mon., june 4 news summary

7/31/2019 Mon., June 4 News Summary

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MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2012

Haslam hosting Southern Growth Policies Board 2012 Chairmans Conferen

(BC)Make plans now to attend the Southern Growth Policies Board 2012 Chairmans Conference hosted by Gov. Haslam on June 25-26, 2012 in Chattanooga, Tenn. at The Chattanoogan Hotel. The conference will examjob and workforce trends, with a view towards re-im agining tomorrows educated worker. Th is wi ll incluexploring tough questions, such as: How can we determine the skills needed for future jobs when were not suwhat those jobs will be? How can we raise awareness of potential career paths and opportunities? What are timplications for P-16? What is the business perspective and what role will the business sector play in t

preparation? And how do we connect the dots between different players-from K -12 to community collegesuniversities to industry? The conference will also highlight new models and ideas in the areas of education aworkforce skill development.http://businessclarksville.com/2012/06/03/governor-haslam-hosting-southern-growth-policies-board-20 12-chairmans-conference-44322/

Tennessee bills die by veto, summer study committee (Murfreesboro Post)Throughout the 107th General Assembly, numerous bil ls made statewide even national headlinesnewspapers, as well as some comments by television pundits and comedians. While some of these bills passnot all of them did. Gov. Bill Haslam used his veto powers for the first time in his administration to kill one pieof legislation that passed after a long, arduous debate and discussion in the waning hours of the TennessHouse of Representatives final session, while others simply died in committees in the waning days of t

session that ended last month. Gun legislation Although Sen. Mike Faulks two bills regarding guns made it to Senate Rules Com mittee, which he chaired, neither made it to the floor for a vote, despite efforts by Dem ocraLeader Jim Kyle of Memphis to do so April 23 by suspending the rules.http://www.murfreesboropost.com/tennessee-bills-die-by-veto-summer-study-committee-cms-31391

Tennessee First Lady Crissy Haslam Launches Book Club (WKIM-Radio)Tennessee First Lady Crissy Haslam launched a statewide book club on Friday, The Chattanooga Times FPress reports. The Read20 Family Book Club encourages families to read 20 minutes per day this summerbook will be featured monthly on the its website, where children and families can find reading ideas, activitand tips. The book club's goal is to encourage parents to engage in their children's academic lives and promearly child literacy. Haslam selected Frindle by Andrew Clements as June's featured "Book of the Month," paper says.http://www.989kimfm.com/rssItem.asp?feedid=157&itemid=29857444

State seeks volunteers to fill special-needs gap (News-Sentinel/Garlington)Twice a month, Kenny Thielemeyer and Danny Munson deliver meals for MIFA and glue newspaper articles paper for the library. They and other volunteers like them may have Down syndrome, autism or other specneeds, but they can give back to the community. That is the kind of voluntarism that state officials want to sreplicated within the population as a whole. Both are clients at the Bartlett-based West Tennessee FamSolutions. They attend a day program the group runs at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church in MemphJim Henry, who heads up the state's Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilit ies officeNashville, has been in Memphis visiting and highlighting those making a difference. He wants to see mopeople step up and help families with special-needs children and adults. "Government is never really going to
http://businessclarksville.com/2012/06/03/governor-haslam-hosting-southern-growth-policies-board-2012-chairmans-conference-44322/http://businessclarksville.com/2012/06/03/governor-haslam-hosting-southern-growth-policies-board-2012-chairmans-conference-44322/http://www.murfreesboropost.com/tennessee-bills-die-by-veto-summer-study-committee-cms-31391http://www.989kimfm.com/rssItem.asp?feedid=157&itemid=29857444http://www.989kimfm.com/rssItem.asp?feedid=157&itemid=29857444http://businessclarksville.com/2012/06/03/governor-haslam-hosting-southern-growth-policies-board-2012-chairmans-conference-44322/http://businessclarksville.com/2012/06/03/governor-haslam-hosting-southern-growth-policies-board-2012-chairmans-conference-44322/http://www.murfreesboropost.com/tennessee-bills-die-by-veto-summer-study-committee-cms-31391http://www.989kimfm.com/rssItem.asp?feedid=157&itemid=29857444


