Haslam to detail 2nd piece of agenda

Gov. Bill Haslam tomorrow plans to announce the next piece of his NextTennessee legislative plan, policy proposals aimed at building and sustaining economic growth and the state’s competitiveness for the next generation of Tennesseans.

His first part included raising the gas tax by 7 cents.

Following the brief announcement, Haslam will join Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen at 10 a.m. for “Clear and Guided Pathways for High School Students,” an event to highlight Tennessee’s Drive to 55 and efforts to support students from K–12 to college to career.

Gas tax hike to fund Chapman fixes

As Gov. Haslam calls for a gas tax increase to help fund road improvements, one major project on TDOT's wish list is Chapman Highway.

Anyone who regularly drives the 10 mile stretch of Chapman Highway from South Knoxville into Seymour knows it needs upgrades.

TDOT cites "safety" as the reason.

Every day, tens of thousands of drivers flood that corridor. TDOT says more than 30,000 vehicles travel the north end on a daily basis and more than 22,000 vehicles pass through the southern portion.
The corridor in question stretches from Blount Avenue in South Knoxville, just across the Henley Bridge, to Boyds Creek Highway in Seymour, touching parts of Knox, Blount and Sevier counties.

"We have a lot of traffic flow on this highway and makes it a very dangerous highway," Tim Geagley said.

He would know a thing or two about safety. He's a firefighter and advanced EMT with the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department, as well as a Sevier County 911 dispatcher.

"Chapman Highway is one of those roads where we have worked an accident, like, every hundred yards along its length," Geagley said. "There's been an accident at some point along the whole length of this highway."

RELATED: Haslam plan calls for 7-cent gas tax hike, cuts to grocery sales tax

With no designated left turn lane along much of the route and some tight bends and hills, it's no wonder why TDOT lists "safety" as the reason for needed improvements.

"I believe we work at least one to two accidents per week on this stretch of road," Geagley said.

RELATED: Gov. Bill Haslam speaks on gas tax, legislative agenda

Haslam is proposing a gas tax increase - the first hike in nearly 30 years - of 7 additional cents for a gallon of gas and 12 extra cents for diesel.

"I'm in favor for that," Geagley said. "If it's going to, you know, help with the safety on this road, yes."

John Linsenbigler wears two badges. He's the Seymour Volunteer Fire Department's executive administrator and president of the Seymour Area Chamber of Commerce.

In both roles, he said, he's in favor of improvements to this stretch of Chapman Highway.

"There's a lot of commercial property that's available on the Chapman corridor, from John Sevier down to Highway 411," he said. "If they get this done, get the left turn lane in, that would open up more businesses for safe travel."

It won't be a swift process, however.

"Any time construction goes on, local businesses usually suffer because of reduced traffic," Linsenbigler said. "I look forward to the finished product ... It's not going to happen quickly because of the amount of below utility and infrastructure they have to put in."

TDOT estimates the cost of the Chapman Highway improvement project at nearly $45.3 million.

Altogether, Haslam said, the gas tax increase would raise an estimated $278 million to fund 962 road projects across all of Tennessee's 95 counties.

The governor hopes to have most of the backlog construction projects at least underway within six years.

Boyd 'considering' 2018 run for gov

Knoxville businessman and baseball team owner Randy Boyd “is considering” plans to announce his 2018 candidacy for governor within the next month.

The move comes as the longtime philanthropist and Republican steps down as the state’s economic and community development commissioner to return to the private sector.

"Most people are encouraging me to run, so it's something I am considering,” Boyd told WBIR 10News Monday. “It's a big sacrifice but there are so many things Gov. Haslam has started like the ‘Drive to 55,’ like the commitment to helping our rural communities. I want to make sure that momentum continues. If I were to run, it would be to make sure that happened.”

Incumbent Republican Gov. Bill Haslam is term-limited and leaves office after 2018.

Other top Republicans rumored to make a run at the job include two members of the U.S. House of Representatives – Diane Black and Marsha Blackburn – and state Speaker of the House Beth Harwell.

In addition, state Sen. Mark Green, R-Clarksville, has filed the paperwork to run.

