WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2012 Craig Fitzhugh, Reginald Tate: Haslam's bad idea -- larger class sizes (C.

Appeal)
The governor's plan could result in thousands of teacher layoffs, huge financial burdens on local governments and a reversal of our progress in public education. It's your daughter's first day of kindergarten. She's excited, but also scared to be leaving Mom and Dad. You tell her it will be all right, that her teacher will take care of her and that she'll make lots of new friends. But as you open that classroom door, you're shocked to see dozens of other children, all going through the same emotions as your daughter. Some are crying, some are yelling and several are trying to run out of the room. You wonder how your daughter will get the attention she needs from her teacher, who will struggle simply to find space for everyone. Suddenly, you're feeling the same nerves as your daughter -- but for an entirely different reason. A proposal from Gov. Bill Haslam would permit public school districts in Tennessee to create classes with larger numbers of children and, as a result, would decrease the individual attention our children receive from their teachers. The plan could also result in thousands of teacher layoffs, unbearable financial burdens on local governments and a reversal of the progress we have made in our schools. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/feb/08/guest-column-haslams-bad-idea-larger-class-sizes/ (SUB)

Governor meets with county school officials (Columbia Daily Herald)

Gov. Bill Haslam met with Maury County school officials Tuesday to hear educators tips on recruiting qualified teachers statewide and to discuss challenges local teachers face. Mt. Pleasant Middle School for the Visual and Performing Arts hosted the round-table discussion where Haslam addressed officials with professional experience ranging from one to 38 years. We are committed to taking time to listen to people who truly are educators every day in front of a classroom, Haslam said. (I) try to see places of innovation and this is a school, with its Kids on Stage Program, (that) is making a big difference. Kids on Stage is a program started by Jim Barrier, CEO of Smelter Services Corporation a Mt. Pleasant aluminum recycling business which combines the arts with core curriculum of math, science, social studies, English and reading. Barriers company provided MPMS with computers, sound, video and lighting equipment. Elliotte Kinzer, MPMS principal, said students who participate in the program gain self-esteem and acquire tools that will make them successful after high school. The schools unique hiring process is something Kinzer said he would like Haslam to consider implementing statewide. http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/sections/news/local/governor-meets-county-school-officials.html

Haslam Anti-Crime Bills Advancing In Legislature (Associated Press)

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's anti-crime package is advancing in the Legislature. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved a bill seeking to crack down on people trying to make and sell methamphetamine and a measure targeting prescription drug abuse. Both bills now head for a floor vote. The House Judiciary Committee approved another administration bill to enhance penalties for violent crimes committed by groups of three or more people, while panels in both chambers approved heavier penalties for gun possession by people with previous felony convictions. Those bills face finance committee approval before they can head for a floor vote. The governor's call for mandatory jail time for people with repeat domestic violence convictions was put on hold by committees in both chambers over cost concerns among local governments. http://www.newschannel5.com/story/16699796/haslam-anti-crime-bills-advancing-in-legislature

Haslam's judges plan gets support (Associated Press/Schelzig)

Gov. Bill Haslams plan for writing the states judicial selection system into the Tennessee Constitution survived a challenge Tuesday from a fellow Republican in the state House. The Republican speakers of the state House and Senate also support putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2014 to maintain the current

process. Under the system, a commission nominates judges, the governor appoints them and voters cast ballots on whether to keep them on the bench. Opposed by Casada The system has been opposed by Rep. Glen Casada, R-Franklin, who was pushing a bill to hold popular elections for Supreme Court justices. As late as Monday, he claimed to have enough votes to move the measure out of the House Judiciary Committee. But at the urging of his GOP colleagues, Casada agreed on Tuesday to delay consideration of the bill until the panels last meeting toward the end of the legislative session. Earlier in the day, Haslam said he was asking members of the House Judiciary Committee not to advance Casadas bill. It sought to schedule judicial elections in August 2014. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120208/NEWS0201/302080121/Haslam-s-judges-plan-gets-support? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Tenn. Fiscally Sound but Cuts Needed (Memphis Daily News)

Tennessees financial ledger is in good shape. The current state budget is balanced. For the first five months of the current budget year, general fund collections have outpaced projections by about $188 million. Furthermore, the states debt level is not excessive, and its unemployment trust fund is solvent while the states postemployment benefit obligation for retirees is manageable. Those are some of the findings in a newly issued quarterly fiscal affairs report from state comptroller Justin W ilson. But that report also includes several warnings for the states Republican-led government, notwithstanding the spending cuts and benefit-trimming both the legislature and Gov. Bill Haslam have embraced. This favorable financial outlook is in large part a result of the willingness of the General Assembly to enact budgets that have forgone, reduced or eliminated expenses and services as well as the ability of the administration to create efficiencies in operations, Wilson wrote. This means, absent some catastrophic event, the state can, for the foreseeable future, continue to operate and provide basic services to its citizens. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/feb/8/tenn-fiscally-soundbut-cuts-needed/

Wacker Institute opens Wednesday in Chattanooga (Associated Press)

The Wacker Institute, a pilot plant and training facility at Chattanooga State Community College, opens to the public W ednesday. The $5 million institute has been described as a world-class science lab that will be part of the engineering technology division at the college. It will be used to prepare students for the fast-growing photovoltaics industry and a Wacker plant in nearby Charleston. Wacker Polysilicon, a partner in the institute, is a leader in the production of hyperpure polycrystalline silicon. Its $1.5 billion plant in Charleston is scheduled for completion in late 2013 with some 650 full-time workers. http://www.tennessean.com/usatoday/article/38526225?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

Educators balk at Haslam class size proposal (Associated Press/Schelzig)

