Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam should veto the so-called “ag gag” bill, which grew out of the federal conviction of one of Tennessee’s top walking horse trainers and now seems shaped by the walking horse industry to block future investigations.

Haslam spokesman Dave Smith said the governor will review the bill and probably make a decision Monday or Tuesday about whether to sign or veto the bill that requires anyone who photographs or videotapes abuse of an animal to give a copy to police within 48 hours.

Proponents say the bill is aimed at protecting animals. But critics such as the Humane Society of the United States say it is really an “ag gag” bill aimed at blocking investigators from obtaining detailed documentation of abuse.

Haslam has wrestled with the decision.

The mighty Tennessee Farm Bureau backs the bill, as does Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville.

But thousands of Tennesseans don’t.

Haslam’s office has been bombarded with about 15,000 emails and telephone calls. The vast majority are urging the governor’s veto. Celebrities including Priscilla Presley and country music superstar Carrie Underwood also seek a veto. And more than 33,000 people nationwide have signed an American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee petition urging his veto.

On Thursday, Tennessee Attorney General Robert Cooper issued a 10-page legal opinion finding the bill is “constitutionally suspect” on three grounds under the U.S. Constitution.

The bill was prompted by the storm created when top walking horse trainer Jackie McConnell, of Collierville, Tenn., pleaded guilty last spring in federal court to abuse chronicled with videos collected by an undercover Humane Society operative.

A year before, the Humane Society of the United States went undercover and secretly filmed activity at McConnell’s training stable. The video showed trainers and grooms “soring” horses with caustic substances applied to their legs and hooves to force their high-stepping gait.

McConnell was taped beating a horse to “school” him against moving when his sore legs were massaged as a show inspector would do.

The industry claims such abuse is rare — just an occasional rotten apple. But McConnell had been honored by the industry at least once as “trainer of the year.”

The bill’s opponents — especially the $1.4 billion walking horse industry — also charge that long-term video documentation leaves the animals in abusive situations, and some accuse the Humane Society of using the video probes at fundraising events.

“This video was sat on for four months,” Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, said. “They did nothing to stop the abuse … didn’t turn it over to law enforcement” and chose to release it at the “opportune time for them to benefit, I guess HSUS’s fundraising.”

That’s not exactly correct. According to federal law enforcement officials, the Humane Society turned the film over to the U.S. Department of Agriculture investigators responsible for walking horse show inspections. The USDA, in turn, asked U.S. District Attorney Bill Killian to prosecute McConnell and others on the film. The film was not released to the public until after McConnell was convicted last summer.

When the bill was approved by the Senate in April, Senate sponsor Dolores Gresham, R-Somerville, said the bill’s goal to require handing over the video quickly was to stop such activity immediately. McConnell’s stable is in her district.

But when Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, introduced an amendment making the bill applicable to everyone who witnesses animal abuse, Gresham successfully moved to table it.

“What’s wrong with this bill is you’re criminalizing the filmmaker, not the abuse,” Norris said.

Gresham’s bill passed 22-9 with Sens. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, also voting for it. Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, did not vote.

This week, the airwaves in Tennessee have been peppered with a six-figure ad campaign by the Humane Society to raise public pressure for Haslam’s veto.

“Tennessee politicians have passed a bill to silence whistle-blowers, covering up the abuse and protecting the next Jackie McConnell,” the ad charges.

But the Horse Protection Act of 1970 never had a soring conviction until last year. In part, that’s because historically animal rights groups and individuals have had a difficult time persuading local police and sheriffs to act. That’s why the Humane Society took its collection of McConnell films to federal authorities.

Haslam has vetoed only one bill since taking office in 2011.

He should make this one No. 2.

It is unimaginable that even a small fraction of Tennesseans would want to make investigating cases of animal abuse more difficult. And yet that is the intent of legislation before Gov. Bill Haslam, who has the option to sign, veto or, without taking a stand, allow the so-called “Ag Gag” bill to become law.

One of the most blatantly misrepresented pieces of legislation in recent memory, House Bill 1191/Senate Bill 1248, which narrowly won legislative approval last month, would require photos or video recordings of horse and livestock abuse to be turned over to police within 48 hours of the recording, or allow anyone who gathers such evidence to face a fine and a jail sentence of up to 30 days.

