TN Dem County Chairs To Call On Exec Committee To Ask GOP/Mcconnell-Backing DNC Rep Bill Owen To RESIGN

/in , , /by
As The Intercept recently reported, TN Superdelegate Bill Owen, who has been leading the charge to attempt to organize a way to stop Bernie Sanders through a brokered convention in Milwaukee, is “A SIGNIFICANT GOP DONOR, HEALTH CARE LOBBYIST” who has even contributed to a PAC that backs GOP Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, of all people.
It seems many Tennessee Democratic County Party chairs are not taking that sitting down, and plan to release a letter (BELOW) calling on the State Executive committee to ask for his resignation.
First, here’s what the Intercept initially reported about Owen’s contributions to Republicans, including Mitch McConnell:

Owen, who runs a lobbying firm called Asset & Equity Corporations, donated to Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and gave $8,500 to a joint fundraising committee designed to benefit Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in 2019.

“I am a committed Democrat but as a lobbyist, there are times when I need to have access to both sides and the way to get access quite often is to make campaign contributions,” said Owen, in a brief interview with The Intercept.

“I’m a registered lobbyist and I represent clients and they have interest in front of Congress and I attend the Senator’s Classic, which is a Republican event, each year,” he added.

Owen noted that he understood how his GOP donations could open him up for criticism but stressed that he also gives to Democrats. Federal Election Commission records show Owen has donated to Democrats in previous years, but has not donated to his own party’s congressional candidates this cycle. Owen has not given to any presidential candidates this cycle.

A former member of the Tennessee state legislature, Owen is currently an executive member of the Tennessee Democratic Party and DNC, making him one of the 771 unpledged delegates, also known as superdelegates, who could play a hand in selecting the presidential nomination. Owens is a supporter of former Vice President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, and has pushed to use superdelegates to make Biden the nominee.

The Tennessee Democrat worked in 2018 to block a Sanders-backed plan to weaken the role of superdelegates in the nomination process. “If we don’t have a vote, then what good are we?” Owen told Politico at the time.

Full Disclosure: We’re of the belief that a brokered convention taking the nomination from a candidate with popular support amount young voters and voters of color with a clear delegate lead would lead to incalculable damage to the present and future of the Democratic Party.
Below is the email being circulated among Party chairs by chairs who, crucially, are not Bernie supporters, calling for Owen’s removal – exclusively obtained by the Holler.
Friends & Fellow County Party Chairs, 
 
The TNDP State Executive Committee re-elected Bill Owen, a healthcare lobbyist, for another 4-year term as East Tennessee’s *DNC representative at their January 11th meeting. Yesterday, an online media outlet reported that Mr. Owen contributed thousands of dollars to Republicans, including a joint fundraising committee backing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
 
Sara and I independently reviewed FEC filings of his individual contributions and found that in 2019 alone, Bill Owen personally contributed $18,000 to Republicans, including $8,500 to the GOP Senators Classic Committee, which funds McConnell and more than a dozen other Republican Senators. Mr. Owen did not contribute a single dollar to Democrats in 2019. 
(Bill Owen’s FEC contributions are recorded HERE, List of beneficiaries of the GOP Senators Classic Committee are recorded HERE)
 
While there is not a mechanism for Mr. Owen to be removed at the state level, we believe that in light of this information, State Executive Committee members have an obligation to ask for Mr. Owen’s resignation and if he does not resign, State ECs should call on the Democratic National Committee to remove Mr. Owen.
 
We ask you to call on your (elected!) State Executives to act and we invite you to participate in an open letter with us, which we intend to publish and release to media after Super Tuesday. 
 
If you are interested, please reply to this email. 
 
