TN Labor Department failing federal mandate to pay unemployment claims

For the past eight months, Tennessee has failed to meet a federal mandate to pay out unemployment insurance claims on time.

And in recent months, the problem has gotten worse.

Now, state leaders are asking the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development for biweekly reports, and it the issue doesn’t improve then lawmakers could call a special hearing to investigate the matter further.

Labor department officials, however, say the matter should be fixed by mid-January.

“They are confident that Tennessee will be one of the leading states in the nation in improving unemployment benefits, but I know that’s no consolation to those who have been waiting weeks and months and, in some cases, six months,” said state Rep. Eddie Smith, R-Knoxville.


The state’s Information Systems Council met Wednesday afternoon with Labor Department Commissioner Burns Phillips to address his office’s backlog.

The council, which is comprised of officials from the state’s executive, legislative and judicial branches, is charged with overseeing information technology for the state and for developing policies for managing the overall information technology.

Lawmakers across Tennessee said they’ve fielded calls in recent months from those who have been approved for unemployment insurance but haven’t received any money.

As it stands, a federal mandate requires the state to pay out unemployment insurance within 21 days after approval.

Right now, the state is hovering around 50 percent, which is down from the “mid to low 60s” three months ago, Smith said.


State Labor Department spokesman Chris Cannon says the office hopes to eliminate the backlog within four weeks.

He said that the results were poorer recently because officials – as they were going through the system – found more claims in the backlog.

But, they’ve made a lot of progress in recent days.

“At the rate they’re going and clearing them – it’s happening so quickly – that easily by this time next month the bulk of that backlog should be cleared,” Cannon told WBIR on Wednesday. “It’s a slower process than anyone anticipated but it’s starting to kick into high gear and hopefully we can get everyone paid within the mandated 21 days.”

Safety center could open in 2017

State and local leaders say a Knox County safety center for the mentally ill will be up and running in 2017.

Just who pays for it remains to be seen, but officials are expecting the state to kick in a major chunk of change.

Tennessee lawmakers told WBIR 10News this week that they are counting on Gov. Bill Haslam to include money in his upcoming budget for the much-discussed facility but – if not – then officials will introduce new legislation to add the funds.

“We’re all in an agreement that we need to do something,” said state Rep. Eddie Smith, R-Knoxville. “We’ve seen the opioid epidemic in this part of the state and we’re finding that a lot of patients of opioid addiction also have some sort of mental health (problems)  . . . so we’re trying to change and chart a different course for a lot of different people in our community.”

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett agreed.

“We’re going to do it with or without the state,” he said.

The mayor added: “This is an opportunity for when those folks are arrested to divert them from the court room to a mental health professional who can diagnose them, so we don’t tie up the courtroom with needless lawsuits and don’t send mental health patients to our jails and prisons.”

For years, local leaders have talked about building what they’ve recently dubbed a “behavioral health urgent care center” to help the mentally ill and alleviate jail overcrowding.

The county has set aside $1.2 million and the city has chipped in $200,000. The state thus far has declined to provide funding, although officials earlier this year privately said they expect the Haslam administration to acquiesce and set aside some money in the coming year.

On Friday, state Rep. Smith told WBIR 10News that the local Legislative delegation has submitted a $4.5 million request to the Governor’s Office to include in the state’s proposed budget, which will be released in early February.

County and state officials want to set up a 3-year pilot program that they estimate will cost $1.5 million a year to operate.

If the governor declines to include the money, Smith said lawmakers have other options.
“Plan B is we file a grant request through the (state) mental health department and we try and force it and get it in the amended budget,” Smith said. “And then we’ll do an appropriations request if those two things don’t happen from (project) money allocated to the General Assembly, so we have a three-pronged approached.”

Smith said the state currently has a $977 million surplus in non-recurring monies and an $856 million surplus in recurring funds. He said the governor plans to include “a lot” of the non-recurring money in the upcoming budget.

Earlier this year, the county sought bids from local agencies to develop and manage the proposed safety center. Only Helen Ross McNabb – one of the few mental health and substance abuse treatment operations in the region – submitted a proposal.

