Mon
Nov 27 2006
01:21 pm
By: R. Neal
In anticipation of the big Tennessee Supreme Court decision regarding the validity of Knox County's Charter, Mayor Ragsdale and County Commission are at odds over closed meetings to discuss legal implications of the ruling. I'd have to agree with Ragsdale on this. What do you think?
|
|
Discussing:
- Are Chat bots a waste of time? (1 reply)
- Smith & Wesson noise problem (1 reply)
- Musicians dropping out of President's Freedom Concert Series (1 reply)
- It's time for new blood in Congress, Barnett in - Burchett out (1 reply)
- Burning Down The House... (2 replies)
- Behind Lege Lies (1 reply)
- Peace (1 reply)
- Speak your truth, fight and believe. (1 reply)
- Large banks have too much AI data center debt? (1 reply)
- GOP misleading on federal health care funding (1 reply)
- Feds indict civil rights group (3 replies)
- Georgia issues burn ban, first time in state history (2 replies)
TN Progressive
- Smith & Wesson not a good fit for Blount County (BlountViews)
- Pellissippi Parkway extension delayed again (BlountViews)
- Blount County early voting record turnout (BlountViews)
- Louisville, TN, town center coming soon? (BlountViews)
- WATCH THIS SPACE. (Left Wing Cracker)
- America As It Is Right Now (RoaneViews)
- A friend sent this: From Captain McElwee's Tall Tales of Roane County (RoaneViews)
- The Meidas Touch (RoaneViews)
- Massive Security Breach Analysis (RoaneViews)
- (Whitescreek Journal)
- My choices in the August election (Left Wing Cracker)
- July 4, 2024 - aka The Twilight Zone (Joe Powell)
TN Politics
- Tennessee soybean farmers get morale boost from better prices, but future remains ‘daunting’ (TN Lookout)
- Tennessee pharmacies sell potent Ivermectin, led by anti-vaccine doctor who’s taken ‘bucketloads’ (TN Lookout)
- Republicans in US Senate left in dark by Trump on Iran deal, but want details and a vote (TN Lookout)
- Local election officials reel over ‘logistical nightmare’ of Trump’s vote-by-mail order (TN Lookout)
- Shelby County Clerk Tami Sawyer indicted by U.S. DOJ for using $44k in public funds for personal use (TN Lookout)
- After One Big Beautiful Bill Act, 100,000 Tennesseans’ lose SNAP food aid (TN Lookout)
Knox TN Today
- Fort Sanders, rewound (Knox TN Today)
- The Book Whisperer suggests special novels for June (Knox TN Today)
- The Johnsons (Knox TN Today)
- Larry Kerr + ‘Dream it. Do it.’ + Faye Cardwell (Knox TN Today)
- Mama said…“ Don’t burn your bridges.” (Knox TN Today)
- TSSAA approves basketball shot clock by 2029-30 season (Knox TN Today)
- Young Reader’s Shelf: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Knox TN Today)
- Wesley House Community Center invites the community to Friends of Wesley Breakfast (Knox TN Today)
- 6/17 HEADLINES: News and events from Knox, World, USA, Tennessee & Historic Notes (Knox TN Today)
- Applications now open for 2026 STRIVE veteran entrepreneurship cohort (Knox TN Today)
- Youth Scoop: Activities for all ages in Knox & area (Knox TN Today)
- War time drive at Knoxville High School (Knox TN Today)
Local TV News
- Greeneville begins planning for new landfill as growth increases demand (WATE)
- TN physicians warn immigration reporting law could have life-threatening consequences for critically ill children (WATE)
- Repaving of Alcoa's Diverging Diamond Interchange to impact traffic (WATE)
- Knoxville nonprofit CareCuts expands services with free telehealth clinic (WATE)
- Knoxville to commemorate Juneteenth with parade and festival (WATE)
- Knoxville pro golfer tees up for sixth straight Women's PGA Championship (WATE)
News Sentinel
State News
- Immigrant org, La Paz Chattanooga, tries to bridge immigration perspective at local club - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Amazon to create 300 new jobs with new Chattanooga delivery station - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Teen charged in connection with disappearance of Collegedale man - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Vols’ new strength coach may play key role in Baylor star DGG’s decision - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
Wire Reports
- S&P 500 futures are little changed as oil ticks higher, traders await Fed rate decision: Live updates - CNBC (Business)
- System may strengthen into Tropical Storm Arthur near Texas coast - WDSU (US News)
- Group planned to attack White House UFC event using snipers and drones, FBI says - BBC (US News)
- Read the 14-Point Draft Memorandum Between the US and Iran - Bloomberg.com (US News)
- Inflation and Kevin Warsh take center stage at the Federal Reserve’s interest rate meeting - NBC News (Business)