Gov. Bill Haslam's plan to lift a cap on class size averages is meeting resistance from educators, but the Republican calls the proposal a key element to his effort to allow school districts to hike teacher salaries. Haslam told reporters after visiting a Maury County middle school on Tuesday that Tennessee is the only state to set maximums for both total and average class sizes. Removing the average size requirement would allow schools to have larger classes, meaning the total number of teachers could drop. Haslam said his proposal would give school districts the flexibility to use those savings to pay more for teachers in high-priority subjects and locations. But Maury County Schools Director Eddie Hickman criticized the proposal, arguing that larger class sizes hurt student achievement. http://www.tennessean.com/usatoday/article/38526223?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Johnson City Board of Ed. passes resolution opposing part of Haslam's plan (H-C)
The Johnson City Board of Education is making its opposition to part of Governor Bill Haslam's education reform plan be heard loud and clear. Last night the Board of Education passed a resolution opposing the section of the plan that would increase the number of students in each classroom. That resolution is now being sent to the governor's office, the Tennessee School Board Association, State Senator Rusty Crowe and to State Representatives Matthew Hill and Dale Ford. A copy of the resolution that is being sent to Nashville the Board of Education said increasing class size in an effort to increase student achievement and reduce educational costs would be counterproductive. Overall, the board is definitely against any changes to state law that would decrease the number of teachers as class sizes are increased. Right now if the governor's plan is passed as is school systems would receive more funding only if fewer teachers are teaching at least five more students in their classroom. 2

http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/feb/07/johnson-city-board-education-passes-resolution-opp-ar-1671713/

Fitch Rates Tennessee's $385MM Rfdg GOs 'AAA'; Outlook Stable (Biz Wire)
Fitch Ratings has assigned an 'AAA' rating to the State of Tennessee's (the state) approximately $384.7 million general obligation (GO) bonds, 2012 refunding series A. The par amount of the refunding bonds may change prior to sale, expected on Feb. 15. Fitch also affirms the 'AAA' rating on: --$2.07 billion outstanding state GO bonds. The Rating Outlook is Stable. SECURITY Full faith and credit, payable as to principal and interest from any funds or monies of the state from whatever source derived. KEY RATING DRIVERS --The state's debt profile is very conservative, with low debt ratios, swift amortization, few non-general-obligation commitments, and strong security provisions. The state has fully funded its pension requirements for four decades. --Financial operations are conservative and consistently balanced, although largely reliant on sales tax revenues. The state retains considerable operating flexibility, including sizable reserve balances. --The state has a large manufacturing sector, which was a vulnerability in the recent downturn, although some diversification has occurred and growth is returning. Wealth levels are below average. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120207007034/en/Fitch-Rates-Tennessees-385MM-Rfdg-GOs-AAA

State claims progress in ongoing fight against meth (Herald-Courier)

Lawmakers say there's progress in the effort to stop meth makers in the state, even in the Tri-Cities region. Proof - some say - that a new anti-meth law in Tennessee works. Tennessee's real time tracking system called NPLEx is just more than one month old. Already, the state said it stopped the unlawful sale of 4,993 boxes of pseudoephedrine. That's more than 13,000 grams of pseudoephedrine (PSE), the key ingredient needed to make meth. One of the sponsors of the anti-meth law calls it a good start. W hat we'd like to do is completely get rid of all meth production in the state of Tennessee, explains Rep. David Hawk of Greeneville. But the numbers are encouraging that we're addressing the problem that's at hand. For each pseudoephedrine purchase, a pharmacist must enter the customers drivers license number and how much they're buying into NPLEx before making the sale. Buying more than 9 grams in a 30 day period or one month time, it will flag that and let us know. Or at the time of that single purchase, if it exceeds three grams, it lets us know as well, says Dr. Steve Lane, Director of Pharmacy at Wilson Pharmacy. And we've had that happen on a few occasions so it's a big help in that way. http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/feb/07/state-claims-progress-ongoing-fight-against-meth-ar-1672067/

VA suspends housing for veterans in substance abuse program (DNJ)

Liability issues have forced the York VA Medical Center to suspend housing for veterans seeking substance abuse treatment there, a move that one opponent says is cutting the number of people enrolled in the four-week plan. Bill Mitchell, who retired as a substance abuse counselor from the York VA a year ago, said 80 percent of the veterans treated for substance abuse are homeless, so it makes no sense to cut off housing, especially since the lodging area was renovated within the last two years. Enrollment fell recently to four from 25 when housing was stopped, he said To me, there was a real need for this program because it addressed the substance abuse issue and the homeless piece, Mitchell said. Oversight at the lodging area was usually provided by a recent graduate who would be paid a stipend, Mitchell said. Why, after 15 years of doing that, would that be an issue? Mitchell said. The medical center is not changing the substance abuse treatment program but is suspending housing because it doesnt have staff available to oversee it 24 hours a day, said Chris Conklin, spokesman for York VA. http://www.dnj.com/article/20120208/NEW S/302080018/VA-suspends-housing-veterans-substance-abuseprogram?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Summer food program available again in state (Associated Press)

State officials say federal funds are available for the 2012 Summer Food Service Program. The program is intended to assure that children and individuals with disabilities, who rely on free and reduced-price meals during the school year, have access to nutritious meals during the summer. According to the Tennessee Department of Human Services, new sponsors are needed to partner in the initiative. Eligible sponsors include schools, private nonprofit organizations, government entities and nonprofit residential camps. Sponsors are reimbursed on a permeal basis. Last year, 57 sponsors served 2.7 million meals to children at 1,526 sites across the state. Details 3

are available by emailing david.farmer(at)tn.gov or doug.hutchison(at)tn.gov. http://www.tennessean.com/usatoday/article/38526219?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

'It looked like parked car to me': Trooper defends actions in chase, wreck (NS/Lakin)
Don't believe the lying camera. Believe me. Trooper Charles Van Morgan admitted the video looked bad and the wreck looked worse, but he insisted the camera didn't tell the whole story. "I can't see everything," Morgan told Tennessee Highway Patrol investigators. "I seen it on the video and, and it looks bad, but, but that video camera is not Van Morgan. I'm telling you that I did not see that. The video saw that. I didn't know the video would show all that, that it showed but I, I knew before I got in pursuit of him that if, that if he wrecks (and) then I stop, then it's good, even if he kills hisself." Records show Morgan blamed stress and "tunnel vision" for his driving past the wreck that killed Gordon Kyle Anito on Andersonville Pike in North Knox County after a high-speed early-morning chase Nov. 26. The car smashed into a tree and burned with Anito, 20, still inside. An autopsy found Anito died from the impact. Morgan didn't know that when he drove past the wreck and then sat parked for minutes before going back to the scene. The THP fired Morgan for his lack of action that night, and he faces a $10 million wrongful-death lawsuit filed by Anito's parents in federal court. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/feb/07/it-looked-like-a-parked-car-to-me-trooper-in/

