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Corker Earns Accolades -- Sen. Bob Corker has both been pleasantly surprising and upsetting to conservatives since taking office - which probably means he's doing something right. Corker who is not afraid to criticize even members of his own party for bad ideas. Those criticisms have included the Bush-backed economic stimulus package, a gas tax holiday, and what he calls a "pandering" cap-and-trade energy legislation. Corker said he expected a backlash from constituents for his opposition to the IRS rebate checks that began arriving in mailboxes and bank accounts this month. But his experience has proved otherwise. Dem. Sen. Candidate Bob Tuke also praised Corker this week.

Bredesen's Job Cuts Not Even Half What He Created -- Gov. Bredesen's job cuts to balance the state budget won't even be half as many state jobs as he created during his tenure, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Gov. Phil Bredesen’s proposal to eliminate 2,011 state workers represents about 42 percent of the positions created in state government during his administration. Since Gov. Bredesen took office in early 2003, administration budget figures show major growth occurred from fiscal year 2003-04 to fiscal year 2004-05 when the number of state positions rose 4 percent. That follows around 2.0% per fiscal year growth thereafter. This year's total state government jobs still represent an increase of state jobs over last fiscal year's estimated number. Meanwhile, the announcement of buy-out packages for state employees has put some employee's retirement plans on hold in the hope of cashing in on more dough.

Odom to Oppose Technical Corrections Bill Tax -- House Majority Leader Gary Odom says he will oppose a provision of the Bredesen-backed technical corrections bill which he is pushing for the administration. The provision in question removes an exemption from state excise taxes on "family-owned non-corporate" real estate companies. Odom said one of his major complaints is the way "a very significant change in our tax code that impacts a lot of businesses" has been brought out late in the session, with limited opportunity for debate and discussion. Odom's opposition and sponsorship of the bill in question means the provision will likely be stricken from the bill, which means Bredesen may need to come up with another $15M in revenue, the estimated receipts from that provision.

Another Ford Trial Lined Up -- The FBI has another trail against a member of the Ford family on its hands. This time it's former City Councilman Edmund Ford. In "Operation Main Street Sweeper," a relatively short undercover investigation that yielded several indictments, the feds nabbed Ford accepting a bribe to remove a billboard moritorium. The sting netted Ford and fellow Councilman Rickey Peete along with longtime local political operative Joe Cooper. Ford, a two-term council member, did not run for re-election and in January was succeeded on the council by his son, Edmund Ford Jr.

First HOPE Students Get Diplomas -- The first students to see the benefits of the state's HOPE scholarship received their diplomas this week. Since 2003, applications to UT have risen 45 percent. This year, the university got about 14,000 applications for the 4,200 places in the freshmen class for the fall. The lottery scholarship has also increased student retention. According to THEC, 65 percent of fall 2004 first-time freshmen who received the scholarship stayed for four years, compared to 52 percent of all students.

Hamilton Co. Commission Still Undecided on Tax Freeze -- Hamilton Co. Commissioners are still undecided about whether or not to implement the optional property tax freeze for seniors, allowed by the state in 2006. Calling the tax freeze "income redistribution," Commissioner Richard Casavant opposed the plan, while Commissioner Fred Skillern said such a program might lead some families to have younger members transfer their homes to seniors. While some opposition stems from ideological grounds, the majority of the objection seems to be to installing a new computer system to calculate the tax freeze and the ramifications it will have on future budget processes. More here.

Knox Co. Commission Pushes for Subpoena Power -- The Knox Co. Commission is again pushing to more tightly define its subpoena power in the interest of subpoening several former members of County Mayor Mike Ragsdale's administration to ask them about P-card purchases. The rules will govern allowing the commission to put witnesses under oath, requiring the production of documents and initiating contempt-of-court proceedings if a witness refuses to show. County Law Director John Owings has said the power is included in the county charter but that there was no process explaining how to use it.

Push Polling the Bible Park -- In an effort to gain supporters in an onslought of negative publicity it looks like someone closely linked to the controversal Bible-themed theme park being considered in Murfreesboro, is push polling. Murfreesboro residents are first asked if they support or oppose the park. If they indicate they support the park, they are encouraged to speak out to the County Commission in favor of it, while those oppose would receive no additional message.

State Gvmt To Cut 2,000 -- Gov. Bredesen announced his plans to balance the state budget shortfall yesterday. Bredesen's plan includes cutting 2,000 jobs, cuts to education disbursements through BEP 2.0 and Bredesen's Pre-K program. At a news conference in Nashville, he said April tax collections showed the largest drop since records began to be kept in 1961. Bredesen says he hopes to accomplish the cuts through voluntary retirement offers, but says the layoffs may be necessary if enough employees are not cut from the payroll. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey praised Bredesen's approach to balancing the budget and called the economic situation "tough times for the state." More here and here.

