Communities throughout Tennessee will receive financing to build or repair schools as a result of the Tennessee State School Bond Authority’s (TSSBA) action on Thursday.

The TSSBA finalized plans to sell up to $184 million worth of Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCBs) as part of a program created by the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The bonds are tax credit bonds that provide a federal tax credit to the investor on a quarterly basis. The bonds may also pay a supplemental coupon to the bondholders on a quarterly basis.

Thursday the TSSBA selected a bond underwriting team, approved a final bond resolution and finalized documents needed to move forward with the bond sale. The TSSBA had preliminarily approved the loans in September and, after some revisions in loan amounts and the addition of the City of Kingsport as a new borrower, the revised list of project loans were approved by the TSSBA.

The TSSBA will invest the proceeds from the bond sale in the State Pooled Investment Fund (SPIF) and will disburse the funds to the communities to pay the expenses related to their school construction projects.

Montgomery Central High School after the renovations

The communities authorized to receive portions of the bond money will be required to spend the proceeds on qualified projects within three years of the bond sale and comply with federal Davis-Bacon regulations. The sale is expected to be completed with bond proceeds available for disbursement in early December. Additionally, the communities are required to enter into binding contracts for at least 10 percent of their allocation of the bond proceeds within six months after the bond sale.

The TSSBA members are: Comptroller Justin P. Wilson, Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Treasurer David H. Lillard Jr., Governor Phil Bredesen, Finance and Administration Commissioner Dave Goetz, Board of Regents Chancellor Charles Manning and acting University of Tennessee President Jan Simek.

“I am very pleased that we have been able to finalize the details necessary to move forward these bonds,” said Comptroller Wilson. “These are worthy projects and they will provide much needed help to students and educators across the state.”

“Through enabling legislation the General Assembly has empowered us to extend this opportunity for substantive capital projects to local schools. We are delighted the communities availed themselves of this program.” Secretary Hargett said. “The QSCB program is an exciting direct-benefit use of stimulus funds impacting local communities and our children.”

“Education is a key to Tennessee moving forward economically,” Treasurer Lillard said. “Providing better facilities for our children should help their academic achievement over the long term.”

Of the total bond proceeds, Memphis City Schools will receive $42,960,000 and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools will receive $21,760,000 for various projects. Those two school systems received direct allocations from the federal government because they were among the nation’s top 100 local educational agencies with the largest numbers of school-age children from families living below the poverty level.

The other participating communities that were selected through a competitive application process to receive bond proceeds are as follows:

• Clarksville/Montgomery County – $20 million for renovation of Montgomery Central High School
• Cleveland City Schools – $4,160,000 for a new science wing at Cleveland High School
• Cumberland County Schools -$2,680,000 for infrastructure and energy-efficiency upgrades at Cumberland County High School
• Dyer County – $9 million for construction of a new elementary school
• Dyersburg City Schools – $2,960,000 for renovations to Dyersburg Intermediate School
• Hamblen County Schools – $11,280,000 for land acquisition and construction at Morristown-Hamblen High School East
• Hawkins County – $1,418,347 for renovations to Rogersville Middle School and $1,221,653 for renovations to Surgoinsville Middle School
• Henry County – $2.6 million for new construction and improvements to E.W. Grove School
• Johnson City Schools – $8,160,000 for renovations and new construction at Science Hill High School
• Kingsport – $1,240,000 for renovations at Dobyns-Bennett High School
• Maryville City Schools – $18,760,000 for construction of Coulter Grove Intermediate School
• Shelby County Schools – $13,760,000 to demolish and replace Elmore Park Middle School
• Sullivan County – $15,480,000 to renovate and expand Ketron Intermediate School
• Union County – $6,807,054 to build Paulette Middle School and $352,946 to renovate and expand Luttrell Elementary School

Another UT tradition is losing to Steve Spurrier. Stretching back to his first job as a head coach at Duke, the Vols have a 5-13 record against him. Philip Fulmer had a particularly dismal 3-8 record against the Old Ball Coach.

Old Ball Coach, meet the New Ball Coach.

Vol fans got a slight scare when offensive production stalled after leaping ahead of the Gamecocks 21-0, but most of the night was pure treat. Last night’s victory was the largest point differential against a Spurrier coached team since Johnny Majors beat Duke team by twenty-six points in 1989. Furthermore, the formerly hapless Jonathan Crompton, who is rumored to be the least effective quarterback in school history, played his second game without throwing an interception. He now has double the touchdown passes Tim Tebow does. Berry and Hardesty continued to be stand-out players, Rico McCoy forced two fumbles,  and Chad Cunningham, replacing Daniel Lincoln, scored a field goal for the Vols- the first one in the past five attempts.

Legends claim that on Halloween the border between the living and the dead thins. Last night, Kiffin crossed the border between the Volunteer’s recent past of ugly wins and wearisome losses to a Volunteer future restoring the excitement and success of seasons past. The black jerseys nicely encapsulated the spirit of that bridging; unbeknownst to may in Vol Country, black was the color of choice before the adoption of orange in 1922.

Kiffin has pleaded ignorance regarding Tennessee traditions. But his final comment of the night proved to Rocky Top he’s determined to revive the most important one. Wearing his characteristic mask of latent frustration he promised, “We’re building a championship team.”

Washington – U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to counties in Tennessee and provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes following severe storms and flooding.

On Friday, President Obama issued a disaster declaration for Chester, Clay, Decatur, Jackson, Overton, and Wayne Counties. The President’s declaration allows HUD to offer foreclosure relief and other assistance to certain families living in these counties.

“Families who may have been forced from their homes need to know that help is available to begin the rebuilding process,” said Donovan. “Whether it’s foreclosure relief for FHA-insured families or helping these counties to recover, HUD stands ready to help in any way we can.”

