Here is the GOP’s omnibus anti-COVID 19-restrictions bill
Republicans lawmakers are pushing to outlaw COVID-19 vaccine requirements for customers and employees and coming closer to banning mask mandates in schools. Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) in introducing the omnibus amendment acknowledges many elements are “contrary to the tenets we hold sacred” as far as pro-business polices are concerned. But Johnson says current circumstances require a special response.
Here’s the amendment:
AMEND Senate Bill No. 9014 House Bill No. 9077*
by deleting all language after the enacting clause and substituting instead the following:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, is amended by adding the following as a new
title:
Title 14 – COVID-19
Chapter 1 – General Provisions
14-1-101. Definitions.
As used in this title, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) “Adverse action” means to:
(A) Discriminate against a person by denying the person employment, credit, insurance, access, products, services, or other benefits; or
(B) Discharge, threaten, or otherwise discriminate against an employee in any manner that affects the employee’s employment, including compensation, terms, conditions, locations, rights, immunities, promotions, or privileges;
(2) “Applicant” means a person who has applied for employment with an employer;
(3) “Arising from COVID-19” means caused by or resulting from the actual, alleged, or possible exposure to or contraction of COVID-19, or caused by or resulting from services, treatment, or other actions in response to COVID-19, including, but not limited to:
(A) Implementing policies and procedures to prevent or minimize the spread of COVID-19; however, “arising from COVID-19” does not include implementing policies and procedures that violate this title;
(B) Testing;
(C) Monitoring, collecting, reporting, tracking, tracing, disclosing, or investigating COVID-19 exposure or other COVID-19-related information;
(D) Using, designing, manufacturing, providing, donating, or servicing precautionary, diagnostic, collection, or other health equipment or supplies, such as personal protective equipment;
(E) Closing or partially closing to prevent or minimize the spread of COVID-19;
(F) Delaying or modifying the schedule or performance of any medical procedure; or
(G) Providing services or products in response to government appeal or repurposing operations to address an urgent need for personal protective equipment, sanitation products, or other products necessary to protect the public;
(4) “COVID-19” means the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and coronavirus disease 2019, commonly referred to as COVID-19, including any variant of SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19;
(5) “COVID-19 vaccine” means a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide protection against COVID-19, prepared from the causative agent of COVID-19, its products, or a synthetic substitute, and treated to act as an antigen without inducing a COVID-19 infection
(6) “Employer” means a person, private business, or governmental entity employing one (1) or more persons within this state;
(7) “Face covering” means a protective covering designed to be worn over the nose and mouth to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but “face covering” does not include an industry required mask;
Continue readingSexton threatens abstentions on Ford deal if there is no second session on COVID-19 mandates
House Republicans may sit on their hands rather than vote for a $500 million incentive package for Ford’s massive investment in West Tennessee if there isn’t going to be another special session on COVID-19 mandates, Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) said Friday.
“If there wasn’t a special session, you’d have members who vote against [the Ford deal] in the House,” Sexton told WWTN-FM. “Instead of getting the 90-plus votes that is like everyone’s in unison with the decision and wanting Ford, you’d be in the 70s. It would still pass, but is that really the message you want to send to the biggest investment in Tennessee history?”
Gov. Bill Lee has called a special session for the week of Oct. 18 to address issues related to the Ford deal. He extended his executive order allowing parents to opt their school children out of mask mandates on Thursday and said he wants to fight against federal rulings and orders about the issue in court rather than in the General Assembly.
That’s not good enough for some GOP lawmakers.
“You just have members who are like, If I’m in East Tennessee, and it’s great that we landed that in West Tennessee, but I’ve got families and parents over here and who need help and we’re not doing anything to help them. And why can’t we?” Sexton said.
“Members at that point may choose to vote for it anyway or they may choose to say I may not vote no, but I’m not going to vote yes,” he said.
One issue Sexton said lawmakers may want to take up is whether businesses should be subject to lawsuits from workers they require to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Currently they have absolute immunity if an employee has a reaction to that vaccine,” Sexton said. “So, I think it’s important for us to go in and take a look and say if you do a mandate on your employees then you shouldn’t have the immunity to where they don’t have any repercussions if that happens.”
The business community is likely to take a dim view of lifting liability protections enacted amid the pandemic.
Sexton and Senate Speaker Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) issued a joint statement on Friday:
The Ford megasite deal is transformational for Tennessee, and we look forward to working with Gov. Lee to finalize this project as part of his special session call for Ford Motor Company. At the same time, we have heard from many Tennesseans seeking relief from burdensome Covid-19 mandates being imposed upon them. We are working together per our state constitution to call an additional special session upon the completion of the megasite session to address issues surrounding Covid -19.”