On the Democratic side, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Nashville businessman Bill Freeman are rumored to join the fray.

The gubernatorial general election is set for November 2018.

Boyd announced last week that he was stepping down from his job as Haslam’s go-to person for economic growth and development in order to return to the private sector. He leaves at the end of the month.

Boyd heads Radio Systems Corp., which he created, develops area real estate and also owns the Tennessee Smokies AA baseball team. He also chairs tnAchieves, the partner organization to Tennessee Promise.

Haslam, a former Knoxville mayor, tapped Boyd in 2013 to serve as a special adviser in higher education, part of a strategy to boost post-secondary training of the state's workforce.

Haslam has previously credited Boyd with bringing some 50,000 jobs to the state and $11 billion in capital investments.

In 2013, he served as the special advisor on higher education to the state where he spearheaded the Drive to 55 initiative and Tennessee Promise.

Boyd told WBIR that on Monday alone he was approached seven times from people asking him his future political plans.

He told 10News that he plans to take the first couple of weeks of February to decide if running for governor is right for him.

"Most of the concerns are personal,” he said. “The travel, the being away. But as far as the work is concerned, I'm very comfortable that I could do the work. I'm excited about the progress we've made in education, the progress we've made in economic development, progress to help our rural communities. Those are the things that would energize me to do it.”

He added that at one time he felt campaigning was tedious, but he now feels it’s a way to meet people around the state.

"The more I've thought about it the more I've thought about it it's really governor training school,” he said. “You're basically spending your time out talking to people. If I were to run, I know I'm not the best speaker in the world, I'm certainly not the best debater. But I'd like to strive to be the best listener. Just being able to travel around the state and be a great listener and hearing people's concerns I think it would be really fun and rewarding. I think it might be something I would really enjoy.”

Senators talk $925M surplus 'myth'

State lawmakers keep talking about a so-called $1 billion surplus, but two key members of the local Legislative delegation say the number is more a myth than a reality.

As it stands, the state might have roughly $925 million in extra money this year, but much of it has already been allocated.

The topic is part of this Sunday’s edition of “Inside Tennessee” on WBIR 10News.

The guests are Knoxville Republican state senators Becky Duncan Massey and Richard Briggs.

The discussion comes as the General Assembly convened on Jan. 10.
 
Briggs said Gov. Bill Haslam’s finance team met with state lawmakers recently to talk about the surplus.

Briggs and Massey didn’t want to get into too much detail, but both agreed that there is roughly “$100 million to $150 million” that hasn’t been allocated.

“I call (it) a little bit the myth of the myth of the one billion dollars,” Briggs said. “At this point, there’s going to be about $200 million – I don’t want to go into some of the details – that’s going into education. We have some of the built-in increases that happen every year due to the TN Care increase and we forget that with this affordable care act, we had about 60,000 or 70,000 people that were in the woodwork who are eligible for TN Care that never signed up for it. They’re forced to do that now or they’ll take a penalty.”

He said money also will go to “completely fund our retirement fund” and paying “back the other half that we borrowed back earlier in the 2000s when we had some deficits from the road fund.”

“We did half of that last year – we’re going to do the other half this year. That’s no secret. That’s about a 120 or $130 million . . . and then we have the investments we need to make on building maintenance that’s been delayed over the years,” Briggs added. “One other thing when we talk about all of this money that’s important – we do have some cash in hand but much of those are projections and we really don’t know what’s going to happen to the economy. If it projects out then we will have more money but it’s all not discretionary that we can spend.”

Massey said the surplus came from a “combination of fiscal responsibility” and revenues from business growth.

“Part of the surplus is in recurring dollars which there is a number of pots that almost take it before we even get to look at it . . . and then about half of it is non-recurring, which can be used more for short-term projects,” she said. “But I can guarantee you there’s a lot of people who have some wonderful ideas and significant needs and we’ll have to look at what’s the best return on the investment.”

The 30-minute political and public affairs program, which was taped Thursday, kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WBIR.

Panelists include WBIR reporter Mike Donila, attorney Don Bosch and governmental relations specialist Susan Williams.

WBIR Anchor John Becker serves as the show’s moderator.

