THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012 Amazon hiring fully underway in Middle Tennessee (Memphis Business Journal)

Online retail giant Amazon.com is kicking off the broad hiring push necessary to fill 1,000 jobs at distribution sites in Murfreesboro and Lebanon, Tenn. The announcement comes on the heels of Amazon beginning to hire management positions for the same locations. This current round of hiring will include various full-time warehouse personnel, with benefits and pay ranging from $11 to $13 per hour. Amazon is planning this fall to open the two distribution centers, in addition to those it already has in Bradley, Wilson and Hamilton counties in East Tennessee. The jobs were originally part of a long-running debate over whether online retailers should have to collect sales taxes. Amazon has agreed to do so in Tennessee starting in 2014 while pushing for national reform in the meantime. http://www.bizjournals.com/memphis/news/2012/05/30/amazon-hiring-fully-underway-inmiddle.html

Gov. Bill Haslam says he's committed to teacher evaluations (TFP/Sher)

Gov. Bill Haslam says the independent review he sought last December of the state's controversial new teacher evaluation system was by no means a smoke screen for inaction. The Republican governor told reporters this week that the review he requested from the pro-reform State Collaborative on Reforming Education, slated for release June 11, will help guide decisions on modifying the assessments if need be. "We're going to use them," Haslam said. "That wasn't just a charade to have SCORE go through that. I'm firmly committed to the evaluation process, and for it to work, we need to make certain it's the best it can be." Jerry W inters with the Tennessee Education Association, which represents more than 46,000 educators, said he thinks SCORE's report is "going to say what teachers have been saying since this evaluation system has come into being. I think the state wasted a great opportunity to make some changes months ago." http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/31/tennessee-haslam-says-hes-committed-to-teacher/?local

Haslam: Winning Red Districts Means Running to Right (WPLN-Radio Nashville)

Governor Bill Haslam says hes a little surprised how many state Republican lawmakers are facing primary challenges this fall. Haslam is getting involved in some reelection campaigns, he says to help those who have helped him. Haslam says hes still deciding who all hell try to help win reelection. He says while it seems a lot of Republicans are facing challenges from within the GOP, maybe it shouldnt be surprising: A lot more of the challenges come from within parties. As districts become either more red or more blue, then the way youre going to beat someone in one of those districts is to run to the right if its a red state or district, or the left if its a blue district. Asked whether that makes it harder for more moderate candidates to hold office, Haslam answered its dangerous to label people as one type of Republican or another. http://wpln.org/?p=37780

Haslam supports local incumbents (Mountain Press)

Two local lawmakers in tough primary fights to retain their seats in Nashville have earned the backing of Gov. Bill Haslam. A spokesman for the governor said Haslam is offering his "full support" for fellow Republicans Rep. Richard Montgomery and Sen. Doug Overbey in both their August primary contests and the November general election. Haslam told reporters recently he would be working for incumbents including Montgomery, with Press Secretary David Smith explaining Overbey will also receive that assistance. While the governor's office is being careful to point out he's not offering any full endorsements, Smith was willing to say Haslam "fully supports" both men in their campaigns. http://themountainpress.com/bookmark/18777275--b-Haslam-supports-local-incumbents-b-

State's Venture Fund Makes First Investments (Associated Press)

A state-created venture capital fund that uses federal grant money to spur investments in high-growth companies has infused $4.4 million in five ventures in Tennessee. It's the first disbursement from the INCITE Co-Investment Fund. Officials plan to eventually invest $28.6 million in ventures across Tennessee. The Tennessean is reporting that three more deals could be announced later this week. The program is designed to spur innovation, new business ventures and better-paying jobs across the state by matching private-sector investments in earlystage companies. The five recipients of the state funds include: Molecular Sensing Inc.; medical device company Pathfinder Therapeutics; Pro Player Connect, a company that links professional athletes to fans and business opportunities; Venture Incite, a technology transfer company in Oak Ridge and Nashville; and Chattanoogabased electronic signature company SIGNiX. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/31/states-venture-fund-makes-first-investments/

Knoxville companies to present at Invest Tennessee (News-Sentinel/Harris)