It is no coincidence that evidence leading to the indictment of a Fayette County horse trainer for the alleged abuse of Tennessee walking horses in 2011, like evidence gathered in many other undercover investigations, took much longer than 48 hours to compile.

It is no coincidence that the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Dolores Gresham, R-Somerville, and Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden, introduced the measure after an unsuccessful attempt to make it a criminal offense “for a person to apply for employment with the intent to cause economic damage to the employer by means of unauthorized recording of video or audio while on the premises of the employer and releasing such recordings to a third party.”

It is no coincidence that similar legislation has been introduced in several states as part of a national attack on activists who have used the only means available to them — the collection of video evidence — to require decent and humane practices in the care of animals to consume or show off at horse shows and fairs.

It is the definition of disingenuous on the part of Gresham and Holt to look their constituents in the face and claim that their aim with these efforts is to prevent animal abuse.

In considering whether to issue a veto, which would stand a good chance of being upheld, Haslam should listen to Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, who correctly pointed out that the legislation would criminalize filming, not abuse. The Tennessee Farm Bureau, Norris said, “should be ashamed” of its support of this legislation. “The implication of this bill is that it’s OK to abuse animals but it’s not all right to film it if you don’t tell anybody about it” immediately, Norris said.

Allowing this bill to become law would reinforce the image of politics as the most cynical game in town. More important, it would make it easier for people who profit from fear and pain inflicted on helpless animals to continue their cruel practices.

NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam on Monday signed into law the second of the two municipal school district bills — this one removing the limits on the number of school systems permitted in a county.

Previous Tennessee law limited to six the number of school districts per county. Senate Bill 1354, by Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, and Rep. Ron Lollar, R-Bartlett, is the second of two bills lawmakers passed this year paving the way for Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland and Millington to create their own municipal school systems for the start of the 2014-15 school year.

Those six, when added to the new unified Memphis-Shelby County Schools, would have exceeded the limit under prior law.

The governor signed the other bill last week. It repealed a prohibition imposed in 1998 on the creation of new municipal school systems in Tennessee.

NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam on Wednesday signed the main bill paving the way for creation of new municipal school districts in the six Shelby County suburban cities.

House Bill 1288 repeals a 15-year-old prohibition in state law on the establishment of new municipal school systems beyond the 28 that existed in 1998 when it was enacted. Tennessee has 137 school districts — most of which are county systems and 15 special school districts that have broader taxing authority than city and county systems.

The mayors of Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland and Millington agreed Monday to ask the Shelby County Election Commission to schedule new referendums for July 16 in each of their cities on whether to establish the new school districts. If voters approve as expected — and as they did last year before the results were thrown out by a federal court ruling — elections for school board members would follow in early November, with a goal of opening schools for the 2014-15 school year.

The separate Senate Bill 1354, which the governor will also sign soon, repeals a statute that limits to six the number of school districts per county. It’s needed because the six new systems added to the unified Memphis-Shelby system would exceed the cap.

The governor said earlier that he expected to sign the two measures, both of which won legislative approval by large margins last week. HB 1288 by Rep. Curry Todd and Sen. Mark Norris, both R-Collierville, passed the House 70-24 and the Senate 24-5. SB 1354, by Norris and Rep. Ron Lollar, R-Bartlett, won 75-3 in the House and 22-5 in the Senate.

Norris said, “Governor Haslam’s timely signature on this important legislation demonstrates that he shares our commitment to neighborhood schools and parental choice. We appreciate his decisive action, and I appreciate the support of so many who have worked hard to help us remove these artificial barriers to education improvement.”

Voter approval in the referendums won’t be the final word on the new districts, which have to follow the law on the process and requirements for new school systems and be approved by the state commissioner of education.

The main bill also provides that each new city school system can begin after Aug. 1 of 2014 after the commissioner determines that:

The rights of school employees will not be “impaired, interrupted or diminished”;

There will be timely compliance with state law and state Board of Education rules;

And, the system has “general readiness” to start student instruction.

