SUNDAY, MAY 6, 2012 More take AP exams, school standards rise (Associated Press/Pope)

Not long ago, Advanced Placement exams were mostly for top students looking to challenge themselves and get a head start on college credit. Not anymore. In the next two weeks, 2 million students will take 3.7 million end-ofyear AP exams figures well over double those from a decade ago. With no national curriculum, AP has become the de facto gold standard for high school rigor. States and high schools are pushing AP classes and exams as a way to raise standards across the board, in some cases tying AP to bonuses. And the federal government is helping cover the exam fees. Now, APs rapid growth is reaching even schools serving some of the most disadvantaged students. These schools are embracing AP as a comprehensive toolkit for toughening coursework, emphasizing college preparation and instilling a culture of excellence. If math teacher Jaime Escalante could lead low-income Los Angeles students to AP calculus glory in the story that became the 1988 film Stand and Deliver, why not others? The problem is, there usually isnt a Hollywood ending. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120506/NEWS08/305060057/More-take-AP-exams-school-standards-rise? odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

MTSU finally breaks ground on new science building (Gannett/Stockard)

Construction has begun on Middle Tennessee State Universitys new $147 million science building, due to open in spring 2015. Gov. Bill Haslam and state House Speaker Beth Harwell joined MTSU President Sidney McPhee at a groundbreaking last week. Haslam said the building had been 18 years in the works and was No. 1 on the states higher education capital projects list. He and Harwell commended relentless lobbying by Rutherford County legislators for persuading the General Assembly to provide some $126.7 million this year for the project. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120506/NEWS01/305060083/Rutherford-County-Briefs-MTSU-finallybreaks-ground-on-new-science-building

MTSU breaks ground on new $147M Science Building (Gannett)

Middle Tennessee State University broke ground Thursday on its long-awaited $147 million Science Building, a project that will help the institution produce more college graduates ready for emerging high-tech jobs. The turn of the shovels also was the official construction launch for the building, which is aiming for a spring 2015 opening date. Gov. Bill Haslam said the building will help address the states need for more college graduates, especially in STEM areasscience, technology, engineering and math. Graduates with STEM degrees are vital to our states ability to thrive and compete in the 21st century economy, Haslam said during the ceremony. W ith more space to train in these areas, this building will help us toward our goal of increasing STEM graduates. The governor included almost $127 million for construction of the Science Building in his 2012-13 state budget, which passed both chambers of the General Assembly late Monday. About $20 million has been spent to prepare for the facility. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120505/NEWS04/120505005/MTSU-breaks-ground-new-147M-ScienceBuilding?odyssey=nav%7Chead

Department of Agriculture says Not a Farmer? Be a Phone-er! (C. Online)

Phoning it in is not necessarily a bad thing, at least when it comes to putting local foods on the table. Not everybody can be a farmer, but everybody can find farms, farmers markets and pick-your-own patches nearby, says Pamela Bartholomew, agritourism coordinator with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Smart phone scanners make finding fresh, local foods so easy, you can literally phone it in! Savvy cell phone users can now point their phone cameras at a QR, or quick response code, and launch an application that takes them straight to the Pick Tennessee Products website. Once the code has done its job, shoppers can instantly access

directories for local farmers markets, CSA (community supported agriculture) farms, and pick your own patches and orchards. The website features fruits, vegetables and other local and artisan products during the seasons theyre available in Tennessee. The key to eating local is being aware that every fruit and vegetable has its own right time for growth and harvest, says Bartholomew. The modern grocery store creates the illusion that all foods are available all the time, all year round. If you want to eat local, you need to know theres no point looking for fresh Tennessee green beans in January. http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2012/05/05/tennessee-department-of-agriculture-says-not-a-farmer-be-a-phoneer/#more-119760

Transparency in Tennessee: Assessing the 107th General Assembly (TN Report)

Secrecy seemed to be a common thread running through the session of the Tennessee Legislature that ended May 1. The latest secret revealed is that key members of the Legislature met on April 23 at a Nashville restaurant of the session to work out deals on amendments to the governors $34.1 billion state budget proposal. The secret session was revealed in an Associated Press story filed the following day. No one in the Legislature or the governors office seemed upset that the meeting was held or revealed in news stories. But a representative of Gov. Bill Haslam did take care to note that no one from the governors office participated in the weekend meeting. Tennessee political reporters and observer s know that this happens near the end of every legislative session in Tennessee. And its the reason the State Integrity Investigation, a national project to determine the potential for corruption in all 50 states, gave Tennessee a score of 0 out of a possible 100 on whether the state budgetary process is conducted in a transparent manner. There have been secret meetings, Im not going to deny, House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick told the AP. Theres been a lot of secrecy for 200 years. I dont think its any worse than its always been. http://missouri-news.org/midwestnews/tennessee/transparency-in-tennessee-assessing-the-107th-general-assembly/16934