Provectus Pharmaceuticals executive Peter Culpepper travels the world pitching the Knoxville company to investors. Next month he'll be telling the Provectus story closer to home, at the second annual Invest Tennessee Equity conference in Nashville. "The more people who know about our drug and what it's doing will help us get through the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) process quicker," Culpepper, chief financial officer and chief operating officer for Provectus, said Wednesday. Three Knoxville companies will be featured at the June 21 regional equity conference at the Nashville Convention Center. Joining Provectus are Regal Entertainment Group Inc. and Miller Energy Resources Inc. It's a diverse group. Provectus specializes in developing drugs for oncology and dermatology therapies, such as its oncology drug PV-10 that is designed to selectively target and destroy cancer cells without harming surrounding healthy tissue. Regal operates the largest movie theater network in North America with 6,580 screens in 522 theaters in the U.S. and Canada. Regal also is co-owner of movie distributor Open Road Films and National Cinemedia Inc., operator of a digital in-theater media network. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/31/knoxville-companies-to-present-at-invest/

New class of THP cadets graduate (Elizabethton Star)

Governor Bill Haslam joined the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security in welcoming 44 State Troopers to the Highway Patrol on May 25. Trooper Cadet Class 512 took their oath of office in a graduation ceremony at Tulip Grove Baptist Church in Old Hickory. Members of Cadet Class 512 have spent the past 18 weeks undergoing extensive law enforcement instruction at the departments Training Center. The more than 890 hours of classroom training included criminal and constitutional law, patrol procedures, professional ethical conduct, crash investigation and firearms. The new graduates will now advance to a maximum of 12 weeks of field training. The Tennessee Highway Patrol Troopers Creed says Many are called, but few are chosen, Gov. Haslam said. Thousands applied after the announcement was made of a new trooper cadet class. The 44 cadets who are here with us this morning are those chosen few. You have firmly applied yourselves through 18 weeks of training and are now part of the elite group of law enforcement officers known as the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Congratulations. http://www.starhq.com/2012/05/30/new-class-of-thp-cadets-graduate/

Bankruptcy spurs questions about nuclear waste safety in Tennessee (TFP/Sohn)

An Oak Ridge, Tenn., firm storing 1 million pounds of scrap radioactive material has filed bankruptcy, leaving Tennessee environmental regulators watching the case "closely" to see what will happen to the waste. Impact Services Inc. filed for Chapter 7 liquidation May 24 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in W ilmington, Del., and "shut its doors" on May 18, according to Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation spokeswoman Meg Lockhart. "Staff members from the Department of Environment and Conservation's Division of Radiological Health were sent to the site on Monday, May 21," she said. "Impact also had staff at the facility, including a radiation safety officer. The material was secure and the company was in the process of trying to determine what its options are moving forward." The company, according to its website, is a radioactive waste processing facility that provides decontamination services to low-level radioactive component parts and scrap from commercial nuclear reactors. Impact officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday. But filings in the bankruptcy case say the company "does not believe that the current storage and processing of the low-level radioactive waste 2

currently poses a threat of imminent and identifiable harm to the public health or safety." http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/31/tn-bankruptcy-spurs-questions-about-nuclear/?local

Willed property be used to pay for TennCare costs (Associated Press/Burke)

The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled W ednesday that the state can go after the family houses and property of people who died owing money for end-of-life care even if that property has been left to family members in a will. The state has long had the right to go to court to make a claim against the estate of someone who died owing money for long-term or nursing-home care. Wednesdays unanimous ruling, however, reverses a lower courts decision barring TennCare from making a claim against property that was given away in a will. The states highest court said the property could still be used to satisfy a debt to TennCare or any other creditor. TennCare administers the federal Medicaid program in Tennessee. Tim Takacs, a Nashville-area attorney who practices elder law, said the ruling was not surprising because the state already successfully pursues claims for reimbursement from the estates of people who have died after receiving long-term care. A court can order that a family home or property be sold to pay off a debt for nursing-home care. However, Takacs said a surviving spouse or a disabled child will not be subject to losing their home to satisfy health-care reimbursement costs for a family member who was on TennCare. http://www.theleafchronicle.com/viewart/20120530/NEWS01/305300034/Willed-property-used-pay-TennCarecosts?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Country Singer Helps Tennessees Foster Kids (WREG-TV Memphis)

Country artist and former foster kid Jimmy Wayne took his fight to help Tennessees foster kids to the state capitol and this week it paid off. Tuesday, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed a bill that will allow foster kids to remain in the system until the age of 21 Memphis Representative Mark White introduced the bill to continue funding for the Transitioning Youth Act, a program that provides assistance to foster youth between the ages of 18-21 once they age out of the foster care system. Wayne, who spent most of his childhood in and out of foster homes, shared his personal story with lawmakers to convince them to support the program that helps foster kids transition into adulthood. The program was set to expire in June. In 2010 W ayne launched his Meet Me Halfway Campaign and walked halfway across the country to raised awareness about the number of foster care kids who age out of the system and end up homeless. http://wreg.com/2012/05/30/country-singer-helps-tennessees-foster-kids/

Sen.