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able to supply all the needs of the people," Henry said. "We are struggling to maintain the services we havSlightly more than 1,000 people who live in Shelby County and have intellectual or developmental disabilitreceive some help or assistance from the state. The need, however, is much greater.http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/jun/04/state-seeks-volunteers-to-fill-special-n eeds-gap/(SUB)

New demands will hinder GED option (Tennessean/Giordano)Additional costs plus computer knowledge to be part of process When Amelia Patterson was in 11th grade, t

pressure to stay in high school, work and take care of her newborn baby became too much to handle. TFranklin resident ended up dropping out of school, unable to finish what she started until 14 years later, whshe signed up for classes at the Williamson County Adult Education offices in Franklin. There were alwaobstacles in my way, Patterson said. I didnt give up, I just had a lot going on. Now with renewed faith aconfidence in her abilities, she is on her way to receiving her General Educational Development certificate,GED, at a time when adult education across the state is being transformed. Patterson says it was just her timand not the changes that encouraged her to act now. However, by January 2014, all adult educationTennessee will look a little different than it does today. Among the changes will be an increase in cost for ttests, from $75 to $120, and they w ill no longer be given on paper, but via computer. Thats why adult educatprogram organizers are encouraging people who never finished high school to take those steps now. Besides increase in cost, the new tests will also require keyboard skills.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120604/WILLIAMSON01/306040025/New-demands-will-hinder-GED-option?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1(SUBSCRIPTION)

Clarksville GED program offers lifeline for some (Leaf Chronicle)GED graduate relied on program's support It took one year for Jessica Mikanna Davis, 18, to complete her GEbut on Saturday, she was one of 85 recipients of the academic achievement from the Clarksville/MontgomCounty School System. Davis said she had dropped out of school and was living in Alabama with her father. Lwas proving to be very difficult for her. I did not like school and was not doing well in school either, she saidwas getting in trouble and that made things even w orse. Davis returned to C larksville in an attempt to restart life. My father encouraged me to return to school and focus just on that, she said. Getting into this Gprogram is the best decision I made. It hasnt been easy and there were times I wanted to give up, but I didnAbout the program The GED program at the Greenwood Complex has served 695 students since June 30, 20Within that group are 111 students in the English as Second Language program. There we re 85 graduates in June commencement and 133 in the December 2011 commencement. Betty Cook, Adult Education Director Clarksville/Montgomery County, is very proud of these num bers. This program is a lifeline for people, she saBecause of our program, students of various ages leave here better prepared for their future.http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120603/NEWS01/306030058/Clarksville-GED-program-offers-lifelinesome?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE&nclick_c heck=1

Ill Tennessee veteran claimed VA negligence too late (Associated Press/Hall)TN man blames hepatitis B on 2006 colonoscopy at Murfreesboro VA hospital Years after thousands of veteralearned they m ay have been exposed to infections at government-run hospitals, many are still mired in lebattles seeking compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. In the latest legal setback, a fedeappeals court has ruled against a Tennessee veteran who claims he contracted hepatitis B after employeesthe Murfreesboro VA hospital negligently failed to properly clean colonoscopy equipment. The ruling could haan impact on similar lawsuits against the VA. The court found that Carl Huddlestons claim, filed more than thyears after the procedure, came too late, even though he acted within months after he learned his health cohave been endangered. The three-judge panel of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week. Huddlestwas one of more than 10,000 veterans notified in 2009 that they needed to be tested for hepatitis B and C aHIV infection because of endoscopic cleaning mistakes at VA facilities in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Augusta, G a., aMiami.http://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20120604/NEWS21/306040032/Ill-Tennessee-veteran-claimed-VA-negligence-too-late?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|N ews

