VIDEO: “RESIGN CASADA”
Footage from the anti-Casada protest at the capitol, and from the House Republicans caucus vote to decide his fate yesterday.
Casada has agreed to resign, but that isn’t enough. He needs to leave the legislature altogether.
Footage from the anti-Casada protest at the capitol, and from the House Republicans caucus vote to decide his fate yesterday.
Casada has agreed to resign, but that isn’t enough. He needs to leave the legislature altogether.
A lot has happened in the past 2 weeks, so here’s our super cut of some of it. Watch and share.
It’s time for Speaker Glen Casada to resign. If you agree, holler at him HERE.
Here’s our twitter thread breaking down Casada’s press conference after he met with the Black Caucus. We’re putting it here for those who don’t follow us on Twitter.
THREAD: Some clips from the press conference @glencasada just gave, Follow along…
1) Casada says “the purpose of this meeting” with the @TNblackcaucus was to go over what happened lately ‘with my chief of staff’, and find a path forward. pic.twitter.com/vuqAzWssr5
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 13, 2019
2) @GlenCasada takes questions… but isn’t interested in answer ours (which echoes @vincentdixie54‘s) about why his chief of staff stepped down after the sexist texts but he took no action after the racist ones.
Still haven’t heard an answer. #ResignCasada pic.twitter.com/v1EtxuBbbk
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 13, 2019
3) @SergioMarBel asks @GlenCasada if there’s a “Racism Issue” in HIS House of Representatives.
Casada says “you can’t refute that there is”… buuut @KyleHoranNC5 points out speaker Casada DID refute that there is, and said the texts were fake.
Good point. #ResignCasada pic.twitter.com/6ptgxZgLP6
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 13, 2019
4) Speaker @GlenCasada says he “didn’t see” the racist texts he was included on, and “those that know him well” know he would’ve fired Cade for it… then says he DID fire Cade when it came out (but it was the sexist texts that led to Cade’s resignation, not the racist ones) pic.twitter.com/rzYWZneoEB
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 13, 2019
5) Speaker @GlenCasada says “majority” of Republicans still support him, his only sin is using “base language” in 2 texts, and if he resigns for that nobody will be qualified to be speaker. ?
(No word on the lying, spying, drug use enabling, supporting child sex abusers, etc.) pic.twitter.com/GLWapWRfIE
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 13, 2019
6) Q: “Did you lie to Phil Valentine?” Speaker @GlenCasada: “No, I did not. Absolutely not.”@ValentineShow disagrees. @NC5PhilWilliams has shown through secret recordings Casada knew the texts were real before he told Valentine they weren’t.
Lying about lying. #ResignCasada pic.twitter.com/esQhsFrA4b
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 13, 2019
We just want to keep reminding you that in 2015 @GlenCasada was named Best Political Leader by a white supremacist site who favored a “Jew-free white ethno-state” — and had spoken with Casada’s aide?? pic.twitter.com/sGPxh5jsrW
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 12, 2019
The breaking news has been spewing forth like a powerful stream of urine on a legislator who opposes Speaker Casada’s seat lately (yes, that happened)…
The question I’m having to ask a #TNleg today. Yeah it’s been that kind of day. pic.twitter.com/JtyErkJnHv
– Emily R. West (@emwest22) May 9, 2019
…so we wanted to bring you up to speed on who has – and has not – had the courage to say Speaker Casada should resign. This issue has been all over Twitter so if you haven’t signed up for the platform yet then this might be a good time to do so! However, you may require the services of a website like useviral.com if you want a decent following. Improving your social media traction has proved helpful in multiple cases and especially in ones where you have to speak up for a particular cause! Understandably, this is where tools such as Circleboom can come in handy to manage your Twitter account effectively!
There are several tools similar to this that you may want to look into before making a final decision. One that is not often recommended is Owlead, fortunately there are plenty of Owlead alternatives. Whichever you pick, make sure to follow us on Twitter and join in on the conversation on Casada’s transgressions.
The list of transgressions that have marred Casada’s tenure as Speaker is long, and includes, lying, spying, racism, sexism, fraud, bribery, drugs, house arrest, and protecting child sex abusers to name a few (not to mention peeing on people’s chairs).