The bill further provides that the creating of “a city school system shall not impair, interrupt or diminish the rights and privileges of a then existing teacher; and such rights and privileges shall continue without impairment, interruption or diminution.”

NASHVILLE — The Humane Society of the United States, lawmakers and two media groups held a State Capitol news conference Monday to urge Gov. Bill Haslam to veto a bill they say would end undercover investigations of animal abuse in the state.

In addition, HSUS began running television ads in Knoxville and Nashville on Saturday encouraging Tennesseans to contact the governor’s office to encourage a veto of what opponents call the “Ag Gag” bill passed by the legislature last week.

HSUS President and CEO Wayne Pacelle said his group is spending $100,000 on the TV ads initially. The ads are not running in Memphis, Chattanooga or elsewhere yet but the governor’s office said Monday it had received about 2,000 emails and phone calls on the issue. The governor said Friday that he’s studying the bill.

House Bill 1191/Senate Bill 1248 amends Tennessee’s cruelty to animals statutes to require a person who records, “by photograph, digital image, video or similar medium” for the purpose of documenting cruelty to livestock, to report the violation to the local law enforcement agency and submit any recordings to them within 48 hours.

Pacelle said the bill is part of a national movement to make it a crime to do the kind of undercover work that HSUS did in Fayette County in 2011 when it documented abuse of Tennessee Walking Horses at a trainer’s stable.

Pacelle also disputed statements made by the House sponsor, Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden, that HSUS “held” its undercover recordings of the abuse for four months before reporting to law enforcement.

Pacelle said his HSUS gave recordings to federal prosecutors within two weeks after its undercover operative got a job at the trainer’s stable and, at the prosecutors’ request, the videos were not publicly released for another 13 months. By that time, trainer Jackie McConnell was already under indictment by a federal grand jury in Chattanooga.

“There were so many false statements from the House author in particular,” Pacelle said. “The investigation began in April 2011 and we began to turn information over to the United States attorney for the purpose of enforcing the Horse Protection Act, a federal statute that dates to 1970, within two weeks.”

The bill’s Senate sponsor is Sen. Dolores Gresham, R-Somerville. Haslam said he met with both Gresham and Holt after the bill passed last week to discuss why they proposed it.

It won a 22-9 Senate vote April 16 and 50-43 in the House the next day. It takes 17 votes to approve a bill in the Senate and 50 in the House, which means it passed with the minimum required there.

At the Monday news conference, Rep. Gloria Johnson, R-Knoxville, said, “This bill is anti-whistleblower and gives the industry the power to avoid transparency. In the House, we only lacked one vote to stop this bill. Twenty-three Republicans and 20 Democrats voted against this bill. The coalition against this bill is definitely bipartisan.”

Whit Adamson, executive director of the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters, and Kent Flanagan, director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, said the bill would hinder journalists and others from documenting abuse.

When the bill was debated in the Senate, Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, said the bill would criminalize the documenting, not the abuse, and he said the Tennessee Farm Bureau “should be ashamed” for supporting the bill.

“The implication of this bill is that it’s OK to abuse animals but it’s not all right to film it if you don’t tell anybody about it” immediately.

Two perspectives of the Governor’s End-of-Session Press Conference

“Last year, we were optimistic but on guard. This year, we remain on guard, but we’re optimistic and on the move.”
Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris
presenting the 2013-2014 Budget

State Senate approves budget and closes 2013 legislative session

The State Legislature passed a state budget and several key bills including unemployment compensation reform, education reform, school safety and prescription drug abuse before adjourning the 2013 legislative session to become a part of Tennessee history. The action came after three and a half months of legislative deliberations and is one of the earliest adjournments in 23 years.

The $32.8 billion budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville), is fully balanced and incorporates approximately $43 million in tax cuts for Tennesseans.

“In direct contrast to Washington, Tennessee’s budget is balanced,” said Leader Norris. “The state is ranked 48th lowest in the nation in per capita debt and 47th in per capita tax burden, all while balancing our state budget and lowering tax burdens for our citizens.”