- US primaries in Oklahoma, Georgia, others: Key takeaways from the results - Al Jazeera (US News)
- 1 killed when small plane crashes on Texas highway. People leave vehicles to try to help - AP News (US News)
- DOJ aims to block suit over Musk data center pollution, citing national security - The Washington Post (Business)
- US Attorney for Minnesota charges 15 anti-ICE protesters, alleging ties to antifa groups - 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS (US News)
- OpenAI burned $3.7 billion in first quarter of 2026- The Information - Investing.com (Business)
- Oil slides on Iran supply hopes; bond yields pushed lower before Warsh debut - Reuters (Business)
- Protests break out in Senatobia following death of 1-year-old Kohen Wiley after police shooting - localmemphis.com (US News)
- B-52 bomber crash came as Air Force was upgrading legendary workhorse - Los Angeles Times (US News)
- Anthropic Ban Stirs Concerns at OpenAI and Beyond of Crackdown on Foreign AI Talent - The Information (Business)
- Carvana moves into new-car dealerships - Baton Rouge Business Report (Business)
Local Media
Lost Medicaid Funding
To date, the failure to expand Medicaid/TennCare has cost the State of Tennessee ? in lost federal funding. (Source)
Search and Archives
TN Progressive
Nearby:
- Blount Dems
- Herston TN Family Law
- Inside of Knoxville
- Instapundit
- Jack Lail
- Jim Stovall
- Knox Dems
- MoxCarm Blue Streak
- Outdoor Knoxville
- Pittman Properties
- Reality Me
- Stop Alcoa Parkway
Beyond:
- Nashville Scene
- Nashville Post
- Smart City Memphis
- TN Dems
- TN Journal
- TN Lookout
- Bob Stepno
- Facing South

In this instance ...
I'd have to agree with Ragsdale. Let the sunshine in. Why would they have a problem with letting the public view the debate over term-limits and such? What do they have to hide?
"You can't fix stupid..." ~ Ron White"
Ragsdale's right. Open up
Ragsdale's right. Open up the meetings. Politicians have ignored the will of the people way too long. -- s.
I think Mark Harmon has it
I think Mark Harmon has it about right. If the Commission needs advice on the legal effect on the County of actions the Commission might take, an executive session might be appropriate to maintain attorney-client confidentiality.
For instance, if the Commission were thinking of authorizing a lawsuit or taking action that might cause someone to sue the County, there might be questions they would need answered by the County's attorney in a setting where the adversarial party could not be sitting in the audience listening to the answer.
IMO, however, the Law Department should not be advising the individual commissioners regarding the legalities of anything affecting the commissioners as individuals.
This is true regardless of whether such advice would be in public or in private, to the whole assembled Commission, or to individuals privately, about the charter, or term limits or anything else.
The Law Department should not represent the commissioners individually. Commissioners should hire their own attorneys if they seek advice about their individual legal matters. In fact, they pretty much all have hired their own attorneys regarding term limits already.
I agree with Mark who agrees with Mark
This case is not about individuals, contrary to what Diane Jordan says. It's about whether Weaver was correct in invalidating the charter, and if not, to whom do term limits apply. I see no need for commissioners, particularly those who may well be effectively out of office when this decision comes down to have an "executive session."
I presume the court will instruct them, and I presume they will follow those instructions -- although, based on past behavior, I realize that's pretty presumptuous on my part to presume any such thing.
And maybe, if Weaver is reversed, the plaintiffs should be ordered to pay court costs.
Can anyone tell me
If the charter is constitutional, then the eight term limited leave office. Will they automatically be replaced by the people who ran against them in the last election and lost?
If the charter is ruled unconstitutional, then what happens? Who's left in charge? Does the Supreme Court have any say in this since there will be no one left in office?
Be a blessing to someone today.
My guess is...
and it is only a guess, the State Supreme Court would probably order a special election at the same time as their decision if it upholds the term limits. They would probably set a time limit on holding the election as well, but give enough time for the ballots to be set and all that stuff.
"You can't fix stupid..." ~ Ron White"
That would be pretty wild.
That would be pretty wild. Greg Mackay only THOUGHT he'd get a breather before the 2007 city elections.