Home | Entries [Previous |Next]
0 Comments
Daily Dose for February 12, 2008
Nursing Home Liability
Nursing Home Liability -- State Sen. Jim Tracy and Randy Rinks have sponsored a bill that would limit nursing home liability in abuse or neglect lawsuits. That bill is causing mixed feelings among some on the Judiciary committee. The law would not limit economic damages, such as compensation for medical bills, but it would allow nursing homes to require that new patients sign an arbitration agreement before entering the facility. That means the parties involved would agree to use a professional arbitrator instead of a trial in the case of a lawsuit. Thirty-two states have passed legal reform for long-term care in the past decade, driving trial lawyers into states such as Tennessee, where there is little regulation.
No Penalty for No-Shows -- Under current state ethics rules there is no penalty for lobbyists who fail to show up to mandatory state ethics training. The six-member Tennessee Ethics Commission recently decided to recommend sanctions for failing to show up for training sessions, but that could take a while. The penalty will need the approval of the state legislature. First, the commission attorney must make a recommendation to the legislature's Special Joint Study Committee on Ethics, which would then have to draft legislation for lawmakers' approval.
Littlefiled Now On Board with AT&T Deal -- Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield says he may no longer have objections to AT&T's proposal for a state-wide franchise to provide cable TV. Littlefield says he will wait and see the final bill authorizing the state-wide franchise, but he is comfortable with the deal because the new language preserves money for local governments. House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh has been attempting to broker a deal between local governments and cable companies and AT&T.
Herenton Won't Lobby for Consolidation Change -- Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton says he will not lobby the Legislature to change the way a county approves consolidated government. Earlier this year, Herenton had said he may seek a change in the law so that a single countywide referendum by voters on consolidation could occur. Instead, Herenton says he will pressure Gov. Bredesen to allow him to appoint school board members - similar to a request floated in Nashville.
Shelby Co. Oks Food Tax -- Shelby Co. has approved a 2% tax on all prepared food, despite lobbying by the restaurant industry to block the bill. The proposal now goes to the State Legislature for approval and then back to the Commission for implementation. The 2% tax could generate about $28M towards covering the county's $14M budget gap.