In Solidarity,
Sarah Herron, Blount County Democratic Party Chair |  865-599-2038
Sara Thompson, Sevier County Democratic Party Chair | 865-607-0934
(State Executive Committee District 2) 
 
*Bill Owen’s DNC position automatically makes him one of Tennessee’s Superdelgates. He has been drawing national attention for his public comments concerning his intention to undermine voters as a Superdelegate if it appears Sen. Bernie Sanders may win the nomination. We believe it is worth noting that Sarah Herron is a delegate candidate for Joe Biden, and Sara Thompson is a delegate candidate for Sen. Elizabeth Warren. 
—

State Executive Committee

Marjorie Ramsey
District 1- Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Sevier
(423) 623-7610
marjorie4statehousedist11@gmail.com

Barbara Wagner
District 2- Sevier, Blount
(865)-654-4496
bntwagner@aol.com

Debbie Harley McClaskey
District 3- Washington, Carter, Unicoi
(423) 676-3567
debbie@debbiefortennessee.com

Lori Love
District 4- Sullivan, Carter, Johnson
(423) 367-7627
arvillove@gmail.com

Anne Backus
District 5- Anderson, Knox, Loudon
(865) 556-3099
backusanne@comcast.net

Sylvia Woods
District 6- Knox
(865) 414-4161
sylviawoodsknox@aol.com

Emily Gregg
District 7- Knox
(615) 557-6737
emilyjgregg@gmail.com

Rachel Fuentes
District 8- Jefferson, Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Hawkins, Union
(203) 918-9006
ractfuentes@gmail.com

Pam Weston
District 9- Monroe, Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Polk
(717) 515-2336
p_weston@bellsouth.net

Demetrus Coonrod
District 10- Hamilton
423-314-9897
demetrescoonrod@yahoo.com

Rachel Campbell
District 11- Hamilton
(423) 227-0759
shelbysabrina123@gmail.com

Tracey Vought Williams
District 12- Morgan, Campbell, Fentress, Pickett, Rhea, Roane, Scott
(865) 742-6569
tracey.nsl2014@gmail.com

Caroline McGee
District 13- Rutherford
carolinefmcgee@gmail.com

Tanea McClean
District 14- Bedford, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Rutherford
(629) 335-0698
taneamcclean14@gmail.com

Cheryl Vickers
District 15- Putnam, Bledsoe, Cumberland, Jackson, Overton, White
(931) 260-4467
cherylvickers4tn@gmail.com

Betty Fraley
District 16- Franklin, Coffee, Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren
(931) 703-1143
bfraley@bellsouth.net

Carol Brown Andrews
District 17- Smith, Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Wilson
(615) 347-0193
andrewcarol@gmail.com

Kristi Cornett
District 18- Sumner, Davidson, Trousdale
(615) 454-0490
kristi@cornettclan.com

Katharine Heriges
District 19- Davidson
(615) 390-9253
katharine.heriges@gmail.com

Jolie Grace Wareham
District 20- Davidson
(630) 418-0395
jgwareham3@gmail.com

Marjorie Pomeroy-Wallace
District 21- Davidson
(615) 212-9409
marjorie.pomeroy@gmail.com

Linda Crenshaw
District 22- Montgomery, Houston, Stewart
(931) 801-2014
lindaadamsbarnes@gmail.com

Kelly Baker-Hefley
District 23- Williamson
(615) 631-7577
kbh@hefley.org

Angela Callis
District 24- Weakley, Benton, Carroll, Gibson, Henry, Obion
(731) 587-2468
ang.call@hotmail.com

Martha Shepard
District 25- Dickson, Cheatham, Hickman, Humphreys, Robertson
(615) 330-0419
marthashep2@gmail.com

Meryl Rice
District 26- Hardeman, Chester, Decatur, Fayette, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, McNairy
(731) 609-3236
meryl.rice@gmail.com

Patsy R. Johnson
District 27- Madison, Crockett, Dyer, Lake, Lauderdale
(731) 668-7139
prjtnd@bellsouth.net

Pame Morrow
District 28- Maury, Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Perry, Wayne
(931) 626-5836
pame50@att.net

Allison Brownlee
District 29- Shelby
(901) 744-4467
allison_brownlee@comcast.net

Jasmine Boyd
District 30- Shelby
(678) 472-1160
jasmine.boyd@gmail.com

Adrienne Pakis-Gillon
District 31- Shelby
(901) 355-6879
apakis@earthlink.net

Deborah Reed
District 32- Tipton, Shelby
(901) 500-8423
deb117reed@gmail.com

Kendra Lee
District 33- Shelby
(901) 830-9348
kendranlee2010@gmail.com

Adam Haynes
District 1- Hamblen, Cocke, Greene, Sevier
(423) 736-1398
ashaynes@outlook.com