Austin Peay State University gets $1.78 million grant for dorm safe rooms (L-C)
Three safe rooms that will each hold up to 1,400 students during severe weather will be in the new Drane Street dorms at Austin Peay State University thanks to more than $1.78 million in grant funding. The total grant is believed to be the largest single award the university ever has received, according to a news release from Melanie Shemberger, assistant director of communication at APSU. The news comes on the heels of a recordsetting year for tornadoes in Tennessee. In 2011, 113 twisters hit the state, killing 34, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Bobby Boyd. The three-digit tornado total is the highest in the National Weather Systems records, which stretch back to 1916, Boyd said. The safe rooms will be designed to protect students from the threats of inclement weather, such as strong winds and tornadoes, Shemberger said. Of the total funds awarded, the U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys Federal Emergency Management Agency contributed more than $1.5 million, Shemberger said. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120208/NEWS01/302070070/Austin-Peay-State-University-gets-1-78million-grant-dorm-safe-rooms

Rep. Casada Says His Elect the Supremes Idea Is Still Alive (WPLN-Radio Nash.)
A bill to directly elect Supreme Court justices in Tennessee has been delayed, but the lawmaker behind the push says its not dead. The Republican-led legislation conflicts with a proposal from Governor Bill Haslam, who wants to write the current judicial appointment process into the state constitution. Governor Haslam has been urging members of the House Judiciary Committee not to advance Rep. Glen Casadas bill. Debate has now been postponed until the final meeting of the session, and Casada says his proposal will change substantially between now and then. The best argument against electing the Supreme Court is the expense of running statewide, Casada says. So what Rick Womick, out of Murfreesboro, proposed, that we cut the state up into five districts and have them run district-wide. The state Supreme Court would be made up of five justices elected geographically. Casada says hell make another change to take lower courts out of the equation altogether. http://wpln.org/?p=33805

Tennessee Senate delays bill on Amazon taxes (Tennessean/Sher)

A bill requiring Amazon.com to begin collecting Tennessee sales taxes on items sold to Tennesseeans starting in 2014 has been delayed for a week. The Senate Tax Subcommittee made the move Tuesday to give major retailers more time to study the bill's provisions. But the measure, proposed by Gov. Bill Haslam, later zipped through the full House Finance Committee with no debate. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, said the measure was delayed in part because of "concerns" raised by Wal-Mart, which wanted more time to study the bill. "I did talk with them," McNally said. "They had some concerns. My impression was they weren't against the concept. I think you know how lawyers are. They wanted to check out everybody's work." McNally said the bill also was delayed because it should have been scheduled for next week in the first place and also has a new estimate on its financial impact on state and local tax revenues. According to the new fiscal note, the tax collection is expected to generate an additional $22.8 million for state coffers annually and 4

$9.6 million for local governments. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/feb/08/senate-delays-bill-onamazon-taxes/?local

Anti-Occupy bills headed for floor votes (Associated Press/Johnson)

Lawmakers frustrated with Occupy Nashville tents on the Capitol complex are taking action to remove them by rapidly moving legislation to the floor of both chambers. The House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday voted 14-2 to approve the measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Eric W atson of Cleveland, the panel's chairman. Later in the day, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the companion bill 7-1. The legislation would make it a misdemeanor to lay down "bedding for the purpose of sleeping." The proposal refers to items associated with camping, "including tents, portable toilets, sleeping bags, tarps, propane heaters, cooking equipment and generators." The protesters have camped at the plaza since early October. There are about 60 or so tents on the plaza and at least two portable toilets nearby. Watson and other lawmakers said they're not trying to prevent the protesters from exercising their First Amendment right to assemble and voice their opinion. "This does nothing to prevent people from protesting," said Rep. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol. "It prevents them from living there." http://www.tennessean.com/usatoday/article/38521971?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Occupy Bill Occupies Legislators (TN Report)

A bill to make camping on public property illegal passed both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees today, over the protest of members of the Occupy Nashville group. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, who has been an outspoken critic of the protesters encampment, says the issue is one of safety, not squelching of First Amendment rights. I support our constitution and embrace with open arms our rights of free speech and assembly, Ramsey wrote in a statement posted to his Facebook page after the measure passed overwhelmingly through committees in both chambers. Liberal judges here in Nashville and on the federal bench can try and twist the law however they want but the reality is clear: this occupation has gone beyond speech and assembly and become an embarrassment both to causes Occupy purports to support and the state of Tennessee at large. House Bill 2638 passed the House committee, 14-2, with the only dissenting members being Reps. Karen Camper, DMemphis, and Mike Stewart, D-Nashville. http://www.tnreport.com/2012/02/occupy-bill-occupies-legislators/

Tennessee is close to evicting Occupy Nashville (Tennessean/Sisk)

Camping bill could put violators in jail for a year Tennessee lawmakers moved toward removing the Occupy Nashville encampment from the state Capitol with a pair of votes Tuesday in which they also amped up the threat of jail time. Committees in the state Senate and House of Representatives each approved a ban on unauthorized camping on public grounds, setting up the possibility that the measure could clear the Tennessee legislature sometime next week. The nearly identical measures would give Gov. Bill Haslams administration clearance to try again to remove the Occupy Nashville camp, though it is unclear whether it would act immediately. The bill also faces potential legal hurdles. The votes by the House and Senate judiciary committees nonetheless sent a clear signal that lawmakers from both parties were ready to see the Occupy Nashville tents removed from War Memorial Plaza. The bills sponsors argued in both committee hearings that the protesters have been a source of fights, drug use and lewd behavior, including instances of public sex and urination. Representatives for Occupy Nashville responded that they have asked police to arrest lawbreakers but have instead seen the presence of law enforcement diminished. They said their camp of about 50 tents is a form of free speech similar to marches, sit-ins and rallies. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120208/NEWS0201/302080112/Tennessee-close-evicting-OccupyNashville?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Ramsey to teachers: delay your field trip to the State Capitol (Herald-Courier)
Here is the text of an open letter issued by Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey to educators in Tennessee urging them to delay field trips to Legislative Plaza and the Tennessee Capitol Building. The letter was posted on Ramsey's Facebook Page page just before 6 p.m. Tuesday. -------------- Dear Friend, As you may be aware, a group known as Occupy Nashville has essentially taken up residence on War Memorial Plaza across the street from the Capitol. While describing themselves as protesters, they are actually something quite different. Average protesters, usually on some defined day centered around a specific issue, march or congregate en mass to demand redress of a specific grievance. Normal protests can get loud and they can get rowdy. Frequently, they can last long into the night. On rare occasions, they can last a few days. Occupy Nashville is quite a different animal. This protest is not really a protest at all. It is, as the name implies, an occupation. I value our constitutional rights -- the freedom of speech most of all. Without the freedom to directly confront our leaders, our 5