Senate Bill 502 allocates $18.7 million to take the second step in a four-year process to phase out the state’s inheritance tax, also called the death tax. It also provides $1.5 million to allow more senior citizens to qualify for Hall income tax relief and $22.2 million to reduce the state sales tax on grocery food from 5.25% to 5.0%. Norris also won approval of Senate Bill 198 and Senate Bill 199 on Monday to make the necessary changes in state law to implement the tax reductions.

On K-12 education, the budget fully funds the Basic Education Program, invests $51 million to assist local governments in paying for technology transition upgrades in schools across the state and makes available $34 million to address ongoing capital needs that can be used for increased security measures to protect students. It appropriates more than $35 million for K-12 teacher salary increases and provides $47 million in funding to help improve Tennessee’s lowest performing public schools.

The budget prioritizes higher education by providing $307.3 million to fund capital outlay projects in higher education, $35 million to fund the state’s new outcome-based formula adopted under the state’s Complete College Act, $5 million to provide assistance to 2,675 needy students and $16.5 million for equipment for Tennessee’s Technical Centers and Community Colleges.

Other highlights of the budget include:

• $104 million cost increase for a 1.5% pay raise salary market adjustment for state employees;
• $46.3 million cost increase for state employee group health insurance;
• continues the state 401 (K) match at $50 per month;
• reduces state employee positions by 299 or .08%;
• $350 million cost increase for TennCare inflation and related expenses;
• $8.6 million cost increase for Cover Tennessee programs;
• $7.5 million cost increase for Children’s Services;
• $100 million to the Rainy Day Fund, bringing it to $456 million by June 30, 2014;
• $79.6 million cost increase for local jail payments, a new prison in Bledsoe County, medical contracts and other inflationary growth;
• $3.9 million cost increase for mental health;
• $4.3 million in capital outlay for the Montgomery County veterans’ home;
• $134 million in capital outlay for state building improvements through the Facilities Revolving Fund;
• $8 million in one-time funds for tourism marketing;
• $1 million in one-time funds for the College 529 Savings Plan;
• $37.9 million for health and wellness initiatives;
• $110 million for economic development; and
• provides tax relief for low income seniors, veterans and the disabled by fully funding the growth of the property tax freeze program enacted in 2007

The budget assumes a general fund revenue growth of 3.89% during the 2013-14 fiscal year.

The Sons of the American Revolution were here to commemorate Patriots Day. The Senate also remembered the victims of the Boston tragedy.

Senate votes to lift the ban on municipal school districts

As part of a continuing effort to reform education in Tennessee, the State Senate passed Senate Bill 1353 on Monday, lifting the ban on municipal school districts implemented in 1998. Carried by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville), Senate Bill 1353 gives citizens in municipalities with at least 1500 students permission to vote on whether to create a municipal district and whether they are willing to raise taxes to pay for it.

“The ban on municipal school districts has created an artificial impediment to innovation,” said Senator Norris. “In recent years, the General Assembly has authorized the creation of other new types of schools that did not exist when the municipal ban was imposed, including charter schools, achievement schools and virtual schools. Giving a municipality that wants to assume responsibility for its students an opportunity to do so is the next step in the education reform process.”

Municipal school districts in place prior to the 1998 ban statistically contain higher performing schools, with 88% of those districts currently maintaining above average TCAP or ACT scores. Under new law, 29 more municipalities might qualify to apply for a special school district.

The Senate, likewise, approved Senate Bill 1354, also sponsored by Senator Norris, which effectively authorizes an unlimited number of municipal districts in any county provided the requirements of state law and the rules of the State Board of Education are met.

Legislation to help keep students safe at school wins approval

Legislation that aims to help keep students safe at school won final approval this week which empowers a local director of schools, in conjunction with the school principal, to hire retired law enforcement officers to provide security. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Frank Niceley (R-Strawberry Plains), also allows a teacher to possess a gun at school if they are a retired law enforcement officer that is Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) certified. However, all decisions regarding the carrying of firearms would be made at the local district and school level.

The bill comes in the wake of the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut in December, which pointed to the need to increase school safety. POST certification requires extensive law enforcement training, including the handling of firearms.

