January 6, 2017 Issue
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JENKINS PERSPECTIVE UF FOOTBALL CRITIC’S CORNER Bowling alley as Manning still What you love catalyst the man at QB about movies midTown (Brainerd?) get Joshua Dobbs makes Creative, energetic and a vote of confi dence with Link’s list of top 10 UT smart “La La Land” is a $14M renovation. QBs, but he’s not No. 1. 4-star masterpiece. P13 P14 P16 AP Volume 104 | No. 1 Single Copy 50¢ CHATTANOOGA, HAMILTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE January 6 – 12, 2017 EVENTS Mayoral and City Council forums Tax hikes, cuts both eyed as Members of the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors (GCAR) are in- vited to learn more about Legislature reconvenes the candidates vying for mayor and City Council during political forums to be held at the association on Wednesday, Jan 11. A continental breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m. e mayoral candidates will debate the issues facing Chattanooga from 9-10:30 a.m. Candidates include Mayor Andy Berke, Larry Grohn, Chris Long and David Crockett. Following opening state- ments from each candi- date, GCAR members will be invited to ask questions. Candidates seeking election to a seat on the City Council will answer questions from 2-4 p.m. GCAR has invited the following City Council candidates to attend: District 1: Susan Miller, Chip Henderson and a proposal, but we were asked bility of a fuel-tax increase, and Jay Nevans Otherwise, 110th General Assembly to wait until they had a chance the group is likely to put up to have those discussions … opposition again. Mickey District 2: will argue many of the same issues so that they could be a part Budget and tax cuts McCamish and Jerry of those discussions with us,” Mitchell covered during last year’s session Haslam says. A budget surplus of nearly $1 billion could be in the offi ng District 3: Ken Smith By Sam Stockard Jan. 30 State Tennessee’s 21.4-cent-per- gallon gas tax, including a from the state’s $33.3 billion District 4: Darrin Led- of the State 1.4-cent petroleum fee, raises budget for ford he 110th General As- address for fi scal 2016-17, sembly is set to convene increasing or roughly $660 million annually. District 5: Jeff ery Evans, and the State on Jan. 10 with unfi n- reforming fuel It hasn’t been increased in a Russell Gilbert and quarter-century, and Haslam Funding Board Tished business from previous taxes to help is projecting has been broaching the idea sessions likely to dominate pay for $6 billion in committed $845,000 in See EVENTS, page 5 for raising or reforming fuel debate. road and bridge projects. new, recurring revenue for next Here’s a look at some of the e second-term Republican taxes for more than two years to relieve travel congestion year, based on a November INSIDE hottest topics expected to arise. governor says he plans to meet vote on economic calculations. Fuel taxes with legislators to consider op- statewide. e state’s diesel tax ■ at means the state could REAL ESTATE P15 tions before the session opens, is 18.4 cents per gallon. More than a year after taking Haslam met resistance from have nearly $1.8 billion more ■ FINANCIAL FOCUS P4 but notes he is set to make a a listening tour across Tennes- groups such as Americans for than expected to divvy up in see, Gov. Bill Haslam appears pitch. “We’re very ready to present Prosperity two years ago when See LEGISLATURE, page 2 ready to introduce a plan in his he began discussing the possi- Find Public Notices inside & online: www.HamiltonCountyHerald.com 2 | January 6 – 12, 2017 Hamilton County Herald www.hamiltoncountyherald.com LEGISLATURE From page 1 students were reading at a “profi cient” level as a prime ex- Rock City donates to Lula Lake Land Trust the coming fi scal year, offi cials ample for the use of vouchers. say. “I think they might be “Everybody knows we’re in a around some students who are good situation budget-wise in more focused on their work. I Tennessee,” Haslam says. “But I think you might have a school think states get in trouble when where they see a whole diff er- they don’t make smart deci- ent environment, a whole dif- sions when they have money. ferent approach to what they’re en it comes back to haunt doing,” Dunn points out. them when the economy cycles Tennessee Education Asso- back down.” ciation spokesman Jim Wrye e governor says he wants says he’s not sure what has to make sure the next budget changed in the way of a vote takes care of the state’s short- count. He contends primary and long-term needs. election results TEA monitored Sen. Randy McNally says across the state favored candi- the budget surplus, which is dates who oppose vouchers. one-time revenue, could come e organization’s poll- in just under $1 billion. It will ing also showed “consistent” go