Kyle

of

Memphis

seeks

state

probe

of

voter

issue

(Commercial

Appeal/Locker)
State Sen. Jim Kyle of Memphis asked the Tennessee secretary of state on Wednesday to conduct a "formal investigation" into allegations that the voting histories of 488 Shelby County registered voters were deleted from Election Commission records. Critics are concerned that such deletions could pave the way for the purging of those voters' names from the official rolls. The Senate Democratic leader's letter follows a similar request by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., for investigations by U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder and Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins into the allegations originally made by voting rights activist Bev Harris, whose Black Box Voting website monitors irregularities with voters nationwide. Last week, Harris released a list of 488 Shelby County voters that she said are almost all African-American Democrats whose voting histories were removed. Tennessee law says the names of voters who have not voted in four years can be placed on "inactive" status and later purged from the rolls of registered voters. Kyle's letter to Secretary of State Tr Hargett cites the reports and says "Deliberate alteration of voter records is a serious matter, especially when it occurs on such a large scale." Kyle's letter also suggests that Hargett hold public hearings in Shelby County. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/30/sen-kyle-memphis-seeks-state-probe-voter-issue/ (SUB)

Memphis suburbs focus on schooling voters ahead of referendums (CA/Bailey)

With Aug. 2 municipal school referendums tentatively set, suburban leaders on Wednesday began organizing informational campaigns. A Bartlett schools support group started promoting the distribution of campaign signs, while leaders there and in Germantown promised Web information links about the schools. In Collierville, Mayor Stan Joyner already had posted a letter explaining the school plans. And Arlington Mayor Mike Wissman 3

reiterated plans to appoint a school planning committee. The campaign activity picked up as representatives from the six suburbs delivered documentation Wednesday to the Election Commission seeking to include referendums on municipal schools on the Aug. 2 ballot. All of the outlying cities -- Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland and Millington -- passed ordinances Tuesday night to hold municipal schools votes in the respective cities. Information also began appearing on city websites, such as Bartlett, where a new link connected voters to the school feasibility study by Southern Educational Strategies and guided visitors to the Transition Planning Commission and Better Bartlett Schools sites. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/31/suburbs-focus-on-schooling-voters/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Differences Remain on City Tax Rate (Memphis Daily News)

When the Memphis City Councils budget committee gets together Tuesday, June 5, there probably will be agreement that the full council should not raise property taxes. Instead, it should lower the property tax rate and should use more of the citys $81 million reserve fund than Mayor A C Wharton Jr.s administration believes is prudent. But it probably will take some work at the full council session later that day to find seven votes for what likely will be a budget and tax rate for the new fiscal year that has elements of several plans making the rounds at City Hall. Three council members have presented plans that would roll back the citys current property tax rate to varying degrees and come up with the citys last mandatory funding to Memphis City Schools using differing combinations of one-time funds. Council members Jim Strickland, Harold Collins and Edmund Ford Jr. presented their plans during a Tuesday, May 29, budget committee session. This weeks committee session was the clearest indication that the council is likely to do more than just reject the 47-cent property tax hike proposed in April by W harton solely to fund MCS. http://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2012/may/31/differences-remain-on-city-tax-rate/

Murfreesboro mosque construction proceeds (Gannett/Broden)

County defers action as court ruling analyzed Plaintiffs who won a judges decision Tuesday voiding government approval of a mosque filed an injunction Wednesday to restrict actions inconsistent with the court order. There will be more litigation, plaintiffs attorney Joe Brandon said. We are going to give the county an opportunity to do whats right. Their time frame is on a short fuse. The Rutherford County government, however, took no action to stop construction of a mosque W ednesday despite Chancellor Robert Corlew IIIs ruling to void the mosques approval because of insufficient public notice prior to the vote. I havent seen the judges orders, county Building Codes Director David Jones said during an interview at his office Wednesday. The Building Codes Department does use stop-work orders for out-of-compliance projects. I just have to refer everything to the county attorneys office. County Attorney Jim Cope said Wednesday that hes still reviewing how to respond to Corlews decision on Tuesday that voided the Rutherford County Regional Planning Commissions approval May 24, 2010, of the Islamic Center of Murfreesboros plans to build a bigger mosque on Veals Road off Bradyville Pike. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120531/NEWS21/305310058/Murfreesboro-mosque-constructionproceeds?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Program seeks to lower jail re-entry (Commercial Appeal/Callahan)