Governor Haslam has proposed $34 million in state funding to address ongoing capital needs in K-12 schools that can be used for school safety measures, including the hiring of security. The School Security Act of 2013 would give school superintendents the option to hire retired police officers, highway patrol officers, federal agents, game wardens and other personnel with extensive weapons or law enforcement training and who have a handgun carry permit to serve as security at schools upon receiving 40 additional hours of specialized training. The 40-hour training would include education in crisis management and hostile situations in the school setting. Teachers who are authorized to carry guns as result of their law enforcement background would also have to go through the specialized training. The bill also requires the chief of the local law enforcement agency to be notified that the employee has been authorized to carry a gun.

“Many schools are looking to bring security into their buildings in an affordable and safe manner,” said Senator Niceley, (R-Strawberry Plains) who sponsored the bill. This legislation gives them that ability.”

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was also the impetus behind legislation requesting the state’s BEP Review Committee to make a recommendation in its annual report this year as to whether the state’s school funding formula should be modified to include a component regarding school safety and security. Senate Resolution 30, which was passed on April 8, is sponsored by Senate Education Committee Chairman Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville).

Governor Bill Haslam, state law enforcement officials and homeland security experts met with education leaders from more than 120 school systems earlier this year to discuss school safety. Mental health specialists and emergency management officials also joined the group to think through additional measures that school districts can put into place to avoid a tragedy like the one which occurred in Newtown. The group reviewed best practices and new ideas on school safety, noting that the right plan would likely vary district by district. Both of these proposals fit into that plan.

The Capitol the first day of Session, January 8, 2013 and the last day of Session, April 19, 2013. The General Assembly flag always appears on the first day and is removed when the Legislature adjourns.

Senate passes “Step up Scholarships” to give students with developmental disabilities the opportunity to receive a Tennessee Lottery Scholarship

Legislation, sponsored by Senator Doug Overbey (R-Maryville), giving students with developmental disabilities the opportunity to receive a Tennessee Lottery Scholarship was approved by the State Senate on Thursday. Senate Bill 36 would create the Tennessee STEP UP Scholarship to provide accessible funding for high school students with intellectual or developmental disabilities who have college aspirations.

“Tennessee’s lottery scholarships were created to help Tennessee’s high school graduates reach their dreams,” Senator Overbey said. “This legislation removes the barriers so scholarship opportunities are open to everyone who shows a desire through their coursework to obtain a college degree, regardless of disability.”

Like the larger HOPE Scholarship program, the bill allocates $4,000 per year for a maximum of two years to each student who qualifies, starting for the 2013-2014 academic year. To be eligible, a student must display Tennessee residency, graduate high school in his or her own Individual Education Program, and be admitted to and enroll in an eligible postsecondary institution no later than 16 months after graduation.

Major legislation to curb abuse of prescription drugs passes State Senate

Major legislation sponsored by State Senator Ken Yager (R-Harriman) and Senator Becky Duncan Massey (R-Knoxville) designed to curb the abuse of prescription drugs in Tennessee is on its way to Governor Bill Haslam for his signature after final action was taken on the bill on Thursday. Yager said the bill is a result of “comprehensive and collaborative effort by citizens, legislators, law enforcement and medical professionals to enhance and tighten the regulations on prescribers and pain management clinics.”

Provisions of the Senate Bill 676 would:

• Directs the Commissioner of Health to develop a standard of care on prescribing the most commonly abused prescription medications and provide this information to the various licensing boards who oversee prescribers;
• Requires two hours of training for medical professionals every two years on these guidelines and other pertinent requirements such as medicine addiction and risk management;
• Limits the dispensing of opioids and benzodiazepine to 30 days. (The prescription may still be issued for 90 days, but this will limit it to a 30-day supply at a time);
• Requires reporting to the Controlled Substance Monitoring Database by all prescribers who dispense at their offices;
• Clarifies the definition of manufacturer and wholesaler of drugs and require the reporting of the drug distribution to the State of Tennessee as they do to the DEA;
• Strengthens the definition of pain management clinics by closing a loophole in the law that has allowed some operators to avoid registration;
• Requires a patient of pain management clinics to have a current and valid government-issued identification or health insurance card for monitoring purposes;
• Limits the medical director at pain management clinics to four clinics total;
• No longer authorizes money order payments as method to reimburse pain management clinics for services essentially putting an end to cash business; and
• Enhances the fine for violations on unregistered clinics to between $1,000 – $5,000 per day to substantially impact those who choose to operate illegally.