Social issues stole the spotlight this year in the Tennessee legislature (TFP/Sher)
Tennessee lawmakers this year passed measures to overhaul state civil service, cut taxes and combat crime, but issues like science and sex education, abortion and guns often wound up grabbing headlines. With the governorship, the House and Senate under firm Republican control, long-stymied social conservatives pushed causes dear to their hearts during the 107th General Assembly that ended last week. In so doing, they sometimes made state, national and international news and helped feed the voracious appetite of the 24/7 news cycle. And they provided grist for late-night political satirists like Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, who gleefully leaped into Tennessee's culture wars. After lawmakers concluded their annual session, Democrats charged that Republicans undercut efforts to promote Tennessee as a business-friendly mecca. "We're the laughingstock in a lot of publications [with] some of these crazy bills that these right-wingers, right-wing Republicans, have brought forth this year," said former House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, D-Covington, who blocked many such attempts until he lost the speakership in 2009. Gov. Bill Haslam and some Republican leaders complained that the social issues got too much attention at the expense of other initiatives. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/06/a1-social-issues-stole-spotlight-in-legislature-tn/?local

In Tennessee Legislature, policy and politics sometimes clashed (NS/Humphrey)

In literally the last hour of the 107th General Assembly, Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver stood on the House floor to explain some of her recent votes. "This bill has nothing to do with policy," she said of SB326, which calls for a state takeover of federal health care programs through a Health Care Compact. Introduced on Feb. 3, 2011, it had been the subject of intense debate from the start to the finish of the two-year session. "So all the amendments we added, that we tabled, I just want to make it clear the reason I tabled all those amendments is those amendments do not apply to this bill because this bill is not policy," the Smith County Republican said. "I want it on the record: I support the military. I support seniors. I support our military." The record, however, will reflect that Weaver was among 35 Republicans who voted to table, or kill, an amendment that said Tennessee will not participate in a Health Care Compact "if participation includes expanding abortion rights, especially late term abortion." Other Republicans, recognizing the potential political ramifications of voting against such a notion, balked at killing the amendment. It passed, followed by similar approval of other Democrat-sponsored amendments to guarantee that military veterans and senior citizens would not be negatively impacted through policies adopted if the state ever takes over Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health programs. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/06/in-tennessee-legislature-policy-and-politics/

TN state fair legislation divides backers (Tennessean/Cass)

Oversight panel is boon, some say; others fear loss of event Some supporters of the Tennessee State Fair hope Gov. Bill Haslams veto pen will make another rare appearance soon, setting aside state legislation that would put the fair in new hands. But other backers say new oversight is exactly what the fair needs three years after Metro government, which continues to own the fairgrounds as well as the legal rights to the name Tennessee State Fair, decided to stop running the annual event and began contracting with other groups to put it on. We were concerned that in the event that Metro said no more fair, there would be no entity in place to ensure that we continued to have a fair, said Rhedona Rose, executive vice president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau. Its time to look forward and figure out how we can have the best state fair in the country. The Farm Bureau and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture part of Haslams administration helped write the legislation, which authorizes the agriculture commissioner to create a new state commission to oversee the annual event. The fair has been held at the fairgrounds, a 117-acre site a few miles south of downtown, since 1906. The plan, which awaits Haslams signature, has drawn criticism from Metros fair board and from Metro Council members, who voted unanimously Tuesday to ask the governor to veto it. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120506/NEWS0202/305060082/TN-state-fair-legislation-divides-backers? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

'Hostage-taking' thrives at Capitol (Tennessean/Sisk)

