WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2012 Volkswagen leaders to make announcement about employment Thursday (Nooga)

Volkswagen leaders are expected to make a significant announcement Thursday. Gov. Bill Haslam and VW of America President and CEO Jonathan Browning will hold a morning press conference for an announcement about employment, company leaders said in a media notification about the event. I think with the governor and Browning coming that would insinuate this is something bigger than theyve already announced, Bill Visnic, Edmunds.com senior analyst, said Tuesday. At the end of January, leaders announced that they were adding 200 employeesin addition to the 2,000-member workforce it already employedto keep up with production increases from 31 to 35 cars per hour. By early March leaders had already hired 100 of the 200, officials said. Demand for the Passat has been strong, and in November Brad Cobb, with Village Volkswagen in Chattanooga, said his only complaint was that he wished he had more of the vehicle, especially with the TDI engine. http://www.nooga.com/154390/volkswagen-leaders-to-make-announcement-about-employment-thursday/

Haslam: Nations Eyes on TN Thanks to Progress in Ed Reform (TN Report)

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today joined the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) in calling for state leaders to continue to focus on education reform as changes to Tennessees education system are implemented statewide in response to SCOREs release of its third annual State of Education report. The report outlines four priorities for the coming year that SCORE identifies as crucial to Tennessee being the fastest improving state in the nation, including sustaining policy leadership in the effort and strengthening the principal and administrator pipeline. Tennessee continues to have the eyes of the nation on us because of the progress were making in education reform, Haslam said. Change isnt typically easy, but it is important to carry through on the reforms Gov. Bredesen and the General Assembly began and then continue to build upon that momentum moving forward. http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/03/20/haslam-nations-eyes-on-tn-thanks-to-progress-in-ed-reform/

Haslam on SCORE's Education Report (Clarksville Now)

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today joined the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) in calling for state leaders to continue to focus on education reform as changes to Tennessees education system are implemented statewide in response to SCOREs release of its third annual State of Education report. The report outlines four priorities for the coming year that SCORE identifies as crucial to Tennessee being the fastest improving state in the nation, including sustaining policy leadership in the effort and strengthening the principal and administrator pipeline. Tennessee continues to have the eyes of the nation on us because of the progress were making in education reform, Haslam said. Change isnt typically easy, but it is important to carry through on the reforms Gov. Bredesen and the General Assembly began and then continue to build upon that momentum moving forward.http://www.clarksvillenow.com/pages/12602342.php

TN schools work hard to close achievement gap (Tennessean/Hubbard)

Even top performers feel state's pressure Clovercroft Elementarys fourth- and fifth-graders arrived this year with the highest math scores in Williamson County and few problems with any other subject. Still, Principal Laura LaChance holds her breath when she thinks about what Clovercroft, which just opened in August, has to prove during TCAP testing next month. Only 3 percent of her students qualify for free or reduced-priced lunches, and there are very few English language learners a group that traditionally has struggled with standardized testing in Tennessee. But under the states new measuring system, even students at the top will have to make learning gains of at least 3 percent every year. Thats the great equalizer that has the states best-performing districts, which include Williamson County, and the worst freshly considering how to move every child forward on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120321/NEWS04/303210077/TN-schools-work-hard-close-achievementgap?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

SCORE says Teacher Training Needs to Better Match Teacher Expectations (WPLN)
The group charged with reviewing Tennessees teacher evaluation process says the state needs to do more to help educators improve. The State Collaborative on Reforming Education, or SCORE, says more intensive skillbuilding programs should be a top priority this year. Tennessee has changed just how much students are supposed to learn, while simultaneously upping the pressure on teachers to raise test scores. Former US Senatorand SCORE founderBill Frist says the policies at the root of those changes are solid, but there isnt yet enough support to help teachers switch their game plan to match the edicts coming down from the state. The model Frist suggests for doing that goes beyond the occasional lecture course on teacher inservice days. Professional learning should be ongoing, it should be content-specific, it should be job-embedded, it should be collaborative. SCOREs annual report on Tennessee schools points to a handful of intensive training sessions it says hold promise. It also suggests online courses and video conferencing could help teachers in rural areas connect with other educators facing similar challenges. http://wpln.org/?p=35285

State awards $1.85 million for Hamilton County STEM school (Nooga)
Seven months after Hamilton County school officials began discussing the goal of pursuing a grant to bring a STEM school to Chattanooga, Gov. Bill Haslam and state Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman announced the school system will receive nearly $1.85 million in grant money to make the goal a reality. The announcement, made Monday morning in Nashville, represents a critical step that affirms months of planning by Superintendent Rick Smith and leaders in local higher education and business institutions. "Bringing together partners from across our communities to educate Tennessee students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math is so important to the future prosperity of our state," Haslam said. "The jobs of the 21st century require the practical, hands-on, college-oriented and career-aligned curriculum that STEM offers, and we must prepare our children to compete." Funding for the school comes from a total of $15.7 million in Tennessee's federal Race to the Top Grant, allocated for establishing the STEM Innovation network, a collection of schools and hubs across the state. Already, two of the state's six planned STEM facilities have been opened in Nashville and Knoxville. http://www.nooga.com/154380/state-awards-185-million-for-hamilton-county-stem-school/

Hamilton County Schools begin hunt for STEM leader (Times Free-Press/Hardy)
Before teachers are selected for a new science, technology, engineering and math high school, Hamilton County Schools officials say they'll focus on finding a dynamic principal. "We've got to find that right leader," Superintendent Rick Smith said. "That right leader is going to attract good teachers." Local business, school and community leaders held a news conference Tuesday on the site of the new school at Chattanooga State Community College. Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday that Hamilton County received $1.85 million in a state grant to open a new STEM school and an associated hub to house business and community partners. Funded by part of Tennessee's $500 million federal Race to the Top award, the STEM school is meant to better prepare students for future jobs. Officials say prospective employers often cite the lack of skilled workers as an impediment to expanding or relocating businesses in the region. "Our future depends on having a qualified workforce," said Tim Spires, president of the Chattanooga Manufacturers Association. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/mar/21/schools-begin-hunt-for-stem-leader/?local

Students To Apply For Chance At STEM School (WTVC-TV Chattanooga)

Students will have to step it up this spring for the chance to be part of Hamilton County's STEM program. Just 24 hours after Governor Bill Haslam announced the $1.85 million grant to start the program, some new details are being released on how exactly it will operate. STEM students will call Chattanooga State's Wacker Institute "home." The school is set to open this fall. A quick turnaround, considering crews just broke ground Tuesday morning. The school will choose a total of 75 students, and give all students at each Hamilton County school a chance to apply. "We've applied a formula so every school will have a certain numbers of slots for students," said Hamilton County School's Superintendent, Rick Smith. 30 teachers will also be recruited from the 10 districts. $1million of the grant money will go towards the school's resources. The other $850,000 will fund the STEM hub. "The hub will offer seminars and instruction, all sorts of learning opportunities for teachers, principals, who will 2

take that knowledge back to schools and classrooms, and most importantly to children," said Dr. Dan Challener, President of the Public Education Foundation. http://www.newschannel9.com/news/students-1009988-schoolprogram.html

