Topic: Civil Rights Act of 1964

Veterans Hiring Measure Passes the Tennessee House of Representatives

March 31, 2017 |

Written by Joe Pitts
Tennessee State Representative

Nashville, TN – Hiring Preferences for Veterans – House Bill 165/Senate Bill 209 (Senator Mark Green, R-Clarksville) passed the Senate and House of Representatives and was sent to the Governor for his signature on March 20th.

To paraphrase an old saying, the second time is the charm, or something like that.  House Bill 165 and Senate bill 209 recently passed the House and Senate after the second attempt. The proposal would enable private employers to create hiring preferences for veterans, their spouses, and surviving spouses of deceased veterans without running afoul of provisions in the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibiting hiring discrimination among other areas.

Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts

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Veterans Hiring Measure Passes the Tennessee House of Representatives

March 12, 2017 |

Written by Joe Pitts
Tennessee State Representative

Nashville, TN – Hiring Preferences for Veterans – House Bill 165/Senate Bill 209 (Senator Mark Green, R-Clarksville) passed the House of Representatives by a unanimous vote. The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee also passed the legislation by a unanimous vote on March 7th, 2017. It should be heard in the full State Senate next week.

“Thank you to my colleagues in the House for their support of this legislation to help the business community hire veterans and family members of veterans. This was indeed a group effort beginning with the Montgomery County Veterans Coalition and the hundreds of veterans who descended on Nashville last month to push for passage. That support made the difference,” Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts said.

(L to R) David Johns – CFO, Brian Taylor – General Manager, State Representative Pitts, Christy Batts – Broadband Division Manager.

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Tennessee Veterans Hiring Measure Clears Committee, Advances to the House Floor

March 5, 2017 |

Written by Joe Pitts
Tennessee State Representative

Nashville, TN – Hiring Preferences for Veterans – House Bill 165/Senate Bill 209 (Senator Mark Green, R-Clarksville) passed out of the Consumer and Human Resources full Committee and will be heard on the House Floor next Thursday, March 9th. The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee rolled Senate Bill 209 until next week due to the committee running out of their allotted time.

This legislation was brought to us by the U.S. Department of Defense. Many companies would like to give special consideration for hiring veterans because of their unique skill sets, proven work ethic, and reliability, but may be hesitant to do so out of concern of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

APSU Posters at the Capitol. (L to R) Ronnie Roberts, Sheila Johnson, Elizabeth Johnson, State Representative Pitts, Jacob Robertson, Dominic Critchlow, Travis Hodge.

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DUI Memorial Sign Program Legislation Advances, TalentED Project is launched

February 26, 2017 |

Written by Joe Pitts
Tennessee State Representative

Nashville, TN – House Bill 21/Senate Bill 17, sponsored by Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville) and Senator Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield) passed the Senate Transportation Committee and is headed for a final vote in the Senate.

“We are working with the Governor to provide the funding of the legislation ($150.00) and are hopeful the Governor and the Finance Committee of the House will fund this bill,” Pitts said.

This legislation will allow families of victims of impaired drivers, where the impaired driver was also killed, to have a sign erected in memory of the family member.

Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts

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DUI Memorial Sign Program Legislation Advances

February 19, 2017 |

Written by Joe Pitts
Tennessee State Representative

Nashville, TN – House Bill 21, sponsored by Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville) was successful in passing the Transportation Full Committee and now moves on to the Finance sub-Committee. This legislation is known as the Shadow “Shada” Brooke Lowe bill.

This legislation will allow families of victims of impaired drivers, where the impaired driver was also killed, to have a sign erected in memory of the family member. It is to be heard in the Finance Sub-committee on February 22nd.

“It was fitting this legislation was approved by the committee on February 14th, Shada’s 24th birthday,” Pitts said. “Her mother said even though February 14th was a tough day, the idea of some sort of justice for her really helps.”

Clarksville Firefighters Association Local 3180 Presents AED to Gilbert Tennessee State Veterans Home

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Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts Files Several Important Pieces of Legislation

February 4, 2017 |

Written by Joe Pitts
Tennessee State Representative

Nashville, TN – Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville) has sponsored fifteen bills (the limit is 15) this legislative session and over the next few weeks we will send out a series of updates explaining the proposals and providing an update on their progress in the system.

Property Tax Relief for Veterans, Disabled and Elderly Homeowners – House Bill 20/Senate Bill 23 (Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) is our attempt to undo the changes made to this program in 2015 by the passage of the “Save the Tax Relief Act”, sponsored by Rep. John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge).

Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts

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Veterans Hiring Preference Bill Fails in Tennessee House Subcommittee

March 2, 2015 |

Tennessee Representative Joe Pitts

Carbon Monoxide Awareness Day legislation advances

Nashville, TN – A bill designed to help veterans and their spouses find employment was defeated in the Consumer and Human Resources subcommittee of the Tennessee House of Representatives this week.

The bill, sponsored by Representative Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville), would have enabled private employers to create written policies giving preference in hiring honorably discharged veterans, their spouses, widows and widowers.

The bill failed by a quick voice vote with no questions or discussion by the committee.

Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts

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APSU’s African American Cultural Center to host events celebrating civil rights

January 16, 2010 |

The Wilbur N. Daniel African American Cultural Center (WNDAACC) at Austin Peay State University will host two events next week to celebrate the achievements of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement.

At 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 19 in Clement Auditorium, a documentary, titled “Dare Not Walk Alone,” will be shown, with a panel discussion to follow. The film discusses how the citizen reaction in St. Augustine, Fla., to the demonstration may have contributed to the signing into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964. «Read the rest of this article»

A Talking Points Primer On Title VI

October 2, 2007 |

Whenever local public officials are asked about Title VI, invariably they respond that they don’t know anything about it. They say they must check with the city or county attorney or some other ‘unavailable’ person. They are aware Title VI requirements exist, but are not versed in the details of those requirements and regulations. This should not be.

As we are now 43 years into the Civil Rights Act of 1964 being the law of the land, perhaps a brief primer is in order.

“Simple justice requires that public funds to which all taxpayers of all races contribute not be spent in any fashion which encourages, entrenches, subsidizes or results in racial discrimination.” — President John F. Kennedy, in his message calling for the enactment of Title VI, 1963.

On August 3, 1964, President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law. Federal regulations and rules were formulated to effect its compliance and enforcement. «Read the rest of this article»

Happy 43rd Anniversary, 1964 Civil Rights Act! Title VI Compliance Still MIA In Clarksville

July 4, 2007 |

We are now in the 43rd anniversary year of the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. That’s quite a milestone for the nation. Sadly, it’s a dark anniversary for Clarksville and the state of Tennessee. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law on July 2nd of that year. (Pictured left.)

Tennessee State Archives records show our own state legislature didn’t adopt it into the state’s law code until 1993. That’s twenty-nine years after it had became the law of the land! The law of the land, that is, except for the State of Tennessee.

That lag in time may help explain why our own city council has refused, even now, to adopt Title VI of that law, as the city’s official non-discrimination policy. There is a policy statement on display in city offices and the city’s website, to be sure. However, since it is required that the legislative controlling body of local government formally adopt Title VI mandates as official policy to receive federal financial assistance, these displays are meaningless without the council’s follow-thru. A mayoral proclamation is inapplicable. As TDOT’s Commissioner Nicely noted in August 2005, the city is not in compliance with the federal law. «Read the rest of this article»

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