Churches Get Exemption to No Smoking Posting Law -- Rep. Mike Bell has passed a bill that would create an exemption for churches in a law requiring places prohibiting smoking to have posted no smoking signs. A law in effect since October 1, 2007, required all churches to post a No Smoking sign on their doors, a provision that the State Dept. of Health and Human Services didn't enforce. Now the non-enforcement is law, if Gov. Bredesen signs the bill. Churches argued that posting a No Smoking sign would ruin the aesthetic appeal of many church doors and would be undue government influence.

Toll Road Goes on Despite Commission Rejection -- TDOT says it still plans to proceed with an initiative to investigate installing a toll road along the so-called Orange Route in Knoxville, despite the Knox Co. Commission voting not to recommend toll roads in the county. TDOT had previously gone on record saying if they don't have local support, it won't go forward. However, Cole now says TDOT will hear out the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization, a group that previously opted to authorize the study of a toll road along the Orange Route.

Crack Tax Back? -- The State Supreme Court is considering on appeal the case that previously ruled the State's so-called "crack tax" unconstitutional. The tax called Unauthorized Substance Tax Act, requires tax stamps to be purchased on illegal drugs and fines to be collected on any seized drugs not bearing the stamps. The tax raised $4M in revenue before it was struck down on the grounds that the tax was levied before a person was convicted of a crime and it was punishing the same crime twice. Justices on Wednesday quizzed Dept of Revenue officials on the tax's true purpose. "It's to punish, isn't it?" Chief Justice William M. Barker asked. Response: "This is a tax designed to raise revenue."

Lethal Injection Close to Back Up and Running in TN -- Following a Supreme Court ruling that Kentucky's lethal injection procedure did meet constitutional muster, TN is once again ready to put the needle in death row inmates. Edward Jerome Harbison is likely to be the first lethal injection case since legal wranglings put the state's death penalty on hold. Harbison's case will likely be a test case as to whether or not attorneys can find anything in TN's death penalty procedure that would qualify as cruel and unusual punishment when compared to Kentucky's procedure. A 90-day moritorium on the death penalty by Gov. Bredesen ended this week.

GOP Lottery Plan Passes Senate Committees -- A GOP-backed bill that would allocate the lottery surplus money to an endowment passed the House Education and Finance Committees and now heads to the Senate floor. The endowment combined with annual lottery revenues would fund awards for need-based students, lower the GPA required to keep a HOPE scholarship from a 3.0 to 2.75 for one additional year and provide grants for groups such as non-traditional students. The most controversal part of the bill is a $100M reserve fund for either capital construction or for an initiative for energy efficient heating and cooling equipment at K-12 schools. Democrats in the State House oppose any plan that includes provisions for capital construction, saying it is an unwise investment, but Republicans argue that capital projects are included in the constitutional amendment authorizing the lottery and with budget shortages in local governments across the state, now is the time to act.

Ramsey Wants More Say in Judicial Selection -- Six State Senators abstained en masse Tuesday from a committee vote on a bill that allows about 60 state departments, boards and commissions to stay in existence past June 30. Included are the state's Safety, Revenue and Health departments. The routine bill authorizing the continued existance of several state agencies is being used as leverage for an overhaul of the state Judicial Selection Commission. The makeup of the Judicial Selection Commission itself is under scrutiny. Under the current system, various organizations present lists of commission candidates to the House and Senate speakers, who then choose the new commissioners from those lists. Under Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey's proposed changes to the system, the Speakers wouldn't have to approve someone on the submitted list, terms for commissioners would be shorter, and the commission would choose four possible candidates for the governor to select.

Nooga Considers Audit Procedure Revisions -- After reviewing the City's internal auditing procedures, Chattanooga found out that the position of City Auditor defined by the City Code has never been filled since the city's incorporation in 1990. A move is afoot in that town to change the auiting procedures to allow for an independent auditor to report to both the Mayor and City Council, ensuring that neither the Council nor the Mayor can fire an auditor independently.

Herenton Pushes for School Reform -- Since it is now clear that Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton won't be taking the job of Memphis Schools Superintendent, Herenton is using the Mayor's office as a bully pulpit for reform to Memphis City Schools. Herenton unveiled a broad plan Tuesday afternoon for Memphis City Schools, calling for decentralization, a sharp reduction in administrators and the closing of underused schools, a reintroduction of corporal punishment in grades K to 8, and the construction of technology-focused middle schools Downtown and at the Mid-South Fairgrounds. Herenton also called on council members to work with the Shelby County Commission on making changes to the way schools are funded, which he said has been a main reason the county's debt has soared. Changes in funding, Herenton said, will require unprecedented cooperation among the school board, council and commission, and the mayor is optimistic it could happen.

