“We have learned that Paul Stanley has tendered his resignation as the Senator from the 31st  District. We hope this puts an end to this terrible situation. We hate that it has happened to this family with young children, who continue to be in our prayers.

“The Tennessee State Senate is an honorable institution, and the people of this state must know that it is their struggles that are most important to us as public servants.

“We are sorry that the good work of the legislature has been overshadowed by this tragedy.”

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.

Senator Kurita and Tim Barnes presented opening and closing statements before fielding questions from panel members Frazier Allen, Britney Campbell and Jay Abertia.

In the opening statements, Kurita, who has a nursing background, said that she has worked to bring services to seniors in their homes. She has worked for expansion of the HOPE lottery scholarship to include older ages, has supported tax relief for disabled vets and a freeze on taxes for low income seniors.

Barnes said that he has been led to this challenge in order to serve the public. He doesn’t believe in cutting ‘back room’ deals to serve his own needs, implying that Kurita was working toward a bid to become governor. He’s mindful of not losing the confidence of friends and cited his loyalty, caring attitude and responsiveness to people.

In wrapping up their statements, Kurita said that she “helps people.” Barnes said he’s “a work horse rather than a show horse.”

To the question of what should the State of Tennessee provide during both good and bad economic times, Kurita answered with ‘health care, education, jobs, balanced budget and no new taxes.’ Barnes said that we must maintain our roads as well as health care, insuring those who are uninsurable, and education.

Barnes cut into Kurita, saying that she did not vote for a #9 lottery scholarship bill which would have helped more people get scholarships. Kurita stomped on that comment, charging that Barnes was deliberately misinforming people. She said a bipartisan bill was passed that gave more to scholarships and if he “had done his homework” he would know that.

They both said they stand for health care and education. Barnes cited Kurita as taking money from the Lottery to build energy efficient schools. She said yes, she did and added that the payoff will come back to the city from that. She also favored extending the lottery to include older people returning to school.

How to deal with illegal aliens? Barnes: Get the Feds to do their job. Kurita: I have a serious problem with just wishing it on the Feds. Stiffen fines on people who hire them. Documentation and tax paying should be required of all working peoples.

Kurita said she has a bipartisan track record. Gridlock stops us whereas civil conversations that is open to all solutions help us solve problems. Barnes said there’s a time and place for compromise; one needs to look for solutions. Some things shouldn’t be compromised, but relationships should be maintained.

Stance on income tax?

Barnes: On the record for opposing a State Income tax. It does not draw businesses here. Kurita: On the record as opposing a State Income tax. She has been under a lot of pressure to vote for one but her district made it very clear that they did not want one. She said she is a strong enough fighter and can resist it.

Energy resource question. Barnes: invest in ethanol; it will boom our economy 10-15 years down the road.

Kurita: (deep breath) Energy resources are a most important issue. She is the only Senator chosen to serve on the Governor’s energy resources task force. Get off of fossil fuels, use the Manhattan project. Use switch grass and woodchips here in TN. Why buy from foreign countries who hate us? There is a UT lab and another lab that is almost there with technology for us to use.

Kurita values energy resources, health care and education.

Barnes values education. And expanding the police force, which Kurita voted against.

Barnes: Work closely with local officials and market this area. Businesses need to know about our great schools and transportation. Change the limit of what we can pay on marketing.

Kurita: I changed that law this year; if you would have researched, you would have known. Develop the school system, get energy initiatives. We need to shine.

Energy incentives

Kurita. Tax rebate for purchasing programmable thermostats. Achieve independence in energy conservation. Barnes. At $4.00 a gallon for gas people are at the end degree that they can be squeezed. People will have to carpool. The State government cannot impact the cost of oil and gas. Take personal steps to conserve.

How will you stay in touch with your district?

Barnes: That’s the biggest complaint I hear about Kurita. My cell phone number is 931-801-3298. I will talk to you.

Kurita: That is an outrageous implication. We have helped 12,000 people. I call people personally. I hold town hall meetings; I run surveys in the paper. The things I have done are things that people tell me they want done.

