Home | Entries [Previous |Next]
0 Comments
Daily Dose for May 15, 2008
Water Fight Back On
Water Fight Back On -- After a temporary lull, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue seems ready to reignite the TN-GA fight over the border seperating the states. Gov. Sonny Perdue signed a resolution Wednesday that urges him to negotiate with Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen. The measure authorizes Georgia’s attorney general to file a border dispute with the U.S. Supreme Court if negotiations fail. Gov. Bredesen has said negoitations are pointless and he will not give up TN's water supply. A spokesman for Gov. Perdue downplayed the possibility of a lawsuit, however: "Authorize’ means to give the ability to do so ... It doesn’t mean ‘shall.’"
Voters in Shelby Have Say on Term Limits -- Voters in Shelby Co. will have the ability to decide what kind of term limits will be imposed on local officeholders. In a proposal offered by Republican Commissioner Mike Carpenter, voters would decide between two four-year terms and three four-year terms for county elected officials, including the mayor, commissioners and the five offices of sheriff, trustee, assessor, register and clerk. However, instead of being a single question, the voters will be asked for a yes or no response on each item, since referendums can only be phrased as yes or no questions.
BusinessTN Interviews McMillan -- BusinessTN has an interview up with 2010 Gubernatorial candidate Kim McMillan. McMillan's response to a question about early media reports focusing on her vote for a state income tax show she hasn't fully polished her response to that question yet. Previously McMillan said her vote was a reflection of her border district. McMillan still chalks up her vote within the context of a response to her district: "Because I represented a border community where the neighboring county had no sales tax on food, lower overall sales taxes and lower business taxes, I made what I believe to be the right choice at the time."
Pruitt's Poison Pill Stripped from Open Records Law -- Rep. Mary Pruitt's provision to the State's Open Records law that any public official that was subject to an Open Records request be notified of that request was stripped from a broader open records law. The House legislation gives governmental entities seven business days to make the record available, deny it and state why or tell the requestor how long it’s going to take to fulfill the request. In addition, the bill creates an “office of open records counsel,” which will answer questions, provide information to the public and issue informal opinions regarding records.
'Nooga Councilman Arrested -- Chattanooga City Councilman John "Duke" Franklin was arrested Wednesday morning by federal authorities on charges of money laundering, obstruction of justice and filing false papers. Franklin was among those taken in handcuffs to Finley Stadium at mid-morning as part of a federal roundup of individuals involved in a $1.2 million cocaine ring. Franklin is charged with creating a false document to create an alibi for one individual charged with attempting to buy cocaine, although Franklin was not involved in the purchase of cocaine himself.