I-75 lanes in Campbell County set to reopen this morning (News-Sentinel)One lane of Interstate 75 South and both lanes of Interstate 75 North are due to reopen at 8 o'clock this mornin Campbell County. Since March 8 the section of I-75 near the Stinking Creek Road interchange has be
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/jun/04/state-seeks-volunteers-to-fill-special-needs-gap/http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120604/WILLIAMSON01/306040025/New-demands-will-hinder-GED-option?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120604/WILLIAMSON01/306040025/New-demands-will-hinder-GED-option?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120603/NEWS01/306030058/Clarksville-GED-program-offers-lifeline-some?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE&nclick_check=1http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120603/NEWS01/306030058/Clarksville-GED-program-offers-lifeline-some?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE&nclick_check=1http://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20120604/NEWS21/306040032/Ill-Tennessee-veteran-claimed-VA-negligence-too-late?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20120604/NEWS21/306040032/Ill-Tennessee-veteran-claimed-VA-negligence-too-late?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/jun/04/state-seeks-volunteers-to-fill-special-needs-gap/http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120604/WILLIAMSON01/306040025/New-demands-will-hinder-GED-option?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120604/WILLIAMSON01/306040025/New-demands-will-hinder-GED-option?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120603/NEWS01/306030058/Clarksville-GED-program-offers-lifeline-some?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE&nclick_check=1http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120603/NEWS01/306030058/Clarksville-GED-program-offers-lifeline-some?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE&nclick_check=1http://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20120604/NEWS21/306040032/Ill-Tennessee-veteran-claimed-VA-negligence-too-late?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20120604/NEWS21/306040032/Ill-Tennessee-veteran-claimed-VA-negligence-too-late?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews


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proving troublesome for the Tennessee D epartment of Transportation and the m ore than 28,000 drivers wdaily use that portion of road. First, the southbound lanes were obliterated by a slope slide that ate away a180-foot drop in the hillside. Then authorities had to close one of the two northbound lanes because of continudeterioration of the slope. A second "slide within the slide" occurred May 7, disrupting the already limited flowtraffic for which crossover lanes had been constructed following the original slide. The entire $9.3 million projto stabilize and rebuild all lanes of I-75 in the impacted area is slated for completion by Sept. 28.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/i-75-lanes-in-campbell-county-set-to-reo pen-this/

District 34 House candidates hope youth wins out (Tennessean/Wilson)23- and 28-year-old Democrats don't feel age hurts them As Luke E. Dickerson introduces himself to supportat a local Democratic fundraiser, it only gradually becomes apparent that the 28-year-old is not just an aidecampaign volunteer doing legwork for someone else. Hes the candidate. While Dickerson may be green in terof experience compared with other candidates statewide, he is the oldest candidate in the primary election foMurfreesboro state House district set for August. His opponent, Spencer Douglas, is a 23-year-old Rockvresident who just graduated from M iddle Tennessee State University in May. Douglas and Dickerson are tryingunseat first-term lawmaker Rep. Rick Womick, R-Rockvale. If either were to win the southwestern RutherfoCounty district, he would be one of the youngest lawmakers in the state House and the first Democrat to win tdistrict in recent memory. As Douglas sees it, his eligibility to run for the state House is all the requirementneeds to succeed if elected. At 21, you can run. I dont see how not having much personal experience can bedisadvantage, he said. That youth can bring new angles and energy to issues not always considered by stlawmakers, where only three of 99 House mem bers are younger than 30.http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120604/NEWS0201/306040022/District-34-House-candidates-hope-youtwins-out?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1(SUBSCRIPTION)

New new Knox-area House race about personalities (News-Sentinel/Humphrey)The area designated by state law as House District 89, today geographically covering a part of urban Mempand represented by one of the few acknowledged liberal Democrats remaining in Tennessee, will be transformon Nov. 6. On that date, House District 89 w ill certainly become, geographically, a rural-suburban enclave w itKnox County 300 miles away, thanks to the new state legislative redistricting plan enacted to change state learlier this year by the General Assem bly. And, almost certainly, House D istrict 89 w ill be politically represenby one of four Republican men who based on recent interviews have few philosophical differencesadhering to basic conservative Republican principles and equal ambivalence on issues that have split sittRepublican legislators. The race to represent the relocated District 89, then, w ould seem to be largelypersonality contest. The district was designed by the Legislature's Republican majority to have no incumbent ato favor the Republican candidate. Democrat Shelly Breeding filed to run as a Democrat in the new district, bher candidacy has been voided by a court decision finding that she is legally a resident of Anderson County acannot run. That decision is on appeal. If it goes against Breeding, the seat will certainly go to the GOP nominIf she wins on appeal, conventional political wisdom holds that it would still probably go to the Republicnominee.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/new-new-knox-area-house-race-about-personalities/