Help available to ease inmates' return to society Across Tennessee, more than 40 percent of those released from prison head right back there within three years. In Shelby County, about one-third of those released return to jail within 18 months. Curbing that recidivism rate is the goal of a new city-county program announced in a new conference Wednesday. The Memphis and Shelby County Office of Re-Entry hopes to ease the transition from convicted felon to productive member of society, officials said Wednesday. "The goal is to reduce the recidivism rate by 30 percent," said Charles Traughber, chairman of the Tennessee Board of Probation and Parole. "We believe we can do that." The new office combines elements of three previous entities: the Shelby County Corrections Center re-entry program, the city's Second Chance program and the state Board of Probation and Parole. The program, so far approved for two years, will include 200 inmates in each year, 40 of whom will be women. Those chosen will be within six months to a year of their scheduled release. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/31/program-seeks-to-lower-jail-re-entry/ (SUB)

Commission approves third judge for W ashington Co. Tenn. (Herald-Courier)

Last night the Washington County, Tenn. Commission approved the addition of a third Sessions Court judge. The two current Sessions Court judges told the commission that the current case load for the county is too large 4

for them to handle. They also told commissioners the addition of a third judge would allow them to spend more time with individual court cases. An interim judge will be appointed in the coming weeks and voters will approve the new judge in the next election. http://www2.tricities.com/news/2012/may/30/commission-approves-third-judge-washington-co-tenn-ar-1953834/

New Washington County judge expected to start in January (Johnson City Press)
Washington Countys two Sessions Court judges will spend the next few months developing a schedule and division of duties among themselves and the new judge, who is expected to start work in January. Judge James Nidiffer said he was pleased when the County Commission approved the new position Tuesday night. Nidiffer also said he and Judge Robert Lincoln will need to discuss with Circuit Court Clerk Karen Guinn how the new court will be staffed. Our plan is to get with Karen (Guinn), the DAs and clerks. Well put a calendar out and well divvy up the three courts civil, criminal and juvenile, Nidiffer said Wednesday. Nidiffer and Lincoln share equal duties in those three areas, and the new judge will be included in that same process. Nidiffer said the third court will help ease the heavy load he and Lincoln have carried. Last night we didnt stop until 6:30 p.m. and we still had a preliminary hearing but at the last minute the defendant waived the case, Nidiffer said. http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?id=100572#ixzz1wRg3BX5c

Dyersburg gets federal trail grant (Associated Press)

Dyersburg will extend walking and biking trails with a $97,000 federal grant. The State Gazette reported the funds come from the Recreation Trails Program under the Federal Highway Administration. The money will be used to improve the Downtown River Park and run trails along Reagan Levee. The project is part of a larger plan to circle the community with a trail system. The group Pioneering Health Communities has a master plan to provide healthy transportation options to residents of Dyer County. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120531/NEWS21/305310050/Dyersburg-gets-federal-trail-grant? odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CNews%7Cp&nclick_check=1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

A Gap in College Graduates Leaves Some Cities Behind (New York Times)
As cities like this one try to reinvent themselves after losing large swaths of their manufacturing sectors, they are discovering that one of the most critical ingredients for a successful transformation college graduates is in perilously short supply. Just 24 percent of the adult residents of metropolitan Dayton have four-year degrees, well below the average of 32 percent for American metro areas, and about half the rate of Washington, the countrys most educated metro area, according to a Brookings Institution analysis. Like many Rust Belt cities, it is a captive of its rich manufacturing past, when well-paying jobs were plentiful and landing one without a college degree was easy. Educational attainment lagged as a result, even as it became more critical to success in the national economy. We were so wealthy for so long that we got complacent, said Jane L. Dockery, associate director of the Center for Urban and Public Affairs at Wright State University here. We saw the writing on the wall, but we didnt act. Dayton sits on one side of a growing divide among American cities, in which a small number of metro areas vacuum up a large number of college graduates, and the rest struggle to keep those they have. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/us/as-college-graduates-cluster-some-cities-are-left-behind.html? ref=todayspaper (SUBSCRIPTION)

Troubled Times at the State Fair (Stateline)