Tony Webb
District 2- Blount, Sevier
(865) 386-6181
holcweb@att.net

Mike Hampton
District 3- Unicoi, Carter, Washington
(423) 330-4671
smalltownmikey@hotmail.com

Logan Combs
District 4- Sullivan, Carter, Johnson
(423) 773-0050
combsln@gmail.com

Jim Hackworth
District 5- Anderson, Knox, Loudon
(865) 603-4225
repjimhackworth@yahoo.com

Daniel Brown
District 6- Knox
(865) 258-3777
dt.brown@comcast.net

Mark Harmon
District 7- Knox
(865) 524-4026
markdharmon@yahoo.com

Stephen Miller
District 9- Monroe, Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Polk
(423) 836-8210
sambama37354@gmail.com

Chris Anderson
District 10- Hamilton
(423) 503-0595
chrisandersontn@gmail.com

Ryan Scofield
District 11- Hamilton
(423) 991-1707
ryanvhs91091@gmail.com

Bob Cowan
District 12- Roane, Campbell, Fentress, Morgan, Pickett, Rhea, Scott
(865) 466-0418
rcowan10@gmail.com

Brandon Thomas
District 13- Rutherford
muckrakerthomas@gmail.com

Mark Farrar
District 14- Bedford, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Rutherford
(615) 604-4616
mfarrar712@aol.com

Amos Powers
District 15- Putnam, Bledsoe, Cumberland, Jackson, Overton, White
(931) 265-2769
amos.powers@live.com

Bobby Bush
District 16- Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren
(931) 607-0779
arcprofessionals.inc@gmail.com

Aubrey Givens
District 17- Wilson, Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith
(615) 568-2778
contactus@givenslawfirm.com

Leonard Assante
District 18- Sumner, Davidson, Trousdale
(615) 512-6297
lassante@yahoo.com

Will Cheek
District 20- Davidson
(615) 292-3967
willcheek@bellsouth.net

Richard Langford
District 21- Davidson
(615) 484-8640
richnnash@gmail.com

Charles Uffelman
District 22- Houston, Montgomery, Stewart
(937) 220-5236
csuffelman@gmail.com

Brandon Schexnayder
District 23- Williamson
(504) 228-5635
bmschexnayder@gmail.com

Donald Farmer
District 24- Gibson, Benton, Carroll, Henry, Obion, Weakley
(731) 234-8411
Don.farmer@hotmail.com

Gentry Allen
District 25- Dickson, Cheatham, Hickman, Humphreys, Robertson
(615) 636-7291
gentry@superiorcaregivers.net

Toney Campbell
District 26- Decatur, Chester, Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, McNairy
(731) 549-9202
toneyc@tds.net

Ernest Brooks
District 27- Madison, Crockett, Dyer, Lake, Lauderdale
(731) 293-4187
ebrooks2law@yahoo.com

Greg Hanners
District 28- Maury, Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Perry, Wayne
(931) 215-2148
hannersg@bellsouth.net

Darrick “Dee” Harris
District 29- Shelby
(901) 691-8453
ddharris901@gmail.com

Bryan Carson
District 30- Shelby
(901) 314-4617
1bryan.carson@gmail.com

Dave Cambron
District 31- Shelby
(901) 830-3283
davidpcambron@gmail.com

Jeffery Alen “J” Dewitt II
District 32- Tipton, Shelby
(901) 326-2100
jdewitt@ibewlocal474.com

Issac Freeman III
District 33- Shelby
(901) 690-8023
freemanissac2013@gmail.com

Rep. Mark White, Who Ripped Lee’s Charter Nominee for OUTING KIDS, Did the SAME To His Opponent

/in , , , , , /by

House Education Committee chair Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) is among the Republicans who have spoken out against Mary Pierce, one of the nine people Governor Bill Lee nominated for his new charter school board commission, because she used the children of Reps Mike Stewart & Bo Mitchell against them – naming the schools their children go to in an attempt to discount their opposition to Governor Bill Lee’s public school-harming SCHOOL VOUCHERS.