HUD is:

• Offering the State of Tennessee the ability to re-allocate existing federal resources toward disaster relief – HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME programs give the State the flexibility to redirect millions of dollars to address critical needs, including housing and services for flood victims. HUD is currently contacting State and local officials to explore streamlining the Department’s CDBG and HOME programs in order to expedite the repair and replacement of damaged housing;

• Granting immediate foreclosure relief – HUD granted a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures and forbearance on foreclosures of Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-insured home mortgages;

• Making mortgage insurance available – HUD’s Section 203(h) program provides FHA insurance to disaster victims who have lost their homes and are facing the daunting task of rebuilding or buying another home. Borrowers from participating FHA-approved lenders are eligible for 100 percent financing, including closing costs;

• Making insurance available for both mortgages and home rehabilitation – HUD’s Section 203(k) loan program enables those who have lost their homes to finance the purchase or refinance of a house along with its repair through a single mortgage. It also allows homeowners who have damaged houses to finance the rehabilitation of their existing single-family home; and

• Offering Section 108 loan guarantee assistance – HUD will offer state and local governments federally guaranteed loans for housing rehabilitation, economic development and repair of public infrastructure. For more information about these and other HUD programs designed to assist disaster victims, visit HUD’s website.

About the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

HUD is the nation’s housing agency committed to sustaining homeownership; creating affordable housing opportunities for low-income Americans; and supporting the homeless, elderly, people with disabilities and people living with AIDS. The Department also promotes economic and community development and enforces the nation’s fair housing laws. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and espanol.hud.gov.

In Tennessee, currently one-fifth (twenty per cent) of adults do not have a high school diploma. I suspect that many of these people also have difficulty reading, whether from a learning disability or from not being able to attend school on a regular basis.

How can we prevent this problem? I think the following three changes could make a huge difference in the lives of our children and their success rate.

Teach only reading, math, music, art, physical education, and library arts in kindergarten, first and second grades.

Science and social studies as separate subjects should be taught beginning in third grade after reading and math skills are in place. Science and social studies can be introduced in their reading stories. The current set of reading books chosen in Robertson County has excellent stories that introduce scientific knowledge and historical material.

These first three grades need to focus on basics only.

Mornings should be dedicated to reading and math for these youngest students. They also need afternoon music and art to facilitate functions in their brains that enhance learning to read and calculate. Physical education is essential also to keep their bodies strong and, again, to reinforce good brain patterns. Library time is primary in teaching children that reading is exciting and fun.

TCAP tests should be scheduled in May, not March or April.

Children assume that when TCAP is over, school is out. When these major tests are given in April, the last six weeks of school is a battle to keep children focused on learning. It’s great to have end of the year activities like field trips and recognition ceremonies, but two or three weeks devoted to these activities is sufficient. School needs to continue into May.

One of the reasons given for testing earlier is that grades theoretically could be released before school is out. These grades are used for planning for the following year. June results work just as well as ones during the last week of school.

Increase programs that teach parents how to assist their children to succeed in school.

If we assume that, according to statistics, one in every five parents does not have a high school diploma, we have to help these people not only achieve this goal, but learn parenting skills that foster good practices for the child. A child who sees a parent read—whether it’s the newspaper or a novel—is much more likely to believe that reading is important. A child who has a parent who can help with homework and one who sets a time and place for homework is in a far better position to succeed than one whose parent does not make these provisions. Most “at-risk” children in school are those who have little or no help at home.

Children who have been held in someone’s lap and read to from infancy come to school with a greater chance of higher participation, longer periods in which they can focus, and eagerness to read, write, spell, and engage in math.

JACKSON – By voting against America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3200) before the House Ways & Means Committee, Rep. John Tanner voted against fixing our broken health care system.

“When I see Congressman Tanner voting against acting now to improve health care, it tells me that he’s profoundly out of touch with ordinary working people in West Tennessee,” said Ella Parham of Jackson. “I was looking forward to retirement after my career as a teacher. Now I have to keep working to help pay for health care. Failing to fix health care is not an option. We can’t afford to wait any longer for real health care reform.”

Tennesseans need reform now in order to save their hard-earned wages. Since 2000 alone, average family premiums have increased by 77 percent in Tennessee, at a rate almost 3 times as fast as wages. Tennessee businesses and families pay an extra $900 per year on premiums as a direct result of subsidizing the costs of the uninsured.

“Thousands of Tennesseans are standing up and speaking out about the need for reform that provides access to quality, affordable health care for every man, woman, and child,” said Tony Cani, State Director of SEIU’s Change that Works campaign in Tennessee. “Putting the brakes on meaningful reform means doing nothing to hold down costs, doing nothing to help working people get secure health care, and doing nothing to protect the quality of health care. Rep. Tanner should stand with Tennesseans, not the special interests.”

About Change That Works

Change That Works is a grassroots campaign of the Service Employees International Union. We are working families and community allies united to win guaranteed, affordable health care for all.

WASHINGTON

“The purpose of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is to jumpstart the nation’s ailing economy, with a primary focus on creating and saving jobs in the near term,” said Secretary Donovan. “The funding being announced today is an important step in achieving the goal of putting the American people back to work while providing quality, affordable housing options for low-income families at a time when those options are needed more than ever.”

The current economic and financial crises present significant challenges for the construction industry, particularly residential construction. One of the by-products of this crisis has been the freezing of investments in the low income housing tax credit (LIHTC) market. The tax credits create an incentive for investors to provide capital to developers to build multi-family rental housing for moderate- and low-income families across the nation. Since the contraction of the credit market, and as traditional investors remain on the sidelines, the value of tax credits has plummeted. Consequently, as many as 1,000 projects (containing nearly 150,000 units of housing) are on hold across the country.

