With apologies to Robert Zimmerman, “the times they are a-changing.”

Unlike Bob Dylan’s 1964 song of rebellion, Capitol Hill isn’t turning into a bed of liberals, although someday the first could be last. In fact, it could turn more conservative this fall before things take a different direction. But leadership down the line in both parties is due for a big turnover.

2. David Hawk Seeks Speaker post - Monday, August 20, 2018

Republican state Rep. David Hawk, an opponent of the 2017 IMPROVE Act and gas-tax increase, delivered the second shot for the House Speaker’s post, entering a race expected to hotly contested as the 111^th General Assembly prepares to convene.

3. State Rep. David Hawk Announces Tennessee House Speaker Bid in Contested Race - Friday, August 17, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Republican Rep. David Hawk has announced that he is running for state House speaker, setting up a contested race to succeed Speaker Beth Harwell.

4. McCormick: No Evidence of Any Scandal - Thursday, June 28, 2018

Mercurial Republican Rep. Gerald McCormick went from kicking ass to kicking back. Only three days after saying his now-former Democratic opponent, David Jones, would realize how little he has in common with District 26 in Chattanooga “when he gets his ass beat in November,” McCormick abruptly announced he would not seek re-election this year and would be leaving the House effective Oct. 1.

5. Tennessee House Speaker Contender Won't Seek Re-Election - Tuesday, June 19, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A longtime Tennessee lawmaker who had expressed interest in running for House speaker says he won't seek re-election.

Republican Rep. Gerald McCormick of Chattanooga tells the Chattanooga Times Free Press he will withdraw from his House race Monday and will resign Oct. 1 to take a full-time job with Asa Engineering and Consulting in Nashville.

6. Last Word: BSMF Notes, Political Dominoes and The Teacher Pipeline - Monday, May 7, 2018

Yes, it rained. There was even hail for a brief period. None of that appeared to make a dent in the run of the Beale Street Music Festival. We are still waiting on exact box office numbers. The park was sold out – Ticketfly and at the gate -- early Sunday evening. It wasn’t a sellout Friday and Saturday but ticket supplies were tight for Tom Lee Park with the festival estimating there were thousands more people Saturday than there were Friday. Much to be said for a lineup this year that managed to strike a balance between hipster, cutting edge nobody-knows-about-this-yet new and used-to-be-big-not-so-long-ago nostalgia.

7. Lawmakers See Conspiracy In UT Board Alterations - Thursday, April 5, 2018

It’s not that hard to light a fire under some state lawmakers, but the University of Tennessee FOCUS Act raised blood pressure considerably in the House of Representatives before barely passing with 51 votes.

8. Despite Massive Turnover, GOP Owns Legislature - Thursday, November 16, 2017

2018 will be a year of change for the Tennessee General Assembly, and 2019 will bring even more, especially in leadership – much depending on the popularity of President Donald Trump.

Not only is the Legislature moving to the Cordell Hull Building, vacating the Legislative Plaza after 45 years or so, a number of legislative faces are changing, too, even before next year’s election.

9. View From the Hill: IMPROVE Act an Insight Into Testy Election Ahead - Thursday, April 27, 2017

In case anyone’s keeping stats, Senate leadership soundly defeated House leadership this session in the gas tax/tax cut battle.

Whether this is a forerunner to a Republican gubernatorial primary remains to be seen as Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris and House Speaker Beth Harwell weigh decisions. It’s not as if they’d be facing off against each other, though, since businessman Bill Lee and former Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd are definitely in the race and not hurting for money.

10. Memphis, Nashville Mayors Praise Passage of Haslam’s Road Funding Bill - Thursday, April 20, 2017

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland lauded the Tennessee Legislature for passing the IMPROVE Act, including a combination of fuel tax and fee increases designed to improve transportation funding.

11. House, Senate Approve IMPROVE Act - Thursday, April 20, 2017

The House and Senate are nearly ready to send the IMPROVE Act to Gov. Bill Haslam, passing it with relatively wide voting margins after months of debate.

Only one adjustment is needed in a measure providing property tax relief for veterans, the disabled and elderly before the measure can be sent to Haslam.

12. Mistreated GOP Legislators Only Want to Be Heard - Thursday, April 13, 2017

Word has it extra tissue will be placed on the desks of some House members in the coming weeks so they can dry their tears of pain.

