REP. JUSTIN JONES ARRIVES AT THE CAPITOL

Alan Levine Lashes Out At Phil Williams Over “Conflicts of Interest” Piece

These are the times we save receipts for. Ballad Health CEO Alan Levine took the time to lash out at Phil Williams for calling out the conflicts of interest of Governor Lee’s handpicked charter schools appeal board – but Phil is absolutely right.

Levine is hardly the best messenger for this, having been the subject of a 60 Minutes medicare fraud piece when he worked at HMA.

HOLLERFEST 2022 HIGHLIGHTS!

 

HOLLERFEST 2022 TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

2ND ANNUAL HOLLERFEST 2022 AT EXIT/IN OCTOBER 3RD
Tickets on sale now HERE
(Sponsored by SEIU)
Hollerfest 2022 is here! Join us for a night of inspiration and music in support of the Tennessee Holler as we host the 2nd annual “Hollerfest” Monday night, October 3rd at Exit/In in Nashville beginning at 7pm CST.
Hear from some of the most powerful progressive voices in Tennessee, and some of the candidates running to make a difference. Billed as “a night of inspiration and music”, Hollerfest will feature a series of brief speeches from powerful progressive voices from around Tennessee, including candidates for congress Odessa Kelly and Senator Heidi Campbell, newly elected representative Justin Jones, the Equity Alliance’s Tequila Johnson, Matthew “Coach” Hawn, Rep. Gloria Johnson, Comedian Josh Black, Levi Black, candidate for governor Dr. Jason Martin and more – plus the music of local Nashville artists Lou Ridley & Chuck Indigo.
“The first Hollerfest was all digital during the pandemic, and it was a lot of fun,” said Justin Kanew, founder of the Holler. “We’re excited to be able to get all of these great voices together in person this time to lift up their stories and provide some inspiration to all the Tennesseans working hard to make Tennessee a better place at a time when those in power seem to be doing all they can to drag us backwards in so many ways.”
It’s a night you won’t want to miss. Space is limited, so get your Tickets on sale now HERE, and sign up to subscribe and support the Holler HERE. 
ABOUT THE TENNESSEE HOLLER:
The Tennessee Holler is an independent, reader-supported network of progressive accountability journalism sites with 10 regional Hollers across Tennessee “Yelling the Truth” about what’s going on here in our state, lifting up voices and shining a light on injustices in Tennessee.

WELCOME TO FORCED BIRTH TENNESSEE

WELCOME TO FORCED BIRTH TENNESSEE

Yesterday the Trigger Ban triggered. Now any doctor performing an abortion in Tennessee can be charged with a FELONY, WITHOUT EXCEPTION.

You heard us right. There are no exceptions.

Not for rape. Not for incest. Not to save a mother’s life. Nothing.

Republicans like Governor Lee continue to say there are exceptions, but they are either lying, or they haven’t read their own bill. The bill says doctors can claim they were saving the mother’s life as an “AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE”, but that means the doctor will be on trial, charged, having been arrested, and the burden will be on THEM to prove the mother was at risk as opposed to on the state.

This means doctors will have to take that into consideration when deciding to perform life-saving health care. Which means women will die. Period. We’re already seeing examples of care being withheld throughout the country.

As a TN DOCTOR said yesterday at the “Healthcare in Handcuffs” rally in NASHVILLE: “Sadly, termination of the pregnancy will put me at risk of being charged with a felony… despite misinformation, THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS… this law is dangerous to the women of Tennessee.”

During the rally one young anti-abortion loudmouth was heckling the doctors, cheering for the idea of them going to prison, so we eventually confronted him.
WATCH: “YOU’RE NOT ACTUALLY ‘PRO-LIFE’ — YOU’RE FORCED BIRTH.”

Holler founder Kanew’s confrontation with the heckler continued after it was over, driving home the point that opposing Medicaid expansion & universal health care is not “pro-life”. The heckler was 20 years old and proudly “saving himself for marriage” as he seeks to stop everyone from having sex by telling women to “close their legs” (maybe the virgin thing isn’t voluntary with that kind of talk buddy) and dismissing the Old Testament as irrelevant because numbers 5:11-30 hurts the argument he’s making since God instructs a priest to have a woman drink something  which would make her miscarry if she was unfaithful, which sounds pretty abortion-y to us.🤔

The Heckler did, however, eventually concede there should be exceptions for life of the mom.

READ THE BILL. THERE ARE NONE. If you don’t believe us, believe the Tennessean👇🏽😳 

As Rep. Gloria Johnson points out, Republicans need to fix this NO EXCEPTIONS mess by calling a special session by calling a special session: “There are 0 exceptions… that Republicans don’t understand their bill should terrify everyone. CALL A SPECIAL SESSION AND FIX THIS MESS YOU MADE THAT WILL KILL PEOPLE.”

