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Davidson County Community Corrections keeps clients alive
Without Davidson County Community Corrections, Brandon “Lane” Gomez figures he’d be in prison or dead. The 37-year-old Nashville man was strung out on heroin and fentanyl for about a decade, arrested for felony theft to feed his habit 43 times and convicted 28 times when – fortunately, he says – a judge gave him the […]
Stockard on the Stump: Ogles rides super PAC ads in 5th District win
Despite reports of tardy tax payments, a late federal campaign filing and potential illegal coordination with a super PAC, Maury County Mayor Ogles rolled to victory Thursday in the newly-drawn 5th Congressional District Republican primary. Buoyed by dark money groups that hammered former House Speaker Beth Harwell and retired Brig. Gen. Kurt Winstead, Ogles collected […]
Ogles likely winner in 5th Congressional District Republican primary
After a bruising campaign in which outside groups poured millions into attack ads, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles appears to be emerging as the winner of the 5th Congressional District Republican primary. Holding a strong lead with most votes counted, Ogles, former state director for Americans for Prosperity, will face Democratic state Sen. Heidi Campbell […]
Analysis: Tennessee’s Fifth District race likely coming down to Harwell and Ogles
With negative ads flooding voters in the waning days of the 5th Congressional District Republican primary, it appears former House Speaker Beth Harwell and Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles are battling for the nomination, leaving retired Brig. Gen. Kurt Winstead in the rear. Never mind the fact that news reports showed Ogles failed to pay […]
Metro Council catches Legislature’s ire with vote rejecting Republican convention
Tennessee’s courtship of the Republican National Convention is over after the Metro Nashville Council rejected a move Tuesday to bring the 2024 event to town, a vote likely to elicit retribution from the Legislature. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally appeared especially irritated, putting the lion’s share of the blame on Mayor John Cooper – who negotiated […]
Anti-federal spending candidate’s firm received $500,000 in pandemic funding
A Republican running for the House District 61 seat in Williamson County wants to invoke the 10th Amendment and rein in federal spending, yet his former law firm received nearly $500,000 through the Paycheck Protection Program. Brentwood attorney Gino Bulso, who is squaring off against Bob Ravener for the seat being vacated by Rep. Brandon […]
Warner, former Rep. Tillis square off in social media war
Embattled state Rep. Todd Warner and his former opponent, ex-Rep. Rick Tillis, are going at each other in a social media fight as the Aug. 4 election nears. Warner, who has been under investigation by the FBI since early 2021, sent out a text message blast recently telling constituents in the House District 92 they […]
Stockard on the Stump: Lawmakers predict new funding formula will change voucher costs – maybe
The new K-12 funding formula approved by the Legislature could change the cost of Tennessee’s voucher program, initially set at $25 million three years ago, as well as funding for charter schools. But lawmakers’ understanding of the relationship between the funding plan and the voucher program varies widely. Senate Education Committee Chairman Jon Lundberg acknowledges […]
Metro impact fees floated to draw Republican National Convention votes
Metro Nashville Council will consider a proposal next week to create development impact fees, part of an apparent effort to sweeten the pot for a vote to bring the 2024 Republican National Convention to Nashville. Though the move is considered a stretch after the council declined to take up an RNC vote in early July, […]
State attorney general leads fight against Biden policy on ‘gender identity’
Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery is leading 22 states in legal action to stop President Joe Biden’s Administration from threatening to withhold a federal nutrition program from schools that violate “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” policies. Slatery and Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Tennessee’s Eastern District to keep the federal […]
Ogles’ late fundraising report shows less than touted in 5th Congressional District race
Months after announcing he raised $453,000 in the first 30 days of his 5th Congressional District campaign, Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles filed a late report showing he brought in only $264,400. Ogles was already beset by a TV ad claiming he failed to pay property taxes when he turned in his filing a week […]
Metro, Shelby seek voucher injunction as state plows ahead
Metro Nashville and Shelby County are asking a Davidson County court to put a hold on the state’s Education Savings Account program, claiming it places an unconstitutional private school voucher program on two school districts at the expense of the counties that fund them and the students who remain. The counties sought an injunction Friday […]