For the state of TN Kurita has worked on disease awareness, greenways and hiking trails. For schools that have no recess she wants to increase physical activity to 45 minutes a day in elementary and middle schools. She’s behind public service ads about obesity and the danger of smoking and non-seatbelt use.

Barnes: Public schools have no recess? That’s news to me. Agrees that we need physical activities. He is in triathlons. He wants grants for more athletics.

A priority for Barnes is more money for APSU. He lives and sleeps with a lobbyist for APSU (his wife who teaches there).

Kurita: She goes to APSU and works in classes with students. Good jobs are increased by good education. She got the non-traditional scholarships for more students.

Kurita said the economy is weighing on people. We get good jobs through education. Takes a team to fix health care and she is involved civically in the community.

Barnes said people are worried about paying $4.00 a gallon for gas. The government can’t fix this problem. Say yes to college, it is the hope for better jobs.

How to keep seniors in their homes?

Barnes: In home health care, he pushed it 2 years ago.

Kurita: That’s a step we’ve already taken. Have to have good bookwork for these things. Real health care also involves helping with things like house cleaning. We have done it. This was the year it happened.

Do you vote? Kurita: Yes, consistently. Barnes did not vote for President in 2000. Why not?

Barnes: I don’t recall that. I’m interested in politics; if I missed that year I don’t recall and defer to Rosalind. Kurita was stopped mid saying, you don’t remember if you voted for President of the US?

Should the school lottery be used for anything else?

Barnes: Kurita used lottery money to build energy efficient schools. Should have put that money into students.

Kurita: I voted to use Lottery money to build geothermal schools. The long term savings is that utility bills will stay low and we have efficient schools. We are building one school a year.

Closing:

Barnes: I see the sunrise from my porch. I can’t take credit for making the sunrise. I see that kind of credit taking from my opponent. Voting for something is not the same as making it happen. I think she is ostracized by her own party. I think you should represent your own democratic constituency.

Kurita: I went to a town hall meeting in Erin where a Grandmother pleaded with me to help her injured army grandson to be sent here to Ft. Campbell. They were not able to help him where he was. My office did that for them. I work hard for people. My opponent throws hideous accusations about me, yet as an attorney he gets drunk drivers out of court and back on the road. He helps wife beaters get off scot free. Reevaluate this as you judge us. I have done my job; I take care of people. I am bipartisan. I listen to you.

Early voting is from July 18 through August 2

Before leaving the building I said hello to Senator Kurita. From first hand experience, I witnessed her handing over checks to Port Royal to help its Trail of Tears site, Dunbar Cave for interpretation and Wounded Warriors, a scuba diving group that helps wounded soldiers. She is pushing for the state to have more fuel efficient automobiles. She is high on the conservation evaluation of her.

I also said hello to Tim Barnes and his wife. Mrs. Barnes said that she works in the English Department at APSU. I was shocked that I have never met her before, but realized it is because I have never run into her at events run by the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts. This center brings in authors and artists as speakers to APSU.  *see my comments below.

Going to my car I met Maria and Charlie Butler who said they are totally against Kurita because she passed the no smoking bill in TN. Since then Maria has lost a lot of customers in her 12-year-old business, Maria’s Wagonwheel.

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.

It was Thelma Harper who some time ago came to Clarksville to lend her support to a young up and coming candidate from Montgomery County. It was Thelma Harper who walked these same streets with Kurita and it was Thelma Harper who welcomed her with opened arms when she arrived for her first day on Capitol Hill. Senator Harper, the first African American woman elected to the Tennessee State Senate, knew how it felt to not only to be a minority but also what it meant to be one of the few women senators serving her state and country on capitol hill.

On this night, Thelma Harper told a story of how Rosalind Kurita crossed party lines and cast a vote giving the Republican Party control the Tennessee state senate. It was a speech about trust, a word Senator Harper repeated several times during her emotional speech.

Harper spoke about knowing that if a vote comes up that creates more jobs for Tennesseans or better educational opportunities for our kids or a bill that provides every person a chance to become a home owner that you are going to have a senator in place you know you can trust to do the right thing. Without hesitation, Harper proudly proclaimed Tim Barnes to be that person. While she said she once saw Rosalind Kurita as the future of the Democratic Party, she now sees that in Tim and stressed that only Tim Barnes can undo the harm Rosalind Kurita’s vote has caused the party.

