Daily Dose for July 25, 2008

Odom Wants Speakers Chair

Odom Wants Speakers Chair -- House Majority Leader Gary Odom communicates his desires to run for Speaker of the House, possibly against longtime Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, a fellow Democrat. Rep. Mike Turner revealed Odom's plan to the City Paper, but says he may wait until after Naifeh steps down to take the helm. Odom is mum on the decision, but he did say he is trying to help reelect Democrats across the state and has set up a PAC to do so - a sign he hopes to keep the good graces of his caucus. Fellow lawmakers call Odom "more partisan" and "more liberal" than current leadership.

Federal Funds Also Helped in VW Deal -- Congressman Zach Wamp and Sen Lamar Alexander helped to secure federal funding for the Enterprise South Industrial Park, which also impressed VW officials and was helpful in getting the autom manufacturer to commit to TN. The federal money is on top of state and local incentives to VW that could top $500M. Two earmarks totaling $3.5M in fiscal year 2005 and 2006 appropriations bills helped fund a connector road in the industrial park and a $17.2M earmark funds an Interstate 75 interchange across the industrial park to State Highway 58. Another $4M in federal funds has been earmarked to workforce training. Wamp said he will be seeking another $1.5M earmark for workforce training in next year's budget and Alexander said he is seeking a $1M earmark to provide a connection via Highway 317 between the I-75 interchange.

TNGOP Mum on Reasons for Closing Statesmens to Media -- The Knoxville News-Sentinel reports that contrary to TNGOP Spokesman Bill Hobbs recent assertion that the annual Statesmen's Dinner was historically closed to the media, the event has been open to the media since 1995. Former TNGOP Chairs Beth Harwell, Chip Saltsman, and Bob Davis all said the event was open to the media when they was Chairman. Smith said, "Because of the timeline we are working with and requests that have been made, the dinner will be closed to press." She wouldn't say whether or not Karl Rove, the speaker at this year's event, had made the request.

Adams Resigns Again -- Curtis Adams, a Hamilton Co. Commissioner and on-again-off-again Mayor of East Ridge, has resigned again from the later post. Adams said he did not get support from fellow officials for what he believed was a needed 47-cent property tax increase - and this time the East Ridge Council approved his resignation.

Posted by Adam Groves | Email This |