Thu
Jan 11 2007
06:14 pm

The Knoxville News Sentinel is reporting that the Tennessee Supreme Court decision on the validity of Knox County's charter will be issued tomorrow at 3:00 PM. Should be an interesting afternoon...

My prediction: The charter will be upheld (possibly with an order for a referendum to incorporate the changes and clarifications from the recent charter review committee ed. note: duh, see comments) and hilarity will ensue.

Johnny Ringo's picture

Already done

(possibly with an order for a referendum to incorporate the changes and clarifications from the recent charter review committee)

Those changes were adopted by referendum in the November elections.

R. Neal's picture

Duh. I completely forgot

Duh. I completely forgot about that. Thanks. So the stage is set for the fun and games to begin!

Bbeanster's picture

Tomorrow will be one of

Tomorrow will be one of those days that reporters live for. I'm going to have a hard time getting to sleep tonight. Boyoboyoboyoboy!!!!!!!!!!!

Johnny Ringo's picture

um...

Careful Beanster - your schadenfreude is showing...

Bbeanster's picture

Nah. It's not the

Nah.
It's not the destination, but the gettin' there. Although I do, as you know, have my druthers re the result, it's finding that second-day angle that's the challenge when you work for a weekly. PTL that we come out Sunday night, or it'd be a third-day angle.

Care to predict?

Socialist With A Gold Card's picture

My guess

My prediction:

The charter will be upheld, but only as amended by the voters in November. The Court will find a clever way to conclude that the effective date of term limits will be tomorrow, the day the decision is made official. That will mean that the term-limited officials already sworn in will be allowed to serve out this term, but that's it. There won't be a special election to kick the bums out. The drama will subside fairly quickly.

--Socialist With A Gold Card


"I'm a socialist with a gold card. I firmly believe we need a revolution; I'm just concerned that I won't be able to get good moisturizer afterwards." -- Brett Butler

Pickens's picture

possibilities

Part I: There's a whole range of possible results.

From one end:

charter invalid, everyone stays in office because there's no term limits

to the other end:

charter valid, everyone (commission, clerks, register of deeds, sheriff, etc.) out.

But you might get a blend of the latter, with only some getting put out. If anyone goes, my guess is that it certainly will be commissioners.

Part II:
If the latter is decided, then there's the issue of when the office holders must get out.

On one end: term limits start now, so everyone now has two terms, starting now.

On the other end: everyone out as soon as your replacements are appointed at this month's commission meeting.

In between possibilities: you can serve out the present term (commissioners and sheriff then have almost 4 years left; and some clerks have a little less than 2 years to go), to the seats are up for grabs a) in a special called election, b) when the next regularly scheduled election is held (city election this fall, next state election next year, I believe).

Feel free to add possibilities, they are probably almost limitless.

Bbeanster's picture

My prediction: Charter

My prediction:

Charter valid, but there were flaws that were "cured" by the amendments passed in November.

County Commissioners, mayor and law director are term limited. So are fee officers, except for court clerks, who are protected along with the judiciary.

Sheriff's out.

Effective as soon as the election commission can set a special election.

Pickens's picture

but I forgot

there's the kink of those people who lost to the possibly term limited office holders, but filed suit contesting whether they could be on the ballot. There was the person out in Holston Hills who took on Diane "This is my Lifestyle" Jordan, and perhaps one other suit.

If the court says these term limited folks shouldn't have been on the ballot, does that mean the person above (and whoever else I forgot), goes into office?

And I forgot, is there a chance this ruling could apply term limits to the school board?

Pickens's picture

the next prediction

if some offices are term limited, is anyone going to have sour grapes enough to try to appeal to the US Supreme Court in a desperate try to hang on to power? That could be really sad.

Bbeanster's picture

I don't think there's a

I don't think there's a federal question in this case.

Johnny Ringo's picture

Removed by author

Discretion is the better part of valor.

Knoxquerious's picture

Forget predictions

Private closed door meetings, backroom hand jobs and scotch is the only definite here. Everyone gets to finish their term regardless. KY jelly, bend over...repeat.

Bbeanster's picture

We ready!

I'm taping my ankles and running my head into the lockerroom wall in preparation for covering the day's events, starting with the commission/school board luncheon.

Should be some interesting happenings around the courthouse -- including a super-secret meeting with the law director at 4:30. They claim it's an "executive session" with their lawyer, but I maintain that, for the six of them who sued to overturn the charter, anyway, that their lawyers are John Valliant and Arthur Seymour Jr. The law director, who is paid by the taxpayers, was their opponent in this lawsuit.

Should the media crash this meeting?

Bbeanster's picture

Latest "insider" info I've

Latest "insider" info I've heard is that the SC is going to sustain Weaver's ruling and declare the charter invalid. In that case, there'll be no executive session and all will be peaceful and bright.

But, but, but.... where does this leave Knox County? What about all the actions it's taken under its home rule charter over the past 16-18 years?

I imagine I'll hear 25 more permutations over the course of the day.....

Big wheel keeps on turning.

Number9's picture

Latest "insider" info I've

Latest "insider" info I've heard is that the SC is going to sustain Weaver's ruling and declare the charter invalid. In that case, there'll be no executive session and all will be peaceful and bright.

Is this the Mayor and County Commission to bring forward a new Charter? I hope your info is incorrect.

If the SC does uphold Weaver I would be interested to see the case law. I don't see how that is possible, except of course for politics. Politics makes all things possible.

rikki's picture

contempt of common

Invalidating the charter would be profoundly antidemocratic, rendering the citizens of Knox County subservient to the competence and/or incompetence of the legal class. I will hold off on enumerating the perversions implicit in such an outcome until it actually happens. It had better not.

StaceyDs Cat's picture

here comes Herb

According to the paper's web site, Herb is trying to get the closed door meeting with the commissioners open to the public.

Scott1202's picture

Latest "insider" info I've

Latest "insider" info I've heard is that the SC is going to sustain Weaver's ruling and declare the charter invalid.

If this is the case, wouldn't they be contradicting their own ruling in Shelby County?

rocketsquirrel's picture

live coverage?

anybody got any suggestions for live coverage? somehow I don't see the TV stations breaking into Oprah or other afternoon shows for this but I'd sure like to be a fly on the wall...

R. Neal's picture

If Beanster or somebody

If Beanster or somebody wants to go down there and phone in a play-by-play I'll live blog it.

StaceyDs Cat's picture

opinion probably released here:

(link...)

I googled and found the above link.

Bbeanster's picture

Email your phone number to me and I'll call

Although you'll find out soon as I do--

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