STEM grant to make Putnam regional hub (Herald Citizen)

Putnam County is set to lead the Upper Cumberland in a rural science, technology, engineering and math initiative, with Prescott South schools and Tennessee Tech at its center. Gov. Bill Haslam and Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman announced Monday that Putnam County was awarded a $1 million competitive grant through Tennessee's Race To the Top with an additional $850,000 to go to Tennessee Tech as the region's STEM hub. "We would like to position ourselves to attract high skill, high pay jobs," interim Director of Putnam County Schools Jerry Boyd said. "We want our students, not only in Putnam County but across our region, to move through our schools ready for those high skill, high pay jobs." STEM grants were also announced for Hamilton and Sullivan Counties yesterday. Prescott South Middle and Elementary Schools are poised to become STEM platform schools under the grant, with intensive teacher training, materials and equipment and an on-site STEM coordinator to facilitate the STEM initiative, which Boyd said would begin in the 2012-13 school year. http://www.herald-citizen.com/view/full_story/17943046/article-STEM-grant-to-make-Putnam-regional-hub? instance=homesecondleft

Haslams Constitutional Amendment Advances Amid Criticism (WPLN-Radio)

Governor Bill Haslams proposal to constitutionally cement the way Tennessee judges are appointed came in for criticism in a House committee today. The bill moved forward on a split vote of 9 to 6. Right now judges are appointed by the governor. Every eight years they face a simple up-or-down vote, which the state Supreme Court says meets Tennessees constitutional requirement that judges be elected. But not everyone thinks so. To quiet the dissenters, Haslam wants to amend the constitution to enshrine the current system. Republican Rick Womick, of Rutherford County, argues that wouldnt be needed if the current system were legit. Even the governor in his press conference when he came forth with this, admitted that the way were doing it now is unconstitutional, and thats why he submitted this, to make the way were doing it now, constitutional. The constitution says the Supreme Court justices are to be elected, thats what I believe is the right way to do it, we should go back to that. http://wpln.org/?p=35276

TN jobless face new terms for benefits (Associated Press)

Commissioner Karla Davis of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development has warned the states 56,000 unemployment claimants that they soon will be required to prove they are looking for work. Davis said that beginning in April, claimants also will be required to meet face to face with state job service employees. She said in a news release Monday that the new requirements will make sure claimants are on track to find employment and not get caught off-guard when their benefits expire. The new guidelines have been issued by the U.S. Department of Labor. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120321/NEWS21/303210113/TN-joblessface-new-terms-benefits?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Tennessee unemployment claimants may have to prove work search (MBJ)

Changes are afoot for about 56,000 unemployed Tennesseans who plan to seek certain unemployment insurance benefits come April 1. Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis announced in a statement all claimants receiving Emergency Unemployment Compensation must provide documentation of two weekly work searches, upon request, to continue receiving benefits. The Emergency Unemployment Compensation program is a federal benefit that pays unemployment insurance to workers who have exhausted all rights to regular compensation with respect to a benefit year that ended on or after May 1, 2007 and have no rights to regular compensation or extended benefits, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Legislation enacted last month at the federal level reduced the amount of benefit weeks for claimaints seeking federal benefits. Additionally, claimants will also be required to participate in specialized case management sessions that include skills assessments and remedial education at Tennessee Career Centers 3

across the state. Davis said the requirements are designed to keep unemployed workers active in their search for jobs. http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/03/20/tennessee-unemployment-claimants-must.html

Blount County road reopens following rockslide (Associated Press)

State crews have cleared a rockslide that shut down part of U.S. 129/State Route 115 in Blount County, known as "the Dragon." The road, whose sharp curves challenge motorcyclists, was reopened Tuesday evening. It had been shut down Friday morning after rocks, soil and trees slid onto the pavement about nine miles north of the North Carolina state line. The Tennessee Department of Transportation said in a news release that geotechnical engineers will continue to evaluate the area to determine whether the mountainside needs to be stabilized. http://www.tennessean.com/usatoday/article/38852489?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

TBI executes search warrant on Union City church, assists in arrest of pastor (SG)
A Union City, Tenn. pastor was taken into custody on Tuesday by a multi-agency law enforcement effort for allegedly soliciting a minor. According to a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation release, the TBI assisted the Fairfax County, Va. Police Department in executing a search warrant at the First Church of God and in arresting the church's pastor. Grady Evans, 34, of Union City, Tenn. was arrested on a fugitive warrant based on a Virginia warrant charging him with the use of a communications device to solicit a minor. Fairfax County detectives contacted the TBI Technical Services Unit, which houses TBI's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, to assist in the search and arrest of Evans. The search warrant for exploitation of a minor by electronic means was executed on the First Church of God located at 415 South Miles Avenue in Union City, Tenn. The Union City Police Department also assisted in the search and arrest. Evans was booked into the Obion County Jail without bond and has waived extradition. He will be transported to Fairfax County, Va. to face the charge. http://www.stategazette.com/story/1827903.html

TBI executes warrant, assists in arrest of pastor at Union City church (J. Sun)
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday assisted the Fairfax County, Va., Police Department in executing a search warrant at a West Tennessee church and in arresting the churchs pastor. Grady Evans, 34, of Union City, was arrested on a fugitive warrant based on a Virginia warrant charging him with the use of a communications device to solicit a minor, according to a news release. Fairfax County detectives contacted the TBI Technical Services Unit, which houses TBIs Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, to assist in the search and arrest of Evans. The search warrant for exploitation of a minor by electronic means was executed on the First Church of God, at 415 S. Miles Ave. in Union City. The Union City Police Department also assisted in the search and arrest. Evans was booked in the Obion County Jail without bond and has waived extradition. He will be transported to Fairfax County to face the charge. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120321/NEWS01/303210010/Briefly-TBI-executes-warrant-assists-arrestpastor-Union-City-church-Shots-fired-Tuesday-Sun-seeks-Milan-arsenal-employees-interview

AG: law prohibits municipalities from starting districts before merger (CA/Locker)
An advisory opinion by state Atty. Gen. Robert E. Cooper calls into question whether the May 10 referendums on new municipal school districts can legally proceed prior to the official merger of the Memphis and Shelby County school systems. Cooper's opinion Tuesday flatly says Shelby County's suburban municipalities can take no actions to establish new school districts -- including holding referendums, hiring school staff and constructing or improving school buildings -- until the city-county school district consolidation is complete. That is to occur in 2013 or later. Further complicating the issue: A bill has begun moving in the state legislature that would lift the state's 30-year ban on new special and municipal school districts effective Jan. 1, 2013. SB 2908 by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, won Senate Education Committee approval last week. The House version, HB 3234, is set for committee review today. The attorney general's opinion puts the issue squarely before the Shelby County Election Commission and the suburbs on whether to proceed with the referendums set for May 10, and some officials said they plan to proceed. That, in turn, could set off another court battle. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/mar/20/tennessee-ag-says-law-prohibits-shelby-municipalit/ (SUB)

