Here are the 10 most-read TNJ: On the Hill posts through the first half of 2023
We’ve made it halfway through the year. So herewith are the most-viewed posts on the TNJ: On the Hill blog through July 1.
10. Leaked audio of House GOP meeting reveals anger at being ‘hung out to dry’ on ousters.
Tennessee House Republicans were not happy about how last week’s ousters of Democratic lawmakers went down. Two black members, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, were expelled, while Gloria Johnson, who is white, escaped sanction by a single vote. The Tennessee Holler was leaked audio of a closed-door GOP caucus discussion that involved much finger-pointing at members who did not follow through on promises to oust Johnson, including Reps. Jody Barrett of Dickson.
9. April 19: Read the language of the ‘extreme risk’ amendment backed by Lee.
Gov. Bill Lee is backing an “extreme risk” order of protection bill to block access to firearms for up to 180 days for people who might be a harm to others. The move comes in the aftermath of the mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville.
8. April 6: Here is how lawmakers voted in ousting Jones and Pearson, keeping Johnson.
7. March 7: Full-page newspaper ad says Gov. Bill Lee ‘enjoyed drag.’
The Human Rights Campaign is running a full-page ad in the The Tennessean featuring a photo of Gov. Bill Lee wearing women’s clothing while in high school. “This kid enjoyed drag. Guess what happened to him?” the ad says. “He’s our governor.”
6. April 5: Activist Kanew says his home fired upon while family was sleeping.
Liberal activist Justin Kanew, who has outraged Republican lawmakers by chasing them through hallways of the Capitol complex asking them pointed questions, says his home was fired upon over the weekend while his family was sleeping. “This violence has no place in a civilized society and we are thankful no one was physically hurt,” Kanew said in a tweet.
5. March 12: Cade Cothren, Steve Gill, and the Tennessee Star take aim at McNally
Indicted former House chief of staff Cade Cothren, controversial political commentator Steve Gill, and the conservative Tennessee Star website are suggesting Senate Speaker Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) should resign over Instagram comments directed at risqué photos posted by a 20-year-old Knoxville man.
4. May 29: School choice group’s poll finds Campbell, Yarbro, O’Connell atop Nashville mayor’s race.
A Tennesseans for Student Success poll finds Democratic state Sen. Heidi Campbell leading the Nashville mayor’s race with 22% support. Fellow Sen. Jeff Yarbro is next with 17%, followed by Metro Council member Freddie O’Connell with 16%.
3. April 3: House GOP files resolutions to oust 3 Democrats.
House Republicans have filed resolutions to oust three Democratic members — Justin Jones of Nashville, Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, and Justin Pearson of Memphis — for their staging a gun protest from the well of the chamber.
2. Jan. 29: Legendary lobbyist Tom Hensley dies at 80.
Tom Hensley, the legendary lobbyist known as “The Golden Goose,” has died. Hensley had been hospitalized in Nashville for two moths after sustaining a head injury in a fall. He passed away after being moved to a rehabilitation center in Decaturvillle. He was 80 years old.
1. April 15: Williamson County GOP officials resign over alleged ‘self-dealing’ in leadership contest.
Officials responsible for putting together a leadership election for the Williamson County Republican Party have resigned over what they are calling “fraud, misconduct, and corrupt self-dealing” by state GOP leadership and state executive committee members Steve Allbrooks and Cindi Miller. The latter is the wife of Tracy Miller, who is seeking to become the new chair.
Year in review: The most viewed TNJ posts of 2022
Here are the 10 most-viewed TNJ: On the Hill blog posts of 2022, counting up to the
10. Whoever signed this Phoenix Solutions document has some explaining to do.
March 8: An IRS W-9 form submitted to the General Assembly in January 2020 carries the signature of Matthew Phoenix, right under a section outlining the certification is made “under penalties of perjury” that the person signing the document is a “U.S. person.”
9. Trump endorses Ortagus in GOP primary for 5th District.
Jan. 25: Former President Donald Trump is endorsing Morgan Ortagus, a former spokeswoman to then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, for the Republican nomination in the new-look 5th Congressional District being vacated by U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Nashville).
8. Casada, Cothren indicted on federal bribery, kickback charges.
Aug. 23: Former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his onetime chief of staff, Cade Cothren, have been indicted on federal bribery and kickback charges. The FBI arrested both at their homes. Casada is retiring from the House this year after stepping down from the speakership amid scandal in 2019. He was overwhelmingly defeated in his bid for Williamson County Clerk earlier this year.