The county was looking for an organization with at least 10 years’ experience in community mental health, according to the county’s initial bidding documents that detailed the request. The organization also must be able to provide a building big enough to accommodate a 72-hour jail diversion program and a 72-hour crisis stabilization until.

The county figures that the operation will initially have eight to 10 beds, but will eventually divert “upward of 4,000” patients yearly.

Not enough provisional ballots for Johnson to beat Smith for House seat

Johnson, left, and Smith, right

UPDATE: Tennessee state House candidate Gloria Johnson has conceded the race for the District 13 seat to Republican incumbent Eddie Smith.

"I'm very glad every vote was counted," she told WBIR 10News Monday afternoon. "I conceded earlier today and called Eddie Smith."

PREVIOUS: Statistically, it doesn’t appear that Gloria Johnson can beat Republican incumbent Eddie Smith to regain the 13
Election officials this morning began counting the provisional ballots that were cast in the race. Of the 597, only 86 came from voters in District 13.

Smith defeated Johnson during the Nov. 8 general election by 154 votes, according to the unofficial final returns. He led by 50.35 percent to her 49.65 percent.

Although the outcome of the election appears set, officials will continue to count the provisional ballots, which Cliff Rodgers, Knox County administrator of elections, said could take another week.

“We’re extremely pleased that we’re able to announce before lunch how many . . . provisional ballots were in that district,” he said. “This helps narrow the focus.”

Elections officials will still have to investigate whether the provisional ballots count. For example, was the voter really from the district and was the person actually registered to vote?

The difference in this year’s race was even closer than the last time they competed, when Smith won by less than 200 votes.

The two squared off in November 2014 when Johnson held the 13th District office and Smith challenged her. Smith ended up winning by less than 200 votes. More than 13,000 ballots were cast in that contest.

Some 22,000 ballots were cast on Nov. 8.

Knox officials to count provisional ballots beginning Monday morning

Smith, to left, and Johnson, on right

Knox County elections officials on Monday will begin counting and investigating the almost 600 provisional ballots cast countywide.

They’ll start at 9 a.m. at the Old Courthouse on Main Street.

From what I understand, they have to get the job completed in two weeks, and it’s going to possibly take two weeks to do it.

They’ll first weed out the ballots cast in the 13^th District state house race, in which incumbent Eddie Smith, a Republican, edged Democrat challengers Gloria Johnson by 154 votes.

Then they’ll have to investigate whether the votes should count. (i.e. were the people registered to vote, blah, blah, etc.)

Johnson, who acknowledges that her chances of winning are slim, said she wants everyone to know that every vote counts.

The county’s election commission will certify the election on Nov. 28.

Johnson seeks ballot info in tight state House race against Smith

Tennessee State House candidate Gloria Johnson has sued to get information about provisional ballots still being counted from Tuesday’s election in Knox County.

The Knoxville Democrat is seeking through an injunction in Knox County Chancery Court to get the names and addresses of those who filed provisional ballots from elections administrator Cliff Rodgers. Attorney John Eldridge filed the paperwork Wednesday afternoon.

Johnson seeks to notify the 597 people who filed provisional ballots that they have until 4:30 p.m. Thursday to submit proper identification to ensure their ballots are valid.

The ballots are the last  that need to be counted – and Johnson argues they’re key to her 13^th District  race.

Republican incumbent Eddie Smith beat Johnson by 154 votes in early and election-day returns.

The only thing left to count are the provisional ballots, which include submitted forms from voters who may have lacked proper ID while voting Tuesday.

Election officials say it could be days before the provisional ballots are finalized.

Smith declares victory, Johnson won't concede in tight state House race

Johnson, left, and Smith, right

With all Knox County precinct returns counted, state Rep. Eddie Smith led Democratic challenger Gloria Johnson by 154 votes, unofficial final returns showed.

With more than 22,000 total votes counted, Smith led by 50.35 percent to Johnson's 49.65 percent, according to Knox County Election Commission returns.

The difference in the race was even closer than the last time they competed, when Smith won by less than 200 votes.

But returns from neither provisional ballots nor absentee ballots have been released. Absentee ballots were to be counted by 11:30 p.m. or midnight Tuesday. And provisional ballots may not be known until Wednesday.

