WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012 Whirlpool opening new plant in East Tenn.

(Associated Press)
Appliance maker Whirlpool is opening its new manufacturing plant in East Tennessee, replacing a 123-year-old facility. The $200 million project adds about 130 jobs to the Whirlpool workforce of 1,500 people in Cleveland, Tenn. U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson is expected to join Whirlpool Corp. Chairman and CEO Jeff M. Fettig at the grand opening ceremony Tuesday. The facility of about a million square feet manufactures premium cooking products. There is also a separate 400,000-square-foot distribution center at the plant. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/10/whirlpool-opening-new-plant-in-east-tenn/

GERDAU Awarded $25,000 (W NWS-Radio)

Governor Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development Commissioner Karla Davis have awarded $25,000 to Gerdau in Jackson. If Tennessee is going to become the number one location in the Southeast for high-quality jobs, then we must offer a well-trained workforce to employers, said Governor Haslam. This kind of training grant not only helps educate workers, but also provides incentive to employers looking to relocate or expand in Tennessee. Both job creation and retention are vital in maintaining a healthy economy in Tennessee, and the Incumbent Worker Training program has played a key role in accomplishing this, said Commissioner Davis. Since the programs inception, Incumbent Worker Training grants have assisted more than 600 businesses by providing $14 million to train approximately 50,000 employees. http://www.wnws.com/news/16954-gerdau-awarded-25-000

Tenn. bill on evolution and teaching to become law (Associated Press/Johnson)

Tennesee's Republican governor says he will let a bill become law effective April 20 that protects teachers who allow students in their classrooms to criticize evolution and other scientific theories, such as global warming. Gov. Bill Haslam had said previously he would probably sign the bill. On Tuesday, he disclosed he would let the law take effect without his signature, saying he believes the legislation doesn't change scientific standards currently taught in Tennessee's public schools. Tennessee was the state where the nation's first big legal battle over evolution was fought nearly 90 years ago. Supporters say the legislation is intended to help students think critically. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/04/10/tenn_governor_lets_evolution_bill_go_into_effect/

Gov. Haslam allows evolution bill to become TN law (Tennessean/Sisk)

Despite saying it will create confusion, Haslam doesn't veto it A bill that encourages classroom debate over evolution will become law in Tennessee, despite a veto campaign mounted by scientists and civil libertarians who say it will reopen a decades-old controversy over teaching creationism to the states schoolchildren. Gov. Bill Haslam said Tuesday that he will allow House Bill 368/Senate Bill 893 to become law without his signature, a symbolic move that signals his opposition but allows the measure to be added to the state code. The bill will create confusion over the states science curriculum, Haslam said. But he also acknowledged that he lacks the votes to prevent the measure from becoming state law. The bill received strong bipartisan support, passing the House and Senate by a 3-to-1 margin, he said, but good legislation should bring clarity and not confusion. My concern is that this bill has not met this objective. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120411/NEWS0201/304110094/Gov-Haslam-allows-evolution-bill-becomeTN-law?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Haslam doesn't sign evolution bill, but it's still law (Times Free-Press/Sher)

A controversial bill protecting teachers' classroom discussions of "weaknesses" in evolution and other scientific theories became Tennessee law Tuesday without the signature of Gov. Bill Haslam. Haslam, a Republican, said that while he doesn't think the bill changes scientific standards or the state's educational curriculum, he also believes "good legislation should bring clarity and not confusion." "My concern is that this bill has not met this objective," Haslam said in his statement. "For that reason, I will not sign the bill but will allow it to become law without my signature." Haslam had previously said he "probably" would sign the legislation, sponsored in the Senate by Speaker Pro Tempore Bo Watson, R-Hixson. The legislation passed the Republican-controlled House and Senate by better than two-thirds margins with a number of Democrats backing it. Instead, under mounting criticism from Tennessee-based scientists as well as the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a 3,200-signature petition urging him to veto the measure, he opted to let the bill become law without his signature.http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/11/haslam-doesnt-sign-evolution-bill-but-its/?local

Haslam Wont Autograph Evolution Bill (TN Report)

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today issued the following statement on HB 368/SB 893: I have reviewed the final language of HB 368/SB 893 and assessed the legislations impact. I have also evaluated the concerns that have been raised by the bill. I do not believe that this legislation changes the scientific standards that are taught in our schools or the curriculum that is used by our teachers. However, I also dont believe that it accomplishes anything that isnt already acceptable in our schools. The bill received strong bipartisan support, passing the House and Senate by a three-to-one margin, but good legislation should bring clarity and not confusion. My concern is that this bill has not met this objective. For that reason, I will not sign the bill but will allow it to become law without my signature. http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/04/10/haslam-withholds-signature-on-evolutionbill/

Tennessee evolution bill becomes law without governor's signature (CA/Roberts)