AG to Suburbs: No Referenda on New School Districts (Memphis Flyer)

In an action that will have significant repercussions on the ongoing merger of Shelby County Schools and Memphis City Schools, state Attorney General Robert Cooper has issued an opinion that, in effect, would prohibit 4

any immediate actions by the suburbs, including the referenda scheduled for May 10. These referenda, designed to obtain the sanction of their residents for the creation of new municipal school districts, had been planned and cleared with the Election Commission by the mayors and other administrative officials of Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, Lakeland, and Arlington, all of which cities had been advised by professional consultants that independent school systems were legally, fiscally, and educationally practical. Basing his opinion on mandatory conditions set forth in the 2011 Norris-Todd bill, which became Public Chapter One, Attorney General Robert Cooper has found essentially that the ban on new municipal or special school districts in Tennessee must be continued until the completion of the ongoing merger of Memphis city Schools and Shelby County Schools. http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2012/03/20/ag-to-suburbs-no-referenda-on-new-schooldistricts

Tn AG Says No Referenda on Municipal School Systems (Memphis Daily News)

The Tennessee Attorney General says the move to municipal school districts cannot move forward with May or August ballot questions because they would violate the schools consolidation law. The legal opinion from Attorney General Robert Cooper, issued Tuesday, March 20, in response to questions from Memphis State Senator Beverly Marrero reads Tennessee law currently prohibits a municipality in Shelby County from taking any action to establish a new school system. Marrero specifically asked if a municipality can take any formal action including a referendum toward forming a municipal school district prior to the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year. That is when the merger of Shelby Countys two public school systems takes effect. Cooper cited state law governing the restriction on the formation of municipal and special school districts, saying the law clearly articulates that these restrictions are only lifted from and after the effective date of the transfer of the administration of the schools in the special school district to the county board of education. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/mar/21/tn-ag-says-no-referenda-on-municipal-school-systems/

GOP Leadership Bill Would Shortcut School Wait for Suburbs (Memphis Flyer)
Even as state Attorney General Robert Cooper was issuing his opinion Tuesday that subutrban action should be delayed until the completion of city/county school merger, Republican legislative leaders were moving quickly to speed up that process. Moving through the Tennessee General Assembly under the sponsorship of state Senator Mark Norris (R-Collierville), the Senate majority leader, and state Rep. Gerald McCormiuck (RChattanooga), the House majority leader, is a bill (*SB 2908, HB 3234) that would legalize the creation of new special school districts statewide, as of January 1, 2013. If passed during the current legislative session and signed into law by Governor Bill Haslam, the bill would shortcut by 9 months the wait of five suburbs before they can take concrete steps to establish independent municipal school districts. The suburban municipalities are Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett,Lakeland, and Arlington. An opinion by AG Cooper on Tuesday had stated that no move not even the referenda planned by the suburbs for May 10 to get citizen sanction for the new school districts could be taken until the currently planned August 2013 merger date for Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools. http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2012/03/20/gop-leadership-bill-would-shortcut-school-waitfor-suburbs

Former Judge Kilcrease passes away (Nashville Post)

Former Davidson County Chancellor Irvin Kilcrease Jr., the first African American to head up a chancery court in Tennessee, died Monday night. He was 80. Kilcrease was named by Gov. Lamar Alexander to the bench in 1980, 18 years after becoming one of the first African Americans to be admitted at the third try to the Nashville School of Law. During his time as chancellor, he heard a number of notable cases, including a dispute between PaineW ebber and Morgan Stanley and one fighting the planned renaming by Vanderbilt University of Confederate Memorial Hall. He retired in 2003 and was succeeded by Claudia Bonnyman. Mayor Karl Dean paid tribute to Kilcrease pictured here at his swearing in Tuesday afternoon, calling him "a trailblazer and a true public servant." "I am deeply saddened by Judge Kilcrease's passing," Dean said. "Judge Kilcrease was consistently fair and tough minded. On behalf of the entire city, I offer my deepest condolences to Judge Kilcrease's wife, Kathleen, and their son, Hugh, and other family and friends and thank them for sharing the life and talents of Irvin Kilcrease with us all." http://nashvillepost.com/news/2012/3/20/former_judge_kilcrease_passes_away 5

Kilcrease Jr., state's first black chancellor, was known for perseverance (TN/Gang)
Irvin H. Kilcrease Jr., who became Tennessees first African-American chancery court judge and went on to handle a host of notable cases during his more than two decades on the bench, died Monday night. He was 80. Mr. Kilcreases son, Irvin H. Kilcrease III, said his father had been in declining health for about a year. The former Davidson County chancellor had been in hospice care, his son said. Mayor Karl Dean called Mr. Kilcrease a trailblazer and a true public servant. While serving as the states first African-American chancellor for 23 years, Judge Kilcrease was consistently fair and tough minded, Dean said in a statement. Dean had cases before Mr. Kilcrease when he served as Metro Nashville director of law before being elected mayor. Mr. Kilcrease was appointed to the bench in 1980 by then-Gov. Lamar Alexander and served until his retirement in September 2003. He previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Nashville and worked in private practice and as a public defender, his son said. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120321/NEWS01/303210101/Irvin-Kilcrease-Jr-state-s-first-blackchancellor-known-perseverance?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Senate Votes to Replace No Child Left Behind Provisions (TN Report)

Tennessee Senators overwhelmingly approved legislation that officially gives No Child Left Behind the boot and gives teachers more leverage to banish unruly students to the principals office. Sen. Delores Gresham, the chambers Education Committee chairwoman, sponsored both measures which passed with little debate saying the proposals support teachers. In other words, Mr. Speaker, one size does not fit all, Gresham said on the Senate floor moments before the chamber voted 32-0, with one member abstaining, to replace student performance standards under No Child Left Behind. The new guidelines would divide schools into priority, focus and reward categories. SB2208 officially embraces a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education exempting Tennessee and nine other states from NCLB standards she called unreasonably high proficiency targets. The new guidelines are ambitious but achievable goals, said the Somerville Republican. The provisions would reward schools meeting achievement goals and closing the gap between at-risk students and their peers by giving them more financial flexibility and ability to maintain school improvement plans. http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/03/19/senate-votes-to-replace-no-child-left-behind-provisions/

Senate to vote on closing teacher evaluation data (Associated Press)

A bill to close public access to teacher evaluation data is headed for a full Senate vote. The Senate State and Local Government Committee voted 7-0 on Tuesday to advance the bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Jim Tracy of Shelbyville. Tracy said access to the data should be limited to school officials and not available to the general public. In the senator's words: "Evaluations are supposed to be used as a tool to help teachers, it's not going to be used for anything other than that." Under recent changes to state law, half of teachers' assessments must derive from testing data, while the rest comes from classroom observations. The companion bill was awaiting a vote in the House State and Local Government Committee on Wednesday. http://www.tennessean.com/usatoday/article/38849851?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