Randy Boyd leaving state economic development commissioner post

Randy Boyd

Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd is leaving his state post as Gov. Bill Haslam's go-to person for economic growth and development in order to return to the private sector.

Boyd's time as commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development will end at the end of the month, according to a state announcement Monday afternoon.

Folks, this is the beginning. My guess is expect his gubernatorial announcement in February or March.

On Monday afternoon Boyd tweeted: "Sad to leave ECD, but we are all still Team Tennessee. It has been an honor to serve with so many amazing people. WE ARE TEAM TENNESSEE.

Boyd heads Radio Systems Corp., which he created, develops area real estate and also owns the Tennessee Smokies AA baseball team. He also chairs tnAchieves, the partner organization to Tennessee Promise.

More: Boyd buys Old City site

Haslam, former mayor of Knoxville, tapped Boyd in 2013 to serve as a special adviser in higher education, part of a strategy to boost post-secondary training of the state's workforce.

Boyd went on to become economic development commissioner, a post he held two years.

"The state of Tennessee has gained so much from Randy’s service. To put it simply: without Randy, there is no Tennessee Promise or Drive to 55 or a comprehensive approach to job growth via workforce development,” Haslam said in Monday's statement. “I will miss his energy, passion and deep commitment to bringing economic growth and success to every corner of the state, and I am grateful for everything he has done for Tennessee."

Boyd said in a statement that he was "thankful for the opportunity to serve the governor and the people of Tennessee."

"Now, I look forward to returning home to Knoxville to continue to find ways to best serve our state," he said.

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.

Haslam: Neighbors helping neighbors

It’s been a very tough month for our state.

At least eight counties in Tennessee experienced tornadoes and severe weather Tuesday night. We know of two fatalities in Polk County and injuries in Polk, Marion and McMinn counties, along with extensive property damage in the region.

Tuesday afternoon, I went to Sevier County to be briefed and see damage from wildfires – the largest fire in Tennessee in a hundred years. The Tennessee Department of Health has confirmed seven fatalities as a result, and there are a number of injuries and individuals missing or unaccounted for. More than 400 personnel and almost 100 fire apparatuses are supporting the firefighting effort in Sevier County. As governor, I am incredibly grateful for the way people have worked together across departments and local, state and federal government. The cooperation has been incredible.

The state is doing and will continue to do everything we can to support Sevier County. I’ve received calls from the governors of every neighboring state offering their help, and President Obama, President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Pence have called to offer their sorrow and pledged to do everything they can to help.

Sevier County is a special part of our state and a special part of the world, and it remains that. Our hearts are broken at the loss of life and loss of property, but there is good news, too. The people who settled this area were pioneers, and they still have that spirit. They are already hard at work taking care of each other and getting their lives and businesses back up and running. Millions of families have visited Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, and they will continue to.

TEMA and the Tennessee Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster have set up a call center (866-586-4483) for information about donating goods and volunteering to help survivors. For the latest updates on the situation in Sevier County, visit http://www.tnema.org/.

***

Last week, I visited Woodmore Elementary and Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, following the tragic bus crash that claimed the lives of six young children.

You’re not supposed to have elementary classrooms with empty desks. The sorrow all of us feel is incredibly deep.

I couldn’t be more proud or more grateful for the way Chattanooga and Hamilton County responded – teachers reassuring children with familiar faces, neighbors coming out to hold kids’ hands, first responders who saw things no one wants to see, medical professionals at Erlanger treating children, and the community filling up the school and hospital with food and toys and almost crashing a community fund website with their support.

This tragedy has raised a lot of questions about school bus safety. The state is taking a comprehensive look at the issue, everything from how local school boards select contractors, to how drivers are hired, to ensuring the safety of the equipment, to whether seat belts are appropriate. We need a fresh conversation about how to keep students safe.