On a rainy Monday afternoon in mid-May, Jeff Carpenter gazed out on the grounds of the State Fair of Virginia, of which he was the sole remaining caretaker. After a life of more than 150 years, the fair had closed. The grounds were about to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Carpenter was philosophical and historical. The Virginia state fair went quiet during the Civil War and during World War II, he said, but it always came back. Carpenter is hopeful that even under new ownership, the fair will come back this time too. But this time is different. The non-profit agency running the fair defaulted on more than $70 million in loans and was forced into Chapter 7 liquidation after the fair was moved from its original Richmond location to The Meadow Event Park grounds just outside Fredericksburg in 2009. The Meadow Event Park and the State Fair of Virginia, Inc., the non-profit organization responsible for bringing together the annual livestock, entertainment and fried food festival for the state, were sold at auction last week to the for-profit, Tennessee-based Universal Fairs, LLC, for $5.67 million. http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/troubled-times-at-the-state-fair-85899394938 5

TVA ignored problems at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, report finds (TFP/Sohn)
A TVA inspector general's report blasts the agency for its failures to act quickly when it became apparent the Watts Bar Unit 2 nuclear reactor construction will have massive cost overruns and take twice as long to complete. The inspector general's staff, which attends all the construction meetings, took concerns to TVA management and to a board committee in August 2011 -- months before the electric utility changed the Watts Bar construction management team and made the problems known publicly. But TVA managers had ample opportunity before that to see the signs of trouble that have increased the new reactor's cost by as much as $2 billion and delayed its completion until late 2015 before that, according to a report from the Inspector General Richard W. Moore made public Tuesday. The managers, since replaced, "ignored data and opinions of the oversight team and others," the report states. During the regular construction meetings that Moore's inspectors attended, issues were characterized by management as "recoverable or normal construction problems. Each project schedule, based on its associated assumptions, showed how everything was on track for meeting the early target finish date." http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/31/nuclear-tva-ignored-problems-at-watts-bar-report/?local

State says Pilgrim's Pride may lay off 400 (Associated Press)
Pilgrim's Pride may lay off or relocate as many as 400 workers in its two Hamilton County plants by June 15. Officials at the poultry processing company say the job cuts are due to improved plant efficiencies, and there are no plans to scale back production. The company operates two downtown Chattanooga plants that currently employ nearly 1,500 workers. Last week the company announced it would lay off 85 employees in Chattanooga. The Times Free Press (http://goo.gl/NXhhc ) is reporting that the company told state regulators that it plans to lay off another 170 employees next week and an additional 40 workers on June 15. Margaret McDonald, a spokeswoman for Pilgrim's Pride, said the company has not decided how many more workers will be laid off. The company says it will not cut back on orders from contract growers in the Chattanooga area. Officials with the Tennessee Department of Labor and W orkforce Development plan to hold meetings next month to help displaced workers find other work or file unemployment benefits. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/30/state-says-pilgrims-pride-may-lay-off-400/

Robertson schools' racial imbalance brings complaints, attention of feds (TN/Hall)

District risks losing federal money The bell rings at Westside Elementary in the Robertson County School District, and excited children come tumbling out the door, their race and ethnicity almost evenly divided among African-American, white and Hispanic. The scene plays out again at nearby Bransford and Cheatham Park elementaries, and a half-hour later at Springfield Middle, all schools where the number of black and Hispanic children outnumber white children. Thats in stark contrast to the districts schools in Greenbrier, or Coopertown, or White House, where 92 percent or more of the students are white. In a school district whose student population is 80 percent white, the lines are clear. Minority children are concentrated in four schools in Springfield, and largely absent from those in other parts of the county. The disparity has attracted attention from civil rights attorneys with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120531/NEWS04/305310029/Robertson-County-schools-racial-imbalancebrings-complaints-attention-feds?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1 (SUB)

Closed school board talks on Supt. Cash may break law (CA/Kelley, Roberts)
The unified school board might be standing on shaky legal ground if it follows through with plans to meet with attorneys behind closed doors to discuss Memphis City Schools Supt. Kriner Cash, an attorney says. Absent active or pending litigation, said Lucian Pera, an attorney for The Commercial Appeal, a closed meeting of the board would violate the state's open meetings law "If there's threatened litigation, then some very, very limited part of the commission's discussions can be closed -- only those where they are seeking advice from their lawyers about the threatened litigation, but not any discussion about what action the commission might take," said Pera. "If there's no threatened litigation, then I don't know of any basis on which to close these meetings." Following Tuesday night's discussion of board chairman Billy Orgel's decision to call for a special meeting on June 11 to discuss Cash's contract, vice chairman Jeff Warren, on the advice of attorneys for the city and county school districts, scheduled an executive session for 5 p.m. Monday, followed by an open meeting at 5:30. Warren said it makes sense to discuss Cash's contract at this point, particularly since he recently threw his hat in the ring for superintendent in Charlotte, N.C. Cash's contract expires Aug. 1, 2013. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/31/closed-talks-may-break-law/ (SUBSCRIPTION) 6