7. TNJ exclusive: Lee chooses Campbell for Tenn. Supreme Court.
Jan. 12: Republican Gov. Bill Lee is naming associate state solicitor general Sarah Campbell to the bench of the Tennessee Supreme Court, The Tennessee Journal has learned. Campbell, 39, is an associate solicitor general and special assistant to state Attorney General Herbert Slatery.
6. Read Vanderbilt hospital’s letter to lawmakers on transgender clinic.
Oct. 7: Vanderbilt University Medical Center says no minors have received genital procedures at its transgender clinic and that all patients were at least 16 years old and had parental consent. The hospital told Rep. Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) it will pause gender affirmation surgery on patients under age 18 while it seeks advice from local and national experts, a process that could take several months.
5 Here’s the backstory on the Andy Ogles attack ad.
July 18: We found Ogles appeared as a co-owner of a Franklin home between 2005 and 2015, though for reasons unknown he was not listed on the rolls in the 2013 tax year. While it’s true that property tax payments were late on nine occasions, that includes years where the Ogles family was as little as one or two days behind the deadline. But in other years it took as many as 194 and 322 days to pay the tax bill.
4 Former Tennessee first lady Honey Alexander dies at 77.
Oct. 30: Honey Alexander, who was married to former governor and U.S. senator Lamar Alexander for 53 years, died Saturday at her home outside Maryville. She was 77.
3. Rep. Ron Gant survives head-on crash.
Oct. 25: State Rep. Ron Gant was flown by helicopter for treatment at a Memphis hospital after the vehicle he was driving was struck in a head-on collision in rural West Tennessee. The other driver died in the crash.
2. Lee declines signature on ‘truth in sentencing’ bill.
May 5: Gov. Bill Lee has declined to sign a “truth in sentencing” bill championed by legislative Republicans to require people convicted of violent crimes to serve all of their sentences behind bars, The Tennessee Journal learned.
1. Hargett charged with DUI after Bonnaroo visit.
June 18: Secretary of State Tre Hargett has been charged with drunken driving after attending the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Coffee County. Hargett was at the event from Friday afternoon through around 11:30 p.m. when he was stopped by Tullahoma police. He was given a blood test and charged with DUI.
Here are the 10 most-read TNJ blog posts so far this year
Here are the most read stories on the TNJ: On the Hill blog through the first half of the year:
10. GOP attorney John Ryder dies. May 15.
9. Here’s who is retiring from the General Assembly this year. March 29.
8. Guess who’s back? Judge restores Starbuck to ballot. June 3.
7. Lee chooses Campbell to fill Supreme Court vacancy. Jan. 12.
6. Drew Alexander, son of former governor, dies at 52. Jan. 1.
5. Robin Smith resigns, pleads guilty. April 7.
4. Ex-girlfriend testifies Cothren had her register PAC for him. Jan. 14.
3. Lee declines to sign ‘truth in sentencing’ bill. May 5.
2. Trump endorses Ortagus in 5th District. Jan. 25.
1. Hargett charged with DUI after Bonnaroo visit. June 18.
Most read TNJ blog posts of 2021
The TNJ: On the Hill blog has published 326 posts in 2021. Here are the 10 that garnered the most attention from readers:
10. Speaker Sexton strips Griffey of committee assignments. March 25, 2021.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton stripped Rep. Bruce Griffey (R-Paris) of his committee assignments. The move comes after Griffey’s unsuccessful attempt earlier this week to pull an e-verify bill that had earlier been defeated in a subcommittee straight to floor. Griffey was later restored to his committees.
9. GOP lawmaker levels impeachment threat over bust removal. March 15, 2021.
Rep. John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge) introduced legislation declaring that statues on the second level of the state Capitol — including a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest —shall never be altered. And it would be an impeachable offense for any governor to do so. The bill the didn’t pass and the bust was later moved to the Tennessee State Museum.
8. Ford picks Memphis Regional Megasite for $5.6B electric vehicle and battery plant. Sept. 27, 2021.
Ford announced plans to build a $5.6 billion electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facility on the sprawling Memphis Regional Megasite. The Dearborn, Mich-based automaker said the project dubbed Blue Oval City will create nearly 6,000 jobs.
7. Sexton threatens abstentions on Ford deal if there is no second session on COVID-19 mandates. Oct. 1, 2021.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton threatened that Republicans could sit on their hands rather than vote for the incentive package to secure Ford’s massive investment in West Tennessee if there wasn’t going to be another special session on COVID-19 mandates. While Gov. Bill Lee ultimately declined to call another session, Senate Speaker Randy McNally dropped his opposition lawmakers calling themselves back to Nashville. The Ford incentives passed overwhelmingly.