In the final days of the legislative session, its not Republican vs. Democrat but House vs. Senate, goes an old adage at the Tennessee Capitol. The expression refers to the last-minute squabbling between the two chambers over which issues to work out and which to kick to the curb before heading home for the year. In this years battle, the House gave itself a little edge: It held hostage a project favored by Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey. The House moved on April 27 to delay a vote creating an ATV park on Johnson Countys Doe Mountain. Ramsey had been the legislatures most visible champion of the project, taking Gov. Bill Haslam 4-wheelin there back in December and ensuring that funding for the project was included in next years budget. The House took Doe Mountain hostage right after the Senate proposed de-funding $20 million worth of projects during a budget tiff over earmark spending. The two chambers seemed to resolve that dispute in a conference committee, but the House didnt want to release Doe Mountain until leaders were certain the Senate wouldnt head for the hills while some of its favored legislation was still on the table. Ramsey took the maneuver with good humor, expressing little concern over the mountains safety. Thats part of the games you play at the end of session, he said. That was rolled to the end just to get my attention, no doubt about that. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120506/NEWS02/305060089/Political-Notebook-Property-tax-hikeNashville-would-fifth-15-years?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

High-tech license plate readers aid police but raise ethical issues (TN/Gonzalez)
Sumner law officers capture license plates to fight crime. Are they violating privacy? Sumner County law enforcement officials are using high-tech cameras to create a detailed picture of the whereabouts of thousands of cars, regardless of whether they are suspected of any link to criminal activity. Police say that this ability to capture license plates is among the most powerful new crime-fighting tools at their disposal, and that it has already led them directly to vehicles used in crimes. Its also a type of government surveillance spreading quickly, thanks to federal grants that has raised privacy concerns across the country and pushed police departments to consider how the cameras and records should be used. Im sure that theres going to be people out there that say this is an invasion of privacy, said Gallatin Detective James Kemp. But the possibilities are endless there for solving crimes. Its just a multitude of information out there to not tap into it to better protect your citizens, thats ludicrous. As a traffic officer, Kemp learned how easy it is to gather license plates and their locations. All he had to do was head out on routine patrol while special cameras mounted atop his cruiser captured thousands of images in a day a task that would otherwise be prohibitively time-consuming and laborintensive for an officer. A computer inside the car checks the nearby license plates against various crime databases, including wanted suspects, stolen vehicles and sex offenders. It can also check for tax dodgers. If the computer finds a match, a beep alerts the officer. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120506/NEWS01/305060090/License-plate-readers-aid-police-raiseethical-issues?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Property tax hike in Nashville would be fifth in 15 years (Tennessean/Cass)

The 53-cent property tax increase proposed last week by Mayor Karl Dean would be Nashvilles first in seven 3

years, but it would be the fifth in the past 15. In 1997, then-Mayor Phil Bredesen requested a 73-cent tax increase, which the Metro Council ultimately pared back to 54 cents per $100 of assessed value. The council vote was 29-9 in favor. A year later, Bredesen was back with another request which the council granted by a 27-13 vote for a 12-cent increase to pay for a $206 million school desegregation plan. (The council also agreed, 32-5, to a 74-cent tax increase in 1993, during Bredesens first term as mayor. He had requested 77 cents.) Bill Purcell, who succeeded Bredesen as mayor in 1999, proposed and won approval for a tax increase in each of his two terms. The first, in 2001, raised the tax rate by 88 cents. The council approved it 38-2. Four years later, Purcell proposed an 84-cent tax hike, adjusted the request to 80 cents and saw the council agree to 67 cents on a 26-11 vote. The city has not raised property taxes since then. W ith the exception of the 1998 tax hike for the desegregation plan, Bredesens and Purcells tax increases all came in the fiscal year after a countywide property reappraisal. Dean, who refrained from seeking an increase as the economic downturn clouded his first term, is now asking for one the year before a reappraisal, which could raise the tax rate even higher if the overall property tax base has lost value. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120506/NEWS02/305060089/Political-Notebook-Property-tax-hikeNashville-would-fifth-15-years?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Memphis councilman Strickland's budget calls for tax cut (C. Appeal/Maki)
Councilman would slice jobs, tap into city's reserves to fund 10-cent reduction While Memphis Mayor A C Wharton's proposed budget for the next fiscal year calls for a 47-cent property-tax increase, City Councilman Jim Strickland has a counterproposal that would reduce the tax rate by 10 cents as it eliminates jobs and makes a large draw on the city's reserves. "I think our high property-tax rate has been hurting our city, and in the long run if it continues to increase, it will devastate the city through the continued loss of population and businesses," said Strickland, chairman of the council's budget committee. The city's current overall tax rate is $3.19 per $100 of assessed value, which includes $3.01 for city operations and 18 cents for Memphis City Schools. The budget Wharton presented to the council for the coming year calls for a combined tax rate of around $3.66, with $3.01 for city operations and the rest for schools. W ith the Shelby County tax rate at $4.02, Wharton's proposed budget would mean an overall city-county tax rate of $7.68 for Memphis residents. Strickland's proposed budget would set the city tax rate at $2.91. Under Strickland's plan, the combined, city-county tax rate would be $6.93. Wharton, who says the one-time 47-cent tax increase would cover the cost of court-ordered, state-mandated school funding, said he would study Strickland's proposal. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/06/strickland-budget-calls-for-tax-cut/(SUBSCRIPTION)