***

Let me mention a few other things from the past month:

• We held our annual veterans ceremony, honoring five state employees who served our country in uniform. Click here to see our video honoring the +500,000 veterans who call Tennessee home.
• We conducted our annual budget hearings, where each department in state government laid out its objectives and proposals for the next fiscal year. You can click here for access to footage and presentations from the hearings. 
• Nov. 1 marked the deadline for the state’s groundbreaking Tennessee Promise scholarship program, and 60,780 high school seniors applied. That’s up from 58,286 applicants in 2014 and 59,621 applicants in 2015. Also on the Drive to 55 front, we announced the 10 colleges and universities receiving a total of $24.3 million in Drive to 55 Capacity Funds to support enrollment increases. 
• We also announced the 25 assistant principals from across the state who will participate in the 2017 Governor’s Academy for School Leadership (GASL), a program that helps build a pipeline of highly trained school principals and leaders. 
• The holiday season is upon us. On Monday, we lit the Capitol Christmas Tree, and once again, Crissy and I want to invite you to the Tennessee Residence for our “Tennessee’s Home for the Holidays” open house, December 2-16. Click here to register for free tickets.

Finally, I know the thoughts and prayers of this state are with our neighbors who are suffering. As I’ve traveled to Chattanooga and Sevier County over the past week, I’ve seen and heard countless examples of neighbors helping neighbors. The way Tennesseans respond to tragedy is incredible, and I couldn’t be more proud to be your governor.

Bill

Presidential write-ins skyrocket in 2016; names serious and silly

The 2016 presidential election could go down as "the year of the write-in vote" in Tennessee.  The names submitted include the serious, bizarre, and silly.

In Knox County a total of 3,837 voters wrote in a name for president, more than seven times the amount submitted in the 2012 presidential election when 528 voters wrote-in a candidate.

Even Governor Bill Haslam was so dissatisfied with the major parties' presidential nominees, he wrote-in a candidate Tuesday rather than vote for fellow Republican Donald Trump.

Haslam declined to say who he picked, but jokingly conceded “my person did not win.”

So, who did Haslam vote for?

Maybe the governor voted for science fiction's Buck Roger.

Perhaps Haslam could have cast one of the five votes for "Giant Meteor."

Or did his vote go to Dolly Parton?  She received three write-in votes, but we know she's not interested in the gig.  Parton tweeted on election day, "I've been told a few times I should run for President, but I think there are enough boobs in the race already."

The governor himself was a popular write-in candidate in Knox County, with various spellings of his name garnering a total of 123 votes.

Those are just a handful of the 758 unique names Knox County voters took the time to write in as presidential candidates on Tuesday’s ballot, according to an 18-page list that local election officials provided to WBIR 10News.

FULL LIST: The list of write-in candidates submitted in all of Tuesday's races

The catch?  Almost none of them counted.  Write-in candidates must be certified prior to the election to be eligible for Tennessee's 11 electoral college votes.

There were only eight certified write-in candidates, according to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office:  Darrell L. Castle, Cherunda Fox, Tom Hoefling, Kyle Kenley Kopitke, Laurence Kotlikoff, David Limbaugh, Evan McMullin, and Marshall Schoenke.

Castle got about 120 votes; Hoefling got around a dozen; Kotlikoff neared 10; Limbaugh got three; and Fox, Schoenke and Kopitke received nada.

McMullin pulled in more than 1,300 votes, making the former CIA operations officer and independent candidate from Utah the big write-in vote winner.  But he still lost.

Zombie-buster Rick Grimes has routinely received write-in votes in recent years, earning him the same obligatory status as other candidates who almost always make the list:  Mickey Mouse, Daffy Duck, Goofy, Snoopy, Peyton Manning, and Chuck Norris.

Former professional wrestler Ric Flair received three votes from people who apparently wanted to "Make America Woo Again."  If only Flair could have gotten one more vote, he would have had the figure-four.

As usual, there were many names just too lewd, crude, and rude for online news and television broadcast.

There were also names of television broadcasters.  Some folks kindly wrote in votes for WBIR 10News reporter Mike Donila and anchor Russell Biven.

The write-in list goes on and on, ranging from historical figures, cartoon characters, to burnt toast.

The bottom line is thousands of people wanted a candidate other than Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.  Well, except for one voter who wrote in "Hillary and Trump."

The next local election – it’s a city primary contest only – isn’t until August 2017.