It’s a frightening, dangerous, deadly situation that Republicans have put us in. It’s hard to know if they did it knowingly and lied about it, or if they didn’t understand the bill they passed. Neither is good. Call your reps and tell them it must be fixed.

We’ll keep yelling the truth about all this. Please consider chipping in monthly if you can. We depend on your support.

– The Holler
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Set your clocks back…

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TODAY’S HOLLER:
WE SEE YOU CHATTANOOGA: “We’re standing up for our rights, and our bodies, and autonomy.” Nooga also rallied for women’s rights yesterday as the draconian No-exception TN GOP trigger ban went into effect. #BansOffOurBodies

JASON MARTIN: This bill is radical. There are no exceptions, even for rape or life of the mother… Governor Lee is lying or he doesn’t know what bill he signed. Either is disqualifying.” Governor candidate Dr. Jason Martin was in Nashville for the rally against the TN GOP trigger ban. He also CHALLENGED HIM TO A DEBATE.

WATCH: “That weighs on me. I voted for that bill. These are affecting people. That whole week I didn’t sleep.” S. Carolina Republican Neal Collins regrets his abortion ban vote now that life-saving care is (PREDICTABLY) being denied. #BandOffOurBodies #RoeRoeRoeYourVote

FLASHBACK: “This is gonna let a violent rapist choose the mother of his child, but not let a victim of rape to determine if she’s going to carry that child?” Rep. Lynn told Rep. Gloria Johnson the truth — that THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS in the TN GOP abortion ban… then walked it back👇🏽🤥

Kaiser Health News reporter Brett Kelman says the TN GOP abortion ban has his family thinking about leaving 👇🏽 Really sad what this radical extremist supermajority is doing to our state. 😳

🔥ODESSA KELLY: “This is white supremacy. Class warfare. State-sanctioned violence… Republicans have given us a moment in time to say we defeated FASCISM.”
TN-7 candidate Odessa Kelly didn’t hold back today. Tennessee becomes a forced birth state TOMORROW. #BansOffOurBodies

As Tennessee becomes a FORCED BIRTH STATE under this Republican supermajority we just got more evidence that treating women as 2nd class citizens will getcha beat. #BansOffOurBodies

😳FRANKLIN, TN: “Teens teach themselves sex Ed BECAUSE THE ADULTS WON’T” TN Republicans (JACK JOHNSON) banned anything but abstinence-only education (which doesn’t work) — so now in Jack Johnson & Governor Lee’s home county teens try to protect themselves.

FLASHBACK: “FOX 17 investigation found 17 TENNESSEE REPUBLICAN lawmakers who supported unemployment cuts accepted PPP loans for their businesses — a combined $12.4 MILLION.” So spare us the student loan crocodile tears. 🐊

😂 #studentdebtrelief

The White House is bringing the thunder on these Republican student debt PPP loan hypocrites 🔥 👀

“271,000+ TENNESSEANS WILL HAVE THEIR STUDENT LOANS CANCELED UNDER BIDEN’S PLAN…” No wonder Republicans are so upset.

TRAE CROWDER: 🔥 “I’d like to think experiencing a form of suffering would make you sympathetic to those in a similar plight, as opposed to resenting them when they’re relieved of it… but what do I know? I never read the Bible or nothin’.”

Williamson County pastor 👇🏽

SSSSSHAPIRO: We’re honored to be included in this article about tweets ripping Ben Shapiro’s loan forgiveness hypocrisy.


REMINDER: The same Republicans complaining about student debt cancellation cheered as Trump let them write off 100% OF THEIR PRIVATE JETS. (while slashing trillions in taxes for the wealthy)

PRESIDENT BIDEN: “I will never apologize for helping working Americans & the middle class — especially not to the same folks who voted for a $2 trillion tax cut that mainly benefited the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations.” #CancelStudentDebt

Biden’s plan to forgive student loan debt — $10,000 for anyone making under $125,000 a year, $20,000 if you went to school on Pell Grants.

REPORTER: “Is this fair to people who didn’t take out student loans?” — 🔥BIDEN MIC DROP: “Was it fair to people who didn’t own multi-million dollar businesses to watch those guys get huge tax cuts?” 👀 🎯 *moonwalks away*

The NY TIMES picks up the story of disgraced ex-speaker Glen Casada and his chief of staff Cade Cothren getting arrested by the FBI and facing 20 counts.