Problem is, Rep. White once did the VERY SAME THING to his opponent Jerri Green, currently running against him in HD-83.

Governor Bill Lee has nominated 9 people to be members of a new state charter school commission that has the power to overrule local school boards and ram charter schools down the throats of rural communities that may not want them for fear that they will drain resources from already severely underfunded public schools, which is what has happened in California and many places like it.

Tennessee has an “F” in school funding under this Republican supermajority, so the fears of rural school boards would be understandable, but the commission is on the verge of becoming a reality anyway thanks to Governor Lee and his Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn.

2 of Lee’s charter commission nominees, Alan Levine and Mary Pierce have met resistance from opponents.

The pushback to Levine came from Rep. Gloria Johnson, who rightly pointed out that Alan Levine was the mouthpiece for the company HMA, lying on 60 Minutes before they were forced to pay $260 MILLION IN FINES FOR MEDICARE FRAUD, had filed bogus charges against protestors in Kingsport who protested his company for over 200 days, and is the CEO of Ballad Health, which was exposed in the NY Times for SUING THOUSANDS OF PATIENTS WHO COULDN’T AFFORD TO PAY THEIR BILLS.

What a guy.

The resistance to Mary Pierce on the other hand came from Democrats and Republicans alike who took exception to her dragging the children of Reps Mitchell & Stewart into the conversation about school vouchers, going so far as to naming the schools their kids attend.

Rep. Mark White, the chair of the Education Committee, had this to say:

“You should never talk about someone else’s children.”

One problem — White did the EXACT same thing to Jerri Green, his opponent in HD-83, calling out where her children go to school to discount her opposition to Lee’s public school harming school vouchers program, which have been the source of much controversy due to the “bribes and threats” used by Lee to get them passed – including a military promotion – and used a $4 Million slush fund that seems to have appeared to grease the skids, and a problematic “sketchy” rollout around an overly expensive no-bid contract that “robbed” from teacher bonus pay  which has even Republican leaders regretting their vote.

Here’s White outing Green’s kids EXACLY the same way Pierce did, in the Daily Memphian:

Hypocrisy much, Rep. White?

It’s worth noting that the school White mentions IS a public school – not a magnet or private school – it just has a special contract with the University of Memphis to help train teachers.

“It was our neighborhood school,” says Green.

If you feel like letting White know how you feel about his blatant hypocrisy, holler at him HERE.

And to learn more about Green’s campaign to unseat him, find more info HERE.

 

VIDEO: Gov. Bill Lee’s “FRAUD” Charter Board Appointment Alan Levine BLOCKED

/in , , , /by

Rep. Gloria Johnson protests Charter School Commission nominee Alan Levine – subject of a 60 Minutes expose on MEDICARE FRAUD after which his company paid $260 MILLION in fines, and CEO of Ballad Health, recently ripped in the NY Times FOR SUING THOUSANDS OF POOR PATIENTS. 

Ballad was protested for 200 days in Kingsport for a reason. Do better, Governor.

Senator Gilmore: Move “Hurtful” KKK Grand Wizard Bust

/in , , , /by

“I’m not certain those in favor of leaving that bust there recognize how hurtful it is to African-Americans.”

Senator Brenda Gilmore spoke with us after the state Capitol Commission’s meeting about moving the KKK GRAND WIZARD BUST out of our state capitol.

Chairman Stuart Mcwhorter & Governor Lee have STILL not set a date for the vote.

Senator Bowling Doubles Down Against Early Childhood Ed, Denies Telling Moms To Stay Home

/in , , , , /by

We caught up with Senator Janice Bowling about her controversial comments about early childhood education and implying moms should stay home like she did – which she denies saying and says we twisted.

You be the judge!

 

HIGHLIGHTS: Absurd Van Huss “FAKE NEWS” Resolution Passes Subcommittee

/in , , /by

Watch the Resolution to call CNN and The Washington Post “FAKE NEWS” – proposed by Rep. Micah Van Huss, who one cited the Onion in a committee hearing – pass subcommittee, to waste more taxpayer? – simply to “troll liberals”, as he himself admitted to us.