It seems a faction of the Republican supermajority just hasn’t gotten a fair hearing – from their own party – on opposition to Gov. Bill Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, which contains a dreaded gas and diesel tax increase to rebuild the state’s roads and bridges. It’s the gas tax versus the surplus, which is pretty big at $1 billion in one-time money and another billion in extra recurring money.

13. Harwell Cites Need for Alternative Transportation Funding Plan - Thursday, April 13, 2017

House Speaker Beth Harwell says she believes it’s important to have a transportation funding plan counter to Gov. Bill Haslam’s gas tax/tax cut act after House Republican Caucus members voted to oppose the governor’s idea.

14. IMPROVE Act Could be Renamed; Alternative Plan in the Works - Friday, April 7, 2017

Legislation containing a gas-tax increase moved out of a key committee Wednesday, April 5, with proponents saying it could be called the IMPROVE Act or the 2017 Tax Cut Act because of several tax reductions designed to make it easier for Tennesseans to swallow.

15. Governor Haslam’s Fuel-Tax Bill Still Alive After Parliamentary Wrangling - Friday, March 3, 2017

NASHVILLE – Gov. Bill Haslam’s IMPROVE Act and fuel-tax increase plan remains alive after parliamentary moves Wednesday, March 1, in the House Transportation Subcommittee and action that led to the death of a competing bill.

16. Bills Aimed at Raising Permanent Funding For Road Projects Collide Again This Week - Wednesday, March 1, 2017

NASHVILLE – The chairwoman of the House Transportation Subcommittee is defiant in her handling of legislation that could have derailed Gov. Bill Haslam’s fuel-tax plan, a high-profile measure on the panel’s calendar again Wednesday, March 1.

17. Bills Aimed at Raising Road Project Funding Collide Again This Week - Tuesday, February 28, 2017

NASHVILLE – The chairwoman of the House Transportation Subcommittee is defiant in her handling of legislation that could have derailed Gov. Bill Haslam’s fuel-tax plan, a high-profile measure on the panel’s calendar again Wednesday, March 1.

18. House Subcommittee Adjourns to Assess Road Bills - Friday, February 24, 2017

NASHVILLE – An effort to take money from the sales tax to fund transportation projects statewide – in contrast to the governor’s plan – ran off the rails Wednesday, Feb. 22.

19. Norris Filing Catch-All Bill for Variations of Proposed IMPROVE Act - Monday, February 13, 2017

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris is filing legislation for the Haslam administration to catch all transportation tax and revenue-related bills in an effort to “start anew” and minimize confusion.

20. Tennessee Democrats Push to Phase Out Grocery Tax - Friday, February 10, 2017

Calling the governor’s fuel-tax plan a “slap in the face” of working Tennesseans, legislative Democrats are making a move to offset increased costs at the pump by phasing out the grocery tax.

21. View From the Hill: Legislators Feel Free to Work Against Haslam - Thursday, February 9, 2017

Democrats appear delighted about division within Republican ranks concerning Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposed fuel-tax increase, detecting a possible chink in the armor.

“How many times does the supermajority have to stab the governor in the back and undermine his core proposals before the people of the state of Tennessee wonder whether they need a different group up here?” asks Mike Stewart, House Minority Caucus chairman.

22. State Democrats Propose Eliminating the Grocery Tax - Wednesday, February 8, 2017

NASHVILLE – Calling the governor’s fuel-tax plan a “slap in the face” of working Tennesseans, legislative Democrats are making a move to offset increased costs at the pump by phasing out the grocery tax.

23. Survey of Tennessee Conservatives Finds Support for Medical Marijuana - Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Conservative voters are more likely to support legalizing medical marijuana than raising gas taxes, at least ahead of using a $1 billion surplus to pay for transportation projects.

Fifty-two percent of Republicans surveyed recently by Tennesseans for Conservative Action say they support allowing people to manage their pain with medical cannabis, in contrast to 31 percent in opposition. Thirteen percent needed more information and 4 percent were unsure.

24. Opponents of Gas-Tax Hike Push Alternative Plans - Monday, February 6, 2017

NASHVILLE – Amid legislative strife over Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposal to raise gas taxes and reduce business taxes, Rep. Barbara Cooper says she is inviting the governor to “sell” his plan to her Memphis constituents.