Kingston Police deny 'special treatment' for Scottie Mayfield's son (TFP/Carroll)
A top Kingston, Tenn., police official denied giving "special treatment" to Michael Mayfield after admitting he changed Mayfield's initial court date from May to Aug. 27 -- three weeks after an election that Mayfield's father must win to reach Congress. "There's no special treatment at all," Kingston Assistant Police Chief Gary Nelson said. "It had nothing to do with the election coming up. It was totally my choice to pick that date." The court date for Mayfield is scheduled 25 days after the Aug. 2 Republican primary election in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District. That's a crucial test for the political future of his father, Scottie Mayfield, who's running against incumbent U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann. On April 26, Michael Mayfield, 33, was charged with vandalism under $500 after he confessed to slashing a Fleischmann aide's tire. The incident took place April 24 at a campaign event for his father at the Roane County Courthouse. In a public apology, Scottie Mayfield said he asked authorities to treat his son "like anyone else." A Chattanooga Times Free Press review of the 70 initial appearances in Roane County General Sessions Court for people arrested or cited between April 23-30 shows that the court date for the younger Mayfield is the last one. Two other dates are set for August, but the remaining 67 -- some of which were assigned after Mayfield was charged -- are scheduled for April, May, June and July. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/06/a1-police-deny-special-treatment-for-mayfields-son/?local

Another fundraiser lures Biden back (Tennessean/Cass)

Six months after touching down in Nashville to raise campaign money, Vice President Joe Biden will be back to do it again Monday. Biden is scheduled to headline a lunchtime fundraiser at real estate mogul Bill Freemans house. Freeman, one of Tennessees top fundraisers for President Barack Obamas re-election campaign, declined to comment Friday. Biden is not expected to make any public appearances. Some roads will be closed late Monday morning through mid-afternoon for security purposes, the Metro Police Department said. Biden visited venture capitalist Andrew Byrd's home to raise money for the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee on Nov. 7. Byrd, like Freeman, is one of the campaigns fundraising bundlers. 4

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120506/NEWS02/305060089/Political-Notebook-Property-tax-hikeNashville-would-fifth-15-years?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Walmart latest economic boon for county (Daily News Journal)

Mark the recession in Rutherford County officially over: a new W almart is coming to town. Its taken five years, Murfreesboro City Councilman and Planning Commissioner Doug Young said. That shows you how hard the recession hit us. Talk of a W almart opening off South Church Street has been going on since Camino Real nearby opened four years ago, restaurant manager Ricardo Fonseca recalled. It will bring more people here, said Fonseca, whose restaurant is a block north of the proposed Walmart location at the southeast intersection at South Church Street and County Farm Road, which will in the next couple of years change to Joe B. Jackson Parkway. But it took until now for the Walmart plans to officially make their way to the citys planning office this past week, long after the big-box store won its initial zoning approval in 2007. The proposed Walmart store which is the third for Murfreesboro and fourth for Rutherford County is another in the tally of large corporate retailers or manufacturers looking to call Rutherford County home. Combined, the projects would seem to signify the end of any lingering effects of the countrywide recession while adding to the next growth boom about to hit Rutherford County. http://www.dnj.com/article/20120506/BUSINESS/305060019/Walmart-latest-economic-booncounty-Big-box-retailer-submits-S-Church-St-plans?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Sides disagree over Shelby County municipal school districts (C. Appeal/McMillin)
Opponents: Issue 'not settled' Those opposed to the creation of municipal school districts in Shelby County believe significant legal barriers remain even after the state legislature's passage of a bill last week designed to allow as many as six municipalities to hold referendums for new school systems. They are prepared to challenge the municipalities over what they believe is a fundamental misunderstanding about the ruling in the schools merger lawsuit that U.S. Dist. Judge Samuel "Hardy" Mays delivered in August. The judge, they believe, has never ruled on whether it is even legal for municipal or special school districts to be formed in Shelby County. "Let me assure you this matter is being closely scrutinized by those of us who have an interest, a passionate interest," said Shelby County Commissioner W alter Bailey, who was a key player in the mediation sessions that led eventually to a settlement of the lawsuit. "I'm not at liberty at this point to discuss where we are in terms of our intentions." While it is true that Mays upheld most tenets of the controversial 2011 Public Chapter 1 law, also known as Norris-Todd, the judge did not make a definitive ruling on the specific clause that called for lifting the statewide ban on municipal and special school districts. That clause, referred to in legal documents as clause b3, was subject to a number of challenges from the Memphis-controlled interests involved in the lawsuit. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/06/sides-disagree-over-districts/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Chattanooga's (TFP/Hardy)

