House approves ‘heritage protection’ of Nathan Bedford Forrest bust and such

The Tennessee House has passed a bill that would make it more difficult to remove statues or rename streets dedicated to historical figures, including a state Capitol bust of a prominent Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader.

The chamber voted 71-23 on Thursday to approve the measure, titled the “Tennessee Heritage Protection Act.”

Calls to remove Confederate imagery from public places multiplied rapidly across the South after the slaying of nine black churchgoers last June in Charleston, South Carolina. A white man espousing racist views and who posed in a photo with a Confederate flag has been charged with murder in the killings.

The Tennessee bill would require a vote of two-thirds of the 29-member Tennessee Historical Commission to gain a waiver from a statewide ban on changing or removing historical markers. That’s an increase from the current law that requires only a majority vote. It would also prevent any changes for at least six months from the date of the petition. Humphrey on the Hill

Tennessee ‘sore loser’ law would block Donald Trump

Tennessee’s “sore loser” law is clear that failed primary candidates can’t switch teams to run in the general election, but it’s not clear how strictly the law applies in presidential contests.

Twice in the past 10 election cycles, Tennessee has seen primary losers return to the general election ballot under a different party’s banner.

If, for example, Donald Trump doesn’t get the Republican nomination, or Sen. Bernie Sanders doesn’t get the Democratic nomination, could either appear on Tennessee’s general election ballot in November as an independent?

No, according to Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, whose office oversees Tennessee’s elections.

“If a candidate doesn’t win the primary, they cannot appear on the ballot during the general election for another party or as an independent,” said Hargett’s spokesman, Adam Ghassemi. He said the prohibition applies to the presidential race.

But in the historically unpredictable 2016 election cycle, it’s not an abstract question.

Trump, the current front-runner for the Republican nomination, at first refused to rule out an independent bid. He later reversed course and signed a pledge saying he would support the Republican nominee. But on Monday, he renewed his earlier threat, saying the pledge isn’t binding because the GOP treated him unfairly at Saturday’s debate in South Carolina by packing the audience with people supporting his rivals. Tennessean/Subscription

GOP Leaders Reverse Course And Decide To Keep Gun Ban At Tennessee Capitol

Tennessee lawmakers will not be allowing guns in their offices, after all.

The reversal was announced Wednesday afternoon, after legislative leaders couldn’t agree on how and when to lift the ban.

Spokespeople for Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey and House Speaker Beth Harwell said the two leaders reached the decision after meeting with the Tennessee Highway Patrol to discuss security in the Capitol complex if guns were allowed.

Both leaders say they favor letting people with handgun permits carry in Legislative Plaza and the War Memorial Building, where lawmakers have their offices and hold hearings. The question was how to do so while also keeping guns out of the state Capitol, which they say falls under the jurisdiction of Gov. Bill Haslam.

Ramsey has said he wants to lift the gun ban immediately.

But Harwell, in turned out, favored waiting, because the legislature may soon be moving to the Cordell Hull Building, another office block close to the Capitol. Her spokeswoman said tax money would be better spent on that project — not modifying the security checkpoints in Legislative Plaza.

The decision is a relief to many Democrats, who opposed lifting the ban. House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh says keeping it would be a dose of sanity. WPLN

Haslam unsure he’d back Trump in the general

Gov. Bill Haslam, the former chairman of the Republican Governors Association, has declined to commit whether he would support Donald Trump should he become the GOP nominee for president.

“We hadn’t gotten to that point. We’ll see when we get there,” Haslam said today, followed by a laugh.

The country is in “unprecedented political times,” Haslam said, adding the shifting landscapes in both media and political parties is turning the tried and true practices of campaigning on its head.

“There’s a lot to be played out in the Democrat and Republican side, but I think it’s safe to say there’s a whole lot of people that didn’t see this, where we are right now, coming,” Haslam told reporters before an education presentation at the Music City Center. Nashville Post

All About Abby: Will Twitter elect the next U.S. president?

Have you ever thought about who or what influences your attitude towards politics? What plays a major role in your political views? Has someone or something changed your political views at some point in your life? Has social media made you more or less passionate about political issues and/or certain presidential candidates? If so, will Facebook posts and Twitter rants decide our next President?

The 2016 Presidential Election is the first ever to become a social media election in the sense that it’s all about reaching out to the “uneducated” or “easily-convinced” voters who peruse different social medias for political information (sans fact-checking) and conform to voting for the candidate who has the most Facebook likes or Twitter followers. These voters also seek out the candidate they believe will give them everything they want and more — including a free bumper sticker, yard sign, and trendy t-shirt. If you think I’m crazy, I advise you to take a look at your Facebook newsfeed again. See all the political bias now?

There is no doubt in my mind this will be an unforgettable election because of the diverse candidates; however, I am not seeing very much diversity on a local level. I see lots of people out campaigning for Bernie Sanders; however, where are the campaigns of Hillary Clinton, Jeb Bush, Dr. Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Donald Trump?

As a first time Presidential voter, I want to make sure I make a wise decision because every vote matters. I don’t want to make my decision purely based on some “like and share” meme that so-and-so shared on Facebook. I don’t want to make my decision purely based on the fact if I pledge to vote for so-and-so, I can get a free t-shirt and get to party it up at a local campaign rally. I don’t want to make my decision purely based on what I see as I scroll through my social media newsfeeds, though that isn’t the case for most people my age. In a Huffington Post article CEO and President of RKG Marketing Solutions R. Kay Green explains, “Candidates are naturally incorporating social media in their campaigns to stand out to millennials.

One study published in 2012 found that Facebook feeds have a significant impact on voting patterns. The findings indicate that certain messages increased turnout directly and indirectly by a total of 340,000 votes. According to research from Ipsos Mori, social media also has the potential to have more of an impact for 18 to 24 year olds. More than a third (34%) of this group indicated that reading something on social media would influence their vote, second only to televised debates. This is yet another reason why the presidential candidates are increasing their ad spending budgets on social networks.” Johnson City Press

Two Democrats file for District 8 Congressional seat

Two Democrats from Shelby County, Michael McCusker and David Vinciarelli, have picked up petitions to run for the seat held by Republican U.S. Rep.Stephen Fincher.

McCusker, who announced Monday that he’s exploring a bid, has been an assistant district attorney in Shelby County since 2001 and is a decorated, retired major in the U.S. Army. He lives in Germantown.

Vinciarelli ran unsuccessfully for Memphis City Council District 7 last year. As was reported then, he was arrested for DUI in 2011 after he crashed his truck into a utility pole, and was found guilty of aggravated criminal trespassing in 1990. He also filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 1997 and in 2004. Both bankruptcies are closed.

The primary elections are Aug. 4, and the general election is Nov. 8. Commercial Appeal/Subscription

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