Expect the fun to continue then.

8 qualifiy as presidential write-ins

Earlier this month, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said he wasn't voting for Republican Donald "I promise I respect women more than you do" Trump, and suggested writing in the human groper's vice presidential running mate, Mike Pence.

Anyhoo, guess what? It won't count.

Yep. There's an actual list of "qualified" write-in candidates who will count, according to the Secretary of State's Office.

Here they are:

• Darrell L. Castle
• Cherunda Fox
• Tom Hoefling
• Kyle Kenley Kopitke
• Laurence Kotlikoff
• David Limbaugh
• Evan McMullin
• Marshall Schoenke
• Mike Donila

Heh. Kidding about that last one, but you can write him in anyway.

State Rep. Joe Armstrong retires

State Rep. Joe Armstrong has retired in the wake of his federal felony tax evasion conviction and just days before the Tennessee General Assembly will meet for a special session.

"I look forward to being a constituent," He told WBIR 10News on Friday. "I look forward to making the calls rather than receiving the calls."

Armstrong said he filed the paperwork on Thursday with the governor's office, the House speaker and the majority leader.

A jury in August found the long-time East Knoxville Democrat guilty of filing a false and fraudulent tax return, but declined to convict him on two other charges - conspiracy to defraud the United States, and attempting to evade and defeat taxes.

He has since appealed and is seeking a new trial.

However, he can no longer represent the 15^th District in the state House or hold any other public office because of the conviction.

As a result, the Knox County Democratic Party picked Rick Staples to replace him in the November general election. He faces independent Pete Drew and write-in candidate Rhonda Gallman.

Rest of story right HERE.

Past Knoxville annexations at stake

Gov. Bill Haslam says he is concerned about a controversial bill that would let neighborhoods annexed after 1998 vote to leave their cities.

The State House approved the deannexation bill Monday night by a vote of 65-24.  The Senate could vote on the bill later this week.

The growing deannexation debate could ultimately shrink six cities in Tennessee, including Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Johnson City, Kingsport, and Cornersville.

For more than six decades, communities across Tennessee could simply pass an ordinance to forcibly expand their city limits, whether the people who owned the annexed property liked it or not.  In 2014, the state passed a law requiring residents to vote in favor of joining a city before their property can be annexed.

Knoxville voluntarily stopped forcible annexation more than a decade ago when Bill Haslam was mayor.

However, the 1990s and early 2000s were a time of rapid expansion under former mayor Victor Ashe.
Knoxville grew by 26 square miles during his time as mayor, mostly through what was nicknamed "finger annexation" that extended the city limits in the shape of fingers along the interstates.

Map of Knoxville city limits.

Knoxville mayor Madeline Rogero said she opposes the deannexation bill and believes it goes too far by trying to turn back the clock 18 years.

"These are properties that have been part of the city for a couple of decades," said Rogero.  "We have not heard an outcry for deannexation, so we're a little puzzled why this is actually making its way through the legislature.  Plus, Knoxville already stopped forcible annexation more than a decade ago."

Rogero said deannexation would present a large problem because the city has installed water, sewer, and other services in those neighborhoods.

WBIR 10News searched our archives for stories about residents upset with annexation in Knoxville after 1998.  One neighborhood was the Mount Pleasant subdivision near Clinton Highway and Schaad Road in the summer of 2000.  We contacted the same people in those stories from 2000 and none of them still lived in the annexed neighborhood.  We also visited the neighborhood and spoke to several residents, but all of them moved to the subdivision after it was part of the city.

Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero

 The same way many people may have bought property because it was in the county before annexation, today's residents may have purchased the same property specifically because it was inside the city limits.

"You have so much turnover, a lot of people may have moved into an area expecting it to be part of the city where they enjoying police protection, fire protection, 311 services, brush pickup, all of those things we provide that you don't get outside of the city," said Rogero.

Deannexation means the city would also lose out on some property taxes.  Rogero said if every annexed neighborhood left the city, it would add up to around $377,000 in annual property taxes.  That figure is actually much smaller than you may expect based on how much property Knoxville annexed in the late 1990s.  Rogero noted only residential property would be eligible for deannexation and much of Knoxville's annexed property was zoned for commercial use.