She encouraged all in attendance to get to know the candidates and to hold them accountable to their word, stating her belief that “your word should be your bond,” and that trust and accountability are just a few of the things we as voters should expect from our elected officials.

Senators Harpers speech had all the ingredients of a powerful motivational moment, but at the same time you could have heard a pin drop in the room. The experience was deep as it was moving.

Tennessee State Senator Thelma Harper

Tennessee State Senator Thelma Harper will be the featured guest speaker at a fund raising and organizational event for Tim Barnes, Democratic candidate for State Senate, District 22.

The event is scheduled for this Thursday July 17, 2008 at the First Missionary Baptist Church Immanuel Family Life Center 303 Fairview Lane Clarksville, Tennessee starting at 6:00 pm.

Senator Harper is considered one of the most powerful senators to represent the state of TN. State Senator Thelma Harper, has for many years been a prominent and highly influential figure in the political, social, and civic lives of many.

She has served in the Tennessee State Senate for fourteen years and is the first African American female ever elected to the Tennessee State Senate.

State Senator Thelma Harper serves as Chair of the Senate Government Operations Committee; in addition she serves as the Vice Chair of the State and Local Government Committee; member of the Select Committee on Children and Youth; member of the Corrections Oversight Committee; member of the Veterans Affairs Oversight Committee; President of the Tennessee Women’s Suffrage Commission; Vice Chair of the Tennessee Black Health care Commission; a member of the Tennessee Economic Council on Women; member of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors and Member of the Nashville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

State Senator Beverly Marrero is also scheduled to attend along with several prominent democratic elected officials and Democratic Party leaders.

For more information please contact Kim Smith Campaign Manager for Tim Barnes for senate at Phone: (931) 648-9400 or (931) 801-4821 Email:

• H.O.P.E. eligibility drops to 2.75
• Helping Heroes Act helps Tennessee vets return to school
• Longterm Care Act helps elderly stay at home

NASHVILLE – Citing expansion of lottery scholarship programs and passage of sweeping reforms of Tennessee’s long-term health care system, among other accomplishments, Democratic Leader Senator Jim Kyle, D-Memphis, and Democratic Caucus Chairman Sen. Joe Haynes, D-Goodlettsville, today said the Senate Democratic Caucus had successfully weathered difficult times during the second session of the 105th General Assembly and had “continued to stand up for Tennessee families.”

“The national economic downturn had a major impact on the state’s finances, but Senate Democrats did what Tennesseans elected us to do, we balanced the budget without new taxes,” Kyle said. “We handled the budget in a business-like fashion, and we did this while addressing our priorities. We pressed on to expanded opportunity for college students, and we prevailed.”Haynes added that legislation enacted this year by Senate Democrats will improve the quality of life of Tennesseans. Haynes added:

“Everyone is feeling the pinch of skyrocketing gas prices and the soaring cost of health care. Senate Democrats have taken major steps to make long-term care more readily available and easier to access for our senior citizens, and we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in helping thousands of students gain the college education they need to be successful.”

Senate Democrats played a major role in successfully negotiating a re-adjustment of the grade point average required for Tennessee college students to keep lottery HOPE scholarships. Under current law, scholarship recipients must have a 3.0 GPA by the end of their sophomore year to maintain a scholarship. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission reported last year that 70 percent of HOPE recipients failed to keep their scholarships under this requirement.

Under the new provisions, scholarship recipients are required to have a 2.75 cumulative GPA by the completion of their sixth semester in college. Throughout the remainder of their college career, they are required to have a 3.0 GPA for each semester and a cumulative GPA of 2.75 in order to retain their scholarship. If they fall below these requirements, they are allowed one opportunity to regain their scholarship.

Senate Democrats had fought to adjust the retention standard to a 2.75 GPA at any point in a college student’s career. This move was opposed by Senate Republicans.

“This compromise isn’t everything that we wanted, but it moves the ball substantially down the field. If Tennesseans want a different lottery scholarship program, they need to elect more Democrats to the Senate. –Sen. Jim Kyle

Haynes agreed the compromise is a victory for Tennessee college students.