TN lawmakers move to cloak teacher ratings (Tennessean/Hubbard)

Tennessee lawmakers want to close the door on teacher performance to parents and the media, keeping all aspects of educators new evaluations confidential. A new measure is drawing praise from the states largest teachers union and disappointment among some observers. In a time of massive education reform, opponents say, parents and the public should get to see how its working. The Senate State and Local Government Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to advance SB1447, sponsored by Sen. Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville. The bill will be heard in a House subcommittee today. The vote came as a surprise to many. An amendment to keep teachers scores confidential was tacked onto a bill that would have done the same for licensure tests administered by the state Department of Commerce and Insurance. We knew nothing about it no advance warning that it was coming, said Frank Gibson, public policy director for the Tennessee Press Association. W e have basically a revamped and reformed education model, and to close records that might help the public particularly help parents of schoolkids find out how well that is working is tragic. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120321/NEWS0201/303210103/TN-lawmakers-move-cloak-teacherratings?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Jail alone won't cure batterers, critics say (Tennessean/Haas)

Haslam bill requires time for repeat offenders in TN Ashlee McGrann wishes she had known her now-exboyfriend had prior convictions for domestic violence. But most of all, she wants to know why jail time didnt stop him from assaulting a new victim her. I got a front tooth knocked out. It changes everything about how I feel about myself, said McGrann, 31, of Nashville. Its an emotional thing, its a physical thing. Its a pain that I have to deal with it and it affects everyone around me. The suspect, Zachary Ryan, has been convicted twice of domestic assault and once for violating an order of protection in Davidson County, but never required to take batterers intervention courses, according to court records. On March 9, he was arrested on a third charge after police say he punched McGrann in the eye and elbowed her in the mouth. Ryan, 34, is the type of offender Gov. Bill Haslam is trying to stop from repeatedly victimizing women. Included in Haslams public safety plan unveiled earlier this year are mandatory minimum jail sentences for repeat offenders. But domestic violence experts worry that mandatory jail time without treatment isnt enough. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120321/NEWS03/303210111/Jail-alone-won-t-cure-batterers-critics-say? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Guns in parking lots bill sponsor plans to amend it (Associated Press/Johnson)

The Republican sponsor of a proposal that would let workers store firearms in vehicles parked on their employers lots said Tuesday that he has listened to GOP leaders and plans to amend the legislation so that its not so broad. Sen. Mike Faulk of Kingsport decided to delay the measure a week in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The companion bill is awaiting a vote in a House subcommittee. Currently, the measure would apply to any legally owned firearm regardless of whether the owner had a state-issued handgun carry permit. It also would apply to any private or public parking lot, meaning guns could be stored at schools or colleges. Representatives from the state attorney generals office told the panel on Tuesday that the current proposal is constitutionally defensible. Faulk said the new proposal will apply only to people with handgun carry permits and also will contain exceptions suggested by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam and the GOP legislative leadership. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120321/NEWS0201/303210117/Guns-parking-lots-bill-sponsor-plansamend-it?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Tennessee abortion opponent seeks bill changes (Times Free-Press/Sher)

The General Assembly's only physician member, an anti-abortion Republican, says he expects a controversial abortion bill scheduled today for a House committee vote will undergo major changes or he won't support the measure. Rep. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, said he understands the bill, sponsored by Rep. Matthew Hill, RJonesborough, will change substantially. That includes eliminating a bill provision requiring the state Department of Health to list online the names of doctors who perform abortions in Tennessee. "We're going to change that and take it out because we don't want to target doctors," Hensley said Tuesday. "We don't want to ... have any kind of violence against them. I don't agree with doctors doing abortions, but certainly we don't need to make that public so that they're in danger." He noted that many physicians, including obstetricians, could wind up on the list because of procedures used to treat women who have had a miscarriage. The Tennessee Medical Association, which represents doctors, also opposes the naming of providers of abortion services. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/mar/21/abortion-opponent-seeks-bill-changes/

Lawmakers Asking Once More: W hos Native American? (WPLN-Radio Nashville)

State lawmakers today found themselves asked to determine exactly who should be considered Native American. Supporters of three remnant tribes say federal dollars and cultural identity are at stake. Kingsport Republican Tony Shipley wants the state to recognize three remnant tribes as official Native Americans. He calls it a civil-rights issue. But Julie Reed, a history professor at the University of Tennessee and a member of the Cherokee Nation argues otherwise. Reed says those groups ancestors abandoned their tribes two centuries ago, to avoid walking the trail of tears. and the people who remained behind in states, who had not made special arrangements as the state of North Carolina did with those Cherokees who remained behind, they became citizens of those states, if they chose to abandon their communities. Some two years ago the state commission of Indian Affairs was shut down, at least partly because of continued controversy over who could claim status as an American Indian. http://wpln.org/?p=35288 7

Bill would encourage horse slaughterhouses in Tennessee (M. Biz Journal)

A bill currently working through the Tennessee Legislature would encourage horse slaughterhouses and processing plants to locate in Tennessee The bill's House sponsor, Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden, said the facilities would create jobs and be more humane for horses, The Commercial Appeal reports. Horses set for slaughter currently are sent to plants in Canada and Mexico Opponents say such facilities have a history of animal cruelty and can hurt property values. Senate Bill 3461 is up for review today in the Senate Commerce, Labor & Agriculture Committee. The House bill has won committee approvals, but debate on the floor has been postponed until April 9. http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/morning_call/2012/03/bill-would-encourage-horse.html

Legislator giving up chairmanship of committee (Associated Press)

State Rep. David Hawk, facing a charge of domestic violence, is relinquishing the chairmanship of the House Conservation and Environment Committee. He said in a statement released Tuesday night that he needs to focus on proving his innocence. Hawk, a Greeneville Republican, is accused of striking his wife in the face and knocking her to the ground during an altercation at their home early Sunday. He has said she had a gun and threatened to shoot him while he held their 11-month-old daughter. His statement Tuesday said his dedication continues to be caring for his family and serving his constituents. He is free on $500 bond on the misdemeanor charge. http://www.tennessean.com/usatoday/article/38853589?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Shipley upset over nursing board bill being sent back to committee (Times-News)
State Rep. Tony Shipley admits hes aggravated over what has happened involving a bill to extend the Tennessee Board of Nursing. The House sent Shipleys legislative attempt to change the nursing board back to be considered today by the House Government Operations Committee, and hes not happy about it. Shipley, RKingsport, sought change amid a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation probe focused on whether he and state Rep. Dale Ford, R-Jonesborough, illegally pressured the Board of Nursing to reinstate three nurse practitioners it had previously suspended from practice. The nurse practitioners were reinstated in May 2011, and Davidson County District Attorney General Torry Johnson decided last January there was not enough evidence from the TBI probe to sustain criminal charges against the lawmakers. Shipley, a member of the House Government Operations Committee, said he negotiated for two years to revise the nursing board. The nursing board has five registered nurses, three licensed practical nurses, two advanced practice nurses and one member not in health care under current law. All are appointed by the governor. http://www.timesnews.net/article/9044028/shipley-upset-over-nursing-board-bill-being-sent-back-to-committee