"We would lose some tax dollars, but it could also potentially cost us more to provide services because there would be a patchwork of houses that are in or out of the city.  You have these donut holes and the city would not be contiguous, so it would be an inefficient way to provide services," said Rogero.

State lawmakers in favor of the bill say the law would give people an opportunity to make a decision that was made for them.  They also point out residents would be able to vote to stay in their respective cities.

The bill says a referendum could take place if 10 percent of an area's population petitions for a deannexation vote.

Full details on the deannexation bills can be found at the links below:

House Deannexation Bill 0779 - Tennessee General Assembly

Senate Deannexation Senate Bill 0749 - Tennessee General Assembly 

Knoxville Council member seeks more information on proposed Regal move

Well, at least ONE elected official has publicly asked questions about the proposed Regal move that up until a heavily controlled press conference that included ousting protesters has been about as transparent as mud.

Here ya go:

At Tuesday's city council meeting, City Councilman Nick Della Volpe asked for more details about Regal Entertainment Group's move to Knoxville's south waterfront.

His comments came toward the start of the meeting, when council members may present reports. Discussion of the city's proposed deal with Regal was not on the agenda.
Della Volpe, who represents the 4th District, spoke up about 10 minutes into the meeting, saying he has been receiving comments from the public.

"You know, there's two sides to the coin," he said. "One is, of course, it's great to have a good business like Regal in our downtown and the workers here using the facilities and the restaurants and the businesses that are here and helping to support that and the waterfront."

"The other," he continued, "is sort of the economic wisdom of putting out $9 million to make that happen on the city's part. We are obviously the biggest player in that."

Gov. Bill Haslam and state leaders announced on Friday afternoon plans for the relocation of the site of Regal Entertainment Group's headquarters to the South Knoxville waterfront. The company's headquarters are currently located 10 miles away from that, in the Halls community.

Haslam said Regal has the intentions of adding approximately 70 new jobs with its relocation.
Local and state government are set to give a combined $12 million as part of the move. That includes $1.5 million from the state, $1.5 million from Knox County, and $9 million from the city of Knoxville. Regal will pay an estimated $4-5 million in renovations.

Rest of story RIGHT HERE.

A look at Regal: Funding the move

Regal's HQ will relocate to S. Knoxville

Here’s the city’s release on the Regal relocation – RIGHT SMACK HERE.

Not really sure what to say. You either like it or you don’t. Gov. Bill Haslam called it a “game changer” for South Knoxville.

I’m not sure I’d agree. Some 75 new jobs in exchange for more than $12 million in taxpayer monies is like $160K in folding coin per job.

That doesn’t exactly scream “bargain” to me. (I mean, in theory, those spaces would have been filled whether Regal moved or not. Right? But I digress.)

And whatever.

Maybe it is.

If the overall riverfront project is in danger and this is the only way to save it – and I’m not saying it is in trouble – then the Regal move would be significant. Maybe that’s the cash infusion that’s needed to keep it moving along. Or not.

Still, I don’t know about you, but I don’t want a pile of rubble sitting on the riverfront for the next 20 years. So this could be one of those instances where ya just hold your nose and vote for it. Or not.

MORE: Regal headquarters moving to South Knoxville waterfront

I think in five, six or so years – provided the entire development is complete – no one will give much thought to the move or how much was spent.

Now, here’s where they’ll get the money to fund it:

The county’s $1.5 million will come from end-of-the-year surplus.

The state’s $1.5 million will come from “I’m not sure where.” (No, seriously, I don’t know. Heh. I suspect there’s some type of economic development account or something.)

The city’s $9 million will come from: existing funds ($1.1 million); bonus/unexpected Hall tax revenues ($3.6 million); end-of-the-year surplus ($600,000); and reserves ($3.7 million).

The city actually has a pretty healthy reserve tank by the way.

And that's good.

The last time the city needed to come up with $10 million (ahem, pensions) it raised taxes. Now, that’s not going to happen for this project. It’s a one-time deal.

But, if taxes are raised maybe in a year or two? Oh man.