Corker Blasts McCain & Clinton on Gas Tax Holiday -- Sen. Bob Corker used a speech to the Nashville Chamber to denounce proposed ideas by both Hillary Clinton and John McCain to enact a gas tax holiday. Corker said the plan was "pandering extraordinaire." Corker said the move was hypocritical consider both McCain and Clinton support cap and trade legislation, which Corker calls a "carbon tax." That issue is the subject of a spread featuring Corker in this week's National Review. In TN, the gas tax holiday may not help, because a state law says any reduction in federal gas taxes will be made up by an increase in state tax benefitting the State Dept of Transportation. More here.

Budget Announcement As Early as Today -- The Tennessean reports that Gov. Bredesen may unveil his budget proposals as early as today - including how many state employees will face layoffs. He has asked to address a joint assembly of the legislature the week of May 12 to lay out details of the proposal, but the plan will probably be unveiled to the media sometime this week.

Tuke Hits Lamar on Flat Tax Flip-Flop -- Dem. Senate candidate Bob Tuke is playing like he's the Democratic nominee to face Sen. Lamar Alexander in a long-shot. Tuke released a video showing Alexander critical of a plan to implement a "flat tax" in 1996. Alexander called the plan by then Presidential candidate Steve Forbes "nutty." Alexander says he now supports a flat tax as a method of simplifying the tax code. [Corrected - thanks Nation]

Homeschool Diploma Bill Passes -- The House Education Committee passed a bill that would require the state to recognize high school diplomas from religious-affiliated schools and homeschools for those applying for state jobs requiring a high school diploma. The committee was see a showdown between homeschoolers and the State Department of Education, which opposed the bill and recommended changing it to require the state to approve religious-affiliated and homeschool curriculum. There have been several cases recently where those in state jobs requiring a high school diploma, such as policemen and daycare workers, were rejected because their degree came from a religious or homeschool.

Cushions For Bredesen's Budget Cuts -- Gov. Bredesen, unanimously praised for his business-like approach to state budget cuts, will need to present cuts of $550M from the $28B budget on May 12. The Governor's cuts will most likely include layoffs of state workers, which Bredesen says are the single biggest expenditure of state government. Bredesen has warned that no area of state government is safe from cuts except for K-12 education, but even there, Knox Co. is worried Bredesen might roll back the money designated under the revised education formulary dubbed BEP 2.0. Cuts are also expected in the Pre-K education program Bredesen previously pushed and a planned state pay raise.

Lottery Surplus Down Too -- In addition to projected declines in state revenues, the lottery surplus projections have also decreased since the beginning of the Legislative session. That's put a new spin on what Republicans and Democrats plan to do with the extra money. Democrats still hope to lower the state GPA retention requirement, which they say will allow more students to keep the lottery scholarship, but that's a plan Republican oppose on the grounds that it is unclear now if the surplus can cover that much in new expenditures. House Democrats, on the other hand, are united against a Republican-backed plan that would have distributed some of the lottery surplus to capital projects for local school boards. More here.

Voter Fatigue Sets in Early -- The Chattanooga Times Free Press examines an early-set-in case of voter fatigue for the residents of Hamilton Co. That county has a special election for Sheriff in August and federal and state elections in November, but voters are already fed up with hearing about politics. Despite the rising negative reaction to the candidates and the political process, more donations are flowing in to the major candidates and more voters showed up to the polls for the Presidential primary this time than any other in recent history.

Charter Changes in Memphis a Stalemate -- Commissioners are trying to update the charter to clarify the duties of the sheriff, trustee, property assessor, county clerk and register after the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled in January 2007 that Knox County's charter, which is similar to the Shelby charter, didn't specifically create those five offices. So commissioners were planning to put a proposed charter amendment on the Aug. 7 ballot that, if approved by the voters, would correct the problem, but that proposal has been at a political stalemate. The proposal failed by one vote when eight commissioners voted for it, one voted against, two abstained and two were absent on second reading. The rules now require that the lone Commissioner voting no must present a motion to reconsider for the vote to be retaken, unless a motion to suspend the rules is approved. The lone no-vote Commissioner Deidre Malone says she disapproves of the amendment, because it would keep all the positions elected.

I did not know you could do this, so try it.
Thanks to Kim Komando Newsletter for this tip:( In the context of the iphone)

The iPhone certainly is slick. I like the full-sized Web browser. There’s also a large, bright screen for viewing pictures. And, of course, it can play music from iTunes.