The evolution bill became law without Gov. Bill Haslam's signature Tuesday, making Tennessee one of two states in the nation where teachers are free to point out flaws in current scientific thought on evolution, global warming and other accepted theories. The other is Louisiana. The issue has created plenty of heat for Tennessee with news coverage around the U.S. and Canada and a host of editorials asking Haslam to veto. In a short statement Tuesday afternoon, Haslam said that while he did not see that the bill would change the "scientific standards" taught in Tennessee schools, he also didn't see it accomplishing "anything that isn't already acceptable in our schools." He noted that while the bill passed with a three-to-one margin in the House and Senate, "good legislation should bring clarity and not confusion." "My concern is that this bill has not met this objective. For that reason, I will not sign the bill, but will allow it to become law without my signature." http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/apr/10/tennessee-evolution-bill-becomes-law-without-gover/ (SUB)

Creationism bill becomes Tenn. law (Politico)

Tennessee will now allow the discussion of creationism theory in its classrooms. The controversial legislation known as the Monkey Bill by those who said it attacked teaching evolution became law on Tuesday without Gov. Bill Haslams signature, Reuters reported. The Republican Gov. said he allowed the legislation encouraging classroom debate about evolution to become law despite his misgivings because he thinks it will not significantly impact the states science curriculum. I do not believe that this legislation changes the scientific standards that are taught in our schools or the curriculum that is used by our teachers, Haslam said in a statement. However, I also dont believe that it accomplishes anything that isnt already acceptable in our schools. The bill received strong bipartisan support, passing the House and Senate by a three-to-one margin, but good legislation should bring clarity and not confusion. My concern is that this bill has not met this objective. For that reason, I will not sign the bill but will allow it to become law without my signature, he added. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/75014.html#ixzz1rjEcHVqR

Tennessee enacts evolution, climate change measure (Tribune)

Tennessee enacted a law Tuesday that critics contend allows public school teachers to challenge climate change and evolution in their classrooms without fear of sanction. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam allowed the controversial measure to become law without his signature and, in a statement, expressed misgivings about it. Nevertheless, he ignored pleas from educators, parents and civil libertarians to veto the bill. The law does not require the teaching of alternatives to scientific theories of evolution, climate change and "the chemical origins of 2

life." Instead, it aims to prevent school administrators from reining in teachers who expound on alternative hypotheses to those topics. The measure's primary sponsor, Republican state Sen. Bo Watson, said it was meant to give teachers the clarity and security to discuss alternative ideas to evolution and climate change that students may have picked up at home and want to explore in class. "I am glad that the governor recognized that this bill does not do all of the things that its critics have alleged," Watson said Tuesday. "It does not change the state's science curriculum and it does not change how science is taught. Both of those assertions are red herrings." http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/11/4405043/tennessee-enacts-evolution-climate.html#storylink=cpy

Watson not upset by Haslam move on evolution bill (Times Free-Press/Sher)

Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Bo Watson, R-Hixson, says he is not upset with Gov. Bill Haslams refusal today to sign into law a controversial Watson bill that protects teachers who help students understand strengths and weaknesses of evolution and other scientific theories. Haslam, a fellow Republican, allowed the legislation today to become law without his signature, saying good legislation should bring clarity and not confusion. Watson said the confusion comes from the opponents of the bill, who have mischaracterized a lot of what the law would actually do. And look, the bill wasnt part of the governors education package, so I can see where the governor would look at this legislation and say, Look, this isnt my idea. This is the legislatures idea. While scientists and other critics say the legislation is a backdoor attack on well-established science, Watson said he hopes it will lead to more student interest in science. One of the things about science is we cant get enough students to go into and enjoy science, said Watson, who has a bachelors degree in biology. http://timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/10/watson-not-upset-haslam-move-evolution-bill/?breakingnews

Anderson Co. man charged with TennCare fraud (WVLT-TV Knoxville)

An Anderson Co. man was charged with TennCare fraud after allegedly using his son's benefits to pay for a prescription for the addictive painkiller Percocet in Knox Co., according to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The OIG said Anthony Eugene Morgan, 44, was charged following a joint investigation with the Knox Co. Sheriff's Office. If convicted, the Clinton man, could face up to a two-year sentence. Local police as well as medical providers are clearly committed to eliminating prescription drug abuse, Inspector General Deborah Faulkner said. We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute anyone from attempts to abuse the TennCare program. The OIG added since it began full operations in February 2005, it has investigated cases that have led to over $3.5 million paid in restitution and recoupment, helping the agency save over $173 million. http://www.volunteertv.com/home/headlines/Anderson_Co_man_charged_with_TennCare_fraud_146895995.ht ml

Law Enforcement Gets Better Data, More Questions on Pseudoephedrine (W PLN)

After the first three months of a new electronic tracking system, pharmacies in Tennessee say theyve stopped the sale of about 15,000 products containing pseudoephedrine.Its a common ingredient in cold medicine and the key ingredient in methamphetamine. Drug stores have had to log sales of pseudoephedrine for years, in the hopes of identifying repeat buyers who use it for meth production. But the new system collects data from all of the states pharmacies, in real time. That 15,000 figure comes out of more than half a million pseudoephedrine products sold in the state. W hile the new data is useful, theres not a enough to really know if the tracking system is having an effect on meth production. Tommy Farmer leads the states Meth Taskforce. We have to look at the total amount of sales, how does that compare, what percent of those were blocked. And then we need to apply that to take a look at our lab seizures actually reduced. Is our meth problem or our meth lab problem reducing? http://wpln.org/?p=35818