"We know this much so far," Smith said Tuesday night at GOP headquarters at the Crowne Plaza. "We won early voting and we know we won election day, and I know this, we have great people at the election commission who are working extremely hard."

Outcome to Smith-Johnson race might not be known on election night

There's a good chance that next Tuesday we might not know who won the 13th District state House race between incumbent and Republican Eddie Smith and Democrat challenger Gloria Johnson.

That's because of the provisional ballots, which could play a deciding factor in one of the most contentious local races this cycle.

The last time these two faced on in 2014, Smith won by just under 200 votes.


"It was a very close race and it was a midterm election, so we didn't have that many people voting,” Johnson told WBIR 10News. “This time, hopefully, we'll have a lot more people voting."

If the race comes that close this time around, Knox County might not know who actually won until weeks after the election.

Provisional ballots are paper ballots that are used when officials have questions about a voter's eligibility. Those votes go to a separate pile to be investigated, and then – if the voter is determined to be eligible – counted after Election Day.

After the 2012 presidential election, the county issued 396 rejection letters for provisional ballots for a number of reasons, including identification problems, failure to register or because the person who voted was a felon.

Chris Davis, assistant administrator of elections for Knox County, said the county no longer has records of how many residents voted through provisional ballots. Under state law, the county only has to keep the records for 22 months.

However, he said anecdotally, “We know from election to election that more than half of the provisional ballots won’t be counted.”

Though more than half of all provisional ballots are usually ineligible, those votes could make all the difference for races as close as this one.

"Votes matter. People staying home can affect an election, and people choosing to skip a portion of the ballot can affect an election," said Smith.

Eddie Smith, Gloria Johnson state House campaign turns 'clownish'

The contest for the 13^th District state House seat has gotten nasty.

Late last week, the state GOP (or whoever – they’re the ones who called me anyway) put out a new mailer that appears to depict Democrat challenger Gloria Johnson as a clown and says her “liberal agenda” is “just as scary as creepy clowns.”

Uhg.

Anyhoo, Johnson, issued a statement this morning denouncing the “false attacks being made by special interest groups” and called on incumbent Eddie Smith, a Republican, “to condemn the smears.”

“Tennesseans for Student Success claims to be an education focused non-profit but they have spent tremendous resources launching negative attacks that have nothing to do with education, against life-long teacher and candidate for state representative, Gloria Johnson, the statement said.  Also this week, the Tennessee Republican House Caucus began a negative attack ad against Johnson making absolutely untrue claims.”

Added Johnson: “These special interest smears against our campaign are sign of desperation because they know our message of investing in schools, making health care more affordable and strengthening the middle class is winning. Eddie Smith should tell his big money friends to pack up their dirty tricks and get out of Knoxville. Volunteer families don’t want elections bought by special interests, they want fair elections and clean campaigning.”

Johnson has scheduled a press conference at 2 p.m. today at 311 Morgan St.

As always, send over your political stuff for publication consideration.

TN House candidates Smith, Johnson face off on 'Inside Tennessee'

Gloria Johnson, left, and Eddie Smith, right

The two candidates again facing off in the battle for the 13th District state House seat are the focus of this Sunday’s edition of “Inside Tennessee” on WBIR 10News.

Incumbent and Republican Eddie Smith and Democrat challenger Gloria Johnson will sit down with reporters during the 30-minute political and public affairs program that kicks off at 9:30 a.m.

Smith and Johnson will discuss a number of issues including: health care, education, the state of the roads in Tennessee, and whether a gas tax increase is warranted.

The 13th District encompasses parts of north and south Knoxville and includes more than 62,000 residents.

Early voting has already started for the Nov. 8 general election.

Johnson won the seat in 2012, succeeding Democrat Harry Tindell, who held the seat for 22 years. Smith defeated her in 2014 by just under 200 votes.

Local politicos expect this race to be the closest of all the state House races in the Knox County area.

Sunday’s panel features moderator John Becker, WBIR reporters Mike Donila, John North and Mary Scott.