Shelby County voter rolls shrinking amid purges (Associated Press)Shelby County voter rolls have shrunk by about 180,000 names due to aggressive moves by the county ElectCommission to move many voters to inactive status and purge others. The Comm ercial Appeal reports the sprcleaning of the publicly available voting rolls has shrunk from nearly 612,000 to just over 431,000. Tcommission said more than 151,000 voters were changed to inactive status because they hadnt voted in the ltwo federal elections. Those people remain e ligible to vote, but are no longer included among active voters lisin county voting statistics. If a voter who is listed as inactive returns to vote anytime over the next four yearsShelby County, their names move back to active status. The election commission notifies voters by m ail that thstatus has changed and voters can reply to stay on active voter rolls. But if a voter doesnt show up over eight-year span and fails to contact the comm ission, they will be purged.http://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20120604/NEWS21/306040027/Shelby-County-voter-rolls-shrinking-amidpurges?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News(SUBSCRIPTION)

Redistricting means changes for 45 percent of Anderson's voters (N-S/Fowler)
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/i-75-lanes-in-campbell-county-set-to-reopen-this/http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120604/NEWS0201/306040022/District-34-House-candidates-hope-youth-wins-out?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120604/NEWS0201/306040022/District-34-House-candidates-hope-youth-wins-out?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/new-new-knox-area-house-race-about-personalities/http://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20120604/NEWS21/306040027/Shelby-County-voter-rolls-shrinking-amid-purges?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20120604/NEWS21/306040027/Shelby-County-voter-rolls-shrinking-amid-purges?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/i-75-lanes-in-campbell-county-set-to-reopen-this/http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120604/NEWS0201/306040022/District-34-House-candidates-hope-youth-wins-out?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120604/NEWS0201/306040022/District-34-House-candidates-hope-youth-wins-out?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews&nclick_check=1http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/new-new-knox-area-house-race-about-personalities/http://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20120604/NEWS21/306040027/Shelby-County-voter-rolls-shrinking-amid-purges?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNewshttp://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20120604/NEWS21/306040027/Shelby-County-voter-rolls-shrinking-amid-purges?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CNews


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Congressional candidate Ron Bhalla finance report has error (TFP/Carroll)Republican congressional candidate Ron Bhalla appears to be in violation of federal campaign finance law, he calls it an innocent mistake. Bhalla is a Chattanooga businessman challenging U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmain Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District Republican primary. On April 14, Bhalla submitted his first campafinance report to the Federal Election Commission. Late Friday, Bhalla's 11-page report included just oexpenditure -- a $14,145 lump-sum disbursement to himself without any additional information. Federal ElectCommission regulations require candidates to provide "a brief but specific description" of every campa

expenditure. Bhalla's blue-and-white campaign signs are all over town, and he recently purchased brochures abusiness cards. Those items aren't mentioned in Bhalla's filing. Paul S. Ryan, senior counsel at the CampaLegal Center in Washington, D.C., said disclosure laws aim to ensure transparency in campaign financeFederal Election Commission candidate guide suggests "dinner expense" and "postage" as examples odisbursement's purpose, but staff salaries, printing costs and consulting fees are common within most financreports.http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/04/bhalla-finance-report-has-err or/?local

States explore new ways to tax motorists for road repair (USA Today)States are looking for new ways of taxing motorists as they seek to pay for highway and bridge repair aimprovements without relying on the per-gallon gasoline tax widely viewed as all but obsolete. Among tleading ideas: Taxing drivers for how m any miles they travel rather than how m uch gasoline they buy. M innes

and Oregon already are testing technology to keep track of mileage. Other states, including Washington aNevada, are preparing similar projects. The efforts are being prompted by the fact that gasoline taxes no lonprovide enough money to pay for roads and bridges especially when Congress and many state legislatuare reluctant to increase taxes imposed on each gallon. The federal tax of 18.4 cents a gallon hasn't been raisin nearly two decades. More than half the states have not raised their gas tax this millennium. Fuel-efficienalso is behind the efforts. Electric-powered vehicles are growing in num bers. In 2009, President Obam a set nation's most aggressive fuel-efficiency standards for new vehicles, ordering a 40% increase by 2016.http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-06-03/states-motorist-taxes/553 67022/1

