Posted on 04/01/2012 1:56:09 PM PDT by SmithL
NASHVILLE — Outnumbered Democratic legislators say their ideas are being ignored — or sometimes stolen — by majority Republicans who are "rubber-stamping" questionable GOP-generated legislation in a rush toward adjournment of the 107th General Assembly.
Republican leaders say the Democrats are being treated fairly, though some politically-motivated proposals are scrapped quickly. Democrats did the same thing, Republicans say, in the days when they were in power.
Democratic discontent reached a session high point last week when the party's entire legislative leadership boycotted the traditional weekly bipartisan breakfast hosted by Gov. Bill Haslam for lawmakers of both parties.
The move revolved around what Democrats saw as gubernatorial aides reneging on an agreement with House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh in his efforts to negotiate modest compromises to Haslam's civil-service reform bill (HB2384).
Fitzhugh withdrew a series of amendments in the belief they would be replaced by compromise versions approved by Mark Cate, senior advisor to the governor, who had voiced a hope for bipartisan action on the bill. But then he was told there was no agreement.
"I got my legs cut out from under me," said Fitzhugh.
The bill, which would basically abolish the current civil-service system and replace it with one that some Democrats see as giving the governor too much power to bring patronage into the hiring and firing of state workers, is perhaps one of the most hotly-argued policy issues of the current legislative session.
Railroaded, or fairly debated?
(Excerpt) Read more at knoxnews.com ...
I’m looking for a state to retire to (from the People’s Republic of Maryland where I currently reside) and, based upon that article, Tennessee is moving high on the list.
I went to one of the coon suppers years ago probably in the early 70s. I was a paint salesman and Hughes Wholesale Grocery in Covington was a customer of mine.
Hughes was a wholesaler and was down near the RR. A lumber Co, Mays Howard? was near them, East of
of the lumber company you would turn at the service road on the West side of the tracks. My first Scottish Terrier came from Covington and was named Baxter, after the motel. My second Scottie is named Duffee.
We came to TN in 2010 from CA. Wonderful!! (Tip: Eastern TN is most conservative.)
my home was just east of the Ruffin homes. Colson Lumber owns the old lumber yard just before the RR tracts. It burned last year.
Covington has a great history.
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