Dual enrollment soars at Cleveland State (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Trevizo)

Aleksandr Migovich has completed Calculus I, II, III and Differential Equations at Cleveland State Community College -- basically his math requirements for an engineering degree. And he hasn't even finished high school. In his junior year, Migo-vich, 17, said he was pushed by his sister, who is graduating with an electrical engineering degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, to take advantage of dual enrollment -- a program in which high school students can earn college credits. "The college work is a bit more demanding but the high school has been very understanding," said the Cleveland High School senior who was born in Ukraine and moved to Cleveland, Tenn., with his family 12 years ago. Dual enrollment at Cleveland State has quadrupled in the last decade, from 122 students in 2003 to more than 500 this spring, according to Jason Sewell, Cleveland 3

State director of student relations. "I don't know what pushed the college to start it, other than it's a win-win for the student," said Sewell. "It helps them move along and save money because tuition continues to go up." A three-hour class at Cleveland State costs $457.50, but students can get up to $300 per class (with a two-class limit) from the state's Dual Enrollment Lottery Grant. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/11/dual-enrollment-soars-at-cleveland-state/?local

Volkswagen eyes Mexico for Audi factory, state official says (TFP/Pare)
Tennessee's economic development chief said Tuesday he isn't surprised by reports that Audi plans to bypass Chattanooga and build its first North American plant in Mexico. "Mexico is what we've heard. We haven't verified it yet," said Bill Hagerty, commissioner of the state Department of Economic and Community Development. "We want to see it here." German magazine Der Spiegel reported recently, citing no named sources, that Audi has won the backing from parent Volkswagen to build the new plant in Mexico. Hagerty, in an interview after the ribbon-cutting of Whirlpool Corp.'s new $200 million plant in Cleveland, Tenn., said a trade issue has hurt the state's chances to land the assembly plant by Audi, whose parent is Volkswagen AG. Mexico is exempt from import duties and VW can avoid the 10 percent duty levied on cars built in the United States and shipped to Europe, a top VW official told Automotive News earlier this year. Trade among Mexico, Europe and the Mercosur trading bloc (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay) is duty-free, the official said. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/11/vw-eyes-mexico-for-audi-factory-state-official/?local

State development authority gets 1st female member (Associated Press)

The Tennessee Local Development Authority has its first female board member. According to a news release from the Tennessee secretary of state, Brentwood City Commissioner Elizabeth Crossley has been appointed to the panel by House Speaker Beth Harwell. The Tennessee Local Development Authority provides loans to local governments to pay for capital improvements such as water and sewer projects and pollution control facilities. Crossley is a former mayor of Brentwood with a long history of involvement in civic affairs. She also serves on the state's Waste Water Financing Board. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/11/state-development-authority-gets-1st-female/

McCormick: Haslam will make Tenn. Regulatory Authority 'less political' (TFP/Sher)
House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, said Tuesday that the Haslam administration's proposed changes to the Tennessee Regulatory Authority will make the agency "less political than it's been" in decades. "This thought that we're from a nonpolitical, some kind of a pure little agency, into something that is political is one of the most ridiculous things that I've heard in my eight years up here," McCormick told Government Operations Committee members. "Before it was the [Public Service Commission], before it was now the TRA, there are so many political lines going through that organization, it's amazing," he said. Haslam's bill changes the four full-time directors into five part-time directors with a full-time executive director to run the agency. The committee moved the bill out. Critics, including TRA Chairman Kenneth Hill, say the move isn't needed and will effectively deliver power over utility regulation to the executive director. Haslam originally sought the authority to name the executive director himself. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/11/mccormick-says-haslam-will-make-tra-less-political/?local

Synthetic drug bans moving forward in Tennessee government (Herald-Courier)

Bills that would make synthetic drugs illegal in Tennessee are moving forward. The Tennessee House passed the first of three bath salts bills last night. House Bill 2645 deals with the chemical compounds of the drugs. Representative Tony Shipley told us the house finance committee would begin discussing part two, House Bill 3175, this afternoon. http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/apr/10/synthetic-drug-bans-moving-forward-tennessee-gover-ar-1832695/

Tenn. House Advances Gun Bills (Associated Press)

The House has rushed four bills out of subcommittee to guarantee workers the right to store firearms in vehicles parked on company lots. The measures were advanced to the full Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee on Tuesday after a truncated debate. Republican House Speaker Beth Harwell of Nashville said last week that 4

she expected the gun bills to be vetted through committees despite word from the Senate that the companion bills are not likely to receive full floor votes this year. The bills are strongly opposed by business, higher education and law enforcement groups on private property and safety grounds. Gun advocates argue that parked vehicles should count as the employees private property regardless of whether the parking lots are owned by businesses that seek to prohibit firearms. Rep. Eddie Bass, D-Prospect and a main sponsor of one of the parking lot gun measures, said he was undeterred by word that the companion bill was dead in the Senate. It seems like everything up here a lot of times is a game, Bass said. So Im playing the game until the final buzzer sounds. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/apr/11/house-advances-gun-bills/