Big Changes in College Health Plans (Wall Street Journal)Some colleges are dropping student health-insurance plans for the com ing academic year and others are telstudents to expect sharp premium increases because of a provision in the federal health law requiring plans

beef up coverage. The demise of low-cost, low-benefit health plans for students is a consequence of the 20health-care overhaul. The law is intended to expand coverage to tens of millions of uninsured Americans, but ialso eliminating some insurance options. Many students already have coverage through their parents and areaffected by the changes. Parents who get insurance from an employer have traditionally been able to enrdependents on their plans up to the age of 22 if they are full-time college students, and about two-thirdsstudents have that kind of coverage, according a 2008 study by the Government Accountability Office. Thealth-care law has since increased the age at which children can be on their parents' coverage to 26. Arou600,000 students, about 7% of the total number of 18-to-23-year-olds in college, bought their own insurangenerally plans arranged by schools for which students pay all the premiums, the GAO study said.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303506404577444410947791758.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1(SUBSCRIPTION)

Medicaid Fraud Busters Learn From Experience (Stateline)Texas had an unusually high Medicaid orthodontics bill in 2010. At $185 million, the state was reportespending more than the other 49 states combined. Claims data showed that it had led the nation for thrconsecutive years in total dollars spent to help children with crooked teeth. Or at least thats what state afederal regulators thought. As it turns out, Texas did not have a higher percentage of children with orthodonneeds. Nor was the Medicaid program doing a better than average job of providing dental care for the poInstead, a handful of orthodontists were bilking M edicaid by putting braces on thousands of children who did require them. They were also tweaking the braces more often than recommended and keeping them on mulonger than was normal. In fact, a small number of fraudulent orthodontic practices in the Dallas area had beoperating in plain sight for years. Road signs advertised free braces, and dental workers solicited parentspizza parlors and parking lots outside of social service agencies. The fraudsters offices were so crowded tparents had to wait outside. Overall, the gambits of these few orthodontic practices proved wildly fruitful. O
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/04/bhalla-finance-report-has-error/?localhttp://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-06-03/states-motorist-taxes/55367022/1http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303506404577444410947791758.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/04/bhalla-finance-report-has-error/?localhttp://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-06-03/states-motorist-taxes/55367022/1http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303506404577444410947791758.html?mod=ITP_pageone_1


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firm, A ll Smiles Dental Center, racked up as m uch in Medicaid payments in one year as the entire state of Illinspent on orthodontics for low-income children over the same period.http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/medicaid-fraud-busters-learn-from-experience-85899395606

Delays mire nuclear plant construction (Chattanooga Times Free-Press/Sohn)It almost feels like the 1970s and '80s again with so much news about every new and under-construction nucl

plant registering cost overruns and delays. Five reactors are under construction, and all are reportedly obudget and behind schedule. W hat that ultimately means to electric rates remains unclear. Unit 2 at the WaBar Nuclear Plant in Spring City, Tenn., is up to $2 billion over budget and three years behind, according to tTennessee Valley Authority. TVA blames its own management oversight and planning. Instead of basing a pand estimates on the twin reactor already running at Watts Bar, the utility used as a model the only other reacwork that had ever been deemed on time, close to budget and a success: Unit 1 at Browns Ferry. The troubwas that Browns Ferry and Watts Bar are completely different types of reactors with different work spaces awork needs. Georgia's Vogtle project reportedly has a $900 mill ion cost overrun. Southern Co. and subsidiary Georgia Power argue the cost from improperly installed rebar and design problems should fall to contractors and designers. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/04/delays-mire-nuclear-plant-construction/?local

Old Y-12 utility poles being used at state forest (Associated Press)Old utility poles from the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge didn't end up in a landfill: They are beused by state forestry officials. According to a news release from the complex, the poles are now being usedLone Mountain State Forest's parking lots. Some will be used as structure posts for a pavilion to provide cofor Morgan and Roane Coun ty firefighting equipment. Others will block mo torized vehicles from using horse trat the site. More than 100 poles were hauled away to the state forest. Additionally, the U.S. DepartmentEnergy is using some of the poles at its transportation courier training facility in Oak Ridge. Complex officisaid 50 to 100 poles are still available.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/old-y-12-utility-poles -being-used-at-state/

As state funds expire, Genera seeks new m ission (News-Sentinel/Brookshire)As the state's five-year, $70.5 million investment in the Tennessee Biofuels Initiative comes to an end in Ju

