lobbyists

Fifteen million dollars worth of “technical correction” just went out the window according to John Rodgers:

The provision would have eliminated a tax break for commercial real estate holdings of Family Owned Non-Corporate Entities, or FONCEs. A limited liability company is a non-corporate entity.

It looks like the tax increases planned by Governor Bredesen and Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr may be in trouble. The bill has stalled.  And it appears it will remain in that state–a legislative coma, if you will.

From Tom Humphrey at the KNS:

Charles Peters of the Washington Monthly points out in the Washington Post delineates:

Nice interview at the Ticker this morning with John and Elizabeth Edwards. I thought it was interesting but they say a lot without saying anything.

Tom Humphrey explains how legislator got a lot closer to allowing lobbyists to pay for their meals when out of state:

A very interesting article appeared in the Tennessean under the byline of Theo Emery this weekend taking to task, Senator Bill Ketron for his failure to declare Rule 13

A very interesting article appeared in the Tennessean this weekend under the byline on Theo Emery taking to task, Senator Bill Ketron for his failure to declare Rule 13 until after the vote on cable compromise bill giving telcom giant AT&T the ability to enter the Tennessee cable market under conditions, more or less, of their choosing.

Ben Cunningham points out that access to this summer’s political conventions are being sold to the highest bidding lobbyists:

Ken Whitehouse reports on the deep cleavage developing between the Tennessee Ethics Commission and the legislators and lobbyists whose ethical behavior the Commission is tasked with overseeing.

By Alan M. Dershowitz