Daily Dose for May 08, 2008

State Gvmt To Cut 2,000

State Gvmt To Cut 2,000 -- Gov. Bredesen announced his plans to balance the state budget shortfall yesterday. Bredesen's plan includes cutting 2,000 jobs, cuts to education disbursements through BEP 2.0 and Bredesen's Pre-K program. At a news conference in Nashville, he said April tax collections showed the largest drop since records began to be kept in 1961. Bredesen says he hopes to accomplish the cuts through voluntary retirement offers, but says the layoffs may be necessary if enough employees are not cut from the payroll. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey praised Bredesen's approach to balancing the budget and called the economic situation "tough times for the state." More here and here.

Churches Get Exemption to No Smoking Posting Law -- Rep. Mike Bell has passed a bill that would create an exemption for churches in a law requiring places prohibiting smoking to have posted no smoking signs. A law in effect since October 1, 2007, required all churches to post a No Smoking sign on their doors, a provision that the State Dept. of Health and Human Services didn't enforce. Now the non-enforcement is law, if Gov. Bredesen signs the bill. Churches argued that posting a No Smoking sign would ruin the aesthetic appeal of many church doors and would be undue government influence.

Toll Road Goes on Despite Commission Rejection -- TDOT says it still plans to proceed with an initiative to investigate installing a toll road along the so-called Orange Route in Knoxville, despite the Knox Co. Commission voting not to recommend toll roads in the county. TDOT had previously gone on record saying if they don't have local support, it won't go forward. However, Cole now says TDOT will hear out the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization, a group that previously opted to authorize the study of a toll road along the Orange Route.

Crack Tax Back? -- The State Supreme Court is considering on appeal the case that previously ruled the State's so-called "crack tax" unconstitutional. The tax called Unauthorized Substance Tax Act, requires tax stamps to be purchased on illegal drugs and fines to be collected on any seized drugs not bearing the stamps. The tax raised $4M in revenue before it was struck down on the grounds that the tax was levied before a person was convicted of a crime and it was punishing the same crime twice. Justices on Wednesday quizzed Dept of Revenue officials on the tax's true purpose. "It's to punish, isn't it?" Chief Justice William M. Barker asked. Response: "This is a tax designed to raise revenue."

Posted by Adam Groves | Email This |