Genera Energy will take on a more focused role as a biomass supply company for biofuels producers. At same time, the University of Tennessee will spin off a second company, TennEra, based on the Genera modto pursue related opportunities to transfer university technology to the marketplace, according to Kelly TillGenera president and CEO. TennEra's general research and development focus will be on technologies aprocesses for biomass fractionation, or separating cellulosic biomass components and commercial applicationbiorefinery co-products. UT's Center for Renewable Carbon and Department of Biosystem Engineering and SScience have contributed research in those areas, according to UT's website. Tiller says TennEra's specbusiness interests are "evolving" and that she will announce more details closer to the July 1 transition dending the state's investment in the biofuels initiative. "There is a new opportunity to build on all that's been doover the last several years, taking new technology coming out of the university and replicating the (Genemodel," Tiller says.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/as-state-funds-expire-genera-seeks-new-mission/

School board to discuss Knoxville High campus, charter school (NS/McCoy)The Knox County school board will begin talking this week about what to do with the Historic Knoxville HSchool. The building houses the district's GED and Adult Education programs, the Knoxville City Federal CreUnion, the Knox County Museum of Education, some administrative offices and storage. Several months agrumors circulated in the community that employees and departments were being moved from the buildinlocated at 101 E. Fifth Ave., and the facility was to be sold. At its meeting on Tuesday, the school board wdiscuss the creation of a letter of interest for the property to assess interest from the community in buying tbuilding. "A couple months back we said we we re exploring our options in regards to the Historic Knoxville HSchool facil ity. This really is continuing that exploration," said Jim McIntyre, Knox County Schosuperintendent. "This step that we're asking the board to take would be really to gauge the interest that may out there for purchasing and/or developing the Historic Knoxville High School building, if it were to be surplus
http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/medicaid-fraud-busters-learn-from-experience-85899395606http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/medicaid-fraud-busters-learn-from-experience-85899395606http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/04/delays-mire-nuclear-plant-construction/?localhttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/04/delays-mire-nuclear-plant-construction/?localhttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/04/delays-mire-nuclear-plant-construction/?localhttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/old-y-12-utility-poles-being-used-at-state/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/old-y-12-utility-poles-being-used-at-state/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/old-y-12-utility-poles-being-used-at-state/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/as-state-funds-expire-genera-seeks-new-mission/http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/medicaid-fraud-busters-learn-from-experience-85899395606http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/medicaid-fraud-busters-learn-from-experience-85899395606http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/04/delays-mire-nuclear-plant-construction/?localhttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/04/delays-mire-nuclear-plant-construction/?localhttp://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/old-y-12-utility-poles-being-used-at-state/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/old-y-12-utility-poles-being-used-at-state/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/as-state-funds-expire-genera-seeks-new-mission/


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by the school board."http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/school-board-to-discuss-historic-knoxv ille-high/

Supt. Kriner Cash's tenure at city schools longer than most (CA/Roberts)Regardless of what the unified school board decides about Mem phis City Schools Supt. Kriner Cash's contrahe has already outlasted the average school superintendent of a large urban district, who is either pushed outpacks up of his own accord after about 31/2 years. On July 1, Cash will have been in Memphis four years. In t

time, the city has r isen to the forefront of national school reform efforts, and helped pave the way Tennessee's prominence on the same scene. How the school board manages its challenges, including naminsuperintendent, is being watched around the nation, says Mike Casserly, longtime executive director of tCouncil of the Great City Schools. "I have never seen a school system go through what you are going throughthe scale it is happening in Memphis and Shelby County," he said. The broader question -- affected by evedecision the board makes -- is "how the needs of very poor urban kids and somewhat better-off suburban kwill all be met in a single system," Casserly said.http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/jun/04/cash-tenure-longer-than-most/(SUBSCRIPTION)