TSU withdraws charter school proposal amid legal concerns (City Paper/Garrison)
A Tennessee State University-led charter school proposal didnt make it on the Metro school board agenda for consideration Tuesday night. The week before, TSU officials withdrew its application. The school board voted on 10 charter school proposals Tuesday, electing to authorize two of the publicly financed, privately led charters. But at no point did board members even mention University Bound Academy, for which TSU officials formally filed an application in April. University leaders had envisioned the school as a science and technology-based charter situated on the TSU campus, with TSU deans and trustees sitting on its board of directors. Portia Shields, interim presidents of TSU, told The City Paper Wednesday that following discussions with Metro Director of Schools Jesse Register the university decided to withdraw its proposal. It appears legal questions arose on whether the universitys board could concurrently serve as the charter schools board. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/tsu-withdraws-charter-school-proposal-amid-legal-concerns

KIPP Academy vows to appeal charter rejection (Tennessean/Rau)

Executive director defends school's achievements The local branch of a prominent national charter school chain was on the defensive Wednesday on the heels of the school boards vote to reject its application to open a second middle school in Nashville. KIPP Academy Executive Director Randy Dowell vowed to appeal the school boards decision and defended the academic achievements at the charter organizations current middle school, which opened in 2005. School board member Mark North was critical of KIPPs test results, pointing to the charter schools regressed scores in science and social studies. The school board voted 5-1 on Tuesday to reject KIPPs application, even though the school districts charter review committee had recommended that it be approved. They were hurt by their own performance at their existing school, North said, pointing out that KIPPs value-added scores for science and social studies were the worst among middle schools in the entire school district. KIPP Academys overall academic achievement received poor marks on the most recent state evaluation for the 2010-11 school year. KIPP, which educates students in grades 5-8, received a D grade in math, reading and social studies, and an F in science. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120531/NEWS04/305310032/KIPP-Academy-vows-appeal-charterrejection?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Expanding discussion (Knoxville News-Sentinel/McCoy)

Knox system seeks to grow community school concept After participating in Pond Gap's community school pilot program for the last two years, one student became the most improved in the entire elementary school she performed in the school's talent show and had the highest score in reading and science on state tests and the second highest in math. "That's just one success story," said Susan Espiritu, Pond Gap's principal. "And there's one for almost every student in the program." On W ednesday, Espiritu participated in a round-table discussion at the school about the district's efforts to expand the community school concept at Pond Gap and into other schools. As part of the district's spending plan request, which would add an additional $35 million over natural growth to the operating budget for targeting objectives, about $5 million is designated to go to expanding community schools. The Knox County Commission is scheduled to vote on the budget, which includes the school system's request, on Monday. Under the community schools concept, buildings are used for more than just teaching students . http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/31/expanding-discussion-knox-system-seeks-to-grow/

OR school officials say city budget shortchanges schools (News-Sentinel/Fowler)

It hurts system, board chairman says Although Oak Ridge City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed on final reading a no-tax-hike budget, city school officials are questioning whether it's legal. A budget amendment also approved in a 7-0 decision puts some of the money the city gives the school system in reserve to help pay this year's installment on a costly renovation of the city's high school. School officials are questioning whether that move is legal because they contend it leaves the school system with a budget that's out of balance by some $270,000. "We cannot present an unbalanced budget to the city," school board chairman Keys Fillauer said Wednesday, "and the city can't adopt its budget until they have a balanced budget from us." Fillauer also said the amendment drops school funding below the required "maintenance of effort" level because the city's 7

contribution to schools would then be less than what schools received last fiscal year. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/31/or-school-officials-say-city-budget-shortchanges/

California: Agency Closings Pinch California Cities (W all Street Journal)

Cities across California are grappling with the economic fallout from the state's closure of redevelopment agencies, the municipal organizations that try to turn around blighted areas. The shutdownsaimed at aiding the cash-strapped statehave resulted in layoffs, lawsuits and the loss of millions of dollars in municipal tax revenue. The pain is evident in Hercules, an old industrial city of about 26,000 people located 25 miles northeast of San Francisco. For years, the Hercules Redevelopment Agency bought land and launched real-estate projects to attract restaurants and stores, financing the efforts by selling bonds. Any new property-tax revenue these projects generated went to the agency. But Gov. Jerry Brown ordered the agencies shut last year and directed that the property-tax revenue they created be spent elsewhere. That prompted Hercules to lay off more than 40% of its city staff, or about 100 workers. The closure left Hercules in a fiscal bind: Its redevelopment agency had racked up more than $300 million in debt to finance projects, leaving the city on the hook for about $20 million in annual debt payments. "Now we're left with picking up the pieces," said Steve Duran, the Hercules city manager. In March, the city narrowly escaped default on its bond payments. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304065704577422231620711726.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