“The prescription drug problem has touched almost every Tennessee family,” added Massey. “Tragically, it is the number one reason for children being taken out of their homes and into state custody. We must turn back the tide of this epidemic and this legislation makes a major step in the right direction in accomplishing that goal.”

In Brief….

Crime / Gangs — Legislation passed the full Senate on Tuesday rewriting and simplifying the state’s Criminal Gang Enhancement statute, which prosecutors report is too difficult to interpret and navigate. Currently, prosecutors must prove the group is a “criminal gang;” show the defendant is a “criminal gang member;” demonstrate the gang and/or an individual has committed a criminal gang offense, and establish the group has a pattern of “criminal gang activity.” The revised statute lists the specific offenses considered to be criminal gang offenses rather than asking prosecutors and courts to interpret today’s more vague definition. According to 2012 data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, gang members now outnumber law enforcement officers 2 to 1 in the state. The bill is sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville).

DUI / Interlock Devices – State Senators have approved key legislation to curb drunk driving, requiring the use of ignition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers. In 2011, 257 people were killed in Tennessee in alcohol-related crashes, which is approximately 27% of all traffic fatalities in the state. Senate Bill 670, sponsored by Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet), decreases from 0.15 percent to 0.08 percent, the breath or blood alcohol concentration (BAC) that is considered an enhanced offense for purposes of issuing a restricted driver license. The bill also requires the interlock device be capable of taking a photo, to ensure that another person does not provide the sample for a convicted offender. The average first offender has been on the road 80 times drunk before their first arrest according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Currently, 17 states require interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers.

Student Health / EpiPens — Legislation to help ensure that every public school in the state has epinephrine injector pens on hand, or EpiPens, was approved by the full Senate. Senate Bill 1146, sponsored by Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville), would help make the EpiPens available in public schools in Tennessee in case of a life-threatening allergic reaction when the student does not have one available. The legislation authorizes the school nurse or other trained school to administer the epinephrine auto-injectors to respond to an anaphylactic reaction using protocols from a physician.

LEAP / Jobs and Higher Education — Senate Bill 1330, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville), passed during the last week of legislative action to create the Labor Education Alignment Program (LEAP). The measure allows students at Tennessee’s technology centers and community colleges to combine occupational training in a high-skill or high-technology industry with academic credit and to apply that experience toward a degree. The legislation is drafted so that wages or other compensation received by students will not impact eligibility for state need-based financial assistance or grants. The legislation is modeled after “cooperative education” programs where students are paid to learn while applying what they learn at work for credit toward a degree. This program recognizes that an important outcome of a student’s education is job opportunity. Having employers work closely with state agencies creates increased collaboration and focus across the board, giving students the opportunity to attain credentials.

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Examiner.com
April 21, 2013

Celebrity singer Carrie Underwood expressed her anger on Friday over some Tennessee lawmakers’ decision in passing the Ag Gag bill which will effectively curb the prosecution of animal cruelty at farms, factories, and slaughterhouses in the state. Underwood tweeted:

“Shame on TN lawmakers for passing the Ag Gag bill. If Gov. Bill Haslam signs this, he needs to expect me at his front door. Who’s with me?”

An outspoken animal advocate and vegetarian, Underwood grew up on a dairy farm in Oklahoma and once realizing where meat came from and the inhumane practices of many farms, changed to a healthier vegetarian diet.

Vegetarian diets set aside however, the Ag Gag bill runs much deeper than anyone’s personal dinner preferences. The new law will require any video recordings of animal cruelty and abuse to be submitted to law enforcement within 48 hours. As a result of this bill, animal protection agencies will not have the time to accumulate enough evidence to document ongoing animal cruelty. Instead the farm or factory will be able to claim the reported animal cruelty was a one-time occurrence and then continue the inhumane conditions protected from humane organization covert investigations.

The 48 hour ruling will also discourage whistle blowers from wanting to testify about animal cruelty.

