state lawmakers

Shortly after I posted this story earlier today, I went to breakfast and found the story below in the Chicago Tribune.

From WSMV:

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Former state Sen. Kathryn Bowers of Memphis has begun serving her federal prison sentence for bribery.

From AP:

Bowers reported Monday afternoon to a federal prison camp at Greenville, Ill. She pleaded guilty to accepting bribes during an FBI investigation called Tennessee Waltz that led to convictions of 5 former state lawmakers.

Your humble blogger has long been under the impression that local officials are powerless to stop the spread of title-pawn and check-cashing businesses; that state lawmakers would be the ones to regulate them.

Your humble blogger has long been under the impression that local officials are powerless to stop the spread of title-pawn and check-cashing businesses; that state lawmakers would be the ones to regulate them.

Now that state lawmakers have decided to let certain commercial real-estate tycoons off the hook on taxes, they're desperately looking for an extra $15 million to plug the budget hole. One possible target?

Matt Pulle does a bit of court and code sleuthing after the Br

There’s a good editorial over at the Tennessean on the open records games being played in the legislature.  I’d rather see the update to the open records killed than see the intimidation tactics codified.  The amendments are all about re-election efforts, a heads-up if you will, on what may show up in a mail piece.