New York: New York Plans to Ban Sale of Big Sizes of Sugary Drinks (NY Times)
New York City plans to enact a far-reaching ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters and street carts, in the most ambitious effort yet by the Bloomberg administration to combat rising obesity. he proposed ban would affect virtually the entire menu of popular sugary drinks found in delis, fast-food franchises and even sports arenas, from energy drinks to pre-sweetened iced teas. The sale of any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 fluid ounces about the size of a medium coffee, and smaller than a common soda bottle would be prohibited under the first-in-the-nation plan, which could take effect as soon as next March. The measure would not apply to diet sodas, fruit juices, dairy-based drinks like milkshakes, or alcoholic beverages; it would not extend to beverages sold in grocery or convenience stores. Obesity is a nationwide problem, and all over the United States, public health officials are wringing their hands saying, Oh, this is terrible, Mr. Bloomberg said in an interview on Wednesday in the Governors Room at City Hall. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/nyregion/bloomberg-plans-a-ban-on-large-sugared-drinks.html? _r=1&ref=todayspaper (SUBSCRIPTION)

Wisconsin: Unions See Ranks Drop Ahead of Recall Vote (Wall Street Journal)
Public-employee unions in Wisconsin have experienced a dramatic drop in membershipby more than half for the second-biggest unionsince a law championed by Republican Gov. Scott Walker sharply curtailed their ability to bargain over wages and working conditions. Now with Mr. Walker facing a recall vote Tuesday, voters will decide whether his policies in the centrist state should continueor whether they have gone too far. The election could mark a pivot point for organized labor. Mr. Walker's ouster would derail the political career of a rising Republican star and send a warning to other elected officials who are battling unions. But a victory for the governor, who has been leading his Democratic opponent in recent polls, would amount to an endorsement of an effort to curtail public-sector unions, which have been a pillar of strength for organized labor while private-sector membership has dwindled. That could mean the sharp losses that some Wisconsin public-worker unions have experienced is a harbinger of similar unions' future nationwide, union leaders fear. Failure to oust Mr. Walker and overturn the Wisconsin law "spells doom," said Bryan Kennedy, the American Federation of Teachers' Wisconsin president. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304821304577436462413999718.html?mod=ITP_pageone_0 (SUBSCRIPTION)

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OPINION Editorial: New state park website is a win for parks, vacationers (Jackson Sun)
Many people are familiar with the ease, advantage and even excitement of investigating and booking travel using the Internet, especially when it comes to vacation planning. Now, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has brought a similar service to life for Tennessee state parks. The new website, at www.tnvacation.com/75, recently was launched to help celebrate the 75th anniversary of Tennessee State Parks. It is a helpful and worthwhile resource that uses the latest Internet and social media technology to help people take full advantage of Tennessee state parks. Tennessees state park system began in 1937 with the creation of Cumberland Mountain State Park. Since then, it has grown to 54 parks and historic areas located throughout the state. From the Mississippi River and Fuller State Park to the Great Smokey Mountains and Roan Mountain State Park, Tennessee offers residents and travelers from across America some of the finest state parks in the nation. With the summer vacation season taking shape, now is the time to begin planning for park visits. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120531/OPINION/305310003/Or-View-New-state-park-website-win-parksvacationers

Editorial: Expanding charter school options would help Metro (Tennessean)

The Metro Nashville Board of Education made it clear Tuesday night that charter schools that offer a different vision and solution are not welcome here. That is too bad for our children. With the progress the system has been making, there is good reason to expand the options available to all kinds of families, and not just stick with a narrow view of acceptable alternatives. Up to now, the school board has been offering options in our poorer, more challenged neighborhoods. That is laudable and productive, as those efforts have paid dividends to those 9

neighborhoods. But if we are to build a path to a high-quality system for all the residents of the county, the school board should think outside their current box. Metro Schools have been afflicted with white flight for decades; allowing charter schools that would be competition for families currently sending their kids to private school will not hurt our public school system. Many people have expressed the concern that we cannot afford for the better students to leave traditional public schools, but what about attracting students back? http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120531/OPINION01/305310024/Expanding-charter-school-options-wouldhelp-Metro?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CNews%7Cp&nclick_check=1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

