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Daily Dose for January 26, 2007
Daily Dose
Ford Gets Court Appointed Attorney -- A judge on Thursday assigned a publicly funded lawyer to represent former State Sen. John Ford, who pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges stemming from consulting deals with TennCare contract companies he had while he was in the legislature. Ford, known for his expensive tastes told U.S. Magistrate Juliet Griffin last week that he couldn't afford a private attorney because he was financially stressed from defending himself against public corruption charges from the unrelated Tennessee Waltz case. The prosecution asked to review Ford's financial statement.
McMillan Outlines New Role -- Former House Majority Leader Kim McMillan sits down with the Nashville City Paper to explain her new role as Senior Advisor to Gov. Bredesen. Apparently the role requires lobbying the state legislature, something she normally would be prohibited from doing by the ethics law she helped craft last year. Bill Hobbs calls it 'unethical.'
Two Elections in Shelby -- Two elections are geared up in Shelby Co. after the party primaries yesterday. Beverly Robison Marrero and Larry Parrish will battle to see who succeeds Steve Cohen as state senator for District 30. The election is March 13. That's the race to fill Steve Cohen's former State Senate seat. In a State Rep. District 92 election, G.A. Hardaway and Richard Morton will face off in an election the same day.
BEP Panel Fails Primary Directive -- A divided state panel on Thursday abandoned efforts to reform Tennessee’s Basic Education Program funding formula. Rep. Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga. He charged the group "abdicated" its responsibility to carry out a legislative directive to recommend a fairer funding formula for Tennessee’s 136 school systems. State Sen. Jamie Woodson: "The legislature was looking for guidance...The group chose not to give it. But the up side is that we have a lot of talented people in the legislative branch and can work with the executive branch and move forward."
Harper: Lottery 'A Disgrace' -- It's something the critics of a state lottery said before the lottery was approved and it's something State Sen. Thelma Harper is saying now: "Poor people are paying for rich kids to go to college." Harper criticized the lottery scholarship system, saying it doesn't do enough to reward minority scholarships to blacks hoping to attend college.
Saltsman in Talks with Huckabee -- Chip Saltsman, who was busy in Iowa before Sen. Bill Frist decided to drop out of the Presidential hunt, is now in talks to join camp with Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Saltsman is a former Chairman of the Republican Party and a huge GOP fundraiser, although the Hill article also mentions his network of "young, energetic people."