Guns-in-parking-lot bills move forward in TN House (Tennessean/Sisk)

Supporters of legislation that would expand gun owners ability to carry their weapons in their vehicles scored a victory Tuesday and embarked on a major push to pass a measure before lawmakers go home for the year. A House subcommittee rushed out four bills Tuesday that say employers must let their workers bring their guns, provided they are left in the parking lot inside locked vehicles. The bills had been bottled up in the subcommittee all session amid opposition from the legislatures Republican leaders. The votes set the course for a high-stakes challenge pitting gun rights groups against business groups next week. Such a conflict could split the legislatures Republican majority with a late-session fight between two of its main supporters. The so-called guns-in-parking-lots bills took on new life Tuesday, just days after comments by Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and House Speaker Beth Harwell suggested they would prefer to let the issue die for the year. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120411/NEWS0201/304110109/Guns-parking-lot-bills-move-forward-TNHouse?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Still Alive, Guns in Trunks Bills Move Forward (WPLN-Radio Nashville)

Proposals to allow Tennessee gun permit holders to keep their firearms in locked vehicles in an employers parking lot were supposed to be dead or at least discouraged. But four such bills rushed of a House subcommittee on Tuesday. Some business interests have fought the measures as an erosion of their property rights. Fed Ex and Volkswagen executives testified they dont allow private firearms at their job sites, even those legally carried by firearm permit holders. Still, the four such proposals were voted quickly out of a House subcommittee. Business lobbyists now say they are prepared to make a last stand against the gun bills next week in the full House Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee. Last week, Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey told business representatives the measures wouldnt be scheduled for a floor vote this year. All the bills do similar things, but some make exceptions, barring guns in high security places, such as penal facilities. http://wpln.org/?p=35837

GOP Not Unified on Judicial Selection (TN Report)

Divisions within the Republican-led Legislature over how to pick the states most powerful judges are so deep that top GOP leaders say theyll hedge their bets and advance two competing plans instead of agreeing on one. The only similarity between the two proposals is they would do away with the state Constitutions requirement that judges face elections, said Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, who said the move would give lawmakers an extra two years to hash out their differences on how judges are picked. There are very diverse ideas on this, but the bottom line is I think were going to pass something to keep judges from having to run statewide and, in the end, put the retention ballot that we have now into the Constitution, Ramsey told Tennessee Chamber of Commerce members in downtown Nashville W ednesday. House Speaker Beth Harwell says shed go along with Ramseys plan to move multiple measures to get over the constitutionally-required hurdle, although she remains adamantly opposed to any proposal that would elect judges. http://tnreport.com/blog/2012/04/05/gop-not-unified-on-judicialselection/

Competing Judge Appointment Ideas Swoop Towards Senate Floor (W PLN-Radio)

Two very different ways of appointing state judges flew out of a state Senate Committee Tuesday and were immediately scheduled for a floor vote on W ednesday. The plan from Senator Mark Norris is closer to the governors idea to write the current judicial appointment process into the state Constitution, but its not exactly the same The other version, from fellow Memphis Republican Brian Kelsey, is like the federal system. The legislature would confirm appointments by the governor. That is better accepted by conservative groups, which for years have pushed for direct elections of judges. Attorney Gif Thornton is following the measures for the 5

Tennessee Bar Association. He says there is no compromise between the two sides, at least not yet. Senator Norris and Senator Kelsey have been in discussions, and presumably will continue in discussions, and may yet coalesce around one plan, but right now those are competing plans. http://wpln.org/?p=35835

Bartlett mayor tells state panel Memphis will control merged district (CA/Locker)
The mayor of Bartlett told a state legislative committee Tuesday that any countywide Shelby County school district would be controlled by Memphis because of the city's size and "that has not been an acceptable better option" for suburban residents. Mayor Keith McDonald joined other suburban school advocates in responding to questions from the House Education Committee about the bill to lift the state's 14-year-old ban on new municipal school districts. The committee amended the bill, approved it and sent it to the Finance Committee for review of its economic impact. Former Memphis City Schools board chairman Martavius Jones and unified school board member Patrice Jordan Robinson also fielded questions. Rep. Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville, asked the panel whether there's "a better way" than forming new city school systems to avoid a 150,000-student district that Dunn said seems like "a whole lot for one system." McDonald, who like Jones is a member of the Transition Planning Commission planning the merger of Memphis and Shelby County schools, acknowledged there's been discussion of a countywide district headed by a chancellor of schools but with smaller semi-autonomous components. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/apr/10/bill-lifting-ban-municipal-schools-amended-apply-s/ (SUB)

School starting age would change under House bill (Tennessean/Wilson)