Principal

Leadership

Academy

graduates

second

class

Ten aspiring school principals wrapped up a year of intense training and mentorship as the second class to graduate from the Principal Leadership Academy, a partnership among the Public Education Foundation, the Hamilton County Department of Education, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The program's training focuses on ways to achieve high academic standards, but also includes business instruction to help principals with finances, human resources and management. All participants are paired with a local business mentor to work with throughout the year. The following 10 assistant principals and their mentors completed the academy this spring: Kelly Coffelt, CSLA, and Jim W eigert, Comcast Chrissy Easterly, East Hamilton Middle High, and Thomas Loafman, Volkswagen of America Cheri Grant, Red Bank Elementary, and Kathy Owen, Unum Vanessa Harris, Orchard Knob Elementary, and Kim W hite, River City Co. Jacqueline Hauth, Westview Elementary, and Sydney Crisp, Unum Tommy Helton, East Ridge High, and Monique Berke, Unum http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/06/b3-principal-leadership-academy-graduates-10-in/?local

Connecticut: Connecticut Passes a Marijuana Bill (Rueters)

The Connecticut Senate passed a bill on Saturday legalizing the use of marijuana for medical purposes, with tight restrictions intended to avoid the problems that have plagued some of the other states where it is now legal. After nearly 10 hours of debate, the Senate voted 21 to 13 in favor of the measure, which has already cleared 5

the House. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a Democrat, is expected to sign the bill. Once he does, Connecticut will join 16 other states and the District of Columbia in allowing the medical use of marijuana. Connecticuts legislation calls for tight regulation and seeks to avoid disagreements with the federal government. Under the bill, patients and their caregivers must register with the Department of Consumer Protection. In addition, their doctors must certify that there is a medical need for instance, debilitating diseases like cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, Parkinsons, multiple sclerosis or epilepsy for marijuana to be dispensed. The medical marijuana would be dispensed only by pharmacists with a special license. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/us/connecticut-passes-marijuana-bill.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper (SUB)

OPINION Tom Humphrey: Gov. Bill Haslam's first veto deftly dodges override possibility (NS)
Gov. Bill Haslam wisely waited until the day after 107th General Assembly had permanently adjourned to announce he was for the first time exercising a right granted by the state constitution to act as judge, jury and executioner of legislative acts. Actually, the governor only rarely is assured of executioner status. But Haslam has it with the veto of a bill that would outlaw Vanderbilt University's "all-comers" policy. As Haslam has noted in explaining why he didn't veto other stuff, a gubernatorial veto can be overriden by a simple majority of the Legislature. The "all-comers" bill passed 19-12 in the Senate; 61-22 in the House. At the federal level and in many states, a two-thirds majority is required to override, which in this case means a repeat of the original vote on an override effort would have meant sustaining the veto. Not so in Tennessee. In this respect, we have a constitutionally weak governor. Except in the rare situation that now exists at the end of a biennial session. Had Haslam announced his intentions a day earlier, with the Legislature still in session, a big squabble would have been likely. Bill backers, given the religious fervor with which the bill was pushed, would probably have pushed for a special "veto override" session. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/06/tom-humphrey-gov-bill-haslams-first-veto-deftly/

Thom Mason: Public-private effort aims to boost budding entrepreneurs (N-S)