9 seek open Tn Supreme Court seat

Nine men are applying to take over the Tennessee Supreme Court seat vacated last month by East Tennessean Gary Wade.

According to the Administrative Office of the Court in Nashville, the nine are: Matthew P. Cavitch of Eads; Thomas R. Frierson of Morristown; Mark A. Fulks of Johnson City; Ted M. Hayden of Gallatin; Robert D. Meyers of Memphis; Herbert S. Moncier of Knoxville; Robert H. Montgomery Jr. of Kingsport; Roger A. Page of Medina; and Larry Scroggs of Germantown.

The Governor's Council for Judicial Appointments will consider the candidates Oct. 27. The council interviews any who apply and then nominates three candidates for the governor to consider.

Gov. Bill Haslam, by order, can pick from among the three nominated or require the council to submit a panel of three additional nominees.

The chosen candidate can come from either West Tennessee or East Tennessee. The five-member court already has two justices from Middle Tennessee.

Wade, of Sevier County, retired Sept. 8 to become vice president and dean of Lincoln Memorial University's Duncan School of Law downtown.

From the Knoxville area, Moncier is among the most high profile candidates. He has practiced law for decades and his clients have included accused serial killer Thomas D. "Zooman" Huskey. He also filed litigation in the 1990s challenging then Knox County Sheriff Tim Hutchison as well as the failure of officer holders to comply with a local prohibition against serving more than two elected terms.

Moncier's ability to practice in federal court was suspended for several years but he continued to practiced in state court.

Election set for state Rep. seat

From the good folks at the Knox County Election Commission:

As we had anticipated, Gov. Haslam today issued the Writ of Election for the vacancy of Office of State Representative, District 14, as a result of Ryan Haynes’ resignation on May 27, 2015. And, as we had specifically requested, Gov. Haslam has set the date of Wednesday, August 12th to hold the primary elections for nominations by statewide political parties and has further set the date of Tuesday, September 29th to hold a general election to fill that vacancy.

Therefore, the Knox County Election Commission (“KCEC”) will immediately begin issuing qualifying petitions for that election. The qualifying deadline for those petitions will be Thursday, July 2nd at NOON and the withdrawal deadline will be Thursday, July 9th at NOON. Early voting for this primary election will begin on Thursday, July 23rd and will run thru Friday, August 7th.

The KCEC would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank both former Rep. Haynes and Gov. Haslam for coordinating fully with this office by taking their respective actions when they did. By doing so, both have ensured that the Writ of Election sets election dates which will save substantial costs for the State of Tennessee and will minimize confusion for the voters of Knox County by eliminating one additional election date for this special election since the date of the general election for this house seat will now be the same as the election date for the City of Knoxville Primary Election on September 29th.

Victim Life Photo Bill becomes law

Allen, left, with Haslam

District Attorney General Charme Allen was with Governor Bill Haslam today in Nashville as he signed the Victim Life Photo Bill into law, according to a release from the DA's office. The signing ceremony was the culmination a yearlong effort by victims' families, General Allen, and other elected DAs from across the state.

General Allen and her staff visited with state legislators multiple times throughout this legislative session to stress the importance of this bill. Victims' rights groups such as HOPE for Victims, which was co-founded by Joan Berry, zealously advocated for the passage of this important legislation.

The new law, which will take effect July 1, allows prosecutors in murder trials to show the jury a photograph of the victim while they were still alive.

“Murderers are present in murder trials. Tragically, murder victims are not," Allen said. "The jury should have the opportunity to see murder victims as they lived, not as they appeared in crime scene or autopsy photos. Prior to the passage of this law, many courts prohibited prosecutors from displaying photographs of the victim taken during their life. From this point forward, jurors will now be able to see the victim as they judge the fate of the accused.”

Parker appointed to replace McNutt on Knox County Election Commission

Republicans in the local Legislative delegation appointed Hannah Parker, a media relations expert, to the Knox County Election Commission.

Parker, who worked for Bill Haslam when he was mayor and governor, replaces Rob McNutt on on the 5-member panel.