Hot dog: Chinese hairless pooch, lawmaker evicted from courthouse (NS/Fowler)
Roane County Executive Ron W oody said he was leaving the courthouse last week when he noticed a tiny dog at the end of a leash in the hallway. "It's kind of an oddity to see an animal in the courthouse," he said. Woody said he told security personnel, "We need to get that dog out of the courthouse." It was only then, he said, that he looked at the person holding the leash. There stood state Rep. Julia Hurley, R-Lenoir City, with Pepper, an 11-pound, hairless breed of dog called a Chinese crested. An hour after she and Pepper were evicted, Hurley called him, Woody said, and indicated she was "a little upset" over the incident. "She thought it was inappropriate," he said. Hurley told reporters Pepper is an adopted service dog and she objected to what she described as the disrespectful treatment she received from courthouse security personnel. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/mar/21/hot-dog-chinese-hairless-pooch-state-lawmaker/

Greg Vital qualifies for Tennessee Senate bid (Times Free-Press/Carroll)

Chattanooga developer Greg Vital has qualified for the Republican primary in the state Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Andy Berke. Vital, the president of Independent Healthcare Properties in Collegedale, was OK'd to run after enough registered voters signed his nominating petition. The petition allows him to run in the 10th Senate District GOP primary in August. Redistricting this year made the 10th District more Republican with the addition of several GOP-heavy Hamilton County municipalities, including East Ridge, along with a large portion of Bradley County. All of Vital's nominating signatures came from Hamilton County. Vital, a 56-year-old Missionary Ridge resident, said the district's new look fits with his business background. "The newly drawn district provides a unique opportunity to form new partnerships and to continue the economic growth in Bradley 8

and Hamilton counties we've seen over the past few years," he said in a news release. "I've spent my business career creating jobs and working on efforts that preserve some of Tennessee's special places. I want to take these two passions and put them to work in the state Senate." http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/mar/21/greg-vital-qualifies-for-state-senate-bid/?local

County not ready to post biblical laws just yet (Daily News Journal)
Rutherford County may not be so quick to post a copy of the Ten Commandments on the courthouse wall again, even if state legislation allowing local governments to do so is approved. It would be wise, before we propose what we do, to review what weve been through, County Mayor Ernest Burgess said Wednesday, pointing out that Rutherford County was engaged in a legal battle over such a display from 2002 to 2006. The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill 93-0 Monday enabling local governments to display historical documents that commemorate Tennessee and U.S. history such as the Ten Commandments, Magna Carta, Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights and state Constitution. The bill goes next to the state Senate. If the legislation becomes law, Burgess said, the county would have to determine whether it has broad-ranging constitutional difficulties before taking any action. I support the philosophy of what theyre trying to do, said Burgess, a Republican, but he pointed out it is important to make sure it is constitutional at the state and federal level. http://www.dnj.com/article/20120321/NEWS05/303210033/County-not-ready-postbiblical-laws-just-yet-Legislature-working-bill-allow-Ten-Commandments-public-buildings?odyssey=tab|topnews| text|FRONTPAGE

Hamilton asks to dismiss its suit against Occupy (Associated Press)

Hamilton County officials are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit they filed against Occupy Chattanooga and nine individual protesters. The suit asked the court to declare that the county's policies for use of public properties and grounds were constitutional. It also asked the judge to order the protesters to pay court costs. The protesters asked that the case be dismissed, arguing that local governments are not allowed to use the federal courts for rulings on the validity of their ordinances. Although attorneys for the county disagreed, on Monday they filed to dismiss the suit. That motion stated that a change in circumstances made the lawsuit moot. It did not say what those circumstances were, but county authorities moved the Occupy encampment from the courthouse lawn to the sidewalk on Monday. In Nashville on Tuesday, police spokeswoman Kristin Mumford said that Occupy protester Christopher Humphrey was arrested for failure to appear in court for a trespassing charge unrelated to his protest activities. Humphrey has been challenging a new state law intended to evict protesters from their camp on War Memorial Plaza near the state Capitol by spending several nights there. The law prohibits camping on state property that is not specifically designated for it. http://www.tennessean.com/usatoday/article/38849793?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Occupy Nashville protester arrested on old charge (Tennessean/Sisk)

Occupy Nashville protester Chris Humphrey was arrested Tuesday morning on an outstanding warrant. Humphrey, the last overnight camper who had said his goal was to be arrested for flouting the states new nocamping law, was taken into custody by three Metro Police officers shortly after 11 a.m. Tuesday. The arrest was for failure to be booked on a trespassing charge from October. Humphrey, 24, has been one of Occupy Nashvilles most outspoken supporters. He was among the 49 protesters arrested in the fall for challenging a curfew imposed on War Memorial Plaza, and he stayed after most of the 50 tents left on the plaza were struck earlier this month. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120321/NEWS03/303210118/Occupy-Nashville-protester-arrested-oldcharge?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

City Council bypasses one-time tax hike; cuts budget, uses reserves (CA/Maki)
After months of tense debate about using a one-time tax assessment to balance the city's books, the City Council voted Tuesday to dip into the city's reserves and use cuts to cover a projected operating deficit. In approving the use of reserves and budget cuts, the council rebuffed Mayor A C Wharton's proposal for a onetime tax assessment to balance the budget and chastised the mayor for not following through on cost-cutting strategies approved last year. "I wasn't going to vote for a tax increase if the other reforms we agreed to weren't 9

implemented," said council member Kemp Conrad, whose plan to use reserves and budget cuts was approved 10-1 by the council. "Hopefully, this will put more pressure on us to do what we need to do next year." Conrad's proposal uses $10.2 million of the city's $81 million in reserves -- funds that were intended for a voluntary buyout program for city sanitation workers -- and $3.2 million in cuts to meet the deficit. Besides Conrad, council members Bill Boyd, Joe Brown, Harold Collins, Shea Flinn, Janis Fullilove, Lee Harris, Reid Hedgepeth, Bill Morrison and Jim Strickland voted for the proposal. Council member Wanda Halbert voted against it, while Edmund Ford Jr. did not vote. Council member Myron Lowery was not present. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/mar/20/memphis-city-council-sidesteps-tax-assessment-plan/ (SUB)

Council Rejects 18 Cent Property Tax Hike (Memphis Daily News)