constitution isnt worth the parchment on which its printed. http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/feb/07/lt-gov-ramsey-teachers-delay-your-trip-state-capit-ar-1672085/

Tweak to absentee voter rules passes committees (Tennessean/Wilson)

Bills allowing voters age 60 or older without photo IDs to vote absentee advanced out of state House and Senate committees Tuesday. Both bills passed unanimously in the State and Local Government committees of both the House and Senate, and will now go to their respective Finance committees before heading to the full House and Senate for a vote. Current law allows registered voters age 65 or older to vote absentee without reason. These bills, if passed, would make absentee voting rules consistent with the new voter ID law passed last year, said Rep. Debra Young Maggart, R- Hendersonville, the bill's primary sponsor. We're simply making it easier for those folks who may have a license without a photo who may be between the ages of 60 and 65 to be able to request an absentee ballot, she said. Maggart and Sen. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, were also the prime sponsors of the Voter ID law passed in 2011, which requires all voters to present an approved photo ID to cast a ballot. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120208/NEWS0201/302080120/Tweak-absentee-voter-rules-passescommittees?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Senate: No Judicial Diversion for Public Servants (TN Report)

Legislators say they want to make sure their own kind get more than a slap on the wrist if theyre caught breaking the law and abusing the public trust. The legislation comes almost a year after Richard Baumgartner, a former criminal court judge in Knoxville, pleaded guilty to official misconduct for illegally using prescription painkillers he acquired from drug offenders whod appeared in his court. Baumgartner was granted diversion, which allowed him to avoid serving jail time. I think that people who hold public office ought to be held to a higher standard, said Sen. Ken Yager, R-Harriman, who is sponsoring the bill. Yager told TNReport the Baumgartner scandal was certainly one of several involving East Tennessee public officials that prompted him to sponsor the legislation although he declined to get specific. Thats not to say that 99 percent of the state and local officials in this state arent hardworking, conscientious and honest, but its that less than one percent who commit malfeasance in their office give everybody else a bad name, Yager said. http://www.tnreport.com/2012/02/senate-no-judicial-diversion-for-public-servants/

Cheatham Legislator Backs Teachers at Student Prayer Groups (WPLN-Radio)

A controversy over Prayer at the Flagpole in Cheatham County has surfaced two years later in the General Assembly. A state representative is trying to overturn a school board decision that restricts teacher participation. Representative Phillip Johnson, a Pegram Republican, sees a problem with a Cheatham County policy that bars teachers from taking part in student religious gatherings. The school board came to an out-of-court agreement with the American Civil Liberties Union in 2010, and Johnson says the resulting policy is wrong. They interpreted it that those coaches and sponsors or teachers couldnt participate in what we call prayer at the pole, where they meet, these students meet, prior to the school, and they were instructed not to acknowledge it, not to participate in it, and not to even bow their head. Johnsons bill would declare the restrictions around teacher participation an infringement of the First Amendment. But Hedy Weinberg, executive director of ACLU of Tennessee, says the mutual agreement simply protects students from unwanted religious pressure. http://wpln.org/?p=33807

Charges against state Rep. Curry Todd sent before grand jury (CP/Greenberg)
Charges against state Rep. Curry Todd (R-Colliersville) were bound over to a grand jury Tuesday morning, nearly four months after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and possession of a firearm while under the influence. Todd appeared in court briefly to sign a waiver for a preliminary hearing. The prosecution originally noted that they needed to have an additional implied consent hearing, but Todd waived that hearing, too. Later, the prosecution announced all of the charges had been bound over to the Davidson County grand jury. The grand jury will hear Todd's case, then decide whether or not to indict him. Todd was pulled over late one night last October near 21st Avenue and Blair Boulevard. Police arrested him after he refused to submit to a blood-alcohol test, and during a search of his vehicle, an officer allegedly found a loaded Smith & Wesson .38 Special in a holster between the driver seat and the center console. Todd, the chief sponsor of the guns in bars legislation, stands to have his carry permit suspended for three years. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/charges-against-state-rep-curry-todd-sent-grand-jury

State Rep. Curry Todd's DUI, weapons case sent to grand jury (Tennessean/Haas)
6

A Davidson County grand jury will hear the case against State Rep. Curry Todd who was charged with driving drunk while carrying a loaded handgun and refusing a breath test. Todd waived a preliminary hearing in Davidson County General Sessions Court Tuesday on charges of DUI, possessing a handgun while under the influence and violating the states implied consent law that requires drivers to submit to breath or blood tests if suspected of drunken driving. Todd has been negotiating with prosecutors to settle the case for months, but has not hit upon a palatable deal, said his attorney Worrick Robinson. There has been some discussions and the state has been very forthright and accommodating, Robinson said. You have to resolve it in a manner and a way that you can live with and youre comfortable with. Robinson said the case has weighed heavily on the Collierville Republican who was one of the sponsors of a state law that allowed citizens to carry handguns into restaurants and bars. Police say Todd was pulled over Oct. 11 after speeding and swerving on 21st Avenue South at Blair Boulevard. Police said he failed a roadside sobriety test and refused to take a breath test. Officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson .38 Special between the drivers seat and the center console of his SUV. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120208/NEWS03/302080127/State-Rep-Curry-Todd-s-DUI-weapons-casesent-grand-jury?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Todd waives preliminary hearing on 3 charges in Nashville (C. Appeal/Locker)