Here’s who has come forward to speak up… most notably, GOVERNOR LEE has now said if Casada worked for him he would ask him to resign.
NEW: @GovBillLee says if Speaker Glen Casada worked in his administration, he would ask him to resign. #tnleg pic.twitter.com/khrDShPdL4
– Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) May 10, 2019
Lt. Governor Randy McNally said “if I was in that deep of water I’d pack up my bags and go home.”
🚠¨NEW, FROM CHANNEL 5: “If I was in that deep of water I think I’d just go home.”@ltgovmcnally encourages @GlenCasada to hang it up. #ResignCasada pic.twitter.com/Jqxq4euEgj
– The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 10, 2019
Rep. Jeremy Faison says Casada is “complicit with racism” and should step down as speaker and give Williamson County a chance to send him home altogether… and radio host Phil Valentine says he can’t believe he hasn’t resigned yet, and is angry Casada blatantly lied on his show:
#RT @shaunking: RT @TheTNHoller: CLIP: Conservatives Say #ResignCasada @ValentineShow – “He came on my show and lied… Can’t believe he isn’t gone already.” @JeremyFaison4TN – “He needs to step down… The 3rd most powerful man in TN was complicit … pic.twitter.com/1VirpHRwow
– Dick and Sharon (@DickandSharon) May 9, 2019
The Executive Director of the Tennessee Firearms Association says Casada “willfully lied” and “should step down”:
NEW, FROM CHANNEL 5: “He willfully lied. It’s disappointing, but not surprising… He should resign. “@TennFirearms calls for @GlenCasada to resign. #ResignCasada pic.twitter.com/brU7J8x04C
– The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 10, 2019
Knox County’s Republican Mayor says it’s time for him to go:
President Eisenhower said, “the supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible…”
Speaker Casada should resign for the good of #Tennessee.– Glenn Jacobs (@GlennJacobsTN) May 8, 2019
House Majority Whip Rick Tillis (who may have been running an anonymous twitter account to shed light on the goings-on inside the legislature, and who may have had his office chair pissed on as a result) spoke out…
Tillis: He needs to step down. With the circumstances at hand and the developments today, the behavior seems to continue. I am not sure of the procedural rules. The governor could call for a special session. I am not sure.
– Emily R. West (@emwest22) May 8, 2019
…Rep. Sam Whitson said Casada should step down also…
Rep. Whitson calls for Casada to step down as House speaker after release of sexually explicit texts https://t.co/hrqzYffuu5 via @http://twitter.com/wherald/
– Williamson Herald (@wherald) May 8, 2019
…as did Rep. Hawk… Senator Marsha Blackburn called it “disgusting”… Rep. Patsy Hazelwood seemed to open the door to change… as did Senator Massey…
I am disappointed in the actions that have been publicized. These actions are totally inappropriate.We should not tolerate this kind of behavior.Public officials should be held to a higher standard & treat everyone with respect.I don’t see how Speaker Casada can continue to lead.
– Becky Duncan Massey (@MasseyForSenate) May 8, 2019
and Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Bill Dunn.
And of course, many Democrats have said it’s time for him to go as well (still no word from Rep. John Deberry though).
Those who have come out in support of Casada despite everything that has happened include: Rep. Andy Holt, Rep. Susan Lynn, Rep. Ron Travis, Rep. Mike Sparks, Rep. Micah Van Huss, Rep. Matthew Hill, Rep. Bud Hulsey, and the Williamson County Republican Party.
Do you know of anyone we’ve left out? Holler at us HERE: [email protected]
In the meantime, #ResignCasada.
First it was the Black Caucus calling for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to look into the racist texts and possible falsification of evidence coming out of Speaker Casada’s office.
Watch the VIDEO:
Now today, in response to reports of Speaker Casada spying on Democrats in the legislature through a surveillance system, Democrats have called for the U.S. Attorneys office to look into that.
Watch the VIDEO:
News Channel 5’s Phil Williams has a BOMBSHELL report airing TONIGHT AT 6PM that shows Speaker Casada’s office forged evidence to get civil rights activist Justin Jones thrown in jail.
Channel 5 also has text messages from Casada’s $200,000 chief of staff using the word “n**ger” and saying “black people are idiots”.