State education commissioner to meet with Knox County teachers on Tuesday

Candice McQueen talks with students in January

A group of Knox County teachers next week will speak one-on-one with the state's top education leader and the company that makes Tennessee’s new standardized tests.

State Education Commissioner Candice McQueen will host a private roundtable discussion on Tuesday with local teachers to address their concerns and talk more about the annual assessment for students.

The move comes as the state officially cut back on standardized testing this summer and created just one test for the end of the school year. The meeting also comes a few months after massive technical problems forced the state to pull the plug on its TNReady assessment testing.

The state fired the North Carolina company previously hired to operate the TNReady online testing system. In July, the governor’s office finalized a $60 million, two-year contract with Minnesota-based Questar, in a deal that officials hope will bring a better experience for teachers, parents and students.

The 90-minute roundtable meeting, which is not open to the public, takes place Tuesday at Fulton High School. It will include McQueen, a Questar representative, and about 15 teachers who were selected by their principals.

State House Rep. Eddie Smith, R-Knoxville, organized the forum in an effort to involve more stakeholders in the testing process “so we have an assessment that works for everyone” and to create more transparency between the state and local educational levels.

“Based on the failure we had last year with (former testing company) Measurement, Inc., we are just reassuring teachers how it's going to work, the process, and allow them to have feedback in the process,” Smith told WBIR 10News on Tuesday. “Something teachers have not had a great deal of input in over the last few years, we're trying to change that. And that's why we decided to have this meeting.”

Smith said the meeting will give teachers a “definitive voice in the process of how testing works in the state.”

10News contacted McQueen’s office Tuesday.

Department of Education spokesman Chandler Hopper said: “The goal of this meeting is to have an open dialogue specifically focusing on how our education system is preparing students for college and careers . . . . Commissioner McQueen is committed to incorporating educator feedback into the decisions made at the department and greatly appreciates the opportunity to hear directly from teachers.”

Rest of story HERE.

Johnson to seek state House seat

Former state Rep. Gloria Johnson today announced that she plans to run for the 13th District state House seat she held for two years prior to Republican Eddie Smith defeating her in 2014.

In a news release issued today, Johnson, a Democrat, focused, in part, on some 280,000 Tennesseans who don't have health care and roughly 100,000 students who "woke up again as special interests try to cut funding form public education."

She said:

Our neighbors deserve a Representative who will wake up every single day, committed with dogged determination to stand up and fight for Tennessee's working families who deserve better. Our children deserve fully funded public education where all kids have an opportunity to succeed, Tennessee's women deserve equal pay for equal work, and our 280,000 uninsured neighbors should not lose everything they have worked hard for just because they get sick.

The state primary is set for early August.

As always, send your political stuff to the ol' Porch for publication consideration.

SAT-10 appears dead for school year

On Sunday's Inside Tennessee (9:30 a.m. WBIR 10News), we'll talk with (new) state Sen. Richard Briggs, state Rep. Eddie Smith and school board member Tracey Sanger.

We wanted to check back in one last time with some folks who won their respective races earlier this month.

Anyhoo, as expected the whole SAT-10 thing came up in our conversation with Tracey. She said she would NOT vote to bring it back. (Remember, the school board killed testing for K-2 students - RIGHT SMACK HERE.)

However, she said the point was moot. It's not going to be get brought back any time soon.

There had been some some speculation that BOE member Doug Harris - once Tracey came on board - would try to resurrect it in December.

You see, Doug voted to kill it, but he did that because only someone on the winning side of the vote can ask to revisit a vote.

That's not going to happen. (And if it did, it doesn't look like the votes are there, even if Doug switches.)

In an email, he sent to me this morning, Doug said: "I don't have any plans to bring it back up and have sent a few emails confirming that opinion to concerned teachers/parents over the last couple of weeks."

Whether it comes back next year obviously remains to be seen. I'm guessing it will.

The school system - re: the administration and principals - have been pushing testing results and - behind the scenes - trying to get teachers to speak before the school board about how beneficial it supposedly is.

They've also released some stats that show improvements. I suspect that after one SAT-10 free year, the administration will have number that show drops.

Then it goes back to vote.

We'll see.