California: A $1 Cigarette Tax Starts a $47 Million Brawl in California (NY Times)California has some of the toughest antismoking laws in the country it is illegal, in some places, to smoke

your own apartment and boasts the second-lowest per capita smoking rate in the 50 states. But for all disdain toward smoking, it has been 14 years since California raised its cigarette tax, a tribute to the power of ttobacco industry here and the waning of this states antitobacco dominance. That may be about to change. array of health and anticancer groups has rallied behind a ballot initiative to impose a new $1-a-pack cigaretax to finance cancer research. And that has provoked a $47 million storm of advertisements, overwhelminfinanced by the tobacco industry, which is outspending proponents by nearly four to one to defeat the biggthreat it has faced in California in more than a decade. An independent poll conducted May 14 to 20 signaled power of the assault: while a majority of voters in California, where the average price of cigarettes is $5.7pack, say they still support Proposition 29, as it is known, the percentage has dropped markedly since tcampaign began, according to the poll by the Public Policy Institute of California.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/04/us/in-california-a-battle-over-a-plan-for-1-a-pack-cigarette-tax.htm l?_r=1&ref=todayspaper(SUBSCRIPTION)

Georgia: Georgia explores private deal on Medicaid (Associated Press)Georgia officials are exploring whether the state could expand its use of for-profit companies to hold doballooning Medicaid costs and better coordinate care, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Sunday. Tprogram, which costs about $21 million daily, provides care for the needy, aged, blind and disabled and loincome families with children. Some 1.7 million residents are enrolled. "The current Medicaid program descannot be sustained," said David Cook, the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health. expects an annual Medicaid deficit of more than $600 million within three years. "By acting now, we can sathis important safety net program while improving quality care and providing greater value for patients and public." In January, a consultant's report recommended using private companies to manage Medicaid. Sinthen, state authorities have convened task forces of health care providers and others to explore the optioThose choices range from maintaining the current system to letting hospitals and doctors manage care. N

state health officials are preparing to m ake decisions. Gov. Nathan Deal, a Republican, said the department htaken the right approach by analyzing its options. Lawmakers w ould not need to approve the proposed changehttp://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jun/04/georgia-explores-private-deal-on-medic aid/?local

MORE
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OPINION

Tom Humphrey: Administration bats .500 on business tax changes (New

Sentinel)Two bills on business taxation that were part of Gov. Bill Haslam's legislative package this year provide interesting contrast both in presentation and outcome. The m ost interesting was a proposed rewrite of the statbusiness tax code that appeared relatively late in the session, then was dropped like a proverbial hot potato afcomplaints arose. The idea, according to some folks involved, was to try to address some legal concerns abinequities in the business tax, a local government levy that requires businesses to be licensed and taxes paBusinesses obtain licenses through their county clerks, but since 2009 have been required to send their taxesthe Department of Revenue instead of the clerks. Three of the state's 95 counties Clay, Claiborne and Morg do not have a business tax, according to the departm ent's website. Three other counties have reduced rates, according to Barbara Sampson, deputy commissioner of the Tennesse Department of Revenue. Mocities have a business tax. A few don't. Thus, since the tax is not uniform statewide, the possibility of lawsuexists.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/administration-bats-500-on-business-tax-changes/

Charlie Daniel Political Cartoon: Building Block (Knoxville News-Sentinel)
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/administration-bats-500-on-business-tax-changes/http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/jun/04/administration-bats-500-on-business-tax-changes/


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http://web.knoxnews.com/charlie/latest .jpg

Editorial: Sen. Corker's optimism can breath life into Congress (Jackson Sun)When The Jackson Suns editorial board met with U.S. Sen. Bob Corker last week, we were encouraged by cautious optimism that Congress is poised to tackle the nations fiscal problems and do something great for nation. We have come to know Corker as a realist not given to pie-in-the-sky political rhetoric. W e only chope, along with countless other Americans, that he is right. The day after our m eeting with Corker, w e w

greeted with a disappointing national jobs report that saw a paltry 69,000 jobs created, and the natiounemployment rate rise to 8.2 percent. That led Corker to reiterate his plea for Congress to act and to motoward passing pro-growth tax reform, sensible entitlement reform and responsible deficit reduction. For sotime, Corker has argued that cranking up the nations huge economy is the answer to our staggering deproblem. Economic growth will create jobs and increase revenue. The nations banks and businesses aprofitable and poised to begin investing cash reserves in capital projects, research and technology. Corker evcited evidence that manufacturing is returning to the Uhttp://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120604/OPINION/306040001/Editorial-Sen-Corker-s-optimism-can-breatlife-into-Congress

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mon., june 4 news summary

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