Jones has been a regular protestor at the capitol, where he and others have been mobilizing to try to get the bust of the KKK’s first Grand Wizard removed from the capitol, where it’s still featured prominently to this day.
Jones and others protested peacefully, but things reached a boiling point after Casada’s office lied about not getting emails from Jones asking for a meeting – saying he had been misspelling their email addresses (we have them, they were correctly spelled).
Jones eventually threw iced tea at Casada in frustration, and was charged with assault.
He was released on bond on the condition he have no contact with Casada, and followed the no-contact order, so he was surprised when D.A. Funk’s office filed a motion to revoke Jones’ bail.
Funk cited an email Jones had allegedly sent to Casada’s chief of staff that was copied to the House Speaker, thus violating his bond conditions.
Jones knew it wasn’t true.
“It was a shock because it was my freedom,” he said. “If this would have went through to revoke my bond, I would be in jail right now until my court date. So this is not something I take lightly.”
Turns out the motion was based on a photo of an email with the date of March 1st — just one day after the no-contact order. But Jones had the original email. The real date was February 25th, which was before his arrest.
Cothren had originally sent Funk an email with a different date, then blamed that on an IT problem and sent the forged date.
And he says black people are stupid? Yeesh.
It’s not just stupid, it’s criminal. Forging evidence is a crime, and doing it to get someone thrown in jail is itself a felony.
More from Channel 5:
The DA’s office now admits their evidence came from the Speaker’s chief of staff.
“You have some of the most powerful people in this state who are willing to file a false report and to file a false paperwork and to manipulate paperwork to take your freedom away,” Jones said.
The Speaker’s reaction?
“I know nothing of that — nothing,” Casada told NewsChannel 5 Investigates.
But anyone who knows Casada knows you don’t do anything without his permission if you work for him.
Not only did they try to Frame Jones, Casada’s office has also been found to be using horribly racist language concerning black people.
Text messages provided by a former acquaintance show an exchange with Casada in which Cothren appears to refer to a West Tennessee district with a “black people” meme.
In a text with other friends, Cothren said “black people are idiots.”
He also insisted that Tampa Bay quarterback Jameis Winston be called a “thug n***er.”
Horrific.
It goes without saying that Cothren should be fired immediately, but more importantly D.A. Glenn Funk MUST get to the bottom of Casada’s involvement in framing Jones, which is a crime.
Nobody is above the law. If Casada knew which we’d bet the house he did, time for the Speaker to Go.
Funk recently apologized for this yearbook photo where he’s posing with a confederate flag (Governor Lee apologized for a confederate yearbook photo of his own also). Hopefully he understands what the right thing is to do here.
He has brought in a special prosecutor to handle the investigation. Probably a good idea.
Holler at Speaker Casada HERE.
With Governor Bill Lee’s public school-harming vouchers on the verge of passing, teachers, moms and business leaders from across the state headed to the hill to plead with legislators to see the light and vote against them.
The conference committee is TOMORROW at 8AM. Holler at your reps… and show up if you can!
After squeaking through the house, Governor Lee’s public school-harming legislation that no legislators want near their own district passed the senate 20-13.
Watch the video, and holler at your legislators. The House & Senate versions still need to be reconciled, so keep calling, and show up at the capitol Monday!
Here’s more on vouchers, and what happened in the house this week – when Rep. Zachary sold public schools out at the last minute.
Reps Akbari, Robinson, Yarbro, and Dickerson all did their best to speak out, but to no avail.
Yesterday Governor Bill Lee’s controversial “Education Savings Accounts” aka School Vouchers legislation hit the house floor for a debate and a vote.
Watch the HIGHLIGHTS:
Proponents of vouchers say they will be a lifeline for some students in failing schools.
Opponents say they will leave the rest of the kids behind, and steer resources away from public schools towards private schools, and point to the absence of evidence that vouchers work as reason enough that they’re a bad idea, instead encouraging Tennessee to fully fund public education for a change.
We were 44th in ed funding in 2010 — and we are 45th now — our legislators have FAILED our schools. Year after year after year
— TN Education Report (@TNEdReport) April 23, 2019
It’s no secret that private school education lobbyists have been circling this legislation for a long time, and have spent lots of money in support of it. Even Secretary of Education Betsy Devos – who has said her agenda is to “Advance God’s Kingdom” through the privatization of education – came to Nashville last month to show her support for Governor Lee’s efforts.