New technologies, materials and processes are changing our lives more quickly today than ever moving information faster, making vehicles safer and more efficient, even adding new words to our everyday speech. If we need information quickly, we "Google" it. That particular innovation is now a company valued at $200 billion, but Google Inc. wasn't conceived by two Stanford University professors or even two Silicon Valley executives. It began when two Stanford graduate students Sergey Brin and Larry Page had the smarts and drive to develop a great idea in their dorm rooms and the confidence to get $100,000 in seed money from Sun Microsystems co-founder (and Stanford alum) Andy Bechtolsheim. Gov. Bill Haslam recently announced a fiveyear strategic initiative that will go a long way toward helping innovators find the business expertise and capital they need to create jobs here in Tennessee. Tennessee has large research universities such as the University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University, renowned facilities such as Oak Ridge National Laboratory and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and private companies seeking better ways to do business. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/06/thom-mason-public-private-effort-aims-to-boost/

Editorial: Mixed results in the legislature (Commercial Appeal)

It's never easy trying to grade accomplishments, or lack of accomplishments, at the end of a legislative session. That goes for the Republican-dominated 107th Tennessee General Assembly, which adjourned its 2012 session Tuesday night. Republicans called the session a "remarkable" turning point for the state. Democrats, as expected, were not as gushy, citing what they labeled a litany of "crazy bills" that brought negative attention to 6

the state. On the "remarkable" front, we think it was remarkable that legislators, especially those who have been proponents of more gun-carry rights, stood up to the National Rifle Association and the Tennessee Firearms Association, and did not let the guns-in-parking-lots bill become law The bill would have made it illegal for employers to tell employees they can't keep guns in their cars on company or school parking lots. The bill was opposed by major employers such as FedEx and Vanderbilt University, along with the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry. For a conservative-dominated body, which thinks less government is better government, the guns-in-parking-lots bill would have been a major government intrusion on a company's or university's right to make policies that provide a safe environment for their employees. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/06/editorial-mixed-results-in-legislature/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Jack McElroy: Students' values were focus of bills (Knoxville News-Sentinel)

Education wasn't a big focus of the Legislature this year. Still, lawmakers found some time to dabble, and most bills were forays in the ongoing fight over cultural values. Republicans were accused of trying to save money by changing the kindergarten cutoff date. But the sponsor of the measure, Rep. Glen Casada of Franklin, made it clear that his motive was supporting family values. "There is an element in education that wants to get children a universal education from the cradle to the grave," he said. "I strongly disagree with that. We want those young people at home with their family for the first several years of their life." Imparting values clearly was the goal of the "saggy pants bill." Sponsored by Democrat Joe Towns of Memphis, the measure to force student to pull up their pants won bipartisan backing, and Gov. Bill Haslam signed it, even though he cited it as the sort of bill that distracts the media from important legislation. Other bills were part of broader maneuvers in the culture wars. The measure that critics called the "Don't Say Gay Bill" never went to a final vote. But the initiative forbidding teaching anything "inconsistent with natural human reproduction" in grades kindergarten through eight took on new life when a similar bill was introduced in Missouri. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/06/jack-mcelroy-students-values-were-focus-of-bills/

Columnist: Evolutionary monkey laws (Miami Herald)

Evolution has been voted down in the Tennessee legislature. School kids there need not be bothered by confusing allusions to homo erectus, homo ergaster, homo antecessor, homo heidelbergensis, homo neanderthalensis and other ancestral contradictions to that Old Time Religion. The Monkey Bill, as its known thereabouts, became state law earlier this month without the signature of Gov. Bill Haslam, who disapproved but apparently not enough to exercise his veto pen. Haslam did say he was worried about Tennessees reputation. Sure enough, the national media has had a good time remembering Tennesseans acting like anti-science yokels back during the 1925 Scopes trial. Once, the Monkey Bill would have been regarded as only a local curiosity. But lunatic legislation no longer occurs in a vacuum. Gun laws like Stand Your Ground, the new spate of voter-ID laws, laws that restrict immigration and abortion or those that attempt to resurrect school prayer are derived, often word for word, from model legislation issued by ideological think tanks. Model bills bounce around from one whacked-out legislature to another. If evolution went down in Tennessee in 2012, you can pretty well figure that the Florida Legislature will be rethinking the origins of the species in 2013. http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/05/4459893/commentary-evolutionary-monkey.html#storylink=cpy

Sam Venable: Our sexually frustrated legislators (Knoxville News-Sentinel)