CASADA LEAVING THE COURTHOUSE: “Glen, do you owe Tennesseans an apology? Do you feel bad? Should the Governor be worried?” Disgraced ex-speaker Casada leaving the federal courthouse after pleading not guilty to all 20 counts… they face many years and fines, 20 count indictment includes bribery, laundering, conspiracy, kickback…

CADE COTHREN SPEAKS ON HIS WAY OUT THE COURTHOUSE AFTER PLEADING NOT GUILTY TO 20 COUNTS: “The truth will come out, Phil.” —- Or maybe it already did, Cade? 🤔

🤣 CASADA IN CUFFS REACTION: GOV. LEE – who hands out no-bid contracts like candy, didn’t remove an admitted sexual abuser, maybe offered a military promotion to pass his vouchers, betrayed teachers, etc… now has “no tolerance” for lack of integrity? LOL. 🤷🏻‍♂️ #CasadaInCuffs

😳MUST-WATCH SUPERCUT: FOX TRASHING TEACHERS.  Again — it isn’t just HILLSDALE & @GovBillLee. The war on our teachers & schools is the right-wing’s core agenda.

CHATTANOOGA: Republican school board member RHONDA THURMAN (a regular focus for us) complains “Hispanic students who speak little or no English are overwhelming Hamilton County schools” calls them a “mind-boggling burden” on schools 🤔😳

⚾️ NOLENSVILLE advances to the 🇺🇸 Little League World Series championship to face HONOLULU Saturday (winner faces the winner of Chinese Taipei vs. Curaçao)

WATCH: “Elections are about choices. There has never been a clearer difference between 2 candidates.” TN-5 congress candidate senator Senator Heidi Campbell says she’s trying to unite while far-right extremist Mayor Andy Ogles tries to divide, and says a new internal poll has her ahead.

Priorities. 🇺🇸 #CancelStudentDebt

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INTERVIEW: REP. MIKE STEWART (On Knocking doors for Cheney)

Rep. Mike Stewart tells us why he knocked doors for Cheney despite disagreeing with her on pretty much every issue – because we’re in a crisis of democracy, and without a democratic system we won’t make progress on anything. PODCAST

WATCH:

CONFESSIONS OF A CONVERTED SCHOOLS PRIVATIZATION LOBBYIST

Charles Siler used to work for the privatizers. Now he fights against them. He joins us to explain why he changed, why CRT is just the latest boogeyman, and how the real goal of Governor Lee and the privatizers here in Tennessee is to eradicate public schools.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

INTERVIEW: FORMER PUTNAM GOP CHAIR ON WHY CURRENT PARTY LEADERS ARE “RACIST”

FULL INTERVIEW.

PODCAST.

“IT’S ABOUT THE MONEY… CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE NOT PUBLIC SCHOOLS”

WATCH: “It’s nothing but a MONEY GRAB… when I worked for a charter school org, I saw it wasn’t about education — CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE NOT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.”

Tenessee For All’s Frank Johnson says don’t buy what PRIVATIZERS Lee & Hillsdale are selling. #DefendPublicSchools
He worked at a charter school org, and saw it was about the money. He spoke at a rally for public schools in nashville this week.

TN DEMS VOW TO STAND UP TO DRACONIAN REPUBLICAN ABORTION BAN

This week Tennessee Dems held a press conference vowing to push back on the Republican abortion ban, and the brutality it entails. Below are some clips.

 

WATCH: “IT’S LEGISLATIVE VIOLENCE—women are not equal if we don’t have control over our own health decisions.” At a presser on the TN GOP extreme abortion ban Rep. Gloria Johnson says more women will die, Tennessee’s economy will get hurt as events & businesses choose other states.

TN-5 CANDIDATE SENATOR HEIDI CAMPBELL: “We’re here with you… we’re not backing down. Our Tennessee daughters deserve to grow up with the same rights & freedoms as our sons.”🎯 #BansOffOurBodies – TN Dems vowed to carry bills pushing back on the draconian, violent abortion ban.

SEN. LAMAR: “I’m devastated. I’m angry. It’s an ABOMINATION —- they never take a stand on ‘life’ outside the womb.” Senator London Lamar says the extremist TN GOP abortion ban will force rape & trafficking victims to carry to term, and Black women will be impacted most. #BansOffOurBodies

SEN. YARBRO TO TENNESSEE: “It’s time to WAKE UP.”🔥 – Yarbro rightly says TN is 1 of the most dangerous places in the developed world to get pregnant because of a brutal TN GOP supermajority, calls out Jack Johnson for minimizing rape pregnancies. (especially for young girls)

REP. CLEMMONS: “Make no mistake, they’re not going to stop here.” – John Ray Clemmons says the TN GOP will keep taking away rights until voters stand up to them, calls on men to stop hiding behind party and stick up for their families, thanks his female colleagues for their leadership.

YES, THEY WANT TO FORCE LITTLE GIRLS TO CARRY BABIES: Jim Bopp of National Right to Life – who has been to Tennessee to testify for Republicans – says YES, THE 10 YEAR OLD RAPE VICTIM SHOULD HAVE BEEN FORCED TO GIVE BIRTH. Monstrous.

PSA…