided by politicians both Republican and Democrat, want to deprive us of that. We can not, no must not, stand by and allow that to happen. Some of these politicians are true believers, while others simply want to use Christians as a source of easy votes. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, Politics, Spirituality | No Comments

George W. Bush Comes to Nashville!

By Debbie Boen | August 28, 2006 |

Protest George Bush’s visit to Nashville!

Dear NPJC (Nashville Peace and Justice Coalition) Community,

President George W. Bush is coming to Nashville as an appearance for GOP Senatorial candidate Bob Corker. This $2,100-per-person fundraiser at the Leows Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel will be held on August 30th. The honorary chairs for the event are Senate Majority leader Bill Frist, Sen. Lamar Alexander, and former Senators Howard Baker, Fred, Thompson, and Bill Brock. «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Events, Politics | No Comments

Life and Liberty for those who believe, Religion and Politics Part I.

By Bill Larson | August 20, 2006 |

Over the next few weeks, I intend to discuss at length, the extent that certain individuals are going to, in order to blur the clear lines between religion and politics, and those between Church and State.

By their very nature religion and politics are strange bed fellows. In Christianity, when confronted with the issue, Jesus handled it in a simple manner: «Read the rest of this article»

Sections: Issues, Politics, Spirituality | 2 Comments