Commentary
Editor’s column: Look away from the shiny objects
The Tennessee legislature is wrapping up the first half of the 112th General Assembly, and it’s been one filled with plenty of shiny objects to distract Tennesseans from crucial and life changing matters. That the Tennessee legislature is obsessed with matters pertaining to the LGBTQ community is nothing new. I first took notice in 2016, […]
Stockard on the Stump: House Democrats keep Windle from defecting
Already battling for numbers, the House Democratic Caucus kept Rep. John Mark Windle from bolting during an hour-long, closed meeting Thursday. When you’ve got only 26 of 99 House members and constantly scratch and claw for the smallest of victories, losing one vote could mean the world, especially when Windle – who is said to […]
Editor’s column: With Chauvin’s conviction, the arc bent a little further, but has a long way to go
As America waited Tuesday afternoon for the verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last year, I scrolled through my Twitter feed watching for the first tweet announcing the outcome. A tweet from a 30-year old caught my eye: “Is this what the OJ trial felt like? […]
Commentary: A Modest Proposal for the General Assembly,
I have a modest proposal to make. Why does Tennessee need 95 counties? Think of the efficiencies to be gained by consolidating them into one county. Why does Tennessee need general sessions courts, circuit courts – civil and criminal at that – chancery courts, appellate courts and a supreme court, not to mention the state […]
Commentary: Keep a keen eye on sheriff departments
Sheriff departments are a lot more than law enforcement agencies, especially in Tennessee. In our counties, the sheriff is an elected position—the chief jailer of our lockup, a major employer, and leader of a political power base. Several recent events in my home county, Knox, offer good case studies on why careful press and public […]
Editor’s Column: Criminal justice reform needs to account for women in the system
Gov. Bill Lee held a criminal justice roundtable discussion on Wednesday as part of “Second Chance Month.” Since 2017, April has been declared “Second Chance Month” to raise awareness about the ongoing consequences of criminal convictions—including the inability to find jobs and housing after release—and to urge the offering of new opportunities to those released […]
Commentary: U.S. Senators need to sign on to Big Cat safety act
When historians discuss King Louis XIV, perhaps the best-known ruler in the history of France, they typically associate him with phrases such as “Louis the Great,” the “Sun King,” the age of absolutism, or with his reign of 72 years in the 17th and 18th centuries – the longest of any European monarch in history. […]
Commentary: Am I included in the Movement?
I’ve never quite known if I fit in or have a place in the women’s movement. As a masculine presenting gay woman, there are quite a few spaces where I don’t always feel safe or welcome. And yes, sometimes that includes within the Democratic Party as well as within the women’s movement. For the record, […]
Editor’s column: Republicans need to lose the crazy
Thursday, I was speaking to a bipartisan group about the current political environment and giving a recap on all that’s happened since the Nov. 3 Election Day. As the resident progressive, I was joined by a well-known Republican consultant who has carved out a solid career in Tennessee and national politics. For the last question […]
Commentary: Legislature should not hide dark money from us
Sometimes legislation bears little hint of its actual effect and significance. Take the case of House Bill 0159 and its companion Senate Bill 1608 each currently working its way through our state legislature. The sponsors, Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, and Sen. Paul Bailey, R-Sparta, call it the Personal Privacy Protection Act, but a better name […]
Commentary: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy requires out-of-silo thinking
Disappointing but not surprising that the muddled public health messaging from the Lee administration is now playing out in low rates of vaccination in many rural Tennessee counties. Moreover, Tennessee Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey is warning of signs of another surge and saying the state is conducting market research to figure out a public […]
Commentary: March Madness in Legislatures
March Madness isn’t just the nickname of a basketball tournament. We’re now smack in the middle of the crazy season on both the U.S. Capitol Hill and in our state legislature—as Tennessee Republicans do battle, not really with Democrats but more with objective reality. Peak lunacy came late last week when Tennessee congressman John Rose […]