Memphis City Council members voted Tuesday, March 20, to reject a one-time-only 18- cent property tax hike to mop up an estimated $13 million in red ink for the current fiscal year. Instead the council voted to use $10 million from the citys reserve fund and cut $3.2 million in the existing budget including money for a voluntary buyout program of some sanitation workers that the Wharton administration has yet to activate. The alternative crafted by council member Kemp Conrad rejected two other budget cuts suggested earlier in the day at City Hall by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. They were delaying the start of a police recruit class as well as payments of the citys obligation to fund OPEB Other Post Employment Benefits that covers part of the liability the city faces for future retirees. The council vote was 10-1 in favor of the resolution. Those voting for the alternative were Conrad, council chairman Bill Morrison, Bill Boyd, Joe Brown, Harold Collins, Shea Flinn, Janis Fullilove, Lee Harris, Reid Hedgepeth and Jim Strickland. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/mar/21/council-rejects-18-cent-property-tax-hike/

Scottie Mayfield holds fundraiser (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Carroll)

Six weeks into his congressional campaign, Scottie Mayfield said he couldn't identify a single issue where he differs from U.S Rep. Chuck Fleischmann -- the man he's trying to beat. "I haven't studied his voting record that close," Mayfield said in an interview Tuesday at a hometown fundraiser here. "I'm sure we will when we get a little bit deeper into that sort of thing, but I'm going to say not really." Mayfield and three other Republicans are challenging Fleischmann in the District 3 Congressional GOP primary. The well-known dairy executive said his leadership skills and business career would make him "a better representative" than Fleischmann. The lack of contrast didn't keep about 100 people from attending Tuesday evening's fundraiser at a supporter's sprawling home, where the Mayfield campaign estimated a $25,000 haul. Several donors said they didn't know of any major policy differences between Fleischmann and Mayfield, instead vouching for their candidate's personality and character. "Scottie's one of the few people I've ever met that have never lied, cheated or stolen, or even been unethical," said Danny Fisher, an adjunct business professor at Tennessee Wesleyan College. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/mar/21/mayfield-holds-fundraiser/?local

Fincher hosts education roundtable; teachers say deregulate (State Gazette)

Northwest Tennessee educators sent a message loud and clear to Congressman Stephen Fincher: deregulate education and allow the state to set education standards. They also had a message for state officials: Let us do our job. The messages were delivered during an education roundtable assembled by Fincher's office at the Dyersburg/Dyer County Chamber of Commerce on Thursday afternoon. The roundtable discussion was billed as an information-gathering session for Fincher as well as for State Sens. Dolores Gresham and Jim Tracy, who serve on the Senate Education Committee, and State Rep. Bill Sanderson. "Public education is the most important thing we do at the state level," said Tracy. "The last year or two has been a challenge but we've weathered the storm and we are going to make it." The challenges are exactly what Fincher wanted to hear about from the panel composed of: Tabitha Priest of Halls Elementary School, Brenda Eison and Malinda Hutcherson of Dyersburg Primary School, Sheila Lowrance of Dyer County Schools, Boone Barlow and Judy Hoover of Crockett County schools, and Ashley Jordan and Sarah Conley of Alamo City Schools. Also on the panel was Cliff Sturdivant of the Tennessee Department of Education. http://www.stategazette.com/story/1827566.html

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Suit over student Bible study fails (Associated Press/Loller)

A federal appeals court has ruled a Knoxville fourth-graders rights were not violated in a dispute over a Bible study group. The parents of Luke Whitson sued the Knox County Board of Education in 2005 because their child got the impression from another fourth grader that he could not participate in a student-led Bible study during recess, the Sixth Circuit panel states. Although there is some dispute over what Principal Cathy Summa said to students, once the controversy became the subject of news stories, the school board issued a press release in which Summa explained herself. That statement is quoted in the appeals courts Tuesday opinion. It reads, I indicated to the students and the parents that I did not feel that an organized activity of this type was appropriate during the school day. ...While we do not discourage students from reading at recess, I think that a daily planned activity that is stationary or physically static in nature defeats the real purpose of recess. The purpose is to give students an opportunity to have some physical activity during the school day. In subsequent media interviews, school officials said children were welcome to read their Bibles during free time, such as before and after school. According to testimony at the original trial, despite Summas directions, some children continued to study their Bibles at recess. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120321/NEWS03/303210125/Suit-over-student-Bible-study-fails? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

West Tenn. Bankruptcy Judge Retires (Memphis Daily News)

Everybody is having to do more with less these days including bankruptcy judges in one of the busiest areas of the country in terms of bankrupt debtors. U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge G. Harvey Boswell has announced his retirement effective July 8. Boswells court is in Jackson, Tenn., which is part of the W estern District of Tennessee, the same district that includes the bankruptcy courtrooms of Memphis. But because of a stalled bankruptcy judgeship bill Congress has yet to pass, it appears that Boswells position will lapse and will not be filled after his retirement. That means rather than the current five bankruptcy judges now splitting the caseload for West Tennessee (four who preside in Memphis in addition to Boswell in Jackson), the work would have to be split among the four Memphis judges after Boswell leaves. The bill in Congress, if passed, would provide funding that extends the tenure of 30 temporary bankruptcy judgeships around the country. The U.S. House of Representatives has already passed its version of the bill, but its languishing in the Senate, where senators havent yet agreed on how to pay for http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/mar/21/west-tennit. bankruptcy-judge-retires/

Abolishing capital punishment creates death row dilemma (Stateline)

Connecticut legislators are again debating whether to repeal the states death penalty, as they have off and on for the past seven years. Death penalty opponents continue to claim the punishment is too costly, too arbitrary, and racially biased; supporters insist it still deters crime. To attempt to win support from both sides, this years repeal bill comes with a caveat: The repeal would be prospective, meaning that all 11 inmates currently on death row would still be eligible for lethal injection even after execution is banned for future crimes. The change may be enough to get repeal past the legislature. With memories of a brutal 2007 home invasion murder in Cheshire, Connecticut, still fresh in the minds of many in the state, lawmakers are reluctant to pass any bill that would effectively commute the sentences of the Cheshire killers. The victims family members, along with others in the same situation, still want the execution the courts promised. Our ideal bill would be complete repeal, says Ben Jones, executive director of the Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty, but in reality its very difficult to get that sort of bill through. The Senate seems to be more comfortable with prospective repeal, and were supporting such a bill because at least it does move us in the right direction and severely limits the death penalty. http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=640260

TVA's sport fish study angles for data (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Sohn)
TVA went sport fishing Tuesday in Chickamauga Lake, and what fish experts netted was loads of data. With an electrofishing boat, teams of TVA fisheries biologists filled net after net with bass and crappie from Wolftever Creek during the utility's annual spring sportfish survey. This year's catch will be added to 10 years of data that tracks bass and crappie numbers by species, as well as by size and general health, according to TVA fisheries biologist John Justice. But the exercise is not just to tell ordinary anglers there are fish in water. "These fish are apex species. They're the top of the [aquatic] food chain, Justice said. "So if they're healthy, that gives you an indication of the water quality." TVA has been doing these surveys for decades on Tennessee River reservoirs 11

and tributaries. Now, up to 10 years of the data is posted on TVA's website for 31 bodies of water. Older surveys were taken in a different manner, and don't reflect an apples-to-apples comparison with numbers from the past decade, Justice said. In Chickamauga, fish numbers and sizes have been growing. But the percent of disease and parasites also is up. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/mar/21/angling-for-data/?local