25. Opponents of Gas-Tax Hike Push Alternative Plans - Friday, February 3, 2017

NASHVILLE – Amid legislative strife over Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposal to raise gas taxes and reduce business taxes, Rep. Barbara Cooper says she is inviting the governor to “sell” his plan to her Memphis constituents.

26. Opponents of Proposed Gas-Tax Hike Push Alternatives - Friday, February 3, 2017

NASHVILLE – Amid legislative strife over Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposal to raise gas taxes and reduce business taxes, Rep. Barbara Cooper says she is inviting the governor to “sell” his plan to her Memphis constituents.

27. With Economic Outlook Hazy, Fed Likely to Leave Rates Alone - Tuesday, September 20, 2016

WASHINGTON (AP) – Again and again in recent months, the Federal Reserve has signaled that it's edging closer to resuming the interest-rate hikes it began in December.

It just doesn't seem to be there quite yet.

28. Bill Seeks September Session for Tennessee General Assembly - Thursday, January 14, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican state Rep. David Hawk of Greeneville is seeking support for a proposal to have Tennessee lawmakers add a September session every other year.

29. Checking the Vitals - Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Now that the Greece flare up and China arrhythmia have subsided, let’s perform a quick physical on the markets to reassess the vitals.

Interest Rates

While it’s true that the U.S. central bank seems determined to raise rates, most of the rest of the world is still cutting them. History reveals that rate movements adhere strongly to inertia. In other words, up movements last a while, down movements last a while and sideways movements last a while. To wit, 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds yield around 2.3 percent, roughly what they have yielded since mid-2011.

30. State Agrees to Close Developmental Center - Tuesday, January 13, 2015

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – State officials have agreed to close a large facility in East Tennessee that houses mentally disabled people, but local officials say they will argue to keep it open.

31. Open Gun Carry Bill Defeated in Tennessee House Panel - Wednesday, April 16, 2014

NASHVILLE (AP) – A bill seeking to allow Tennesseans to openly carry firearms in public without permits was overwhelmingly defeated a House subcommittee on Monday night.

The House Finance Subcommittee voted 10-1 against the measure sponsored by Rep. Micah Van Huss. The Jonesborough Republican later told reporters that he will abandon an effort to bypass committees and call the bill for a full floor vote.

32. Disclosure Requirement Finds Resistance in Tenn. House - Friday, April 20, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – A bill seeking to require local and regional planning commissioners to file interest disclosures with the Tennessee Ethics Commission was met with last-minute resistance in the House on Thursday.

33. The Biggest Spenders - Monday, April 12, 2010

David Simon, chairman and CEO of the nation’s largest public real estate firm, told analysts a few weeks ago during Simon Property Group’s fourth quarter earnings conference call that 2009 was a challenging year. And he doesn’t think 2010 will be much better for the company, which owns two malls in Memphis.

34. Proposal Would Move Kindergarten Cutoff Up by 1 Month to Sept. 1 - Wednesday, January 23, 2008

NASHVILLE (AP) - State lawmakers are evaluating a proposal to change the cutoff date for children to be eligible for kindergarten.

The proposal would require children to be 5 years old before Sept. 1 to qualify for kindergarten, up from the current Sept. 30 cutoff.

35. House Democrats Propose 3-Cent Cigarette Tax to Aid Veterans - Friday, June 8, 2007

NASHVILLE - The Legislature already has sent a 42-cent increase in the state's tax on each pack of cigarettes for the governor's signature. Now some lawmakers want more.

House Democrats advanced a bill Wednesday to hike the cigarette tax by an additional 3 cents per pack to pay for veterans' homes and scholarships.

36. Inner-City Scouts Get a Taste of Nature Through Great Outdoors University - Monday, April 3, 2006

A new program is helping inner-city boys get out of Memphis and into the country.

The Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) and the local council of the Boy Scouts of America formed the Great Outdoors University (GOU) earlier this year to give scouts from inner-city troops an opportunity to take field trips to some of the Mid-South's most pristine natural areas.

37. Archived Article: Memos - Wednesday, June 16, 1999
Maj Frank Colvett Jr. has been promoted to executive vice president of GreenScape Inc. He previously was vice president of marketing. Scott Perry has been named vice president of GreenScapes irrigation division. He formerly was manager of the irriga...