According to the Memphis Daily News, the measure sponsored by Republican Senator Dolores Gresham, passed by a vote of 22 to 9 with Gresham stating the purpose of the bill is to stop abuse. Ironically, the Humane Society of the United States comprehensive and extensive undercover investigation that uncovered the caustic substances applied to Tennessee Walking horses’ legs and hooves by trainer Jackie McConnell, is in Gresham’s West Tennessee district.

McConnell pleaded guilty to animal cruelty and his participation in the egregious practice of horse soring.

Being prompted forward by the American Legislative Exchange Council who have been calling out humane organizations as terrorists campaigns, the organization promotes the passage of the Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act.

Senate GOP leader Mark Norris, according to the Nashville Scene.com contends the bill’s advocates don’t care about stopping animal cruelty stating:

“They support the bill but they should be ashamed for doing so. If you’re truly concerned about animal abuse, deal with the root cause not what people do after they see it. The implication of this bill is that it’s OK to abuse animals. It’s all right.”

It’s only going to get worse for all farm animals as humane organizations and the freedom of the press continues to be challenged as these organizations try to bring awareness to the public advocating for the humane treatment of farm animals and the subsequent dangers of sick and diseased animals entering the American food chain.

A bill aimed at easing the pain at Tennessee’s grocery checkout lanes is headed to the governor’s desk for approval.

Senate Bill 199, sponsored by Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville, would reduce retail sales tax on food from 5.25 percent to 5 percent. The measure passed the state Senate almost unanimously Monday.

The sole “no” vote came from elder Nashville Democrat Douglas Henry, who applauded the financial relief the bill would give to low-income Tennesseans but argued the importance of revenue from the tax and lamented that the break would also apply to wealthier residents, himself included, when buying luxury items.

“This is the best tax we got, it pays for everything,” Henry told the chamber. “When you give it back to poor people, that’s good. But you also give back to rich people. I buy imported Swiss cheese because I like to eat it. You’re lowering taxes on my cheese as well as the poor man’s Velveeta”

The legislation has already cleared the House and would go into effect on July 1, pending Gov. Bill Haslam’s signature.

NASHVILLE — With suburban mayors from Shelby County watching in support, both houses of the state legislature approved the bill allowing the six Memphis suburban cities to create new municipal school districts Monday.

The House voted first, approving HB 1288 on a 70-24 vote. The Senate followed with a 24-5 approval. Gov. Bill Haslam, the former mayor of Knoxville, has indicated he will sign it into law.

Once that happens, the city boards of Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland and Millington can begin the process again of calling referendums to create the new systems, and then follow with elections for school board members to run the systems. All six approved new districts and sales tax increases to fund them last summer, then elected school boards last fall, but that process was invalidated by a federal court ruling on Nov. 27.

After the Nashville votes, Collierville Mayor Stan Joyner and Germantown Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy said their city boards will proceed as quickly as possible with passing new school ordinances and calling new referendums.

(WMC-TV) – The two and a half year Memphis-Shelby County school merger battle hits a landmark Monday. That is when the Tennessee General Assembly votes whether or not to lift the ban on municipal schools.

“I’m optimistic about it, I’m hopeful,” said the bill’s author Senator Mark Norris of Collierville.

Norris hesitated to claim victory before Monday’s vote to lift the ban on municipal schools in Tennessee.

“There’s some opposition so you can’t be presumptuous about it, but we’ll do the best we can,” he said.

When the Tennessee House and Senate vote on companion bills 4 p.m. Monday, the powerful Republican State Senate Majority Leader Norris will have a Republican super-majority.

The vote impacts every county in the state.

“I think it’s just a reaffirmation of the importance of parental choice, neighborhood schools and options,” said Norris.

Suburban Shelby County parents want this to avert the merger with Memphis schools, nearly two and a half years after the Memphis school board surrendered its charter.

Even if the vote passes, the merger will happen for one year, because the suburbs need time to elect a school board.

Shortly before Norris left for the state capitol, he addressed the suburban property tax increase that will likely follow Monday’s vote.

“At least in this county, it’s a pill that over 80 percent of the citizens in most municipalities were willing to swallow. They had a referendum last year and it had overwhelming support,” he said.