THE MAYORAL FIELD BEGINS TO GROW AS ONE ANTI-NASHVILLE BILL FALTERS AND ANOTHER CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE STATE HOUSE; THE STATE MAY AGAIN SAY NO THANKS TO WASHINGTON FUNDS; THE “STATE OF” WEEK SEES A CONTINUED DECLINE IN POLITICAL CIVILITY; MTSU PROFESSOR DR. JOHN VILE ON INSIDE POLITICS TO DISCUSS THE STATE OF UNION AND THE STATE OF WASHINGTON/NATIONAL POLITICS
THE MAYORAL FIELD BEGINS TO GROW AS ONE ANTI-NASHVILLE BILL FALTERS AND ANOTHER CONTINUES TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE STATE HOUSE
There are now four candidates running for Nashville mayor this summer in the wake of incumbent mayor, John Cooper, announcing last week he won’t seek reelection.
The latest person to throw his hat into the ring is retired AllianceBerstein COO Jim Gingrich, who talked about running last year, but seemed to have faded into the background, until the Cooper decision. Now, Gingrich already has his campaign website up.
There was a time in Nashville politics when non-native Nashvillians need not apply for the job of mayor. Phil Bredesen changed that in 1991 and every mayor after he took the city’s highest office, until David Briley in 2018 and John Cooper in 2019, were Nashville transplants.
Given the litany of names now considering entering the mayor’s race, the field of candidates is bound to grow still further. In fact, former educator and Republican congressional candidate, Natisha Brooks has announced her intent to run, but has not yet appointed a treasurer to allow her to raise funds.
These entries already increase the likelihood of no one getting a 50% plus one vote majority in the August 3rd balloting. That means a runoff race in September to settle who will be mayor between the top two vote-getters in August.
Gingrich’s entry will also likely make the race more expensive. It is believed he has the personal resources to self-fund much of his campaign. He’ll likely need that money early on to build his name recognition and a positive image of himself, and how and why he would be the best person to be Nashville’s next chief executive.
On the issues, Gingrich last year published an op-ed piece in THE TENNESSEAN opposing the Titans stadium deal, an issue still in negotiations, and pending before the Metro Council.
In a somewhat related development this week, outgoing Mayor John Cooper saw an important part of his financial legacy confirmed. When Mayor Cooper took office in the fall of 2019, the city faced serious financial problems, including no clear guidelines on the use of the city’s reserve funds. That has now been addressed and a national bond rating service has significantly upgraded the city’s bond rating.
But on another financial issue, there also appears to be questions about the large Amazon development in Nashville, as the company has paused work on its downtown office campus. State and Metro financial incentives are riding on the new jobs the development would be creating.
This credit upgrade for the city and the development of mayor’s race are occurring as a series of bills are under consideration in the Tennessee General Assembly that would adversely affect the finances and operations of Metro government, seemingly in revenge for the Metro Council refusing to host the Republican National Convention.
On Wednesday afternoon, one of the major anti-Nashville bills hit an unexpected roadblock when it was announced that it may be illegal for the state to take away the funding that Nashville uses to pay off the multi-million debt on the Music City Center convention facility (NASHVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL). There had earlier been criticisms of the bill from at least one national financial and bond analyst, who said the pending legislation is injecting politics into the city’s and state’s bond dealings and ratings.
If the state-approved funding sources to pay for the Music City Center are cut off, similar funds to help pay for the proposed $2.1 billion new Titans roofed football stadium and event center could also be in jeopardy. There is another piece of anti-Nashville legislation that would see the state take over Nashville’s sports and airport authorities too.
All these anti-Nashville bills have gotten the full attention of the Metro Council That is especially true of the measure that would cut the size of Council in half from 40 to 20 members. The proposal has already been approved in two House committees. Now the bill rests before the Finance Ways and Means Committee next week.
None of the anti-Nashville bills have moved in the Senate, raising hopes that there might still be a possibility of de-escalating or defusing the situation, although on what grounds such negotiations might occur are unclear. The Council going on record endorsing the city hosting a major GOP gathering in the future? Is it too late to apply for the 2028 GOP National Convention?
There are now media calls for Governor Bill Lee to play a role in defusing the situation.
THE TENNESSEE JOURNAL reports there may be a basis for talks.
“According to legislative leaders, the Republican National Committee wants to lock down the site of its 2028 convention by as early as April. For Nashville to get into the running, the Metro Council would have to approve the framework by the end of February. If it does, the reasoning goes, the General Assembly’s supermajority might dial back its assault. But if not, watch out.”
THE TENNESSEE JOURNAL outlines what other legislation punishing Nashville could be in the offing.
“ House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) has suggested the state exert its jurisdiction over the segment of the state route comprising Lower Broadway to “clean up” the tourist district. And a measure sponsored by freshman Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) and Rep. Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) would eliminate runoff elections in mayor’s races, a change that would give a conservative candidate a better chance of prevailing in a crowded field.”
There is at least one other bill pending in the Legislature that could create major controversies in Nashville and across the state. Rather than exploring police reforms in the light of what recently happened in Memphis where a motorist was beaten to death by several policemen after a traffic stop, instead, Republican lawmakers are again renewing their efforts to abolish community oversight boards such as the one in Nashville overwhelmingly approved by city voters.
If you are in a poll betting (for educational purposes only) on which GOP bill will be first to make the governor’s desk, two measures leading in that competition, both advanced in committees this week. Both seek to further persecute the trans and LGBTQ communities. One would ban medical procedures, medications and surgeries for transgender youth as well as the use of telehealth services in these cases.