6. How they voted: House COVID bill limps across finish line. Oct. 30, 2021.
After much chest-beating and saber-rattling, the House backed off on several provisions of its special session bill aimed at blocking COVID-19 vaccine and mask requirements. When the final vote was taken at 1:15 a.m. on a Saturday, the measure received the support of just 57 Republicans — a significant drop from the unanimous 73 who signed on to the petition to hold the the special session.
5. 79 special session bills have been filed in the House, but here are the 8 that matter most. Oct. 27, 2021.
House members submitted dozens of bills in advance of a special session aimed at dialing back COVID-19 mandates (among other things). But the last eight dropped in the hopper before the filing deadline are the ones most worth paying attention to. They all had one key thing in common: their sponsors were House Speaker Cameron Sexton and his Senate counterpart, Randy McNally.
4. Fired chief vaccine officer’s husband ran against erstwhile Lee ally Casada. July 13, 2021.
The state’s firing of its top vaccination officer, Michelle Fiscus, sparked national outrage. Fiscus grabbed the media spotlight by claiming she had become a scapegoat for conservative lawmakers’ anger over the department’s efforts to vaccinate teeenagers against COVID-19. There was a political subcurrent to the firing. Fiscus’ husband, Brad, ran as an independent candidate against state Rep. Glen Casada in last year’s election, finishing third.
3. Tennessee congressional delegation recoils at Capitol incursion. Jan. 6, 2021.
U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, who called for active duty troops to be activated to quell social unrest during last year’s campaign, denounced the breach of the U.S. Capitol by demonstrators supporting President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his electoral loss. “What is happening at the U.S. Capitol right now is not peaceful, this is violence,” Hagerty said in a tweet. “I condemn it in the strongest terms. We are a nation of laws and this must stop.”
2. Former commissioner reports Rep. Weaver to DC police. Jan. 14, 2021.
A former commissioner in then-Gov. Ned McWherter’s administration reported state Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster) to law enforcement for taking part in Washington protest that turned into a riot. “I respectfully inform you that Terri Lynn Weaver… was a participant,” Dudley Taylor wrote to D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee. “She posted photos and informed The Tennessean, the daily newspaper in Nashville, that she was ‘in the thick of it.’ She claimed to be a ‘patriot,’ of course.”
1. Last place you’ll ever visit? Tennessee’s vaccine policy becomes late-night TV fodder. July 15, 2021.
Late-night TV comedian Stephen Colbert is taking aim at Tennessee’s decision to fire its vaccine chief and stop marketing any immunizations to children. “Tennessee, the Volunteer State, has one of the worst vaccination rates in the country,” Colbert said in his monologue Wednesday. “And they aim to keep it that way.”
Colbert suggested the state is proud of it’s anti-vax ways, and his program created a new tourism ad to suit: “Discover Tennessee: Scenic lakes, beautiful state parks, and soon: polio!” the ad’s narrators says. “There are just so many things to do — and catch — in Tennessee.”
U.S. Capitol incursion, bust removal among top stories of first half of 2021
Here are the 10 most-viewed posts on the TNJ: On the Hill blog through the first half of 2021.
10. New PAC takes aim at Gov. Bill Lee’s re-election bid. April 29, 2021.
9. Knoxville ballpark, Tebow charity among entities getting grants in Lee budget. April 14, 2021.
8. Hagerty names Jim Henry as state director. Jan. 13, 2021.
7. Feds rescind effort to lock in Medicaid changes made by Trump administration. Feb. 23, 2021.
6. FBI visit to Tennessee Capitol sparks jitters. March 10, 2021.
5. Here are the projected amounts headed to TN cities and counties under the COVID relief program. March 30, 2021.
4. Speaker Sexton strips Griffey of committee assignments. March 25, 2021.
3. GOP lawmaker levels impeachment threat over bust removal. March 15, 2021.
2. Tennessee congressional delegation recoils at Capitol incursion. Jan. 6, 2021.
1. Former commissioner reports Rep. Weaver to DC police. Jan. 14, 2021.
Year in Review: The most viewed TNJ blog posts of 2020
Here are the Top 10 most viewed stories on the TNJ: On the Hill blog this year.
1. June 11: Sethi seeks to make political gain out of coronavirus pandemic.
2. May 11: Things get interesting in the open 1st District race.
3. Aug. 5: Hagerty does some creative accounting to obscure Romney donation.
4. March 30: Lee’s stay-at home order in detail.
5. April 20: Protest leader demands free refills.
6. April 20: The lockdown ends.
7. July 16: Hagerty launches the negative ad barrage.
8. Dec. 15: We’re No. 1.
9. Jan. 19: In like Flinn.
10. Nov. 13: Most signed, some didn’t.
Farewell to the commentariat
Dear readers:
The TNJ: On the Hill blog is turning off its comments section.
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