State Rep. Curry Todd, R-Collierville, waived his rights to a preliminary hearing in a Nashville courtroom Tuesday, and the three charges he's facing will advance to a grand jury. Todd, 64, a 14-year veteran of the Tennessee legislature, was arrested by Nashville police late on the night of Oct. 11 while driving on a busy thoroughfare near Vanderbilt University. He was charged with driving under the influence, possession of a handgun while under the influence and violation of the Tennessee "implied consent" law by refusing to take an alcohol test. Todd appeared briefly in Davidson County General Sessions Court with his attorney, Worrick Robinson, but a last-minute delay occurred when prosecutors interrupted and said a change in state law last July 1 requires a civil hearing on the implied consent charge. After a private discussion between prosecutors and Robinson, prosecutors waived that hearing and Todd did not have to surrender his driver's license, Robinson said. Moments later, without Todd present, Robinson told Judge Michael Mondelli that his defendant waived his rights to a preliminary hearing on all three charges and the case was bound over to the grand jury. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/feb/07/state-rep-curry-todd-waives-preliminary-hearing-3/ (SUB)

Nashville council defers resolution against County Clerk John Arriola (TN/Cass)
Davidson County Clerk John Arriola dodged a political bullet from the Metro Council for the second time Tuesday. Just as it did last August, the council voted to defer a non-binding resolution calling for Arriolas resignation after months of controversy over his actions in the clerks office. Arriolas critics, led by Councilman Robert Duvall, seemed to have more ammunition with the release of a state audit two weeks ago. That report found the clerk brought in an estimated $119,400 over a nearly five-year span from fees he charged couples who got married in his office. While Arriola has called the $40 payments gratuities, state auditors said couples they interviewed felt they had no choice but to pay him. But the councils Rules Committee voted not to vote on the matter while District Attorney General Torry Johnson continues his investigation of Arriolas actions. By rule, the full council then had to do the same. Councilman Anthony Davis said the findings by auditors from Tennessee Comptroller Justin W ilsons office were very damning, but it was important to let prosecutors finish their probe. The reason for deferring was to allow Torry Johnson to do his job, Davis said. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120208/NEWS0202/302080123/Nashville-council-defers-resolutionagainst-County-Clerk-John-Arriola?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Citizens, eager to see Southaven mayor, pour into meeting (Comm. Appeal/Jons)
Davis presides over first meeting since spending, deals came to light Southaven aldermen plan to check into the legality of a $5,000 legal stipend and another for longevity, $2,700, received by Mayor Greg Davis, as well as form a committee to look into hiring an independent auditor to review city finances. The actions came out of a lengthy Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday evening that saw the embattled mayor return to preside for the first time since a 30-day medical leave amid questions about his spending and dealings. Alderman Ronnie Hale requested that the city attorney get a clarification on the legality of the two stipends received by Davis as part of his $145,000 salary. And Alderman Ricky Jobes requested that he chair the committee to look at hiring an independent auditor to review the city's finances. Before those moves, citizens who had crowded into City Hall got their chance to confront Davis for the first time since his return. A record crowd of about 200 people showed up. The board room, which seats 90 people, filled up two hours before the meeting started, and those arriving 7

later had to sit in the overflow room set up in the old courtroom inside City Hall, holding 110 people. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/feb/07/southaven-aldermen-forming-committee-consider-citi/ (SUB)

Occupy Memphis ejects 6 campers (Commercial Appeal/Patterson)

Eviction made by corporate decision Andre Sheegog quietly disassembled his tent in the Occupy Memphis encampment on the Civic Center Plaza on Tuesday afternoon, humming to Evita's "Don't Cry for Me Argentina." He unloaded papers and blankets and what appeared to be a jug of urine before folding up the tent and taking it off a cinder block stand. Then he wheeled a grocery cart full of belongings past the trash bin and over to a huddle of Occupy Memphis protesters and dumped the contents at their feet. "Where will I go?" he asked rhetorically before he threw away his things. "Where do Andre go?" Sheegog was one of six homeless people asked to leave the campsite Tuesday by the protesters for disobeying rules against drinking and doing drugs onsite. Protester Marquella Scott said discord among the occupiers had been brewing for weeks with some protesters expressing concern that others weren't practicing the tenets of civil disobedience. A police affidavit said there were fights Friday night and one woman slashed several tents with scissors. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/feb/08/occupy-memphis-ejects-6-campers/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Scott DesJarlais transforms from upstart to stalwart (Tennessean/Sisk)

Tea party candidate. Maverick backbencher. Primary target. U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais has worn all of those labels in the two years hes been in politics. But now his public career appears to have taken a turn that could be the biggest surprise of all: standard-bearer of the Tennessee Republican establishment. Just 15 months after he shocked the political world with his win over Democratic Rep. Lincoln Davis, DesJarlais has grown into a surprisingly strong candidate for re-election. But even as his road clears to the Republican nomination for the 4th Congressional District, the freshman congressman still could face a forceful challenge in November. Since arriving in Washington in January 2011, DesJarlais has earned a reputation for taking a hard-line stance on budget and spending issues. He voted against a debt-reduction plan put forward by House Speaker John Boehner in July, a debt-ceiling compromise in August and a government-funding measure in December. W ith those votes, DesJarlais opposed Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and other Republican leaders. The first-term congressman also has often found himself on the other side of the voting rolls from the other three Tennessee Republicans U.S. Reps. Diane Black, Chuck Fleischmann and Stephen Fincher who rode the tea party wave to office in 2010. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120208/NEWS02/302080097/ScottDesJarlais-transforms-from-upstart-stalwart?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Cohen pushes bill to ease student loan burden (Commercial Appeal/Sullivan)

