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Daily Dose for July 03, 2006
Daily Dose
Last Day to Register to Vote -- Volunteer Voters and a number of blogs remind us that today is the last day to register to vote if you want to pull the lever in the U.S. Senate primary or the primary for the Governor's race. You can print out a registration form from the Tennessee Secretary of State's website and drop it by your local election commission if you are not registered.
Bredesen on the Second Term -- Governor Phil Bredesen sat down with the Kingsport Times News to outline some priorities for his second term if he is elected in November. Bredesen answered questions from the Times News on immigration this way in an apparent dis of likely GOP Gubernatorial candidate Jim Bryson: "My whole political persona has been don't grab the first glittery thing that comes along, but try to understand the problem and how you can fix it." Some other priorities include changing the BEP, which determines local school system funding from state government sources. Bredesen did note, that rural counties, mostly in East Tennessee, would be adversely affected by changes in the BEP, which seek to reward larger metro counties, but that teachers and administrators should not get upset before "they see what it is we're doing."
Hilleary PAC Clears Ledger on Abramoff Contribution -- Even as Van Hilleary filed for another extension on a detailed listing of his income, now August 14, beyond the date of the GOP primary, Hilleary can at least clear the ledger on a promise he made to contribute donations he previously received from indicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff to the American Indian College Fund. Although Van received the donations while still in Congress and had already used the money and cleared out the fund that accepted the dollars from Abramoff, Hilleary opened a new PAC to make the $18,050 donation. $10,000 of the donations to the PAC came from Hilleary's parents.
Many Apply for Ethics Posts -- The Tennessean highlights tons of folks that have applied to be the State's top ethics czar. The post must be filled by the Tennessee Ethics Commission by October 1 and the state has received 116 applications. Among the list are Tennesseans as well as out-of-staters, including the general coucil for New York's ethics commission.
Knox Co. Dem Chair Resigns Over Term Limits -- Knox County Democratic Party Chairman Jim Gray resigned over the weekend saying he was doing so because he could not support all the Democrats on the local ballot. Gray has been a vocal supporter of term limits. He said he could not support two Democratic candidates for Knox County Commission "who have repudiated their oaths of office." He referred to County Commissioners Billy Tindell and Diane Jordan, who with three other commissioners sued to challenge Knox County's charter - to disinclude term limits.