Legislation changing the cut-off age for students entering kindergarten is headed to the state House floor despite additional amendments that could be added there. The bill, which would require nearly all kindergarten students to be 5 by mid to late August, passed the House Finance Committee on Tuesday. The Senate bill is still in committee. The legislation would affect about 4,500 students, according to figures cited by the sponsor, Rep. Glen Casada, R-Franklin. The bill would go into effect for the 2013-14 school year and would require students to be 5 by Aug. 31. The cut-off would be changed to Aug. 15 in later years. The legislation does provide for exceptions. Four-year-olds born after July 31 could enter kindergarten if they passed a test showing their emotional and academic maturity. The House bills procedural issue revolved around the potential that the temporary drop in students from the legislation could result in the laying off of some teachers. To counter that, House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh, D-Ripley, proposed an amendment that would require any savings generated from having fewer students to be directed to having smaller classes instead of laying off teachers. That change must be made on the House floor to become effective. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120411/NEWS0201/304100072/School-starting-age-would-change-underHouse-bill?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Solar industry fears massive tax increase (Tennessean/Cass)

Sponsors say current break unconstitutional When Franke Foodservice Systems built a new plant in Smyrna three years ago, the company decided to go green. Parking spots for employees driving low-emission vehicles sit close to the entrance. Theres a water capture system. And 167 solar panels cover 2,000 square feet of the roof, generating about 50,000 kilowatt-hours worth of electricity each year. But legislation the General Assembly is considering would make it harder to make that kind of investment in solar energy, a Franke executive said. If we get taxed on this in addition to the costs we already had anyway, it would just prolong the rate of return, facility manager Claudia Synnatzschke said while standing on the 120,000-square-foot roof on a sunny Monday afternoon. Three years ago, we paid more than this is worth today. But its still a substantial cost. The Republican-sponsored legislation would increase the taxable value of solar equipment from 0.5 percent of the purchase price to 33.33 percent of the installed cost. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120411/NEWS11/304110117/Solar-industry-fears-massive-tax-increase? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Laffer Rails Against Tenn. Estate Tax (Memphis Daily News)

Art Laffer, a former economic adviser to President Ronald Reagan, once sketched a diagram on a cocktail napkin for a staffer in Gerald Fords administration named Dick Cheney to showcase whats now known as the Laffer Curve. It was a parabola demonstrating how, eventually, tax rates can get so high they become counterproductive and produce diminishing revenue. Laffer, an unabashed conservative economist, has in that 6

fashion and in more formal settings advised presidents and presidential candidates on tax policy for the last several decades. Even so, more local tax situations also get him fired up too. Laffer was in Memphis Monday, April 9, to speak about the national economy and taxes to the Economic Club of Memphis. But, before that, he railed for more than an hour against Tennessees estate and gift tax during a private meeting for a handful of businessmen at the office of W addell & Associates. He frequently pounded the table with a thunderclap of a whack and used salty language to make his point. And his point can be summed up as follows: Tennessees gift and estate tax is the single greatest reason why wealthy people dont want to live in Tennessee. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/apr/11/laffer-rails-against-tenn-estate-tax/

Oral Chemo Leaves Legislators with Questions, Referred to Summer Study (WPLN)
Drug companies are coming up with pills that do the same job of fighting cancer as intravenous chemotherapy. But Tennessee lawmakers say too many questions are unanswered to make a decision on whether to require health insurance plans to cover the costs of the pills. A proposal to require such coverage was sent to a summer study committee on Tuesday. Insurance companies oppose the new measure, calling it a mandate that restricts their ability to shape health plans that are affordable for patients and businesses. Representative David Shepard, a Dickson Democrat, says he worries about driving up prices and says lawmakers need to use the extra study time to find out whats happened in states that have adopted similar requirements. As a pharmacist I have been trying to find out from the other states what impact its had on the cost of healthcare. Shepard says there are at least 30 new oral chemotherapy pills coming onto the market and theyre all expensive. He told the House Commerce Committee that the summer study should not be an excuse to bury the bill and that he expects a report and a proposal to come back to the next General Assembly inhttp://wpln.org/?p=35839 2013.

Term limits, fee offices among charter group's agenda items (NS/Donila)
Charged with looking over the county's governing documents, the Knox County Charter Review Committee is finally expected tonight to dig into some hot button items: term limits, fee office appointments and pension board size. Committee members Diane Jablonski, John Schmid and Ann Acuff have noted on the committee's agenda that they want the board to define exactly what a "term of office" is supposed to mean for a county officeholder. "To me, it's obvious that when a person is elected, then that's a term. But when someone is appointed to fill a vacancy, then that's when you get into muddy waters," said Jablonski, a parliamentarian. "I just want it to be clarified." Acuff, recently retired after working decades in the county's finance office, said if someone is appointed to an elected position that appointment should not count as a term. Schmid, a former Knox County commissioner, suggests an appointment that lasts a day over two years should count as a term. "That's how it is with the president (of the United States), so I thought it was a good standard to go by, although I'm flexible," he said. "But this way, no one will serve more than 10 consecutive years in one office." http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/11/term-limits-fee-offices-among-charter-groups/

Pension puzzle: City begins effort to correct underfunded benefit (NS/Witt)