7 Tennessee companies get top rating from Human Rights Campaign
Seven Tennessee-based companies received the highest rating for their policies toward LGBTQ employees in the latest Corporate Equality Index by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. They are AllianceBernstein, Asurion, Bass Berry & Sims, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Genesco, Haven Behavioral Healthcare, and Unum Group.
Seven other companies rated at below 40 on the group’s 100-point scale: Autozone, International Paper, Community Health Systems, Delek Holdings, Envision Healthcare, Lifepoint Health, and Tractor Supply Company. The last two received zero out of 100.
Here’s the full release from the Human Rights Campaign:
WASHINGTON – America’s leading companies and law firms are stepping up in record numbers to adopt increasingly forward-looking policies and practices to meet the needs of their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workers in the U.S. and abroad, according to the 2020 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) released today by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization.
In the most rigorous assessment of LGBTQ-inclusive workplace policies and practices to date, a record of more than 680 companies have been designated a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality by the HRC Foundation for their efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results, earning them a 100 percent rating. Top-scoring companies include seven in Tennessee.
In total, 1059 companies and law firms were officially rated in the new CEI, up from 1028 in last year’s survey. The report also unofficially rated 122 Fortune 500 companies, which have yet to respond to an invitation to participate in the CEI survey assessing their LGBTQ policies and practices. The average score for companies and law firms based in Tennessee is 70 percent. Of the 25 companies ranked, seven earned 100 points, 13 earned 90 points and above, and 15 earned 80 points and above.
For the first time, HRC this year is giving special recognition to the 11 companies that earned top marks on all three of HRC’s workplace equality assessments: the CEI, as well as Equidad MX and Equidad CL. HRC’s groundbreaking Equidad program recognizes Latin American companies and U.S. multinational companies for their work in Mexico and Chile.
“These companies know that protecting their LGBTQ employees and customers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do — it is also the best business decision. In addition, many of these leaders are also advocating for the LGBTQ community and equality under the law in the public square,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “From supporting LGBTQ civil rights protections in the U.S. through HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act, to featuring transgender and non-binary people in an ad in Argentina, to advocating for marriage equality in Taiwan — businesses understand their LGBTQ employees and customers deserve to be seen, valued and respected not only at work, but in every aspect of daily life.”
| Employer | Headquarters Location | State | 2020 CEI Rating |
| AllianceBernstein LP | Nashville | TN | 100 |
| Asurion LLC | Nashville | TN | 100 |
| Bass, Berry & Sims PLC | Nashville | TN | 100 |
| BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee | Chattanooga | TN | 100 |
| Genesco Inc. | Nashville | TN | 100 |
| Haven Behavioral Healthcare | Nashville | TN | 100 |
| Unum Group | Chattanooga | TN | 100 |
| Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC | Memphis | TN | 90 |
| Bridgestone Americas Holding Inc. | Nashville | TN | 90 |
| Change Healthcare | Nashville | TN | 90 |
| Dollar General Corp. | Goodlettsville | TN | 90 |
| Eastman Chemical Co. | Kingsport | TN | 90 |
| Nissan North America Inc. | Franklin | TN | 90 |
| FedEx Corp. | Memphis | TN | 85 |
| Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. | Lebanon | TN | 80 |
| First Horizon National Corp. | Memphis | TN | 75 |
| HCA – Hospital Corporation of America | Nashville | TN | 70 |
| Regal Entertainment Group | Knoxville | TN | 60 |
| AutoZone Inc. | Memphis | TN | 40 |
| International Paper Co. | Memphis | TN | 30 |
| Community Health Systems, Inc. | Franklin | TN | 20 |
| Delek US Holdings | Brentwood | TN | 20 |
| Envision Healthcare Holdings Inc. | Nashville | TN | 20 |
| LifePoint Health | Brentwood | TN | 0 |
| Tractor Supply Company | Brentwood | TN | 0 |
Ernst & Young announces 600 new jobs in Nashville
Gov. Bill Haslam announces on Nov. 13, 2018, that Ernst & Young will add 600 jobs in Nashville. (Erik Schelzig, Tennessee Journal)
A press release from Gov. Bill Haslam’s office:
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe and Ernst & Young LLP (EY) officials announced today that the global professional services firm will invest more than $20 million to establish a facility to deliver tax managed services for clients and tax technology operations in Nashville. EY expects to create more than 600 jobs over the next five years.
“EY’s decision to create hundreds of technology and service delivery jobs in Nashville affirms our ongoing efforts to bring high quality jobs to Tennessee,” Haslam said. “Tennessee’s pro-growth policies continue to attract leading international businesses to our state. I’d like to thank EY for making this major investment in Middle Tennessee and bringing us one step closer to making Tennessee the top state in the Southeast for high quality jobs.”
UPDATE: Amazon to invest $230M, add 5,000 jobs in Nashville
Gov. Bill Haslam announces on Nov. 13, 2018, that Amazon will locate its East Coast logistics hub in Nashville. (Erik Schelzig, Tennessee Journal )
Here’s a press release from Amazon outlining its $230 million and adding 5,000 jobs in Nashville.