Bankruptcy attorneys say they're seeing a sharp increase in contacts from individuals weighed down by student loan debt, with many borrowers delinquent and nearing default. In a conference call with reporters Tuesday, lawyers with the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys and the National Consumer Law Center warned of a coming "debt bomb" that could cripple the economy unless the bankruptcy code is changed to allow student loan debt to be discharged. U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., who participated in the call, touted his bill that would treat student loan debt the way it was before the code was amended, in 2005. The survey of 860 bankruptcy lawyers showed that 81 percent reported contacts with potential student loan clients. But they also noted that 95 percent of those potential clients had no chance of discharging the debt through a claim of "undue hardship," a difficult to prove remedy. The issue is shaping up to be a potent political issue this year with students and increasingly their middle-aged and retirement-ready parents being socked for repayment of debts on ever-increasing college tuition costs. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/feb/07/memphis-rep-steve-cohen-pushes-bill-ease-student-l/ (SUB)

Scottie Mayfield hires Tommy Hopper as political consultant (TFP/Carroll, Sher)

Dairy executive Scottie Mayfield hired an experienced political consultant and started a campaign Facebook page in recent days, signaling early signs of life in his congressional bid. On Tuesday, Mayfield said he hired Tommy Hopper, of Jackson, Tenn., a former Tennessee Republican Party chairman who counts Gov. Don Sundquist and President George H.W . Bush among his list of past consulting clients. "He knows more about this than I do," said Mayfield, who on Friday announced he would challenge U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District Republican primary. Reached by phone, Hopper confirmed his employment with Mayfield but declined further comment. According to its website, The Hopper Group specializes in advertising, polling, research, fundraising and social media. Robin Smith, a top rival to Fleischmann in 2010 8

who hasn't endorsed or affiliated with any campaign this year, said Hopper is "extraordinarily familiar" with Tennessee's political scene. "It kind of puts others on notice that [Mayfield] knows how to play the game in all aspects," said Smith, a former GOP state chairwoman. "Tommy Hopper knows how to play hardball." http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/feb/08/mayfield-hires-hopper-as-political-consultant/?local

VW Chattanooga plant makes 50,000th Passat (Associated Press)

Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant has completed its 50,000th Passat, less than a year after production began. A news release from the company Tuesday said the production milestone was reached this week when a fully loaded, 2.5-liter, 170-horsepower Passat SE rolled off the line. The 50,000 vehicles include pre-series cars, technical training cars, dealer experience cars, export cars to Mexico and Canada and customer cars for the U.S. The plant completed its first customer car last April 18. Volkswagen announced last week that an additional 200 jobs would be created in Chattanooga in addition to the 2,500-person workforce it employs now. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/feb/07/vw-chattanooga-plant-makes-50000th-passat/

Chattanooga VW plant makes 50,000th Passat (Times Free-Press/Pare)

Volkswagens Chattanooga plant has assembled of its 50,000th Passat, an official said today. An incredible amount of care goes into each vehicle we produce in Chattanooga, said Frank Fischer, chief executive of VWs Chattanooga operations, in a press release. Producing 50,000 cars at this level of quality is a huge accomplishment for our team. The 50,000th vehicle was a fully-loaded white 2.5 liter, 170 horsepower Passat SE, according to the automaker. To reach that mark, VW included pre-series, technical training and dealer experience cars as well as Passats made for customers. The plant completed its first customer car last April 18. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/feb/07/chattanooga-vw-plant-makes-50000th-passat/?local

Gaylord talks tax breaks for Nashville's snow and water park (TN/Marsteller)
State and local tax breaks are in the mix for a proposed water and snow park planned near the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, said Colin Reed, Gaylords chairman and CEO, on Tuesday. Because of the large economic impact this park will have on the broad Nashville community, weve asked the city and state for assistance from part of the incremental taxes we will be generating, Reed said during a conference call with Wall Street analysts who track the hotel chain. It was the first time that possible tax incentives were mentioned for the $50 million project being developed by Gaylord Entertainment, country singer Dolly Partons business interests and Herschend Family Entertainment, a Norcross, Ga., theme park operator thats a partner in the Dollywood complex in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Other officials downplayed the idea of tax incentives. There have been discussions regarding tax incentives to help offset the capital costs of developing the project, Dollywood spokesman Pete Owens said. At this point, its all in the discussion stage. A Metro spokeswoman would say only that general discussions have been held, while spokesmen for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and the Tennessee Department of Revenue had no immediate comment. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120208/NEWS01/302080103/Gaylord-talks-tax-breaks-Nashville-s-snowwater-park?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

Le Bonheur begins demolition of old hospital (Memphis Business Journal)

Le Bonheur Childrens Hospital began one of the last phases of a multi-year expansion and renovation Tuesday with the demolition of nearly half its old hospital building. The demolition is making way for a new driveway and front yard for the 225-bed, 12-story hospital that opened in 2010 as part of a $340 million expansion project. Le Bonheur also renovated the remaining part of the original hospital, creating more than 270,000 square feet for research and education. The building is now called the Childrens Foundation Research Institute. Since the new hospital opened, visitors have been primarily using the employee entrance on Dunlap Street. Once complete, the new driveway and entrance will be to the south off Adams Avenue. The address, once complete, willl be 848 Adams, the original address from 1952. http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/02/07/le-bonheur-begins-demolition-of-old.html

Wrecking crews begin tearing down the old Le Bonheur hospital (CA/Sells)
They punched holes through the hospital's glass walls. They scraped the "emergency" sign off the old parking canopy. They tore away the past for the future. Two heavy machines hammered and tore apart the former Le Bonheur Children's Hospital Tuesday morning to make way for the now-veiled face of the new hospital. The crew from Biggs Construction began the demolition with the former emergency department, a main entry to the old 9

hospital for 21 years. "It's the end of era, guys, so say goodbye to the old hospital," yelled a hard-hatted Meri Armour, Le Bonheur's CEO, over the whine of the machines just before they began hammering. Excavators, cranes, front-end loaders and workers will pull down about 200,000 square feet of three sections of the old hospital built in 1973, 1987 and 1991. Those buildings are now a veil over the new hospital's south face. When they are down in May, they will expose the new hospital's front door. A temporary main entrance now fronts Dunlap. The south-side demolition will make a blank canvas for road crews and landscapers to make a new driveway up to the hospital's front door. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/feb/07/wrecking-crews-begin-process-tearing-down-old-lebo/ (SUB)