In response, the Recovery Act provides $2.25 billion for TCAP, a grant program to provide capital investments in these stalled LIHTC developments. HUD is awarding these TCAP grants by formula to 52 state housing credit agencies (all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico) to complete construction of qualified housing projects that will ultimately provide affordable housing to an estimated 35,000 households nationwide. Since a major purpose of this program is job creation, the Recovery Act establishes ambitious deadlines for expenditure of grant funds and requires state housing credit agencies to give priority to projects that can begin immediately and be completed by February 16, 2012.

Under this first round of TCAP funds, state housing finance agencies in the states below are receiving awards today (the remaining 26 grants will follow in the coming weeks):

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Connecticut
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Iowa
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Puerto Rico
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Vermont
• Washington
• Wisconsin

About the Department of Housing and Urban Development

WASHINGTON - U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan today announced HUD is allocating $3.7 billion in disaster aid to 11 States to help them recover from dozens of natural disasters last year. The emergency funding will support the States’ long-term disaster recovery and is in addition to $2.4 billion HUD already allocated through its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program. Donovan announced the additional funding following a tour of flood-damaged areas of Cedar Rapids, Iowa with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Governor Chet Culver and Congressman David Loebsack.

Donovan also announced that nearly $312 million is available to States that spend their existing funding on programs that reduce potential damages from future disasters. This Disaster Recovery Enhancement Fund is designed to encourage States to design forward-thinking recovery plans that will reduce the risks of loss of life and the extent of future damage.

The following states are receiving additional disaster recovery funds from HUD:

State		Today’s Allocation	Prior 2008 Allocations	Total
Texas		$1,743,001,247	$1,314,990,193	$3,057,991,440
Louisiana		$620,467,205	$438,223,344	$1,058,690,549
Iowa		$516,713,868	$281,987,957	$798,701,825
Indiana		$253,340,079	$162,055,588	$415,395,667
Illinois		$127,207,128	$59,325,555	$186,532,683
Missouri		$78,625,549	$25,012,379	$103,637,928
Wisconsin		$75,200,572	$49,097,341	$124,297,913
Tennessee		$71,881,834	$20,636,056	$92,517,890
Arkansas		$70,181,041	$25,042,358	$95,223,399
Florida		$63,606,850	$17,457,005	$81,063,855
California		$39,531,784	n/a	$39,531,784
TOTAL		$3,659,757,157	$2,393,827,776	$6,053,584,933

“These States are enduring tremendous hardships as they try to piece together their local communities following last year’s natural disasters,” said Donovan. “Our job is to support them in any way possible and to encourage them to take positive steps toward reducing the risk of catastrophe in the future.”

Last September, Congress appropriated more than $6 billion in supplemental funding for “necessary expenses related to disaster relief, long-term recovery, and restoration of infrastructure, housing and economic revitalization in areas affected by hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters occurring during 2008.” There were 76 major disasters that occurred in 2008 in 35 States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These disasters included the Midwest floods, Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, and the California wildfires. HUD quickly allocated a third of this funding and today the Department is announcing the balance of this disaster recovery funding.

In determining the allocations announced today, HUD focused on two factors:

Combined unmet housing, infrastructure and business needs

This is each State’s relative share of these estimated unmet needs based on available data provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA); and,

Recovery Challenge Risk Level

HUD has estimated the relative level of recovery challenges confronting these States. To do this, HUD used information from the 2005 Hurricanes to estimate what factors predicted if a household would be displaced for an extended period of time and how long it takes for a neighborhood to recover. That analysis found that the extent of concentrated neighborhood damage and the severity of damage to particular properties are very good predictors for long-term vacancy.

Disaster Recovery Enhancement Fund

HUD is creating a $312 million Disaster Recovery Enhancement Fund to encourage States to undertake long-term disaster strategies that focus on reducing the risk of damage from future natural disasters. This fund is reserved for States that spend their CDBG funds on specific disaster recovery activities likely to reduce the extent of damage in the future. These projects may include:

• Buyout payments for homeowners living in high-risk areas;
• Optional relocation payments to encourage residents to move to safer locations;
• Home improvement grants to reduce damage risks (property elevation, reinforced garage doors and windows, etc.);
• Improving and enforcing building codes; and
• Developing forward-thinking land-use plans that reduce development in high-risk areas.

Since 1992, HUD’s CDBG Program has allocated approximately $31 billion to support the long-term disaster recovery of state and local governments, as well as tribal governments.

About the Deparment of Housing and Urban Development

According to a new report released by the Service Employees International Union called The Value of Reform in Tennessee, the reality of the healthcare crisis is grim in Tennessee’s rural towns. In the current recession, the rural economy is losing jobs at a faster rate than the rest of the nation, and loss of jobs can lead to loss of health coverage. These hard-working folks – unemployed through no fault of their own – are forced to either go without insurance or pay out of pocket to get it. And people who have to buy insurance on their own tend to pay more for premiums, have higher deductibles, and have fewer procedures covered. One out of five rural residents spends more than $1,000 per year out of their own pocket on health services. Overall, rural residents pay 40% out of pocket for medical needs—a significantly bigger hit than other Americans absorb.

In a tough economy, those costs add up. It’s not surprising that 20% of farmers are carrying medical debts. Farmers aren’t the only rural residents dealing with this problem, either. The economic engine of small towns in rural areas is small business. Ask the owner of any small business and he or she will tell you just how hard it has become for them to find affordable coverage for employees. That means that rural residents who work at a small business have a very hard time getting health insurance through their jobs, which has traditionally been the way most Americans get their healthcare.

Getting access to healthcare—even if you have insurance—is another growing problem for all rural residents. The entire healthcare system is dealing with a shortage of nurses and other skilled workers. Hospitals and clinics in rural areas tend to have a harder time recruiting and retaining staff. There are also fewer primary care doctors and specialists in rural regions. The result can be that people in the small towns and in the country get less care than they should. For example, rural women are less likely get mammograms according to recommended guidelines and are less likely to have had a pap smear conducted during the last three years. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure are more common among people in rural areas than in suburban and urban areas.