The state lawmakers on Thursday also re-appointed the commission’s chairman, Chris Heagerty, and Robert Bowman, both attorneys, to fill the other two slots Republican slots.

“It was a very close vote and there was a lot of discussion,” said state Rep. Ryan Haynes, chairman of the delegation.

Haynes declined to say how members voted.

“I’m tremendously honored for the opportunity to serve and look forward to working to ensure that elections are conducted fairly and with integrity,” Parker told WBIR 10News Thursday. “I don’t have any reason to believe that hasn’t been the case, but that was my main reason for wanting to participate (on the commission).”

The Democrat members of the Legislative delegation will make their appointments in the coming days.

Cassandra McGee Stuart, who works at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and lawyer Tammy Kaousias currently represent the party on the commission.

Under state law, the political party that holds a majority in the General Assembly also holds a majority on local election commissions. The local delegation makes the appointments, which are then rubberstamped by state Election Commission.

Parker joined Knoxville-based PR firm Moxley Carmichael in June 2014. Prior to that, she served in Gov. Haslam’s administration as deputy for operations. She also worked in the Office of Policy and Communications for Haslam during his tenure as Knoxville’s mayor.

She will take over as director of community relations for the Emerald Youth Foundation on March 9.

In her cover letter to state lawmakers, she noted: “As a lifelong Knoxvillian, I genuinely care about our community. Should I have the honor of being selected as an election commissioner, I will serve with the utmost integrity, putting policy over personality and always seek to maintain the public’s trust in our election process.”

Local political insiders expected the delegation to keep Heagerty and Bowman, but McNutt’s appointment was in question.

A number of insiders felt he was picked back in 2011 only to help oust then-Knox County Elections Administrator Greg Mackay, a Democrat.

A few years prior, Republicans attempted to replace Mackay, but then-commissioner Paul Crilly voted with the two Democrats to retain him. Upset, the delegation replaced Crilly with McNutt.

The commission, with McNutt on board, then ousted Mackay in a 3-2 vote, and later hired current administrator Cliff Rodgers.

Rodgers has since been unanimously retained once and is expected to be kept the next time the commission votes, which more than likely will be in April.

A number of state lawmakers were upset with McNutt after it was revealed that he voted outside his precinct more than half a dozen times prior to his appointment on the commission.

His strongest supporter on the delegation was former state Rep. Steve Hall, who lost his re-election bid last year.

The commissioners and the administrator of elections serve two year terms, although the administrator serves at the pleasure of the panel. Neither is term-limited.

State of State and Schools on WBIR

We will be streaming tonight's State of the State address and tomorrow's State of the Schools address on WBIR.com and on 10News 2.

Public not in loop about Insure TN

This is interesting. There was a poll sent out Friday about Insure Tennessee. This is from the Tennessean via WBIR 10News:

Although the vast majority of Tennesseans don't know much about Gov. Bill Haslam's Insure Tennessee plan, support for the measure outpaces opposition, according to poll results released Saturday by Middle Tennessee State University.

The legislature will begin a special session on Monday to consider Haslam's plan to extend health care coverage to about 200,000 people who make too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to buy coverage on their own. The expansion is possible through federal funds designated by the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

According to the MTSU poll, two-thirds of Tennesseans have heard a little or nothing about Insure Tennessee. On the other hand, 10 percent have heard a lot and 23 percent have heard some about the plan.

You can read the full story HERE and check out the poll as well.

Knox Co. vets respond to possible cuts to state tax relief program

Following our story yesterday, Rebecca Habegger talked to veterans about the tax relief program that is in possible danger. You can find her story RIGHT HERE.

Essentially, Gov. Bill Haslam is looking to cut funding for the program from $33 million to $29 million at a time when local officials say it actually needs another $5 million to maintain the status quo.

The plan – dubbed the "Property Tax Relief Program" – provides property tax rebates statewide for more than 150,000 disabled veterans and their surviving spouses, and senior citizens who earn $28,270 or less annually.

Under the plan, low-income seniors receive tax relief for the first $25,000 of their assessed property. Veterans who were disabled while serving get relief on the first $175,000 of their assessed property.

Here's our initial story RIGHT HERE.