Hamilton County Schools launch cheating probe (Times Free-Press/Hardy)

School officials are investigating a claim of possible cheating on a state writing test last week at a local elementary school. School leaders said they can't say how many people were involved in the possible cheating, but did say it does not appear to be a widespread problem in the school system or at Lakeside Academy of Math, Science, and Technology, the school that reported the testing issue. "Lakeside Academy did exactly what Lakeside Academy and all other schools are supposed to do. If they find an irregularity, they're required to report that," said Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Rick Smith. "That's exactly what they have done." School officials aren't yet releasing details of the incident. But the teacher in question told the Chattanooga Times Free Press she received advice from a Memphis teacher to help prepare her daughter for last week's state writing test and doesn't think she did anything wrong. Claims of cheating on standardized tests have popped up in schools across the country. The federal No Child Left Behind law has put added pressure on schools and teachers to perform on state tests. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/feb/08/schools-launch-cheating-probe/?local

Board waits on class size proposal (Daily News Journal)

Newer bill may give systems a choice Rutherford County Schools officials may hold off on sending a formal resolution to state education officials and lawmakers opposing a proposal to increase maximum class sizes. Senate Bill 2210 and House Bull 2348 call for increasing the maximum class sizes by five students, putting K-3 classes at 25 students, 30 for grades 4-6 and 35 in grades 7-12. Career and Technical Education classes would have a maximum class size of 25. At the same time, the legislation would raise the Basic Education Funding component by $3,500, providing $42,250 per regular classroom position. During the Board of Educations work session Tuesday, Director of Schools Harry Gill Jr. said the bills were bad. If approved, he said the impact would be far-reaching, including overcrowded schools and less instructional time. If you have an elementary school built for 1,000 kids, youd increase the population by 20 percent if you added five kids to each classroom, Gill said. http://www.dnj.com/article/20120208/NEW S07/302080023/Board-waits-class-size-proposal?odyssey=tab| topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Cleveland schools look for savings as fuel prices rise (Times Free-Press/Higgins)
The annual cost per route to run a city school bus here is about $32,000 a year, but school board members would like it to be less and are paying for a study on the issue. "W hen our city taxpayers are out there, and they see all these yellow buses running around, they may think we are inefficient," board member Dawn Robinson said. "This will help us to be sure we are being efficient with our taxpayer dollars as well as that those buses need to be there." The $32,000 cost per route is a bit below the national average, Paul Ramsey, city school system energy manager, told the Cleveland Board of Education this week. However, the board wants to see if more savings can be realized while providing good service. The school system has hired a Georgia company, Education Logistics, to study the system's 28 bus routes and make recommendations for the board. The contract is being prepared, officials said. The first step will be collecting data on each route, including the number of students. The second part will be to sequence the bus routes and look at possibly consolidating bus stops. Some stops are almost door-to-door, board member George Meacham said. That stop-and-start driving creates extra mechanical wear on the buses, including brakes, officials said. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/feb/08/buses-under-study-cleveland-savings-fuel-costs/?local

Unified school board cancels meeting to discuss surplus buildings (CA/Bailey)

Two suburban members of the unified school board expressed disdain Tuesday over what they considered backroom maneuvering on the issue of handling county school buildings -- a central piece in the battle between 10

the countywide school board and Shelby County suburbs. Mike Wissman called Monday's chain of events "sneaky and underhanded," while David Reaves said he had no doubt that a surprise County Commission resolution calling for schools to be sold at fair market value was to set the stage for a special called school board meeting on Tuesday -- a meeting eventually canceled for lack of a quorum. Unified school board member Martavius Jones downplayed any conspiracy theories about the two meetings. He said he has wanted the board to consider such a policy regarding the buildings for months. Chairman Billy Orgel said his understanding was the agenda would deal with the board's policy regarding disposition of county school buildings. As for a connection between the meetings, Orgel replied: "If that was the case, I was out of the loop." Last Friday, a dozen members of the unified school board -- at the direction of legal counsel Dorsey Hopson -- asked for Tuesday's meeting so the board could craft its stance on municipal schools and the handling of surplus education buildings. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/feb/07/unified-school-board-cancels-meeting-discuss-surpl/ (SUB)

Collierville officials say school system would fuel housing boom (CA/Wolff)
If Collierville creates a municipal school district, officials expect a home construction and retail boom as more people move there to enroll their children. Town Administrator James Lewellen made the prediction at a two-hour public forum Tuesday night at Collierville First Baptist Church. About 450 citizens, including children, parents and empty-nesters, attended. Collierville resident Beth Bohon said she knows what would happen to the 7,500 Collierville students if they joined the unified Memphis-Shelby County school district with about 150,00 students. "They wouldn't even be noticed in a crowd that size," she said. "If they are in a small district, then all of our focus is on them." Shelby County's suburban municipalities are considering creating independent school districts instead of joining the unified district next year. Officials in the three largest suburbs -- Bartlett, Collierville and Germantown -- plan to vote on ordinances this month to hold referendums in May. The two referendums each town is proposing would give town officials authority to create the municipal district and to increase the local option sales tax rate by a half cent. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/feb/08/schools-seen-as-seeds-for-growth/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

School transition team hears Millington concerns (Commercial Appeal/Silence)

Members of the transition team on school consolidation heard a mix of fear and optimism from Millington residents Tuesday night. "The thing is, if I wanted my child in a Memphis City School, I would've stayed in Memphis city," said Millington parent Sharon Blankenship, the first crowd member to the microphone for the Transition Planning Commission's listening session at Millington Central High School. "I moved to Millington because I don't want to be associated with Memphis," echoed Millington parent Tammy Regenold. "I don't want our schools to end up like theirs." The TPC is holding a series of listening sessions across the county as the 21member board works on a plan for merging Shelby County Schools with Memphis City Schools. However, Millington this week joined other suburban cities that are taking steps to avoid a merger by establishing their own municipal school districts. But some residents Tuesday night were more hopeful about the merger. Comments for and against the merger drew applause from the crowd of about 300 in the high school's auditorium. Thomas McGhee, who has four children who graduated from Millington High, encouraged crowd members to be concerned about all kids, not just their own. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/feb/08/school-transition-team-hears-millington-concerns/ (SUB)

