TN Citizen Action Calls Governor’s Response “Bizarre,” Urges Action by State House

In response to today’s Tennessean story – you know, the one where the Governor’s spokesperson says that the Governor’s proposal to move the workers’ compensation to the Departement of Labor and Workforce Development and the problems in the labor department were unrelated? – TN Citizen Action executive director Mary Mancini released the following statement (pasted below). [...]

PLEASE SHARE: The Big Picture in TN – Waste, Abuse & Mismanagement

THE TRUTH ABOUT TENNESSEE STATE GOVERNMENT This week we’re starting off with a request - please share this short but time-sensitive email with as many of your friends, family, co-wokers across the state as you can. It’s beyond time to tell the truth about what’s happening in Tennessee state government! WASTE, ABUSE & MISMANAGMENT This week findings of the State [...]

The Big Picture: Grants, Giveaways, Cuts & Sacrifices

The Big Picture in Tennessee State Government: grants & giveaways for corporations, cuts & sacrifices for working folks. The conservative majority in the Tennessee Legislature want to ”slash dependent benefits for unemployed Tennesseans and starve poor kids who don’t get good grades in public schools while the Governor appropriates funds to increase the amount of cash giveaways to corporations looking to [...]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Governor Haslam’s Answer Is Yet Another Non-Answer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                    April 3, 2013  Contact: Mary Mancini 615-736-6040 mary@tnca.org GOVERNOR’S ANSWER ON MISMANAGEMENT WITHIN DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS YET ANOTHER NON-ANSWER Nashville, Tenn. (April 3, 2013) – Yesterday, in response to the call [...]

Citizen Action to Governor Haslam: Delay Workers’ Comp Changes Until You Fix Gross Mismanagement WIthin Department of Labor

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam is pushing changes to workers’ comp that will take workers’ comp claims out of the impartial court system and put them directly under the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Introduced in the General Assembly as HB194 & SB200, the changes would create a brand new agency under the Department of Labor and [...]

We’re #4! We’re #4!

According to subscribers and staff of the Associated Press Tennessee, the 4th top story of 2012 was the state’s implementation of election changes, including requiring government-issued photo identification to vote. In 2012, Tennessee Citizen Action was on top of #4, shining a much-needed spotlight on the far-right’s assault on voting rights in Tennessee. But that’s [...]

More Zombie Legislation: Secret Campaign Contributions are Back

The state legislature has brought back from the dead a bill that if passed will dismantle campaign finance reforms and, among other things, allow corporations to make secret cash campaign contributions in the critical 10 days before an election. HB3281 was taken off notice in the House on 4/10 but is back and will be [...]

The Legend of Legislative Bigfoot

THE LEGEND OF LEGISLATIVE BIGFOOT:Does a Government That Works for Us Really Exist? Short answer: No, not right now it doesn’t. For those of you keeping score at home, below is a summary of the legislative priorities of the Republican majority in the state legislature. In a nutshell, they are crafting and passing public policy [...]

Gail Kerr Column Summarizes Squirrely Priorities of State Legislature

In today’s Tennessean: “There’s a central theme in this legislature, and it is enough to drive a person bonkers. They ran for office vowing to keep government off your backs and not to stick its nose where it doesn’t belong. But example after example keeps popping up of them doing just the opposite. Local school [...]

Tennessee Consumers Get a Word in on Health Care Repeal Debate

In the wake of health care reform repeal talk, Tennessee consumers stood with Tennessee Citizen Action, Tennessee Health Care Campaign, National Alliance on Mental Illness Tennessee, Tennessee Disability Coalition and SEIU Local 205 yesterday and revealed how they have been affected by our inadequate health care system. During the press conference, Tennessee Citizen Action also [...]