Report underscores seismic concerns at key Y-12 facility (News-Sentinel/Munger)

A new government report underscores a long-held concern that a severe earthquake could essentially destroy Y12's 9212 complex, a 60-year-old facility where bomb-grade uranium is processed in various forms. The review evaluated the Oak Ridge site's preparedness for dealing with "severe natural phenomena events," and the independent team from the Department of Energy's Office of Health, Safety and Security looked at key Y-12 facilities, particularly Building 9212 and the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility. The HEUMF, a highsecurity storage facility for the nation's primary stockpile of weapons-usable uranium, was constructed in recent years at a cost of $549 million. Inspectors said it was capable of withstanding pretty much any natural event. The biggest concerns, however, were about 9212, where seismic issues have been studied for decades. The old facility dates back to the World W ar II Manhattan Project, and there are plans to replace it around 2021 with a new multibillion-dollar Uranium Processing Facility. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/mar/21/report-underscores-seismic-concerns-at-key-y-12/

Audit finds TVA coal purchases done properly (Knoxville News-Sentinel/Marcum)

The TVA Office of the Inspector General reported recently that it found no irregularities in a two-year audit of TVA coal purchasing transactions. The IG looked at TVA Coal Quality Adjustment Reports for fiscal years 20082010 for accuracy and compliance with contract specifications. The coal reports are to document that TVA received the proper quality of coal that it paid for under contracts. Out of 642 reports during the two-year period, the inspector general looked at 18 of them, totaling about $24.6 million and representing all such transactions over $1 million. It also audited reports on 35 smaller contracts totaling $16.3 million. The IG found all the reports were calculated accurately and in accordance with contract terms. The report contrasts with other IG reports in which inspectors have found that TVA has been overbilled by a vendor or that proper procedures were not followed. Stephen Smith, executive director of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, said his group used to consider the IG to be a weak agency, but now Smith said he believes the office has generally done a good job of holding TVA accountable. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/mar/21/audit-finds-tva-coal-purchases-done-properly/

HCA on track for $3M tax break for new Antioch data center (City Paper/Garrison)
Hospital Corporation of America, the nations largest private health care provider, is close to landing a $3 million property tax break from Metro for building a new $200 million data center in Antioch. The Metro Council, after no deliberation, gave preliminary approval Tuesday to hand HCA a 60 percent property tax abatement on real and personal property taxes over seven years to accommodate a new Antioch data center at The Crossings on Old Franklin Road. The incentive, which Mayor Karl Deans administration engineered, is set for final approval in April. Nashville-based HCA operates four technology and data centers in Tennessee, two that are in Davidson County. The tax break is meant as a carrot for a planned 76,000-square-foot regional data center on 55 Antioch acres. Its first phase could be completed by 2013, with HCA executives eying a final phase in 2017. Matt Wiltshire, director of the mayors Office of Community and Development, called HCAs Antioch-area data center an important investment in one of Nashvilles most important industries. HCA and Metro officials say the project will create 155 new fulltime jobs. The ordinance outlines various performance milestones that HCA must meet each year to continue receiving the abatement, according to the councils legal analysis. These millstones include creating 50 jobs by the end of 2013; 80 by 2014; 110 by 2015; 140 by 2016; and 155 by 2017. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/hca-track-3m-tax-break-new-antioch-data-center

TN gets jobs after gambling law shift (Tennessean/Marsteller)

A little-noticed change in the states gambling laws will result in more jobs moving to Middle Tennessee. Video Gaming Technologies Inc. plans to close a facility in Ruckersville, Va., and relocate some of its workers to the companys headquarters in Brentwood later this year. The move will affect 218 jobs, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Act notice the company filed with the Virginia Workforce Network. During a 12

conference call with Virginia reporters Tuesday, a Video Gaming executive said those employees will be asked to relocate to Brentwood or other facilities in Reno, Nev., and Tulsa, Okla., the Charlottesville Daily Progress reported on its website. W ere hoping the majority will make the move with us, said Doug Edwards, the companys chief administrative officer, according to the newspaper. Edwards told The Tennessean that the company was not at a point to release anything but planned to issue a statement in the coming days. Video Gaming manufactures gaming machines for lease to casinos. Although Jon Yarbrough founded the private company in Tennessee, he had to outsource engineering and manufacturing operations elsewhere because they were illegal under the states anti-gambling law. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120321/BUSINESS01/303210108/TN-gets-jobs-after-gambling-law-shift? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

Columbia Coca-Cola plant site closes (Columbia Daily Herald)

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated of Columbia, located at 1516 Nashville Highway, has shut down production and the building that once housed the facility is up for sale, officials said. President of the Maury County Chamber and Economic Alliance Brandom Gengelbach said production at the facility was stopped a few months ago and the building was officially put on the market a few days ago. We have not been made aware of any jobs losses associated with the Coca-Cola distribution center in Columbia, Gengelbach said. To the best of our knowledge, it was a consolidation of a distribution center in Columbia with another facility in Middle Tennessee. The building was added it to the chambers list of available facilities, and Gengelbach said he does not anticipate the building to remain vacant for an extended period of time. http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/sections/news/local/columbia-coca-cola-plant-site-closes.html

Lenoir City school system curtailing prayers at public meetings (NS/Willett)

The Lenoir City School Board has ceased opening its meetings with a prayer in a response to secular organizations who allege that prayer at board meetings and other school functions violates the Constitution. The school also has decided it no longer will allow prayer before football games, Superintendent Wayne Miller said. No decision has been made regarding other complaints raised in letters from the organizations, which include Americans United, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Appignani Humanist Legal Center. Long-term decisions on the matter will be made with advice from the school district's legal counsel, Miller said. "We sent the letters to our attorney. I'm waiting to hear his response," Miller said. Chuck Cagle is the attorney for Lenoir City Schools. He did not return calls. If Lenoir City officially discontinues prayer at school board meetings it could have repercussions for the Loudon County School Board, which also has a history of opening school board meetings with prayers. Loudon County school board chairman Scott Newman said the district is closely following what Lenoir City is doing. Gregory Lipper, senior litigation counsel for Americans United, a civil liberties organization based in Washington D.C., requested Lenoir City Schools take several steps to ensure what he considered compliance with the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/mar/21/lenoir-city-school-system-curtailing-prayers-at/