A $13 million payment to the underfunded Knoxville employees pension waits in the 2012-13 budget, $2 million more than in the current year. While that must be paid now, city officials are hoping to keep the shortfall from growing in decades to come, and doing so will likely mean a change in retirement benefits for future city employees. Mayor Madeline Rogero, City Council, city employees and others started talks on ways to change the city's pension when they kicked off a series of three workshops on Monday that are expected to create a referendum to go before voters this fall. "Right now, we're really trying to concentrate on what changes need to be made for the long term," said Bill Lyons, deputy to Rogero and her policy chief. The employees' pension is written into the city charter, so Knoxville residents are the only ones who can change the benefits. And charter amendments can only be balloted in elections that feature a statewide race. If the city doesn't make a charter amendment this year, it runs the risk of seeing the pension shortfall worsen. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/11/pension-puzzle-city-begins-effort-to-correct/

Lamar Alexander extols Memphis virtues as aerotropolis (Memphis Biz Journal)

There was a method to his madness back when former Tennessee governor Lamar Alexander invited the world's best harmonica player Charlie McCoy to entertain executives of Saturn, which the state was recruiting. Alexander, R-Tennessee, now a U.S. senator, recounted that story as a featured speaker at the Mid-South 7

Aerotropolis Conference in Memphis today. Alexander spoke to a crowd full of business and government leaders which included U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, MemphisShelby County Airport Authority chairman Arnold Perl, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell. Alexanders speech could be summed up in one question he asked, W hy would Memphis try to be an average something else when you already have what it takes to be the best aerotropolis in the world? The question alluded to times when he was Tennessees governor. http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/blog/memphis-in-motion/2012/04/lamar-alexander-extols-memphis.html

Rep. Black Faces Tough Crowd Over Roll-Your-Own Tobacco (WPLN-Radio Nash.)
Tennessee Congressman Diane Black got an earful from constituents Tuesday night about roll-your-own tobacco shops. About two-dozen people turned out for Blacks town-hall meeting in Lebanon. Roll-your-own tobacco shops sidestep a higher tax on cigarettes by instead selling tobacco, and letting customers use a machine in the store to make cigarettes themselves. Last month Black introduced a bill to reclassify that as manufacturing (HR4134). Several shop owners like Ned Overton insisted that would kill jobs. You want to support small business and you want to support jobs. Youre going to put this girl out of a job, that girl out of a job, there are other people youll put me out of work! Youll put that man right there with his hand on his chin out of work. Youll put that man in the blue shirt out of work. Black argues such businesses are unfair to competitors that pay the higher tax on cigarettes. One woman at the meeting also challenged Black for supporting a conservative budget proposal, while another called on her to protect defense spending from cuts. Asked about the tough crowd afterward, Black said this is what town-halls are all about. http://wpln.org/?p=35841

Sen. Corker on standing alone in D.C.: I'd do it again (Nashville Biz Journal)
More than two years ago, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker stepped forward as the lone Republican willing to negotiate with Democrats on federal financial reform. He garnered a cacophony of pressure from lobbyists, politicians and interest groups from both sides castigating him for the move, or pushing him one direction or another. In case youre wondering, hed do it again. The Tennessee Republican told a group of banking and real estate executives this morning that he senses a breaking point in the bitter partisanship in Washington. But what if he's wrong about the art of compromise coming back into vogue? "If it doesn't, Im ready to go again," Corker said today in a talk at Regions Center in downtown Nashville. Corker has defended the move in the past, saying he thinks he improved the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, even though he ultimately didn't support it when negotiations again broke down. But today's remarks were less guarded, with Corker saying he'd face the heat again for the "next issue." http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/2012/04/tennessee-bob-corker-republican-dodd.html

Corker Calls Failure to Reform Entitlements Immoral (WPLN-Radio Nashville)

Tennessee Senator Bob Corker is calling a failure to shore up Medicare generational theft. The first-term Republican used some of his strongest language yet with an audience in Nashville Tuesday. For months, Senator Corker has been writing editorials and railing that Congress is refusing to make difficult decisions about Medicare. Talking to mortgage bankers downtown, he called saddling young people with growing entitlement debt immoral. W e right now are allowing the most major transference of wealth from our younger generation to society that has ever occurred. Corker says the country is in his words eating its seed corn. Hes careful to say hes not suggesting cuts to the program that many seniors depend on for health care. After all, Corker is up for reelection this year. He prefers the term fix. And he suggests small changes could be done painlessly. Hes talked about raising the age to receive benefits and increasing what patients pay out of pocket. http://wpln.org/? p=35826

Feds: Small-business lending tops $170M in Tennessee (Memphis Biz Journal)

The federal government says small business lending in Tennessee has increased by more than $172 million since local banks tapped its Small Business Lending Fund. That numbers marks the first time anyone has quantified the impact of the program so far, in terms of dollars going to businesses. Its success in general has been the subject of debate. Several Memphis-area banks including Magna Bank , Independent Bank and Evolve Bank & Trust have tapped the fund. Excerpts from the release: The SBLF, which was established as part of the Small Business Jobs Act that President Obama signed into law, encourages community banks to increase their lending to small businesses to help them grow and create new jobs. Treasury invested more than $4 billion in 332 institutions, located in over 3,000 communities in 48 states, through the SBLF. Nationwide, 8

institutions participating in the SBLF significantly increased small business lending in the last quarter of 2011 by $1.3 billion over the prior quarterfor a total of $4.8 billion over their baseline. http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/04/10/feds-small-business-lending-tops.html