The other bill that passed the full Senate this week would impact drag shows.
It also learned late this week that Republican leaders are trying to use legislation to get the state’s Tenn Care program to pressure its affiliated private health insurance companies to deny coverage of health care services for trans including adults.
Finally, it wouldn’t be a session of the Tennessee General Assembly with more gun bills. This year that includes one measure which gives 18-20-year-olds the right to carry a firearm without a permit or training or even previous military service.
NOTE: We had scheduled to have Tennessee Lt. Governor Randy McNally as our guest on INSIDE POLITICS this week to discuss all these legislative issues along with Governor Bill Lee’s State of the State speech. But on the morning of our taping, the Senate Speaker had to cancel due to an unexpected development. It was later announcedMcNally has been hospitalized with an irregular heartbeat. We wish the Lt. Governor a speedy and full recovery and hope he can soon join us again on INSIDE POLITICS.
THE STATE MAY AGAIN SAYS NO THANKS TO WASHINGTON FUNDS
Tennessee is a state that, over the past decade or more, has declined billions of federal dollars to expand health care services under the Affordable Care Act. Recently it has also decided it doesn’t need millions of dollars from Washington for HIV testing and treatments.,
Now Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton wants to take the “No thanks, Washington” chorus even further. He wants the Volunteer State to decline all federal education funding.
Governor Bill Lee and Lt. Governor and Senate Speaker Randy McNally are reportedly sympathetic to the idea. Says the Governor through a spokesperson: “Although we haven’t seen the details of the legislation yet, the Governor is always interested in working with the Speaker to ensure Tennessee students have the best access to a high-quality education.”
Says Speaker McNally in his statement through a spokesman: “Lt. Governor McNally agrees with Speaker Sexton that various federal mandates in the area of education can be overly burdensome. Guidance regarding allowable uses for the money is often unclear, confusing and contradictory. Lt. Governor McNally thinks a discussion about forgoing this money, a relatively small part of overall education funding, in order to maintain more control over how we educate our Tennessee students is a constructive conversation to have.”
We are not talking about a small amount of money the state would be declining. Tennessee is presently receiving about $1.8 billion annually in federal K-12 education funding. It is spent to provide support for low-income students, English learners and students with disabilities.
Speaker Sexton says state funds can be used to replace the federal dollars without the Washington red tape such as excessive testing.
By the way, it is believed Tennessee would be the first state in the nation to decline federal education funds. For the record, in teaching students “the Tennessee way”, our state presently ranks 43rd in the nation in spending and 45th in funding K-12 schools.
Stay tuned.
THE “STATE OF” WEEK SEES A CONTINUED DECLINE IN POLITICAL CIVILITY
This week saw the State of the State Address by Governor Bill Lee given to the Tennessee General Assembly on Monday. Then, the following evening, President Joe Biden delivered the annual State of the Union speech to Congress.
Both are time-honored traditions even as both of this year’s events spotlighted the continuing decline in political civility in our nation.
When Governor Lee got to the portion of his speech concerning strong families, he began to discuss pro-life issues. A small group of protestors in the gallery began to shout and heckle the Governor. I could not make out exactly what they were saying, but I suspect they aren’t at all happy with state’s total ban on abortions. Their shouting created some commotion until they were escorted out by state troopers. The Governor then took back the moment and the audience by saying: “Civility is not a weakness, by the way. It is a strength.”
President Biden was also heckled during the State of the Union by Republican members of the House. They became upset when he said that “some” Republicans want to sunset the Social Security and Medicare programs. See the ruckus that ensued here.
By the way, new Tennessee 5th District Republican Congressman Andy Ogles was among those shouting at the President.
Who came out on top in this exchange? In general, it seems the President did, at least with the pundits.
As for our Tennessee congressional delegation, all but one of the Republicans were not impressed with Mr. Biden’s leadership or his address.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had said before Monday’s speech that Republicans would not play “childish games” during President Biden’s State of the Union address. But some did. Less than 24 hours later, McCarthy and other GOP House leaders are now defending them.
Frankly, what choice does McCarthy have? Many of those participating in the boos, and shouting the President is a liar, are members who only supported McCarthy for Speaker after he made numerous concessions and gave them the power to try to kick him out of his post, even if just one of them decides to challenge him.
One challenge President Biden faced going into his State of the Union speech were continuing poll numbers that show even many Democrats don’t want him to run for re-election next year. But another poll also conducted just before his address show a possible change in those feelings.
It appears one thing President Biden accomplished in his State of the Union performance is to put a big crimp in constant Republican criticism that he is not sharp and has lost a step or two (or more).
This lack of civility around the State of the Union address is becoming more commonplace. That includes former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tearing up one of former President Trump’s speeches on the podium. While we may not like the people involved or their policies, we still need to respect the office they were elected by the voters to hold.
A report on the country by the President is required in the Constitution. But it doesn’t have to be a televised address with all the pomp and circumstance. Since our leaders are struggling to be civil, is it time to can the speech?
MTSU PROFESSOR DR. JOHN VILE ON INSIDE POLITICS TO DISCUSS THE STATE OF UNION AND THE STATE OF WASHINGTON/NATIONAL POLITICS
Dr. John Vile, Middle Tennessee State University history and political science professor joins me on INSIDE POLITICS this week to discuss this week’s State of the Union speech and its surrounding controversies. We always enjoy having him on the program and especially this week on short notice.
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