Photo Credit: Vanderbilt University
“I can’t think of a more quintessential public forum than Legislative Plaza.”

 
US Dist. Court Judge Aleta Trauger ruled she would not contest the ACLU’s request for a temporary restraining order against the State’s banning last week of overnight protests on the Legislative Plaza in Nashville, adding a “permit fee” and requiring million-dollar insurance. The ACLU argued the State specifically intended to stop protests by Occupy Nashville, which were small and peaceful. The text of the Judge Trauger’s ruling. Attorneys for the State didn’t attempt to argue against the ACLU; more. Stories from before Monday’s court hearing from: the Commercial Appeal, the Nashville City Paper, the Tennessean.


The TN GOP issued a statement on the Occupy Nashville group and their supporters, saying they “might also offer to pay for the decontamination crew”. The Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists officially protested the arrest of Nashville Scene journalist Jonathan Meador. A protester from Occupy Memphis, Elizabeth Drake, had traveled to Nashville and been arrested. Video from October 29’s arrests, via TN Report.com. Judge Trauger’s District Court biography.

You can follow the Livestream broadcasts here: Occupy Memphis and Occupy Nashville. Their websites are here: Occupy Memphis and Occupy Nashville. And Facebook pages are here: Occupy Memphis and Occupy Nashville.

Shelby County Commission: They approved nearly one million dollars in grants for HIV/AIDS care and treatment. The commission also sent back a planned redistricting map for fine-tuning. Commissioner Steve Mulroy will propose a dog abuse ordinance.

Education: A Tennessee Higher Education Commission study for 2011 shows that Teach For America produces more effective teachers but only 15-30% stay beyond the required minimum. A tiny bit more from the Daily News. Related story from January of this year. THEC website. Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman is proposing cutting back and streamlining part of the teacher evaluation process. More from the Nashville City Paper.

Memphis City Council: They will discuss pension and benefit reform for City employees in today’s meeting. The City and the unions have been clashing for months. An increase in the hotel tax is also on the agenda. Wrecker-service rules will also get a vote. Council agenda here; Council website here.

Beale Street: Tiffany Tate was charged with aggravated assault for stabbing musician John Ingram over the weekend. It may be pursued as a hate crime.

Business: The Memphis franchisee for Dunkin’ Donuts will open a combined DD and Baskin-Robbins store on Poplar Avenue; more from the Business Journal and the Daily News.

Via the Commercial Appeal, What to Do. The Daily News provides Today’s Events. And thanks to the Business Journal, we find People on the Move.

Memphis Daily News: The continue the celebration of their 125th anniversary.

Financial: Add SunTrust and Regions Financial to the list of banks who won’t charge a debit card fee. More from WMC, the Business Journal.

Mississippi: The US Supreme Court denied an attempt by the NAACP to force the Legislature “to immediately redraw the lines or let lawmakers run in their current districts in 2011″. The result was what State officials had expected. Farm interests strongly oppose increasing the State’s power of eminent domain, which is on the ballot; a bit more. A case of eminent domain from 2000, which bears on today.

Gas Prices: Watch for prices to rise by week’s end. The current Memphis average is $3.22/gallon. (Courtesy of MemphisGasPrices.com)

NEW! INTERNET EXCLUSIVE: Meet Tennessee’s new Small Business Advocate, Lauren Plunk, whose job it is “to help owners of businesses with 50 or fewer employees work through whatever questions or issues they may encounter in dealing with government agencies”.

INTERNET EXCLUSIVE: In a long and well-researched article, blogger Stephen Ross (vibinc) argues that the Shelby County Commission didn’t choose the right Title X agency when it chose Christ Community Health Centers over Planned Parenthood. Read his passionate and detailed argument and see if you agree!

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton: He has begun the process of transitioning to a new administration by reviewing the performance of all Division directors and filling some planned retirements.

District 7 Council Seat: Candidates Lee Harris and Kemba Ford are campaigning hard for the upcoming run-off. Today is the opening of two early voting sites.

Memphis v. Nashville: Various elected and food-related officials took part in the Food Stamp Challenge, a misguided attempt to raise awareness of the inadequacy of the Electronic Benefits Transfer system. A group seeking to overturn the State’s law banning local ordinances more stringent than State law on discrimination are seeking documents from the Family Action Council of TN and their discussions with Metro Nashville council members and State legislators. Lawmakers are trying to invoke executive protections from subpoenas.

Downtown: Seventeen condo sales closed from July to September, 2011. The year as a whole is projected to have a record low in sales.

Shawn Abel: The former football coach, who resigned in the wake of a YouTube video of his angry rant to a group of football players, is back to teaching in the classroom.

Holiday Season: More on the City’s cancelling of the Christmas parade in favor of lights and events.

Green/Solar: The one megawatt solar farm demonstration plant was approved by the Agricenter and its board. Cracker Barrel has become the first company to install the first electric vehicle fast-charging stations in Tennessee.

State Representative Curry Todd: TN Democrats don’t agree on what to do following Rep. Todd’s alcohol and gun possession problems.

TN Lottery: Legislators are considering reducing payout prizes in the lottery as a way of saving money and preventing scholarship cuts. More from the Daily News.

Paul Stanley: The former State Senator talks with WMC about the sex scandal that ended his political career and his marriage.

Politics: Judicial appointments and elections for the judiciary are expected to be a major discussion item in the next Legislature.

Voter ID: The State is crowing over issuing 2400 voter IDs so far. The TN Democratic Party is beginning a long-term effort to educate voters on the new voter ID law. And criticising State efforts. More from the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

Agriculture: While a Federal judge approved a new class of black farmers in a discrimination case against the Agriculture Department, a group of African-American Memphis farmers is appealing the ruling.

Internet Exclusive: Our regular contributor, Chuck Bates, has a powerful look at the Republican presidential primary, the Left-leaning press, and the shenanigans you can expect between now and November 2012. A must-read!

Internet Exclusive: Incidents in Shelby County made Republican State Representative Barrett Rich concerned about criminals not serving their full sentences. Here is what he plans to do about in the 2012 Legislature.

Commercial Appeal: More importantly, and unasked, is the more fundamental question of why you are required to have an Identification Credential to do you job. They agree with an overall ban on smoking at the University of Memphis.

vibinc: He looks at a recent MTSU poll and the seemingly incoherent views it presents about Tennesseans.

The Worldly Investor: The realities of October. (via the Daily News)

Margie Parsley: The League of Women Voter’s Map It Out project is an effort to bring some openness and transparency to the State redistricting process. (via the Tennessean)