Report Urges New Tax on Medical Care (Wall Street Journal)

An influential federal advisory body called for levying a new tax on medical care to finance improvements to public-health services in the U.S. A report Tuesday from the Institute of Medicine says the U.S. health system has a "fixation" on clinical care, or treating people when they get sick, rather than preventing them from getting ill in the first place. More money from reliable sources is needed to fix the problem, said the report, which calls for the U.S. to close a gap in life expectancy with other high-income nations within 20 years. The call for a tax on medical care drew criticism from Republicans, and even some supporters of increased public-health funding said the proposal was unlikely to advance in the current political environment. The report recommends that the government create a detailed description of a basic set of public-health services that should be made available everywhere. These could include anti-smoking programs, testing for and vaccinating against communicable diseases, injury prevention, screening for chronic diseases such as diabetes, and mental-health and substanceabuse treatment. Such services are generally provided by state and local agencies, with some of the funding coming from the federal government. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303815404577335743996648980.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Driving laws: In medical marijuana age, how high is too high to drive? (Stateline)
Twelve years after Colorado legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes, more than 85,000 people have been certified by the state health department to use it. Now, there is increasing concern about a rise in traffic accidents caused by people under the influence of marijuana. Between 2006 and 2010, more than 300 fatal accidents involved drivers who tested positive for cannabis, according to the Colorado Department of Highway Safety. Thats why Republican state Senator Steve King wants Colorado to set a legal limit for marijuana intoxication, somewhat similar to the 0.08 percent blood alcohol limit states put on driving under the influence of alcohol. And in California, Democratic Assemblywoman Norma Torres wants to set a zero-tolerance ban on driving under the influence of any drug, including marijuana. But bills put forward by both King and Torres have run into opposition from those who say the science around what marijuana does to the body and mind is not conclusive enough to set a legal limit. In Colorado, critics also note that Kings approach would cost the state public defenders office about $600,000 per year to defend those accused of drugged driving charges. http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=644610

TVA Reservoirs Storing Cold Water In Case Of Hot Summer (W PLN-Radio Nash.)
Its too early to know whether the unseasonably warm March will ripple into higher summer electric bills across the state. A major factor could be rising temperatures in area rivers, which the Tennessee Valley Authority uses to cool its power plants. TVA has to follow environmental rules for how warm water can be when it goes back to the river after its used to cool nuclear and coal facilities. If the waters too hot, the plant will throttle back operations, leaving the power grid to draw electricity from elsewhere, which can drive up costs. After a record-hot March, area rivers are warmer than usual. But TVA water manager David Bowling says thats on the surface. TVAs reservoirs can run to over a hundred feet deep, and draw water for cooling from the bottom, where its around ten degrees colder from winter. Bowling says thats handy in summer when the turbines heat up. I wont say that its not a concern, but right now its too early to predict what conditions are going to be like by the end of July or August. But we do measure how much cold water we have in storage and apportion that out throughout the summer. http://wpln.org/?p=35729

Teacher Evaluation Sparks Debate Among Educators (Memphis Daily News)

The schools consolidation planning commission hasnt made any decisions yet about teacher pay and benefits or suggestions about how many teachers the merged school system might need. But when it got its first look at the human resources overview last week, there was immediate discussion about which direction to go in teacher evaluation. The state evaluation models being used in public schools across the state are in their first year. Memphis City Schools uses the TEM model and Shelby County Schools uses the TEAM model, two of the four models the state allows systems to pick. TEM, which is unique to the city, and TEAM are different than the city 9

schools TEI Teacher Effectiveness Initiative program funded over several years by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and local private funding. TEI is an effort to change the teacher pipeline flowing into the Memphis City Schools system as well as more objectively evaluate teachers. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/apr/11/teacher-evaluation-sparks-debate-among-educators/

Metro schools chief proposes disclosure forms for board, officials (TN/Anderson)
Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Jesse Register proposed a new statement of interest form for school board members and top school officials Tuesday, weeks after local labor officials filed ethics complaints against them. The new forms, proposed during the Board of Education meeting, require school officials to disclose all sources of income in a preceding calendar year, and financial interests in businesses or nonprofits with relationships to Metro schools. It also requires disclosure of gifts, including meals, travel and entertainment exceeding $100 within a year. Register said he hoped the new forms would clear up confusion over school officials disclosure responsibilities. Elected school board members are required under state law to submit disclosures to the Tennessee Ethics Commission, but that does not apply to administrative staff. We looked at and talked to our policy person about what would be appropriate and feel like its a very sound approach to this policy, he said. But Service Employees International Union Local 205 President Doug Collier, who filed the ethics complaint, said the new policy wasnt strong enough. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120411/NEWS04/304110125/Metro-schools-chief-proposes-newdisclosure-forms-board-top-officials?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Schools seek more funds; Hamilton County says no tax hike (TFP/Haman)
The Hamilton County school system, which annually accounts for more than half of the county's budget, is projecting to spend at least $10 million more in general purpose funds next fiscal year. The county's budget process is heating up for fiscal 2013, which begins July 1. The schools' adopted general purpose budget for this fiscal year was $316.5 million. An early draft of next year's budget request hits $329.5 million. At least five of the nine commissioners said Tuesday they'll refuse to vote for a tax increase to meet school budget demands if it comes to that. Some even said they won't vote for a budget increase, period. Commission Vice Chairman Fred Skillern said he's "not going to get involved in trying to run their business, but I am not voting for a tax increase and I am not voting to give anybody any more money." The County Commission is in charge of approving the schools' budget and finances construction projects, but the Board of Education determines how the money will be spent and oversees the operations of schools. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/apr/11/schools-seek-more-funds-county-says-no-tax-hike/?loc