The good news is that this summer we have an historic opportunity to start fixing these problems by reforming the healthcare system by implementing a public option plan. The choice of a public option plan is a crucial part of comprehensive healthcare reform. It is needed to bring down costs, make coverage affordable, force private health insurance companies to compete, and guarantee that quality, affordable coverage will be there for people no matter what happens. Due to an aging population and higher out-of-pocket costs, rural communities are among those that would gain the most from a public insurance option.

By leveling the playing field and making sure everyone has an affordable option that provides real coverage, even rural Americans would get the advantages of a competitive, big city healthcare marketplace. With the choice of a public option plan, rural America’s farmers, ranchers, and small business owners on Main Street can get back to the job at hand – being the engine of our economy.

• Sanctuary cities
• Recognizing home school & church diplomas
• Guns in restaurants
• Unemployment trust fund
• Tennessee statehood day

Sanctuary Cities immigration measure approved by House of Representatives

House Republicans successfully passed an immigration measure in the House Thursday morning that the caucus has been working on for several years. House Bill 1354 aims to curb illegal immigration by prohibiting local governments from enacting “sanctuary” policies, or policies that make it difficult for law enforcement and other local government employees to comply with federal immigration law.

A map of Sanctuary cites in the United States from the English Language Wikipedia

After the legislation passed with an overwhelming 80-8 vote, House leaders announced that they were pleased with the passage of the bill, which they said was a pre-emptive strike to guard against the adoption of sanctuary policies by cities in the state, and curb policies that protect illegal immigrants.

A “sanctuary city” is a term given to a city in the United States that follows certain practices to protect illegal aliens. Thirty-eight cities in the U.S. have been recognized as sanctuary cities, but many sources have identified over 200 city or county governments nationwide as having practiced such policies.

Home school diplomas to be recognized by state

Republican-sponsored legislation that aims to give home schoolers equal footing with public school students was signed into law by the Governor late last week. Senate Bill 433 requires the state, along with local governments, to recognize home school and church-related diplomas, giving them the same rights and privileges extended to those who earn public school diplomas.

Diploma's like this one are available for $5 online at freeprintablecertificates.net

Having long been advocates for home schoolers, House Republicans felt the move was needed to put home schoolers on equal footing with public school students. The sponsor of the legislation argued throughout the process that earning a home school diploma should not be diminished simply because the mode of teaching is different than that of a traditional public school.

Tennessee General Assembly votes overwhelmingly to override Governor’s veto of restaurant carry bill

Lawmakers were notified late last week that the Governor was planning to veto House Bill 962, which would allow legal carry permit holders to carry firearms into restaurants, provided they did not drink alcohol. The bill had originally passed by over two-thirds in both chambers of the legislature.

The Governor stated in his veto message that “guns and alcohol do not mix.” The House Republican sponsor fired back, responding that the bill prohibited carry permit holders from drinking alcohol and carrying a firearm, much as it was illegal to drink and drive. The sponsor said the legal carry permit holders of this state had proven themselves to be responsible individuals, and the bill was simply an attempt to expand their Second Amendment rights.

Thirty-six states have some form of restaurant carry, including seven of the eight states that border Tennessee. The General Assembly exhaustively debated the subject, with a supermajority determining that legal carry permit holders were responsible individuals who should be able to protect themselves. With both chambers having overridden the Governor’s veto, the bill will now become law on July 14, 2009.

Legislature votes to save unemployment trust fund from federal intervention

The House voted this week to save Tennessee’s unemployment trust fund from federal intervention, saying that the move was necessary to keep the federal government from completely taking over the nearly insolvent fund. The fund was approaching insolvency this year after the state unemployment rate approached 9.9 percent. With the highest unemployment in decades, the fund began to be drained of its resources.

The legislation that eventually passed the House will ensure that the unemployment trust fund remains solvent, and creates a series of automatic “triggers” that allow unemployment taxes to decrease if the fund’s balance reaches a certain threshold.

The trust fund dropped to about $120 million after the number of unemployed receiving benefits continued to grow. Without action by the legislature, the federal government would step in to shore up the fund, but with significant strings attached, and wrest away control from the state. This week’s move by the legislature will prevent that from happening.

Tennessee celebrated “Statehood Day” June 1st

Tennessee celebrated “Statehood Day” this week, a holiday that marks the anniversary of the state’s official admission into the Union. On June 1, 1796, Tennessee was the 16th state admitted after ratifying the Constitution. In honor of Statehood Day, some Tennessee trivia facts are listed below.

• When Tennessee became a state in 1796, the total population was 77,000.
• Andrew Johnson, who hailed from Greeneville, held every elective office at the local, state, and federal level, including President of the United States. He was elected alderman, mayor, state representative, and state senator in Greeneville. He served as Governor of Tennessee, Military Governor of Tennessee, and was elected to Congress and then to the U.S. Senate. He served as Vice-President of the United States until the assassination of President Lincoln, which elevated him to the Presidency.
• Hattie Caraway (1878-1950) was born in Bakersville, Tennessee (Humphreys County) and became the first woman United States Senator when her husband died and the seat was passed to her. She won re-election several times, before losing a primary and being appointed to the Employees’ Compensation Commission by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
• Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry is the longest continuously running live radio program in the world. It has broadcast every Friday and Saturday night since 1925.
• Coca-Cola was first bottled in 1899 at a plant on Patten Parkway in downtown Chattanooga after two locals purchased the bottling rights to the drink for $1.00.
• Cumberland University, located in Lebanon, lost a football game to Georgia Tech on October 7, 1916, by a score of 222-0. The Georgia Tech coach was George Heisman—the man for whom the Heisman Trophy is named.