School board considers new state rules for improvement (Leaf Chronicle)
During a Tuesday night school board meeting, school system officials gave the states No Child Left Behind waiver tentative praise, saying it offered a more realistic plan for improving students achievement within the district. Im not sure ... how its going to play out, but I do think its probably better than what we had before, Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools Director Mike Harris said in an interview before the meeting. Although the impact of the waivers implementation is forthcoming, Harris said the rules that will govern that implementation in Tennessee are pretty much set in concrete now. The new state guidelines push each district to improve on nine data points, including third grade math and reading, from year to year. Most of the data points will be culled from state testing, but high school subject tests in algebra and English and graduation rates will also be considered. Unlike No Child Left Behind, the waiver will measure achievement against each districts numbers from the previous year, rather than requiring every district to reach the same level in a brief time frame. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120321/NEWS/303200058/School-board-considers-new-state-rulesimprovement

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OPINION Editorial: Evolution 'debate' bill is religion, poorly disguised (Tennessean)

Natural selection, mutation, speciation, the empirical bases of evolution are in dispute, and the Tennessee legislature thinks it can help, again. Stop trying to help define our curriculum. Let the Tennessee State Board of Education, whose job it is to evaluate and set the state school curriculum, do their job. The Tennessee government has set a responsible path for school and student achievement improvement in recent years. Some good examples of their leadership are winning Race to the Top federal challenge funding, obtaining a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act, thereby allowing better state and local accountability, and forming the Achievement School District to help our most challenged schools. Does anybody think that Senate Bill 0893, as amended, is really about making our children smarter, more intelligent and better critical thinkers? No, not on any side of this argument. This bill is about wedging open a door to include a radically divisive, ultra-conservative Christian agenda disguised in politically correct language. Is this bill intended to help teachers deal with students concern that what they are being taught about evolution in school is not what they are being taught about evolution in Sunday school, asked Sen. Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City, of the bills sponsor, Sen. Bo Watson, RHixson. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120321/OPINION01/303210097/Evolution-debate-bill-religion-poorlydisguised?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Times Editorial: Evolution and education (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)

Evolution and the teaching of it in Tennessees public schools is a topic that will never die. At least, it seems that way. The latest proof is a Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, that would protect teachers who allow students to critique scientific theories in classroom discussion. On the surface that sounds prudent; careful study of the bill, however, shows that it would subvert science education and the principles that support it. The bill, nevertheless, won Senate approval on a 24-8 vote Monday. It now goes to the House, where a different version of the legislation was approved last year. The language in the House and Senate version of the bill differs significantly. Watson amended his version in an effort to placate the scientific community, which viewed the House bill passed last year as de facto approval of teaching any non-scientific, nonconventional theories in the scientific classroom. The scientists were correct then, and they are right now. Watsons bill panders to those who favor pseudo-science i.e., intelligent design and creation science over established science based on decades of research. Those non-conventional approaches include alternatives and challenges to theories such as evolution and global warming. Never mind that almost every scientist and educator now agree that the evidence for evolution and global warming is overwhelming. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/mar/21/evolution-and-education/?opiniontimes

Editorial: No need to hide teacher performance information (Jackson Sun)

We understand the sensitive nature of teacher evaluation data that lies behind legislative efforts to close such information to the public. Should the data be restricted, it would be an unprecedented closure of public information. Public employee records have traditionally been open, because public employees are paid with taxpayer dollars, and taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent. If anything, the public deserves even more information about its public school teachers, including access to Tennessee Value Added Assessment scores for teachers. A bill to close public access to teacher evaluation data passed the Senate State and Local Government Committee 7-0 on Tuesday. It now heads to the full Senate. The house version of the bill is in the House State and Local Government Committee. Certain personal information about teachers, such as Social Security numbers, already is protected. But job performance information is relevant to the publics best interest, and should remain open. The emphasis being placed on improving public education in Tennessee demands that teacher performance data be public so it can be used to help the public understand why their 14

schools are, or are not, improving. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120321/OPINION/303210002/Our-View-No-need-hide-teacherperformance-information

Gail Kerr: Abortion list has only one goal: to intimidate (Tennessean)
Tennessee lawmakers are trying to intimidate doctors who perform legal abortions. Period. If it passes, legislators figure doctors will hesitate to perform abortions out of fear that fanatical fruitcakes bent on violence will target them. What they are pushing is a bad bill that would require an online listing of the names of physicians any time they perform a legal abortion. The lists also would include enough detail about patients that, in a small town, any nosy Nellie could make a good guess about who got an abortion. Like it or not, abortions are legal. This proposed law is nothing more than an end run around that. Right now, the Tennessee Department of Health has a form that must be filled out when an abortion is performed. It includes the doctor and clinic name, city, county, age and lots of other demographic details about the patient. The reports are not public record. The department compiles the information into an annual statistical report by region. There are no details about specific cases released. There is no list of physicians and no way to glean the identity of the woman. The horrifically named Life Defense Act of 2012 drastically changes that. Sponsored by Rep. Matthew Hill, RJonesborough, at the urging of a state right to life group, it requires the individual forms be made public, not just the statistical summary http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120321/COLUMNIST0101/303210099/Gail-Kerr-Abortion-list-has-only-onegoal-intimidate?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

Free-Press Editorial: A sadly necessary defense of First Amendment liberty (TFP)

It is not especially surprising that the Tennessee House of Representatives voted 93-0 for a measure that would let public buildings post historically significant documents such as the Ten Commandments and the Declaration of Independence. What is troubling is that such a measure should be necessary in the first place. Decades of activist court rulings against the free, voluntary religious expression guaranteed by the First Amendment have created the unfortunate misconception among too many Americans that such expression must somehow be confined to churches or homes. The First Amendment envisioned a far more robust protection for religious speech including in the public square saying that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech ... . It is irrational to suggest that a citys or countys posting of the historically vital Ten Commandments which visitors may read or ignore amounts to an establishment of religion. And any claim that religious faith had little or no bearing on the founding and history of our country demonstrates a lack of historical knowledge on the part of the person making that claim. (By the strict secular rules some seem to want, even the Declaration of Independence might not be posted in public buildings because it refers to God.) http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/mar/21/sadlynecessary-defense-first-amendment-liberty/?opinionfreepress

Clay Bennett Political Cartoon: Reasonable Suspicion (Times Free-Press)

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Free-Press Editorial: W elcome removal of tents from Occupy Chatt. site (TFP)
After so-called Occupy Chattanooga protests did costly damage to the lawn of the Hamilton County Courthouse over a period of more than four months, the county finally had more than a dozen protesters tents and belongings removed Monday to a nearby sidewalk. It was overdue. Grass has been damaged on the lawn, which was never intended as a campground. Mud has taken the place of the grass in some areas. Youre probably talking about in the thousands-of-dollars range to redo it all and get it back like it used to be, Commissioner Chester Bankston told the Free Press editorial page in January. Occupy protesters around the country portray their removal as a violation of First Amendment rights. But the First Amendment has never been an absolute right. Reasonable time, place and manner restrictions have routinely been placed on the right to assemble. There is nothing reasonable about commandeering public space through occupation. If anything, the county was amazingly patient through the tiresome, extended encampment on the courthouse lawn. Many other cities around the country evicted their Occupy protesters from public property far sooner. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/mar/21/welcome-removal-tents-occupy-chattanooga-site-cour/? 15

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