It is far too polite, not to mention naive, to say members of the Tennessee General Assembly have their heads in the sand when it comes to sexual activity among teenagers. Instead, I would suggest these esteemed solons have placed their heads deeply inside a private sector of their own respective anatomies. I shan't specify the exact orifice by its common name for two reasons. First, in a family newspaper, the word "ass" typically is restricted to archaic names for beasts of burden. Second, I'm afraid that mentioning this or any other private region in the context of Tennessee lawmaking will cause a new round of sweaty palpitations to break out like what occurred a few days ago as the state House debated the legal definition of "intimate parts." Emerging from this babbling nonsense was a bill approved by both chambers and sent to Gov. Bill Haslam. No word yet on what Hizzoner will do. If he has any common sense and two certain body parts of his own, if you catch my drift the governor will veto this measure. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/06/sam-venable-our-sexually-frustrated-legislators/

Editorial: A lean Metro needs modest tax hike (Tennessean)

Without Dean proposal, education and public safety cuts would be drastic How low can you go, when you are 7

charged with keeping a city of more than 600,000 people running? Nashville Mayor Karl Dean believes the city became very lean by the end of his first term, a period that saw no tax increases, but a budget reduction of $59 million and a loss of 660 city employees. And sure enough, if you concede that, at a basic level, a city needs to have relatively safe streets and adequate schools and must continue to service its debts, then Nashville has little body fat left. As a result, Deans call last week for a 53-cent property tax increase in the next fiscal year starts to make sense. The approximately $100 million the increase would generate is part of the mayors overall $1.7 billion budget plan. Property owners in the General Services District would have a tax rate of $4.04 per $100 of assessed value; in the Urban Services District, the rate would rise to $4.66. So what would Nashvillians receive in return for their money? For starters, it would keep police officers that would otherwise have to be let go; raise starting salaries for schoolteachers and adjust the salaries of others; and bring the first raises in a while to the Metro employees who have kept government services flowing despite staff attrition. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120506/OPINION01/305060042/Our-View-lean-Metro-needs-modest-taxhike?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|Opinion|p

Editorial: City's response to mulch fire decisive and deliberate (News-Sentinel)

For nearly a week last month, Knoxville firefighters methodically beat down a mulch fire at the Shamrock Organic Products facility on Ailor Avenue. They worked around the clock, shooting more than 25 million gallons of water on the smouldering mounds of mulch and yard waste. Now that the fire is out, city administrators must respond in kind to keep another blaze from flaring up at the nine-acre site at the edge of the Fort Sanders neighborhood. So far, Mayor Madeline Rogero and her staff have come through with sensible short-term measures and prudently are reviewing possible long-term actions. Shamrock is the city's contractor to process yard waste, and the facility still was processing material collected after the vicious storms of April 2011. The fire started the morning of April 15. Members of the Knoxville Fire Department are used to responding to calls at the facility there have been more than 150 times during the past decade, but no past blaze rivaled that one in size or danger. Firefighters poured water on the mulch and debris piles. Thick smoke choked downtown and South Knoxville, depending on the direction of the wind. The smoke prompted some businesses in the area to send employees home. Slowly, working around the clock, they beat back the flames. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/06/editorial-citys-response-to-mulch-fire-decisive/

Editorial: Don't repeat high school rezoning disaster (Daily News Journal)
One of Don Odoms first tasks as director of Rutherford County Schools could be his most difficult. When he takes the post July 1, he faces the unenviable job of leading the school system in setting new zone lines for the opening of Stewarts Creek High School in southwest Smyrna. The problem wont be creating a strong student body for Stewarts Creek, which is located in a fairly high socioeconomic area. It will be adopting zones that wont leave Smyrna and La Vergne high schools a shell of their former selves with high concentrations of low-income students. Rutherford County went through this very thing when Siegel High School opened in 2003, and we dont need another repeat of the process that left Oakland High with too many students from poor families. Children from low socioeconomic backgrounds can succeed in school, but studies show that theyre more likely to struggle in the classroom because of a number of factors, including lack of support in the home. Odom is aware of the pitfalls because he is largely responsible for helping Oakland High rebound over the last few years by incorporating new programs and stronger administrative and teacher support in the school to improve academic performance. http://www.dnj.com/article/20120506/OPINION/305060008/EDITORIAL-Don-t-repeat-high-school-rezoningdisaster?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE ###