Daily Dose for February 25, 2008

First Muti-County Water Coalition Formed

First Muti-County Water Coalition Formed -- While Georgia is still trying to invade Tennessee to solve its water shortage, Tennessee counties are banding together to form multi-county coalitions to deal with drought here in the Volunteer state. Leaders from Knox, Claiborne, Grainger, Union and Hancock counties in the Clinch/Powell watershed will join others today at the Halls Senior Center in announcing the state's first regional water coalition. The coalition hopes to consolidate resources to help solve water shortage problems and seek federal grants.

Bush Nominee Criticized -- Gus Puryear, an attorney for Corrections Corporation of America, the Nashville-based private prison giant, is President Bush's new nominee for the federal judge for the Middle District of Tennessee. Puryear is getting his fair share of criticism, however. He has little trial experience and critics say he is a bad choice for the bench because his employer is frequently in court. Prior to his role with CCA, Puryear served as counsel for the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs and then as legislative director for Sen. Bill Frist - a citation of critics of Puryear's lack of trial experience. But Puryear is getting a defense from high places. Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker both say they support Puryear's nomination.

Increased HOPE Grants Off Table -- With all the futzing with the state lottery money, one item apparently off the table this year is another increase in the dollar amount of the HOPE grants. Even though tuition at most colleges around the state is going up, House Education Committee chairman Les Winningham says a plan to raise the amount of lottery scholarships under the existing lottery scholarship system is off the table: " don't think (a grant increase) is part of the mix that I've heard so far. I think serving more students and having better opportunities for more students is more crucial at this time than increasing it by $200." But that doesn't mean that a comprehensive bill reforming the state lottery system to spend the surplus money won't happen. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey: "I am very confident that a (comprehensive) bill will pass."

Posted by Adam Groves | Email This |