Amazon’s new Operations Center of Excellence in Nashville
- Downtown Nashville, along the Cumberland River, is the heart of the city just north of the Gulch and is home to urban living, retail, restaurants, entertainment venues, hospitality, open green spaces, and offices. The area is served by commuter rail, more than a dozen bus routes, and is a 15-minute drive to Nashville International Airport.
- As part of Amazon’s investment, Tennessee, Davidson County and the city of Nashville will benefit from 5,000 full-time, high-paying jobs; over $230 million in investment; 1 million square feet of energy-efficient office space; and an estimated incremental tax revenue of more than $1 billion over the next 10 years as a result of Amazon’s investment and job creation.
- Amazon will receive performance-based direct incentives of up to $102 million based on the company creating 5,000 jobs with an average wage of over $150,000 in Nashville. This includes a cash grant for capital expenditures from the state of Tennessee of $65 million based on the company creating 5,000 jobs over the next 7 years, which is equivalent to $13,000 per job; a cash grant from the city of Nashvilleof up to $15 million based on $500 for each job created over the next 7 years; and a job tax credit to offset franchise and excise taxes from the state of Tennessee of $21.7 million based on $4,500 per new job over the next 7 years.
“We want to thank Amazon for its continued investment in the state of Tennessee and are excited about the additional 5,000 corporate jobs they will be creating in Nashville,” said Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee. “It has never been clearer that Tennessee is a great place to do business, and we continue to attract a wide variety of global companies that provide high-paying, quality jobs for our residents.”
“Amazon’s decision to expand its presence in Nashville is a direct result of the talented workforce and strong community we’ve built here,” said Mayor David Briley of Nashville. “These are quality, high-paying jobs that will boost our economy, provide our workers with new opportunities, and show the rest of the world that Nashville is a premiere location for business investment. We thank Amazon for investing in Nashville, and we look forward to welcoming them to this community.”
—
8:49 a.m.: Reuters reports that while Nashville might not have made the final cut for Amazon’s second headquarters (that one appears to be a split decision between New York and northern Virginia), the Tennessee capital is in line for a separate East Coast hub of operations. That decision will be good for 5,000 new corporate jobs in the city, according to the news services’ sources.
A press conference for an unspecified “significant economic development announcement” was scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Central at the state Capitol.
TN politicians praise Supreme Court decision on states collecting taxes from on Internet sales
Overturning older decisions, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that states may require most online retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases made by their residents. The 5-4 decision came in a South Dakota case that had seen Tennessee’s attorney general joining in support of South Dakota’s effort to begin requirement collection of the taxes.
Tennessee’s state Department of Revenue issued a new rule in 2016 requiring internet sellers to collect state and local sales taxes from their Tennessee customers. State legislators let the new rule stand, but implementation has been stalled awaiting court action.
Fitzgerald Glider blames EPA rules — which Diane Black sought to block — as it cuts production, lays off employees
Fitzgerald Glider Kits, the Crossville-based company that stirred controversy earlier this year over dealings with U.S. Rep. Diane Black involving EPA rules for the old diesel engines it uses in producing trucks, has slashed its production and is laying off many employees, reports the Upper Cumberland Business Journal. The company blames EPA rules, which Black had pushed to repeal.
Folks reported ‘flocking’ to first TN hemp dispensary — offering ‘pain relief’ through ‘mother nature’
People are “flocking” to the first hemp dispensary in Tennessee, which recently opened in Murfreesboro, says WTVF TV in a report that seems almost an advertisement for cannabidiol oil (CBD) sales – legalized by the state legislature two years ago with little fanfare and previously peddled on a mostly incidental basis within the state. Such sales led to a big bust in Rutherford County earlier this year, but all charges were dismissed after law enforcement officials realized candy contained CBD derived from hemp, not its illegal cousin plant marijuana, is legal in Tennessee and TBI labs confirmed that was the stuff being sold.
Former mayoral candidate and business partner buy Nashville Scene and Nashville Post
The company owned by Nashville entrepreneur and former mayoral candidate Bill Freeman and his longtime business partner Jimmy Webb has acquired the Nashville Scene, the Nashville Post and Nfocus from holding company SouthComm, according to an article in the Scene.
Gibson goes from Trump, Blackburn darling to Chapter 11
Nashville-based guitar maker Gibson has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company’s products were featured at the White House last year as part of President Donald Trump’s “Made in America Product Showcase.” And in 2011, Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz was the guest of U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Brentwood) at then-President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address. Juszkiewicz had blasted the Democratic adminstration for raids on Gibson factories to seize exotic wood imported in violation of environmental laws. Gibson the following year agreed to pay a $300,000 penalty to get federal prosecutors to drop the criminal case.