Three charged in W hitfield County meth case (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)

Local and federal authorities have arrested three people charged in connection with the distribution of large quantities of methamphetamine in Whitfield County. Travis Little, of Summerville, Ga., was intercepted taking several pounds of meth to the Dalton area Friday night, Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood said in a news release. Little was arrested on multiple drug charges, and police were able to trace the meth to the man he was selling to, Chitwood said. On Monday night, investigators located Eric Hendrix, of Monroe, Ga., as he was delivering a large shipment of meth to Dalton, the sheriff said. Police also arrested a passenger in the vehicle, Chantelle Everson, of Monroe, he said. Hendrix and Everson were charged with multiple drug offenses including trafficking in methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute, Chitwood said. Police seized more than 9 pounds of meth, more than $20,000 in cash and two vehicles, the sheriff said. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/feb/08/three-charged-whitfield-county-meth-case/?local

California: Court Rejects State Ban on Gay Marriage (W all Street Journal)
A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down California's voter-mandated ban on gay marriages, but stopped short of finding that other states or the federal government were required to recognize same-sex marriage. The 11

decision sets the stage for the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on gay marriage as soon as next year, and could add fuel to the issue in the presidential campaign. In a 2-1 vote, a panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said California's 2008 law, popularly known as Proposition 8, violated the 14th Amendment's equalprotection clause by stigmatizing a minority group without legitimate reason. "Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples," wrote Judge Stephen Reinhardt, who was appointed to the court by former President Jimmy Carter. Tuesday's decision is likely just a way station en route to the Supreme Court, although Proposition 8's backers could first ask an expanded 11-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit to re-hear the case. The two judges behind the ruling sidestepped the broader issue of whether there was a constitutional right for same-sex couples to marry. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204136404577209183209519256.html?mod=ITP_pageone_0 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Wisconsin: G.O.P. Lawmakers Sign Vow of Silence (Associated Press)

Nearly all of Wisconsins Republican state lawmakers signed an agreement not to comment publicly about redistricting discussions while new G.O.P.-friendly maps were being drafted. The pact was included in documents released in a lawsuit challenging the maps constitutionality. They included a memorandum warning Republicans to ignore public comments about the maps and focus instead on what was being said in private meetings. An immigrant group filed a complaint Monday claiming that the actions broke the open-meetings law. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/us/wisconsin-gop-lawmakers-sign-vow-of-silence.html? _r=1&ref=todayspaper (SUBSCRIPTION)

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OPINION Editorial: Evaluations and better teachers (Commercial Appeal)

Finding the perfect recipe for evaluating teachers has been an elusive endeavor for state and local education reformers. But reformers have embarked on evaluation strategies that should help all teachers become great teachers. A three-part series in The Commercial Appeal that began Sunday and ended Tuesday -- Grading Our Teachers -- illustrates the importance of making sure students have the best teachers possible in classrooms. As Memphis City Schools Supt. Kriner Cash said in Sunday's story: "We're not about 'gotcha.' We're not about catching teachers (who are receiving low evaluation scores) ... and then trying to figure out ways to get them out of the profession." The goal is to find struggling teachers, identify why they are struggling and help them get better. As the series pointed out, increasingly stringent federal student academic achievement benchmarks and high numbers of failing students have forced school districts from San Diego, Calif., to Bangor, Maine, to take a second look at what is happening in classrooms. It is an issue of grave importance to urban districts like 12

Memphis, where high poverty rates have contributed to a consistent record of too many failing schools with too many underachieving students. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/feb/08/editorial-evaluations-andbetter-teachers/ (SUB)

Guest columnist: Grocers outfoxed despite popularity of wine sales (Tennessean)

Albert Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. If this is true, the owners of Tennessees supermarkets should be in a padded cell by now. This week will mark the sixth consecutive year that the push to legalize wine in grocery stores statewide has gone down in flames in the state legislature. Allowing folks to pick up a bottle of red along with their cheese and curried goat is a popular issue in Tennessee: A Middle Tennessee State University poll found 74 percent of respondents were in favor. In other words, the hard part of most issue campaigns winning over public opinion is already done. So how have wine advocates failed to deliver once again? The answer is that the Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association, the group seeking to implement this popular reform, has clung to an outdated and ineffective legislative strategy. Every year, like clockwork, they trot out the usual array of lobbyists and send them on a death march to Nashville, where they are met with the equally predictable indifference of legislators. This year, they havent even managed to get ignored by the people who matter the primary bill died from lack of a sponsor in the Senate. The optimistic spin from Rep. John Lundberg, the measures chief sponsor in the House, is that success would come if not this year, then next year, or the year after that. Such hopes depend on opponents lobbyists having a sudden change of heart on this issue, which is unlikely as long as the liquor industrys checks continue to clear. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120208/OPINION03/302080099/Grocers-outfoxed-despite-popularity-winesales?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Frank Munger: Signs that Y-12 dispute nearing a resolution? (News-Sentinel)

Construction of Y-12's new high-security storage facility was completed in 2009, and it is now loaded with the nation's primary stockpile of bomb-grade uranium.The project can't be put to bed, however, because of the ongoing dispute and litigation over construction costs associated with the $549 million Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility. The construction team, headed by Caddell-Blaine Joint Venture, has about $60 million in claims pending in U.S. District Court, and B&W Y-12, managing contractor at the nuclear weapons plant, countersued and is seeking damages of its own. Both sides have accused the other of breach of contract, with no real progress reported over the past couple of years. But that could be changing, based on news the parties have met in recent weeks. Warren Barrow, executive vice president of Alabama-based Caddell Construction, confirmed the meetings that included himself, Dorman Blaine of Knoxville-based Blaine Construction and Darrel Kohlhorst, president and general manager of B&W Y-12. While Barrow said no settlement had been reached in the complex, high-stakes litigation, he indicated there were genuine efforts taking place. He also noted there was an attempt at mediation on a major part of the litigation. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/feb/08/frank-munger-signs-that-y-12-dispute-nearing-a/

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