“Our goal is to increase the number of Tennesseans that get their college degrees. The previous retention standard yanked scholarships from students halfway through their college careers. That made no sense. The new standard will help hard-working students stay in college and get their degrees. The more college graduates we have, the better.”

Kyle noted that Senate Democrats had successfully expanded the opportunity to get a college education to an additional 12,000 Tennessee students through changes to the lottery scholarship program.

Tennessee Student Assistance Award Fund: Sponsored by Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, the Tennessee Student Assistance Award Fund transfers $200 million from lottery reserves into an endowment that will fund grants offered by the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation. TSAC will use interest earned on this principle to offer financial assistance for higher education to Tennessee students. These awards are based on financial need. Berke said:

“We must make sure that those who cannot afford the tuition for college still have the opportunity to attend. With 50 percent of this money going to families with incomes under $12,000, the TSAC grants move us in the right direction.”

Highlights for the Senate Democratic Caucus during the second session of the 105th General Assembly include:

Helping Heroes Act: The Helping Heroes Act creates a scholarship program to provide up to $1,000 per semester for Tennessee veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars that attend approved state institutions of higher learning on a full-time basis. Total benefits are capped at $8,000 and must be used within eight years of the end of military service. Eligible veterans must have been honorably discharged from the military and must have received the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, or the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. They must also meet all residency requirements established by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Tennessee veterans attending college receive approximately $39,000 in benefits from the G.I. Bill. With the addition of the Helping Heroes Act, a college education will be virtually free for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in Tennessee. “Over 12,000 Tennesseans have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan,” Kylesaid. “I can’t think of a better cause than giving educational assistance to these brave men and women.”

Long Term Care Community Choices Act: Sponsored by Sen. Lowe Finney, D-Jackson, and co-sponsored by the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, the Long-Term Care Community Choices Act sets up a system of long-term care designed to promote home and community-based services, reduce fragmentation of service delivery, and create one-stop shopping for information about long-term care options and delivery of services, among other provisions. In the summer of 2007, a special joint committee began discussing improvements to Tennessee’s long-term care system. Finney served as vice chair of the committee.

In January, Governor Phil Bredesen joined the effort to fundamentally restructure how the state provides health care for its senior citizens. The committee found that Tennessee was decades behind other states in how it delivered long-term care services, the eligibility process was slow, and many service providers were overburdened by the state in their attempt to diversify types of care. “Our state provided good services, but the current system is simply confusing, inefficient and disjointed,” Finney said.

“The new system will be comprehensive. Although it will take a few years to fully implement, the bill will address our system from the top down, including services that are offered, licensure of care providers, and expansion of community-based alternatives to quality assurance. Under the Long-Term Care Community Choices Act, the state and care providers will seamlessly coordinate the kinds of care people need. Care providers will be better-prepared to assist individuals transitioning to or from nursing facilities and community-based care. A single point of entry will help individuals and their families assess options for care and how to access them. And the eligibility process will be streamlined so services can be delivered with ease and speed.

“For years, Tennesseans have often had one choice: nursing homes. What became apparent during our committee meetings is that many individuals need nursing facilities, but there are also many others who are able, and wish to, remain in their homes while receiving medical care.”

The Long-Term Care Community Choices Act will ensure that if an individual desires more cost-effective care at home or in the community, he or she will be able to access those services.

Tennessee Rural Health Act: Sponsored by Sen. Roy Herron, D-Dresden, and Sen. Steve Roller, D-McMinnville, the Tennessee Rural Health Act creates a pilot program for Tennessee students studying to become designated types of health care professionals that agree to practice in rural and other underserved areas across the state. Students that enter the program will agree to practice medicine in a “health resource shortage area” for one year for each year of educational funding provided by the program. Recipients will be required to repay all funds received under the program if they fail to practice medicine in a health resource shortage area for the full time required. Health resource shortage areas are designated as such by the Tennessee Department of Health’s Office of Rural Health. Rowler said:

“No one in our state should be forced to go without health care because there aren’t trained medical professionals available. This is an important program that will ensure our rural Tennesseans have the health care that they need and deserve.”