But, as you mention, cellular reception can be spotty. For some people, this is a deal breaker. So, prospective buyers should check up on the reception. This calls for a field service test.

Of course, AT&T’s coverage will vary in different areas. So, I wouldn’t just try out the phone in the store. Check elsewhere. Do the tests where you anticipate using the phone the most.

For example, do one at work and several areas at home. You may also want to do tests along frequently driven routes. (Do me a favor and park first!)

You will have to buy an iPhone to do the tests. You have 30 days to return it if reception is subpar.

A field service test isn’t difficult. But it is impossible unless you know code that unlocks the feature.

First, bring up the keypad in the iPhone’s phone application. Enter the following exactly (minus quotes): “*3001#12345#*.” Then, press Call.

The Field Test Mode will open. Select Cell Information. You’ll see a list of cellular towers to which the phone is connected. The towers are listed in descending order of strength.

You’ll also see information about the cell towers. It will be a string of letters and numbers. Don’t worry if you don’t understand them. Believe me, the information looks like gibberish!

Now, you’ll have to give the phone some time for the signal to stabilize. So take a look at the numbers after you’ve been in test mode for about 45 seconds. Hold it in your hand when you take the measurement.

You’ll see a negative number preceded by RX. This number represents the strength of the signal you’re receiving from a specific tower. It is measured in dBm.

The closer this number is to zero, the better the signal strength. For example, anything -60 or higher is very good reception. On the other hand, -100 would be very weak reception. When you hit -106, you probably won’t be able to make calls.

As I said, the closer the RX measurement is to zero, the better. But let me put the numbers into perspective for you. An increase of 3 dBm doubles the amount of radio frequency energy reaching the phone.

This should give you a good idea of how your iPhone’s reception will fare. But it isn’t foolproof. Cellular towers often adjust their power output. So the reception can change at any time.

Give this a try, I am going to,If I can get service outside my home.

Two Cities Look at Higher Payrolls -- Despite looming budget concerns across the state, at least two cities are looking at increasing their payroll. Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam has proposed spending an extra $3.8 million in "human infrastructure" over the next three years to boost city workers' lagging salaries. Haslam says the raises take the conservative approach and avoid raising property taxes. In Memphis, City Council officials are quizzing Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton's administration on how the number of employees increased from 5,162 in 2006 to a request for 6,573 employees for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. Unlike Haslam, Herenton has proposed a property tax increase to offset declining revenue.

AT&T Targets Nashville With New Statewide Franchise -- With a new statewide franchise likely in hand, State Sen. Bill Ketron says AT&T will target Nashville and the collar counties for introducing its TV programming package. Yesterday, the State Senate passed the House bill, which is expected to be signed by Gov. Bredesen, which allows AT&T and other companies to establish a statewide cable franchise if they adhere to certain regulations prohibiting red-lining. More on the bill here.

Naifeh: Dems Not Hurt By Killing Benefits for Criminals -- House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh says the Democratic Party's image wasn't hurt by a Dem-led effort to kill a bill that would have stripped health benefits from state lawmakers convicted of felonies. Earlier this week, the House Calendar and Rules Committee effectively killed legislation that would revoke state health insurance benefits for lawmakers convicted of felonies involving their office. Naifeh said he didn't know the bill was killed on the day that former State Sen. John Ford was shipped off to federal prision for his role in FBI sting TN Waltz. Naifeh: "I quit reading the paper and watching TV."

Burchett In and Out of Hospital -- State Sen. Tim Burchett was discharged from Baptist Hospital yesterday after undergoing treatment for pericarditis, an inflammation of the lining around the heart. Burchett says the doctors recommended he rest after the treatment, although Burchett said he would return to the Legislative Session next week. More here.

Bredesen Calls for Layoffs -- Gov. Phil Bredesen says the state budget shortage is so bad he'll have to layoff some state workers. University of Tennessee economist William Fox said Tuesday that the state might be facing a $600M shortfall in a worst-case scenario should sales- tax revenues fall as they did the first three months of this year. Bredesen says he will also institute a pay increase freeze. Critics of the plan say they are shocked Bredesen is choosing to layoff state workers, given there is over $750M in the state's rainy day fund. More here.