On the other side is the Tennessee Education Association, many school boards throughout the state, and most teachers.
Governor Lee has made it clear this is his main priority this session, even going so far as to attempt to strong-arm legislators who have expressed opposition by threatening not to steer resources to their districts and making it clear a vote against would mean a difficult road to re-election while essentially bribing rural legislators with grants while reassuring them vouchers won’t come to their communities.
Speaker Glen Casada has been intimately involved with those efforts as well, as has Senator Jack Johnson, who made it clear he doesn’t want them in Williamson County either.
Debate on the floor lasted the better part of 2 hours, with Republicans rising in support, and both Democrats and Republicans rising in opposition.
Rep. Antonio Parkinson and others made it clear almost all Shelby County reps were against the legislation, and all Nashville Reps to speak made it clear they were against it also, yet the vouchers are mainly targeted at their counties, something all of them agreed was unfair.
Their refrain is that if other legislators don’t want them in their own counties, they shouldn’t want them for kids in their counties either. It stands to reason that if your reasoning for voting FOR something is that you’ve been reassured it won’t hurt your county, that isn’t a great reason to “do unto others” what you wouldn’t have done unto you.
Rep. Joe Towns Jr. expressed concern the legislation would create two “separate and unequal” school systems, “re-segregating” education in Tennessee, while Rep. Camper warned that vouchers would spread, and Rep. Johnny Shaw insisted they wouldn’t fix any of the problems in Tennessee education – problems which even Republican legislators who were in favor of vouchers agreed were not as bad as they had been in past years, with Tennessee now the most-improving state in the country.
Rep. Matthew Hill stood to tell his colleagues that even the Tennessee State Employees Association was in favor of the bill, but that turns out not to be the case, which is ironic considering Hill lamented the circulation of false information in the same breath.
TSEA @tsea does not have a position on the Education Savings Act currently being debated in the #TN House. Earlier today I did communicate to some legislators that those that have stood with state employees will have TSEA support regardless of how a legislator votes on ESA bill.
— Randy Stamps (@randystamps) April 23, 2019
When it came time to vote it was a deadlocked 49-49 tie, which appeared to take Speaker Casada by surprise. He held the vote open for 30 minutes while he did some arm-twisting out of the view of the public, something most seasoned reporters said they hadn’t seen in their entire time covering the legislature.
In the four years I’ve covered @TNHouseReps, I’ve never seen a vote held like this where there are votes on the board but it has not become official
— Joel Ebert (@joelebert29) April 23, 2019
Rep. John Deberry Jr. of Memphis was the only Democrat to join Republicans in favor of vouchers, and Republicans are now rewarding him by running ads for him in his district.
Tennessee Republicans are now running ads in support of Rep. Deberry, the one *Democrat* who voted for vouchers, supported the Heartbeat bill, and thinks racial discrimination is a myth.
Memphis, you know what to do. pic.twitter.com/lsDEktUBcy
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) April 24, 2019
Rep. Brandon Ogles (Williamson), Rep. Clay Doggett (Lawrence/Giles), and Rep. Chris Hurt (Lauderdale/Crockett/Haywood) were 3 Republicans who had campaigned as being anti-vouchers, but voted in favor of the legislation.
It was Rep. Jason Zachary however who cast the deciding vote, flipping from a “NO” to a “YES” to give Casada the 50-48 win he was looking for.
After the vote, Zachary said it was assurances Knox County wouldn’t be affected by the Vouchers, that they would be “held fiscally harmless”, and that they had been guaranteed resources for teacher raises and other such things – something he then appeared to walk back moments later. (The Holler has been told the promises to Zachary amounted to $5 Million to his local school district, something we’ll be looking into…also, the bill he voted for included Knox County).
Update on my ESA vote….
Knox County is out, held fiscally harmless and our teachers get their raises! pic.twitter.com/K583kzdE5u— Rep. Jason Zachary (@JasonZacharyTN) April 23, 2019
(It’s also worth noting his wife appears to work at a Christian school.)
