Republican Governors Association reports record fundraising with Haslam as chair
Press release from Republican Governors Association
WASHINGTON D.C. – The Republican Governors Association announced today $63.2 million raised in all of 2017, including $27.2 million raised in the final six months of the year, setting a new fundraising record that significantly eclipses the $52.5 million raised in 2013, the last comparable year. This fundraising success allows the RGA to strongly support incumbent Republican governors, target key Democrat-held governorships, and elect a new class of Republican governors in 36 gubernatorial elections scheduled to occur less than 10 months from now.
U.S. Supreme Court takes up state sales tax dispute; Haslam and Slatery hopeful
Gov. Bill Haslam and state Attorney General Herbert Slatery are both hailing the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments in a case they hope will authorize states to require retailers to collect sales taxes even if they have no physical presence within the state, reports the Times Free Press.
Corker ‘really happy’ with Moore defeat in AL; Haslam sees a message
U.S. Sen. Bob Corker tells the Times Free Press that Alabama Republican Roy Moore’s Senate race loss is “good for America” as well as the Republican Party so “that people understand this kind of beyond-the-pale extremism just is not going to elect Republicans to office.”
TN conservatives send money to Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore
Tennessee conservatives have been providing financial support to Republican Roy Moore in his campaign against Democrat Doug Jones, reports the Nashville Post after a review of Federal Election Commission filings. That includes a political action committee calling itself “Drain the DC Swamp,” which last week spent $10,000 on direct mail advertising.
Haslam: GOP tax bill will bring more immigration to TN from other states
Gov. Bill Haslam says more people from states such as New York, New Jersey and California are likely to move to Tennessee with enactment of a Republican federal tax package that eliminates current deductions for payment of state and local taxes, reports the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal.
As Haslam explains it, those living in states with higher tax rates currently see a greater federal tax deduction. Residents in Tennessee, a low-tax state, don’t benefit as much from the state and local tax deduction.
“That changes now,” Haslam said, speaking Monday at Nissan’s Smyrna plant. “A lot of people who live in states with income tax of 10 or 12 percent start going, ‘Huh, well, only having to pay half is not such a bad deal, but if I’m having to pay all of it, maybe I’d be better off in Tennessee.’ We think it actually will encourage both investment growth and population growth in Tennessee.”
William Fox, an economist at University of Tennessee Knoxville, said research shows tax rates can affect where people leave, but the impact is small. And there are several caveats to keep in mind with that calculation. Taxes pay for services, so when changing residences, an individual may also be giving up tax-funded services they enjoy.
“There is a small impact of taxes on where people live,” Fox said. “With the elimination of the deductibility, you make it more expensive to live in high-tax states.”
Another point to keep in mind, Fox said, is that the elimination of state and local tax deductions only affects those who itemize tax returns. Thirty percent of taxpayers itemized deductions in 2014, according to the Tax Policy Center. For those individuals, ending the state and local tax deduction would make Tennessee more attractive, he said.
Haslam: Virginia election is ‘a wake up call’ for GOP governors
Excerpt from a New York Times report datelined Austin, Texas:
For nearly a decade, meetings of the Republican Governors Association were buoyant, even giddy, affairs, as the party — lifted by enormous political donations and a backlash against the Obama administration — achieved overwhelming control of state governments.
But a sense of foreboding hung over the group’s gathering in Austin this past week, as President Trump’s unpopularity and Republicans’ unexpectedly drastic losses in elections earlier this month in Virginia, New Jersey, and suburbs from Philadelphia to Seattle raised the specter of a political reckoning in 2018.
“I do think Virginia was a wake-up call,” said Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee, who took over here as chairman of the governors association. “There’s a pretty strong message there. When Republicans lose white married women, that’s a strong message.”
Haslam elected chairman of Republican Governors Association
Press release from Republican Governors Association
WASHINGTON, D. C. – The Republican Governors Association announced today that Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam was elected to serve as the RGA Chairman for 2018. Additionally, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts was elected to serve as Vice Chairman. Both assume the positions immediately and are a one-year duration.
Corker outdoes Alexander in critique of Roy Moore
Tennessee’s two U.S. senators have issued short comments distancing themselves from Alabama U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore following reports of the Republican former judge pursuing teenage girls years ago.
Sen. Bob Corker, via Twitter on Saturday (as reported by The Hill):
Look, I’m sorry, but even before these reports surfaced, Roy Moore’s nomination was a bridge too far.
Sen. Lamar Alexander, in a prepared statement (as reported earlier by The Tennessean and echoing several other prominent GOP politicians):
“If these disturbing allegations are true, Roy Moore should withdraw from the Senate race.”
Nashville mayor joins new national group pushing city infrastructure investments
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, seen by some as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, is starting a nonprofit group with other mayors, union leaders and business executives to fund what they call innovation investments around the country, reports Politico. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, who is pushing a $5.2 billion infrastructure investment including a 26-mile light rail system, is one of the members of an initial advisory group.
TDOT chief to focus on fed road revenue in new role
News release from AASHTO
PHOENIX – The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ Board of Directors today (Friday) elected Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer, as the association’s president. Carlos Braceras P.E., executive director of the Utah Department of Transportation was elected Vice President and Scott Bennett, P.E., director of the Arkansas Department of Transportation, was elected Secretary-Treasurer.
