Daily Dose for March 28, 2007

Tobacco Lobby Outworks Education Lobby

Tobacco Lobby Outworks Education Lobby -- Gov. Phil Bredesen's proposed 40-cent cigarette tax hike for education is in trouble in the state legislature, putting at risk about $200 million in new school funding. State Sen. Jim Kyle, who has been sheparding the bill through the State Senate had this to say on its success: "Right now I'd say it's in trouble, because the tobacco lobby has outworked the education community -- as evidenced by the fact that I have local school board members in Shelby County who do not think the tax (increase) is necessary." Bredesen is on the road to plead his case directly to the people in Memphis today. [Ed. - See clarification in comments]

Campfield Spots Huge Hole in Reporting Bill -- State Sen. Tim Burchett and Rep. Ulysses Jones have filed a bill that would prohibit candidates from being penalized for failure to report campaign contributions if they correct their filings reports within 10 days after the violation has been discovered by the Registry of Election Finance. Rep. Stacey Campfield says the bill opens legislators up to corruption, however. Campfield: "Let's say I'm a dirty legislator. I take money and put it in my pocket. The registry has to find out who gave me the money. If they do, then they tell me and I say, 'Oh, OK. I'll report that now' and there's nothing they can do about it." Registry Chairman William Long agrees with Campfield that the bill creates a "truck-size" loophole - unnecessary since the Registry has been lenient before with good-faith first time offenders. Both Burchett and Jones have been charged in the past with failure to disclose contributions by the Registry.

Thompson in Today's Tennessean -- Today's Tennessean has a big splash on the Fred Thompson for President moniker. Thompson already has risen to third among possible Republican presidential candidates, according to a USA Today/Gallup poll released Tuesday. He was chosen by 12 percent of Republican and Republican-leaning voters who were polled, trailing former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani at 31 percent and Sen. John McCain, at 22 percent.

Posted by Adam Groves | Email This |