The Week Ahead…

**TIMES AND ROOMS SUBJECT TO CHANGE**
*All meetings will be held in Legislative Plaza Room 16 unless otherwise noted*
*Study Sub will meet, TBA*

Monday, June 8, 2009:

• Budget Subcommittee, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

• Budget Subcommittee, 10:00 a.m.
• Finance, Ways and Means Committee, 11:00 a.m.
• Calendar and Rules, 12:30 p.m.
• Session, House Chambers, 4:00 p.m.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

• Joint Convention, House Chambers, 9:00 a.m.
• Further schedules TBA

Thursday, June 11, 2009

• TBA

NASHVILLE – Texas may be willing to turn down the jobs that come with solar energy, but Tennessee is more than happy to welcome this 21st century industry and the economic benefits that go with it, members of the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus said Monday.

“Governor Bredesen has sent a strong message: Tennessee is ready, willing and able to be a center for the solar-energy industry,” Senator Lowe Finney of Jackson said. “With our Volunteer State Solar Initiative, West Tennessee will have the top solar energy-generating facility in the region.

“More than 600 Tennesseans will be hired to build the solar farm facility, and others will be hired to operate it.”

The story is altogether different in Texas, where legislators did an about-face over the weekend, voting down millions in incentives to draw solar investment to the state.  

“Legislators in Texas have yanked the welcome mat for an industry that could pay huge dividends for their economy,” said Senator Jim Kyle of Memphis, who is a sponsor of the governor’s energy bill. “To any company that had an eye on Texas, we say come on up to Tennessee.”

Senator Roy Herron of Dresden, who worked with Senator Finney to get an industrial megasite in West Tennessee, said:

“With the latest megasite in place, West Tennessee is well positioned to attract companies that will bring in 21st century jobs. The new energy industry can play a big part in getting our local economies back on their feet.”

Senator Andy Berke of Chattanooga noted that clean-energy companies already are looking to Tennessee as a place to do business.

“Thanks to Governor Bredesen’s foresight, we’ll see solar components produced at Wacker Chemie in Bradley County and at Hemlock Semiconductor in Clarksville,” Sen. Berke said. “We’ve got the West Tennessee Solar Farm and an Oak Ridge-UT solar partnership in the works.

“With Volkswagen in Chattanooga and Nissan in Smyrna rolling out clean-energy vehicles, we can be part of the economic recovery: good-paying jobs for our middle class, freedom from our dependence on foreign oil and a stable economy for our children.

“Tennessee is steadily positioning itself as a hub for the energy economy of the future.”

Unemployment has now reached 9.1% in Tennessee, with Perry County topping the list at 27%. Tax collections and state revenues are down, just as the need for government assistance and public services is skyrocketing. The number of people on food stamps, along with those losing their health insurance increases exponentially, while manufacturers and retailers from Memphis to Kingsport shut down their businesses – wiping out relatively good-paying jobs and whole regional economies.

Enter the Tennessee Republican Party, who declared victory upon taking the reins of leadership in the General Assembly for the first time since Reconstruction. The TNGOP, who barely eked out a win here in November, moved quickly to announce an agenda that would show all Tennesseans that the Republican Party was ready to handle the economic crisis.

Or not.

On November 10, 2008, just days after their election win, Republican leaders announced their agenda in the Memphis Commercial Appeal would include “allowing people with gun carry permits to take their firearms into places that serve alcohol“, “limits on… malpractice and other liability lawsuits”, “giving legislative leaders more control in the appointment of members of the judicial nominating commission”, “taxpayer funds for new [charter] schools, rather than [for] local school boards”, and their unflinching support for SJR-127, an anti-abortion bill that even its supporters admit does absolutely nothing to reduce the number of abortions in Tennessee.

But wait, there’s more. On February 23, 2009, TNGOP leaders announced a revised agenda for their legislative goals. Could it be that the Republicans decided that due to the economic crisis that they would focus more on checkbook issues? Or jobs? Not a chance. Instead, the Republicans added even more irrelevant, if not downright dangerous bills to their docket. More NRA bills, including ones to “reduce public and government access to gun owner information” a law that “would remove a requirement for gun dealers to thumbprint buyers,” and another that “would make handgun permit application information confidential”. Now, even state election laws are in the sights of Tennessee Republicans (who now happen to control every single county election commission in the state). For example, the “Voter Confidence Act” a bipartisan bill which passed last year and guaranteed an auditable paper trail for all voting machines, is in serious danger of being modified or killed. And there’s another Republican favorite – requiring a photo ID to vote – that they believe will stop hordes of illegal immigrants from voting, even though it is practically impossible for illegal immigrants to actually receive a voting card and there is zero evidence that this is actually happening. And lest we forget, the party of “family values” has decided that only straight, married people are fit to be parents, despite the fact that Tennessee sits at the top or near the top of the list among all states in divorce rate, domestic abuse, child abuse, and violent crime.

So there you have it. In the midst of one of the worst financial crises our state has seen since the Great Depression, the new Republican majority offers us Big Government on choice, adoption, and a living wage (by overturning the will of Memphis citizens who voted in favor of a living wage ordinance), the liberalization of our state gun laws, “judicial selection” (read: court-stacking) and “election reform” (read: voter suppression). Oh, and did I mention that about half of the Republican delegation actually believes that the President is not an American citizen?

In contrast, the Tennessee Democrats – by no means a poster child for liberalism – are nonetheless pushing a relevant agenda that is rooted in real-world solutions to real-world problems that affect nearly everyone in the state. According to a press release by the House Democratic Caucus, their agenda includes “providing quality education for all… increasing jobs and economic opportunities… promoting fiscal responsibility… providing affordable healthcare… supporting Tennessee’s ‘golden generation’… promoting equality and diversity… protecting Tennessee’s most vulnerable… improving safety and reducing crime… honoring patriotic service… investing in energy efficiency and protecting the environment”.