OPINION Editorial: Tennessee's Titan (Wall Street Journal)

Scott Walker of Wisconsin isn't the only governor who successfully ended collective bargaining for public employees. That happened last year in Tennessee under new Republican Gov. Bill Haslam. But unlike Mr. Walker, Mr. Haslam isn't facing a recall election financed by unions. "We did it in a quieter way," he explains. Few governors have had as much legislative success in the first half of their term as Mr. Haslam, a business executive whose family owns Pilot service stations. He also passed a tort reform bill with limits on punitive damages and a school reform bill that offers teachers tenure only after five years (and good performance) rather than the current three years The budget that will pass this year also contains a hotly debated estate tax repeal. The tax bill will come to his desk in the weeks ahead, and he says he will sign it "enthusiastically." One development that helped seal the deal for the tax cut is that "sales tax revenues are up about 7 percent this year, about twice what we expected." That windfall will cover any revenue loss for the death tax repeal. "We've oriented our policies toward growth and what works in other states," he tells me. He mentions Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels as his mentor. "When I first got into office I called him all the time." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303772904577333791043280790.html? KEYWORDS=Bill+Haslam (SUBSCRIPTION)

Gail Kerr: Legislature chooses stupid bills over little kids (Tennessean)
Tennessee kindergarteners are showing up without the basic skills they need to start school. Tennessee lawmakers are doing nothing about that. Instead, they are concentrating on creating ways to debunk evolution in science class, make Johnny pull his pants up, and force teachers to teach only abstinence instead of safe 10

choices to hormone-laden teenagers. Gov. Bill Haslam bemoaned the statewide news coverage of those kinds of topics, but he tossed blame on reporters. He said the media only jump on the craziest of bills, to the detriment of calling attention instead to what hes doing. Id say theres quite a contest for the craziest political issue around, Haslam told reporters. Were redefining accountability, and youd be hard-pressed to find 100 lines of print in any paper of the state. Now, today in the legislature, theres a conversation about saggy pants and what they should do there. So we have to go to our friends in the media and say, Really? Heres a reality check, governor. People have a right to know what their legislators are up to, especially when it comes to the crazy bills. In fact, it would be more honest to substitute the word stupid for crazy. They also need to know what the legislature is ignoring. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120411/COLUMNIST0101/304110100/Gail-Kerr-Legislature-choosesstupid-bills-over-little-kids?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Editorial: Charter Review Committee turns to serious business (News-Sentinel)

After spending several weeks getting familiar with the daunting task at hand, the Knox County Charter Review Committee is getting serious about its work. The 27-member panel, which is convened every eight years to review the county charter and make recommendations for revisions, will take up several key topics during today's meeting. Voters would have to approve any changes to the charter. Some of the changes they will be recommending are housekeeping measures cleaning up ambiguous language in some of the charter provisions, for example. But the committee also will begin discussions on a more precise definition of what constitutes a term of office in relation to term limits, the possibility of appointing some officers and revamping budgeting procedures. The panel needs to clear up some confusion that stems from the 1994 referendum that established term limits. The ballot question at the time restricted officeholders to two terms, while the language of the referendum that was added to the charter states that officeholders cannot serve if, during the previous two terms, they served more than one term. This primarily comes into play when a person is appointed to fill out the remainder of a term because of an officeholder's resignation, election to another office or death. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/apr/11/editorial-charter-review-committee-turns-to/

Editorial: Literacy a critical skill to maintain good health (Daily News Journal)
The old saying is true that what you dont know can hurt you. Sometimes it can even kill you. When it comes to our health and medical needs, knowing is indeed half the battle because you cant treat what you dont really understand. Thats why we were glad to see a recent forum involving literacy experts and health care professionals to discuss ways to make sure those with literacy problems get access to the right health care services. The connection between literacy and health care is clear. Research shows that among the elderly, those with low health literacy have generally poorer health and die sooner, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 80 percent of adults have trouble understanding medical information. And over 40 percent of adults in Rutherford County read at or below the third grade level. Those are eye-opening statistics considering all the disclaimers and warnings that come with an average prescription these days. Many adults are embarrassed to admit that they have trouble understanding written information, and rather than reaching out and asking for help, they suffer in silence or try to figure things out on their own. But when it comes to health care, doing so could lead to a wrong dosage and even greater health problems or a trip to the emergency room. http://www.dnj.com/article/20120411/OPINION/304110021/EDITORIAL-Literacy-critical-skill-maintain-goodhealth

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