toward the rainy day fund, opposition to vouchers, with 57 a backlog of capital projects, to 58 percent of respondents capital maintenance and re- saying no to vouchers, 24 to 25 plenishing the transportation percent saying yes and the rest fund, he says. undecided. e recurring money, with “Over and over again, people $500 million from the budget said, ‘We don’t want that,’” he that ended last June and anoth- says. Photograph provided er $378 million projected for Groups such as the Feder- the current budget, could be ation for Children went after See Rock City continued its conservation partnership with Lula Lake Land Trust this year used to “chip away” at franchise Democratic Memphis Reps. during its annual Summer Music Weekends event at the attraction. Guests who visited this and excise taxes on businesses, Johnnie Turner and Antonio summer donated over $500 in a coin drop – an amount See Rock City matched. Pictured, left in addition to a professional Parkinson, spending large to right, Lula Lake Land Development Director Kat Volzer; Lula Lake Executive Director Mike privilege tax, says McNally, amounts of money, but picking Pollock; and See Rock City Director of Operations Jeff Raabe. chairman of the Senate Budget up only a fourth of the vote Committee and the likely next during primaries, Wrye notes. Senate speaker. In Memphis, which is often Tennessee’s 5 percent food used as the poster child for sales tax could be on the chop- voucher needs, Wrye says the ping block, as well, McNally vote clearly shows residents says. want to hold on to their public “ e bad thing is it’s the schools. Almost all of the most stable part of the sales tax Achievement School District’s base. But … as far as tax relief, 33 schools are located in it has the broadest constitu- Memphis and most are run by 119th Annualof the Meeting ency, I would think,” McNally charter operators. says. State data also show Shelby CHATTANOOGA BAR ASSOCIATION Education vouchers County schools are improving and part of the reason is those will be held A year after he declined to operating under iZone, or new bring voucher legislation to a improvement strategies, are EDNESDAY ANUARY House fl oor vote, state Rep. Bill W , J 25, 2017 doing better than ASD schools. Dunn says he “I think Tennesseans are NOON plans to revive 12:00 rightly conservative. ey know the opportunity what has worked for them and scholarships THE READ HOUSE their families and communities proposed by ILVER ALLROOM in the past and vouchers have S B Gov. Haslam. never been proven to work,” e bill will have to go Wrye adds. “ ey go after some back through the Legislature’s ANNUAL MEETING AWARDS PRESENTATIONS of the bedrock institutions of committee system, but Dunn, our state and our communities a Knoxville Republican, says he Ralph K. Kelley Humanitarian Award and people don’t like them.” was only a few votes short last He hopes that will “shine President’s Award year of gaining passage and says through” again as the Legisla- he believes the numbers could Jac Chambliss Lifetime Achievement Award ture debates this critical issue. Albert L. Hodge Volunteer of the Year Award change in his favor in 2017. Gay counseling “It’ll still be close, but hope- Sen. Jack Johnson’s counsel- Harry Weill Zealous Practice of Law Award fully my colleagues will put ing act created a fi restorm of children before bureaucrats protest among counselors and Plus One Inaugural Award this year,” Dunn says. the LGBT community in 2016, As previously written, the Young Lawyer Division Volunteer of the Year Annual Award and he’s sponsoring a follow-up bill would allow low-income bill this year. children in the state’s low- Largely est-performing schools to use ANNUAL MEETING BUSINESS considered an state funds to attend private Elections to the Board of Governors attack on the schools. It would have funded gay and lesbian 5,000 scholarships the fi rst year community, Sponsored By and 20,000 by 2018-19. Johnson’s new Dunn says he believes law says no counselor or thera- students who are struggling at pist shall be required to counsel a public school could improve a person on “goals, outcomes academically by a change of or behaviors” that confl ict with “environment,” and he points their sincerely held principles. toward a Knoxville school where only 7.9 percent of the See LEGISLATURE, page 5 www.hamiltoncountyherald.com Hamilton County Herald January 6 – 12, 2017 | 3 ■ HCH VIEW FROM CAPITOL HILL Hamilton County Herald 102 years of service Tough battle for medicinal pot ree-year-old Josie Mae before falling into disfavor with to have up to three dispen- Telephone 423-602-9270 Mathis of Greene County used the federal government in the saries and they could supply Fax 423-602-9269 to suff er hundreds of seizures 1930s and becoming a Sched- third-party dispensaries.