Alexander Furious Over Graves Hold-up -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has been holding up two nominations to the TVA board and TN's Senior Senator is not too happy about it. Lamar Alexander ripped into Reid in a letter saying the nomination of Bishop William H. Graves to the TVA Board, pending since last July, be taken up, along with the nomination of Susan Williams of Knoxville. Graves was the first African American to serve on the TVA board since 1933 and was renominated. Reid informed Alexander in a letter April 14 that he did not support proceeding with the nominations, citing the number of Republicans approved for the board, even though Graves is a registered Democrat. Alexander in his letter to Reid: "Your actions insult the Mid-South's largest city, Memphis. Until Bishop Graves' appointment in 2006, a Memphian had never served on the TVA board. Your actions are an affront to more than one and a half million African-Americans in the seven-state TVA region. Until the appointment of Bishop Graves -- the presiding bishop of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church -- an African-American had never served on the TVA board."

Tim for County Mayor -- The Knoxville-based MetroPulse reports on an earlier rumor that State Sen. Tim Burchett may be gearing up for a run for Knox Co. Mayor in 2010 - a move that will open up a coveted State Senate seat in East TN. The candidate mentioned to replace Burchett? None other than blogging state Rep. Stacey Campfield. Establishment Republicans are hoping to recruit another sometimes wacky conservative to split the vote and ensure another candidate gets in. Their recruit? Knox Co. Commissioner Greg "Lumpy" Lambert, whose Commission room antics revial the worst blog postings.

Technical Corrections Allows Sommet to Pay off Debt -- A clause in the state's annual omnibus “technical corrections bill,” which affects tax policy and targets loopholes, will allow sales taxes collected for non-hockey events at the Sommet Center to go toward paying the debt on the facility. Currently, only sales taxes collected at Predators’ games goes toward the debt service under state law, but Bredesen added the provision to the bill at the behest of Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. The change in state law was part of the deal struck between Mayor Karl Dean and the Predators local ownership group.

Chief Justice Set to Retire -- State Supreme Court Chief Justice William Barker announced his retirement this September to Gov. Bredesen. The Chattanooga native has been on the state's highest court for 10 years, following stints on the Court of Criminal Appeals and as a circuit judge in Chattanooga. In his retirement letter to Bredesen, Barker communicated that the state of the judiciary was excellent. The retirement opens up what is sure to be an increasingly partisan fight over Barker's replacement - with the GOP-controlled State Senate hoping to gain more oversight through its approval function in the selection of Court Justices.

Bill Revoking Health Benefits for Some Lawmakers Killed -- A House panel has killed a bill that would have stripped former lawmakers convicted of a felony involving their office of health benefits. The Senate had unanimously passed the bill. The bill was timely with the arrival of former State Sen. John Ford, who was convicted on federal felon charges in TN Waltz, although the bill would have not been retroactive. Rep. Charles Curtiss reacting to the demise of the bill led by Rep. Larry Miller: "They just look at health care benefits as a right that we’ve earned serving in this Legislature ... But I think you forego all rights when you’ve been convicted of a felony. We should be held to a higher standard, but there’s obviously some people down here who don’t think we should be held to a higher standard.”

Lt. Gov To Participate in Gas Price Protest -- Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey says he will be on hand for a gas price protest organized in Bristol by Earl Humphreys, a small business owner who says his lawn care business is suffering from the high gas prices. Representatives of more than a dozen other lawn care companies have agreed to join with Humphreys on May 5 along with 20 trucking companies that plan to park their vehicles in protest. Humphreys: "We want this to be a protest where people cannot only explain their frustrations, but also be able to provide some solutions to problems that I think are getting ready to turn into something that most Americans don’t want." Humphreys blames the US government for the oil price crunch saying the US oil reserves should be opened. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey says he has cleared his schedule to attend the protest.

Elder Beer Bill Went Through -- Tennessee’s first-in-the-nation law requiring universal carding for beer purchases, which took effect last July, now states that clerks must ask every customer for photo identification when the person tries to buy beer at a supermarket or convenience store - but that will change with a bill sent to Gov. Bredesen yesterday. Facing pressure for senior drinkers who resent being carded, under the new standard, penalties for clerks who don’t card a customer who “reasonably appears to be over the age of 50 and who failed to present an acceptable form of identification" are removed.

Knox Petition Ready -- Knox Petition is ready to go after the Knox Co. Commission rejected adding its seven suggested amendments to improve the Knox Co. Charter to the upcoming ballot. The proposed changes included a nepotism policy, conflict-of-interest rules, establishment of an inspector general, reducing the Knox County Commission from 19 to 11 members and allowing the mayor to appoint some countywide officers with approval from County Commission. The group will have to gather approximately 40,000 signatures to get the issues on the ballot. To accompolish that feat, the petition drive will develop TV spots, direct mail and other media in addition to having grassroots volunteers at frequented locations collecting signatures. The group has hired political consultant Gary Drinnen to coordinate the effort.