The Senate version of the bill still has a vote pending, and since the house bill and the senate bill are different this battle is far from over. Here are the key differences.
If you think the way to fix public education in Tennessee is NOT to steer resources away from public schools, holler at your legislators and let them know to stand strong for public schools.
HOW THEY VOTED:
Ayes………………………………………..50
Noes………………………………………..48
Representatives voting aye were: Baum, Boyd, Carter, Cepicky, Crawford, Curcio, Daniel, DEBERRY, DOGGETT, Dunn, Eldridge, Faison, Farmer, Garrett, Hall, Helton, Hill M, Hill T, Holt, Howell, Hulsey, HURT, Johnson C, Kumar, Lafferty, Lamberth, Leatherwood, Littleton, Lynn, Marsh, Moon, OGLES, Powers, Ragan, Reedy, Rudd, Rudder, Sanderson, Sexton J, Sherrell, Smith, Sparks, Terry, Tillis, Todd, Van Huss, White, Williams, ZACHARY, Mr. Speaker Casada — 50.
Representatives voting no were: Beck, Bricken, Byrd, Calfee, Camper, Carr, Chism, Clemmons, Cochran, Coley, Cooper, Dixie, Freeman, Gant, Griffey, Hakeem, Halford, Hardaway, Haston, Hawk, Hazlewood, Hicks, Hodges, Holsclaw, Jernigan, Johnson G, Keisling, Lamar, Love, Miller, Mitchell, Parkinson, Potts, Powell, Ramsey, Russell, Sexton C, Shaw, Staples, Stewart, Thompson, Towns, Travis, Vaughan, Weaver, Whitson, Windle, Wright — 48.
REACTIONS:
You should see the massive property tax increases in his rural county as the voucher program expands…which it will every single year!
— Gloria Johnson (@VoteGloriaJ) April 24, 2019
I am a graduate of the @jcityTNschools. The fact that @hillrep and Rep. Van Huss cannot see the value public education adds for all Tennesseans shows how out of touch the @TNGOP is. #Vouchers are not the answer. #tnleg pic.twitter.com/ZLnIekRylt
— Kate Craig (@KateCraigTN) April 24, 2019
If you live in TN14 remember this betrayal in 2020. It is time to vote out the weak politicians who make backroom deals instead of someone who will stand up and fight for their constituents. #VoteThemAllOut #NoVouchers #GoodPublicEducation
— Lynda Weaver ? (@lbweaver) April 23, 2019
If he really believed that the intent of the bill was to help students then why would he want to exclude his own district from this help? They are tacitly admitting that this does not help students
— Mulatto (@quicksilver99) April 23, 2019
Sad day for Tennessee https://t.co/Gz2J3XP8WU
— Bo Mitchell (@VoteBo) April 23, 2019
A bill that would effectively outlaw abortions in Tennessee if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade is headed to Governor Lee’s desk. Lee has repeatedly promised to support any bill that limits abortion in Tennessee, so the expectation is he will sign it.
It passed the legislature yesterday.
Watch the VIDEO:
Rep. Clark Boyd told Rep. Lynn, the sponsor, that he’s “proud to see her stand in the gap for the unborn.”
The trigger ban would take effect within 30 days if the Supreme Court does overturn Roe v. Wade, which is what many warned about when Trump nominated Judge Kavanaugh.
Reps Gloria Johnson and Bo Mitchell expressed concern that the bill would force a woman to carry her rapist’s baby to term, since there is no exception for rape, or incest.
Rep. Johnson said:
“It doesn’t stop abortions, it stops safe abortions… If you don’t think a woman should be in control of her own health decisions, you don’t believe women are equal.”
Rep. John Ray Clemmons also spoke up, pointing out the “hypocrisy” of Rep. Holt & Co. talking about “science” when they don’t believe in global warming, and calling themselves “pro-life:”while they continue to block medicaid expansion in Tennessee, which has cost the state $7 Billion and counting.
On Monday the Senate rejected a push to revive The Heartbeat Bill, which would ban abortion once a fetal heartbeat is detected – as early as six weeks into pregnancy.
They will review the issue this summer and consider it next year. If you have an issue with any or all of this, holler at your reps.