Editorial: Justices should speed up appeal of residency ruling (News-Sentinel)

A chancellor has ruled that Democratic state House hopeful Shelley Breeding can't run in the newly formed 89th District, but that is not the end of her quest to run for office. She is appealing the ruling, but the state Supreme Court should exercise its discretion and take on the case immediately so that Northwest Knox County residents will know once and for all whether she will be on the ballot in November. Breeding filed paperwork to run for the newly created seat and would be the only Democrat on the ballot for the August primary, meaning she would automatically go on to face the winner of the Republican primary in the November general election. There is just one problem it appears her house is just across the Anderson County line, and therefore outside the 89th District. Chancellor W. Frank Brown III ruled she cannot go on the ballot because she is not a Knox County resident. "It is her duty to show she is qualified," Brown wrote in his ruling. "She has failed to prove such." Breeding has appealed, claiming that Brown did not review all the factors that go into establishing residency for voting purposes. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/31/editorial-justices-should-speed-up-appeal-of/

Editorial: Who should collect taxes? (Commercial Appeal)

Efficiency is the key: A thorough comparison is needed to decide who can collect Memphis property taxes more efficiently and at less cost. The idea of consolidating Memphis and Shelby County governments hasn't been able to gain any traction, but discussions about finding ways to merge the functions of some city and county offices garner more positive responses. Over the past two decades, at least two previous county trustees tried to work out a deal with the city of Memphis to collect the city's current and delinquent property taxes. Their efforts generally focused on the argument that it would be more efficient to let the Trustee's Office collect property taxes, since it already collects county property taxes from both city and county residents. The current trustee, David Lenoir, has now taken another shot at it. Lenoir has offered to collect current and past-due city property taxes in exchange for an annual fee of $1.25 million, plus the city's pro-rata share of the "due process" costs involved in collecting taxes, about $200,000 to $250,000 annually. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/31/editorials-who-should-collect-taxes/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Free-Press Editorial: No stampede to ObamaCare (Chattanooga Times Free-Press)

It is not only appropriate but altogether sensible that lawmakers in Tennessee have refused to enact legislation setting up a so-called "health insurance exchange" dictated by ObamaCare. It is appropriate because ObamaCare is a disgusting federal power grab, and it is sensible because within a few weeks the U.S. Supreme Court might strike down the Democrat-enacted law as the unconstitutional intrusion that it is. No sense wasting time and legislative effort putting in place something that ultimately may prove not necessary. The federal government recently sent Tennessee an additional $4.3 million to set up the exchange, which will create a "onestop shop" where consumers allegedly may select from a range of affordable, high-quality insurance plans. That brings to $9.1 million the amount of money Washington has sent the state for the exchange. Alabama has received $9.6 million, meanwhile, and Georgia has gotten $1 million. In typical mandate fashion, the federal government will impose the exchanges on any states that do not set them up willingly. The states must submit their plans for the exchanges by this November and must have the exchanges in place by the beginning of 2014, or they will be subject to the federal government stepping in and creating the exchanges anyway. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/31/0531b-fp1-no-stampede-to-obamacare/?opinionfreepress

Guest columnist: Alexander wrong to side with Obama on coal (Tennessean)

In 2008, then-candidate Barack Obama explained his energy policy like this: Under my plan of a cap-and-trade system, electricity rates would necessarily skyrocket. Even regardless of what I say about whether coal is good or bad. He went on to say: So, if somebody wants to build a coal plant, they can its just that it will bankrupt them. Thats really bad news for Tennessee, which relies on coal-fired power plants for 53 percent of its electricity. Yet, shockingly, Sen. Lamar Alexander is siding with Obama and his war on coal. The day after the 2010 election, Obama said: Cap and trade was just one way of skinning the cat; it was not the only way. It was a 10

means, not an end. The following week, Obama adviser John Podesta released a report that specifically recommended regulation of mercury and other air toxics from power plants as a back-door way to accomplish the cap-and-trade goal of shutting down coal plants. Obama has used his Environmental Protection Agency bureaucrats to move forward on that plan. The linchpin is the Utility Maximum Achievable Control Technology rule, also known as Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, and its the most expensive EPA rule in history. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120531/OPINION03/305310026/Alexander-wrong-side-Obama-coal? odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7COpinion%7Cs&nclick_check=1 (SUBSCRIPTION)

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