 

 

 

RURAL CHARTERS COMING SOON? (TN Ed Report)

/in , , /by

THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY SEEN ON THE TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT… For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

On Feb. 5, Gov. Bill Lee’s education chief presented the department’s “Best for All” plan to layout the administration’s goals for future of education in Tennessee.

During the 27-slide presentation, commissioner Penny Schwinn briefly described a new initiative to increase the number of charter schools operating in rural school districts.

Schwinn told the audience of mostly legislators and staff that a $24 million line item for “Charter Schools Facilities Funding” in the governor’s budget included a $10 million, one-time grant for high school charter facilities called “Innovative High School Models.”

Schwinn said:

“…and Innovative High School Models. The thing that I want to touch on there is the governor proposed $12 million recurring, $12 million one time for charter school facilities funds.

One of the things that we’re proposing with the one-time funds is $10 million that would go to help build public charter schools with districts — in partnership with districts — to create more opportunities for students in rural communities.

One would suspect that rural districts would be very interested to know the Commissioner’s plans for expanding charter schools into their territory. Perhaps the new school privatization commission will be the vehicle to make this happen?

Slide Showing Funds for Rural Charters

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

VIDEO: Senator Janice Bowling Vs. Early Childhood Education

/in , , , , /by

TN GOP Senator Janice Bowling says TN should encourage moms to stay home as she did rather than use federal ? to help TN families with child care.

Her message: “Parenting is not a part-time job” and ““Early Childhood Education is NOT in the best interest of the Child.” ?

Worth noting: Bowling represents the POOREST county in TN – Grundy County – yet resists helping families with daycare costs using FEDERAL ? because she believes moms should stay home and early childhood education is bad (which study after study shows it is NOT).‬ Early Childhood Education is a good thing.

Bowling clearly has no idea what it’s like to be poor in Tennessee, where we lead the nation in minimum wage jobs (because her party won’t raise it), are at the bottom in poverty, ‬#1 medical bankruptcies, etc.

People work 2 jobs and still barely get by, yet Bowling sits in judgment of them and resists helping with federal funds that are there for exactly that reason?

This is the mentality that caused us to have a $732 TANF reserve, the biggest in the country, and lose hundreds of millions in child care funds which reverted back to the federal government.

Holler at her HERE.

VIDEO: GOV. LEE’S VOUCHER NIGHTMARE (GOP Caucus Leader Faison: “We Robbed Teachers’ Pay”)

/in , , , , /by

Gov. Bill Lee’s public school-harming vouchers barely passed thru “sketchy” “bribes & threats” after disgraced former speaker Glen Casada held the board open for 35 minutes — until Rep. Jason Zachary finally flipped his vote and pushed through a program that will ONLY effect Nashville & Memphis, whose reps voted AGAINST it. (Zachary’s math was way off, but we digress)

Many reps say they were bribed and threatened, even with military promotions.

The FBI supposedly opened an inquiry.

There’s a $4 Million Slush fund that seems to have been used to bribe rural reps for their votes, but nobody wants to talk about it.

Lawsuits have begun.

Now it seems the Tennessee Department of Education “robbed” a teacher bonus program to fund a no-bid $2.5 MILLION Class Wallet contract to implement the program that far exceeds what the allocation was… without the comptroller even reviewing it “for merit.

A mess. The mess is so bad even TN GOP House Caucus chair Jeremy Faison regrets his vote, and Appropriations Committee Chair Matthew Hill wants answers. He voted for the bill also.

Meanwhile Governor Lee blames everyone but himself, as he always does.

Let’s keep in mind, this is not the only way Lee is coming after public schools. A charter school commission has now been formed to overrule local school boards, even in rural communities.

Watch what he does, not what he says.

VIDEO: “WE WANT TO SEE THE LIST.” – Reps. Stewart & Mitchell Confront Mcwhorter

/in , , , /by

Rep. Bo Mitchell & Rep. Mike Stewart grill Gov. Bill Lee Finance commish Stuart Mcwhorter about a reported 50-60 grant commitments from a $4 MILLION SLUSH FUND TO GET VOUCHERS PASSED.

As Bo reminds McWhorter of a perjury law, Rep. Martin Daniel CUTS OFF his mic.