And despite now being the minority party that has a limited ability to move legislation, there are real bills by the Democrats that back up their agenda – bills that are struggling to get out of the Republican-controlled committee structure. Just a few worth mentioning include the “Pay Equity in the Workplace Act” which seeks equal pay for women doing the same work as men, “Helping Heroes” legislation that would expand education grant programs and funds to include current members of a reserve or National Guard unit, and “Crooks with Guns” legislation supported by district attorneys and law enforcement associations which would put tougher penalties on gun criminals. Democrats are also proposing a series of unexpectedly progressive environmental bills like HB2318, which among other things requires that statewide building construction safety standards include provisions for energy efficiency. And to his credit, Governor Phil Bredesen seems intent on closing a tax loophole that out-of-state businesses have been exploiting for years.

Time will tell whether Tennessee Democrats stand behind their new populist agenda. There is a long history in this state of Democrat appeasers who would rather just go along to get along then stand for something (the main reason the Democrats lost the election, by the way) and breaking that pattern entirely will take a long time. But when it comes to the issues, for those of you who still think that there’s little difference between the Democrats and Republicans in Tennessee, compare these two statements. Mike Turner (D-Old Hickory): “working families in Tennessee are hurting and desperately needing legislators to put them first.” And Tony Shipley (R-Kingsport): “they can do whatever they want out in California, with gays passing babies around, and violating God’s law, but when God drops California off into the sea, they will have to deal with the consequences of their actions.” With priorities like these, the Tennessee Republican Party won’t enjoy their majority status for very long.

We need to make our voices heard. We cannot continue to see Puppy Mill after Puppy Mill raided on the TV news. We must urge our State Legislators to support this Bill. Please highlight in your emails and telephone calls that Puppy Mills trade in domestic animals and currently have little if any regulation. There have been several puppy mill busts recently and it is time as a community to make a stand against this. It is expensive to the state; to the residents and obviously dangerous and harmful to the animals.

Commercial Breeder Act HB0386/SB258

To regulate puppy mills and protect consumers

• Protects consumers from “puppy mills” that mass produce unhealthy and diseased animals, a growing problem in TN. With approximately 400-500 puppy mills operating in Tennessee, it is estimated to be a $35 million/ year industry which is currently unregulated.
• A “commercial breeder” is defined as: any person who possesses and/or maintains twenty (20) or more unsterilized adult female dogs for the purpose of the sale of their offspring as companion animals;
• Does not affect hunters, hunt clubs, most hobby or show breeders, rescues, shelters, veterinarians, trainers, handlers or other private individuals.
• Bill language was created in collaboration with TN Department of Agriculture, TN Attorney General’s office, the Division of Consumer Affairs, and hobby/show breeders who are leaders in the Nashville Kennel Club.
• Program will be administered by the Department of Ag. The commissioner will promulgate rules regarding standards for housing and care based on existing USDA standards for wholesalers.

Senator Barnes Response

Even though Sen Barnes has indicated that he will vote for the bill, your phone calls and e-mails are still needed so he knows that Montgomery County is strongly against Puppy Mills.

Thank you for your email about SB 258. I am in support of this bill and I believe that commercial breeders should be regulated. Currently this bill has been referred to the Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee. From there it will go to the Senate floor for consideration.

Again, thank you for your email. Call or email anytime you would like an update on this or any bill.

Sincerely,
Tim Barnes
State Senator, 22nd District

Contact Senator Barnes

Email: sen.tim..gov
Address: 305 War Memorial Bldg. Nashville, TN 37243
Phone: (615) 741-2374

About Precious Friends

Precious Friends is an Puppy Rescue & Adoption service located in Clarksville, Tennessee.

For more information contact Jessica Sanford at 931-552-0622

“The most vulnerable Tennesseans are our children and they need to have every protection when it comes to our laws,” said State Representative Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville).

This week House Democrats and Republicans came together in support of legislation designed to toughen Tennessee’s current child abuse laws.

Rep. Joe Pitts, D-TN Hse, District 67

“People who would dare abuse a child deserve the harshest punishments possible and this new legislation helps strengthen our laws,” said Pitts. “These bills make it clear that, whether it’s a random stranger or a child’s own parents, if you abuse a child you will be brought to justice.”

The first bill, House Bill 1141, clarified the definition of dangerous instrumentality as “any item in its manner of use or intended use as applied to a child that is capable of producing serious bodily harm.” Present law did not have specific definitions when dealing with abuse cases involving inanimate objects, providing serious abusers the opportunity to avoid more aggressive charges.

“With this bill, if any abuser uses any foreign object to inflict damage on a child, they could potentially be hit with stiffer charges resulting in more jail time,” said Pitts.

The second bill, House Bill 1142, expands the charges of “inflicting serious bodily injury to children” to include second or third degree burns, bone fractures, concussions, subdural or subarachnoid bleeding, retinal hemorrhage, cerebral edema, brain contusion, severe bruising and or permanent or protracted disfigurement.

“A slap on the bottom by a parent is discipline, but beating a child until they bleed is abuse,” said Pitts. “By implementing these changes to the code, we put greater pressure on abusers to think twice before they attack a helpless child as well as allow our justice system to put these monsters away for a very long time.”

Both bills passed the House and Senate unanimously and will now go to Governor Phil Bredesen to sign into law.

This isn’t the first time they’ve attempted such legislation, either. Senator Stanley and Rep. John Deberry were the same people who filed a more strictly anti-gay adoption bill last year, which failed. They also had a similar bill which would prevent unmarried opposite-sex couples from adopting. It foundered as well. This new bill is a combination of both of the previous bills.

Apparently, not only do bad ideas come from the same legislators, but the same bad ideas come from the same legislators. If it doesn’t pass the first time, then try, try, again. One doesn’t have to stretch the imagination too far to observe the visceral and sensitive nature of same-sex relationships and homosexuality in general. Just what do they hope to accomplish?

They have failed to establish — at any level — whether or not such bills are even needed. Those on both sides of the issue will come down with passionate and strong opinions. Sometimes the right questions aren’t asked. Facts, however, are often left in the sidelines.

One such example of sidelining facts for the sake of opinions was seen this past week when Tara Greene, a Democrat from Sumner County, was to join a scheduled appointment with her state senator, Diane Black (R-Gallatin). She was to meet with Senator Black on Advancing Equality Day on the Hill, sponsored by the Tennessee Equality Project. The day was set aside for members of TEP and affected constituents to visit with state legislators and discuss issues important to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community.

Greene was informed the night before their appointment that Senator Black had abruptly canceled the meeting. When asked, Black confirmed that she did indeed cancel the meeting which was to include discussion about Sen. Stanley’s adoption bill. In an email, Black wrote:

“This is a question of what is best for the child who is in the state’s custody and I will not be moved from my position that a child has a better chance of growing up healthy in a traditional home with a mother and a father. Those who have already had a tough break in life, like those children in state custody, should have every opportunity possible to be placed in an optimal family setting. The traditional nuclear family is still that setting.”

She said she did meet with the group briefly despite the cancellation, and that they “agreed to disagree.”

The account was told a little differently by Greene, who explained that she and her group arrived at Black’s office at the scheduled time despite Black’s cancellation, and that Black met with them for five minutes. Black allegedly insisted that they “agree to disagree” before relenting to the brief meeting.

Unfortunately, many Tennesseans (and it seems, some legislators) are unaware of not only the process that adoptive parents must go through, but they’re equally unaware of the the highly-trained professionals who work with each of our children in state’s custody to help them be placed into safe, loving homes. Equally distressing is the fact that few activists on either side even bother to talk with people who are actually in the field.

When looking for specific numbers of adoption-ready children in the state of Tennessee, it was time to go straight to the source. Calista Doll, a Communications official with the state’s Department of Children’s Services, said that as of January 1, 2009, there are currently 7,683 children in the state’s custody. “Of those,” she said, “914 are in full guardianship…[with] 330 who do not have a permanent family identified.”

When asked if those numbers are similar to a month-by-month analysis, she indicated that the numbers do fluctuate but it’s “pretty consistent.” Doll also explained that “full guardianship” means that the birth parents no longer have any legal claim to the child.

Hard fact number one: there’s already a shortage of single adults and couples who are willing to adopt children. As of January 1st, there are over three hundred children who are still waiting just to be considered by a prospective parent or parents to be adopted. Senators Black and Stanley, along with Rep. DeBerry want to actually reduce the numbers of parents who are considered to adopt children. Good luck with explaining that to the kids who are left to bouncing around group homes and foster care.

First and foremost, it’s the children that would be affected by a potential law that would prevent them from being adopted by those who are in cohabiting relationships (same- or opposite-sex). To hear it told by those who advocate for such asinine laws, one would think that children are dispensed to parents like a hamburger through a drive through window with diapers in tow. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

Hard fact number two: Tennessee already has a very restrictive adoption policy in place. To be even considered as an adoptive parent, a single adult or couple must go through an arduous and time-consuming process.

They must first complete a parent preparation class called “PATH” — Parents as Tender Healers. PATH, according to the DCS website, is a 30-hour education and self-assessment process:

“It explores communications styles. It helps families understand the feelings of grief and the loss that children can experience. It helps identify family strengths. The process also helps adults identify the child they feel that they can most successfully parent.”

Sandy Bradley, a social worker in Clarksville, explained that PATH is a one night per week class that really helps singles and couples be properly prepared to bring foster children into their homes.

Bradley said that the next step is to have a home study, which involves looking into their financial status, every room of the home, living conditions, and interviewing character witnesses and family members.

Along with the home study, a thorough background check is conducted, which was described by Doll, and confirmed by Bradley, as a “full FBI investigation.” The background check goes through credit, criminal, and past associations. In most cases, even a misdemeanor can prevent a couple or individual from fostering. A drug test is also conducted. All adults over 18 who live in the household must undergo similar background checks.

Finally, the family must have served as a foster parent for six months before adoption can be considered. “The social worker has the most weight on how a child is placed in a home,” Bradley said. She explained that each child is matched with the home that is best for that child. “There’s a local same-sex couple that has two beautiful biracial babies, and they’re thriving.”

Hard fact number three: the authors and supporters of this bill clearly believe that the state is better equipped to care for children than loving, nurturing parents who happen to be unmarried or gay.

I’ll never imagine what Senator Stanley and Rep. DeBerry hope to accomplish, especially knowing that these trained professionals do all they can to ensure that children are placed in the best homes. When asked if there was a shortage of parents to adopt, Bradley answered emphatically. “Absolutely. Especially for older children.”

Why do some members of our state’s legislature want to add to an already difficult adoption process, and keep more children in state custody? Clearly, they ignore the very clear reality that our DCS and social workers are already tasked with this thankless task, and it’s completely absurd to make it even more difficult.

State Senator Tim Barnes and District 67 Representative Joe Pitts have already confirmed that they will not support this bill. The bill, HB 0605/*SB 0078, should be completely and soundly rejected.

Republicans have been in power in the Tennessee State Legislature for mere weeks, and already they’ve set their crosshairs on the gay and lesbian community once again. Two years ago, Tennessee was the battleground for “marriage protection amendment” to the state’s constitution which prevents gay and lesbian couples from marrying.

That amendment passed in 2006 by more than 80 per cent of the vote. This time, it’s adoption rights.

A new bill, SB 0078, filed by State Senator Paul Stanley (R-Memphis) would dictate: “a minor may not be adopted if the individual seeking to adopt is cohabiting outside of a marriage that is valid under the constitution and laws of this state.”

Similar legislation failed in 2006, but unlike that bill, the new bill isn’t an exclusively anti-gay legislation. To be fair, Stanley decided he should stick it to unmarried straight couples as well. According to the official summary:

This bill prohibits certain individuals from adopting a minor child. Under this bill, any individual who is living with another person and is involved in a sexual relationship with that person (”cohabiting”) outside of a marriage that is valid under the constitution would not be allowed to adopt a minor child. This bill states that it would apply to cohabiting opposite-sex and same-sex individuals.

The bill would not affect single adults who live alone.

The Urban Institute, a non-partisan think tank in Washington, D.C. compiled a comprehensive study in March of 2007 regarding adoption by families with gay and lesbian couples. It includes state-by-state data that offers some startling numbers.

In Tennessee, there are 30,980 adopted children, with 384 of those children having been adopted by same-sex couples, making it 28th out of 51 in the number of children in gay adoptions. The study reveals that Same-sex couples are more likely to adopt children with physical differences, and are more likely to adopt minority children.

Nationwide, more than two million gay and lesbian couples are interested in adopting. At present, an estimated 65,500 adopted children are living with a lesbian or gay parent.

The Urban study also researched fostering, which is also relevant to the discussion. More than 14,000 children in foster care are estimated to be living with gay and lesbian parents nationwide. Of foster children with non-kin families, 44% are living with couples who aren’t married heterosexuals. In fact, 30% of the children are with single heterosexuals, and 8% are with unmarried heterosexual couples.

But how would that relate to Tennessee, should Senator Stanley decide to go after foster parenting too? Right now, there are between 198 to 297 children in Tennessee which are in foster care under gay parents. If those gay parents were to be taken off the foster parenting list, nearly 300 children would be put back into state custody, which would cost the state between $1.5 Million to $2.3 Million each year. Put simply, the notion of denying gay or unmarried couples the ability to adopt is an expensive one.

Several arguments have been presented in an attempt to submit legitimate reasons to deny adoption by same-sex couples, many of which are anecdotal at best:

• “Children are better off with one father and one mother.” Whether or not this is true, it is entirely irrelevant to issues of adoption. Every state allows adoption by single adults. Denying adoption by same-sex or cohabiting couples is ridiculous, especially when a single adult would seemingly – and likely – eventually form a relationship that may every well result in cohabiting.
• “Gay children shouldn’t be allowed to adopt because the statistics show that they’re likely to be child molesters.” This is a popular, if not mean-spirited myth. However, it IS a myth. In fact, a 1998 study Journal of the American Medical Association, only about 2% of the convicted child molesters say they are gay (that’s lower than the total national average of gay men, by the way). What gets a bit dodgy in its application is the fact that adult men are more likely to molest male children. This is due to the fact that they’re more likely to have unsupervised access to male children. Nearly all child molesters identify as straight, and many are married and in roles that allow direct access to their victims. Quite simply, there is simply no established connection between pedophilia and adult male homosexual orientation.
• “Children raised by gay parents will turn gay.” Just like children raised by straight parents always turn out straight?
• “It’s morally wrong to cohabit.” Yes, many people believe this due to religious conviction, but religion does not dictate public policy in the United States. Sorry.

The reality is that there is an entire network of highly-trained professionals who are specifically suited to help decide what is best for each individual child. In January 2002, the Child Welfare League of America made a similar observation:

The CWLA’s Standards of Excellence for Adoption Services state, “Applicants should be assessed on the basis of their abilities to successfully parent a child needing family membership and not on their race, ethnicity or culture, income, age, marital status, religion, appearance, differing lifestyles, or sexual orientation.” Further, applicants for adoption should be accepted “on the basis of an individual assessment of their capacity to understand and meet the needs of a particular available child at the point of adoption and in the future.”

The task handed to social workers, state agencies, and judges is to determine what is a suitable home for a child in the public child welfare system. But, as (Joan Heifetz) Hollinger points out, “there are no tests of suitability. Where is the standard? Where is the evidence that certain parents do better?”

In other words, each adoption is handled on a case-by-case basis. Removing hundreds of couples from even being considered is a disservice to not only those couples, but the children they would have otherwise been able to adopt.

In April 2001, the American Sociological Review published an article by Judith Stacey and Timothy Biblarz of the University of Southern California. The article, which reported the findings of an examination of 21 studies on gay parenting found that the studies shared a common theme: gay parents do just fine. More specifically:

Stacey and Biblarz also found that the children of homosexual parents show no difference in levels of self-esteem, anxiety, depression, behavior problems, or social performance, but do show a higher level of affection, responsiveness, and concern for younger children and “seem to exhibit impressive psychological strength.”

Gay parents were found to be more likely to equally share child care and household duties, and the children of gay partners reported closer relationships to the parent who was not their primary caregiver than did the children of heterosexual couples. “These findings imply that lesbian coparents may enjoy greater parental compatibility and achieve particularly high quality parenting skills, which may help explain the striking findings on parent-child relationships.”

But the Child Welfare League of America isn’t the only organization which supports adoption by gay couples. They are joined by:

• The National Association of Social Workers
• The American Psychiatric Association
• The American Academy of Pediatrics

When we consider all of these facts, it becomes clear that denying same-sex couples and unmarried opposite-sex couples the right to even be considered from adopting, the only people who are truly hurt are the children. I’m astonished that Sen. Stanley and other conservatives would rather attack his skewed vision of “morality” instead of letting the our Department of Children’s Services do their job.

Who do our legislators think they are, that they believe that they are more qualified than the thousands of social workers, judges, and other professionals who work to ensure the best possible home for our children? Senator Stanley should be utterly ashamed that he filed this bill, and it should be soundly and completely rejected by all of his peers.

Our state — and our children — deserve far better.