Photo Credit: senate.tn.gov
Recarving a Red Pie

 
Republicans in the General Assembly yesterday released the results of the 2012 redistricting of Tennessee. Shelby County will lose two House and one Senate seats. Statewide, Democrats are on the losing end and numerous Democrats found themselves redrawn into paired districts where only one will be elected. The plan has the same number of minority voting districts as before but Democratic leader Mike Turner still complained about the loss of two members and called it “election rigging”. Eight Democrats are paired and there are five new districts. The TNGOP thinks it can pick up nine House seats.

Stories on the redrawn districts: Chattanooga Times Free Press Senate and House; the Nashville Scene; Tennessean.

Speaker of the House Beth Harwell says the plan is ‘less politically gerrymandered’. More Harwell from the Nashville Scene.

Links to the Senate and House district plans, supporting documents and more.

Redistricting Reactions: Rep Vince Dean, 10th Senate District, is “very interested” in the new District he’ll share with Rep Andy Berke. Nashville Democratic Representative Mike Steward is another legislator in a redrawn district. Are State Senators Jim Kyle and Kerry Roberts being singled out? Fifth District Congressman Jim Cooper wants his district redrawn as it was ten years ago. (Congressional voting maps will come later this week.) State Senate Democratic Caucus leader Lowe Finney’s press release.

Memphis City Council: More on the discussion in the Council about minority hiring by the contractor responsible for the new Electrolux facility. The contact with Electrolux doesn’t have any language requiring it. The Council delayed a vote on a large scrap metal yard that neighbors oppose.

Municipal School Districts: Discussion of compelling Unified Shelby County Schools to sell “excess” schools to Bartlett, Collierville, etc. if they form their own school districts.

Union Mission: Their plan is to buy the block of land they sit on and undertake a massive renovation and expansion.

Mayors: Memphis mayor A C Wharton and other government leaders want to create exceptions to the State’s open meeting laws. For development purposes. Wharton and Shelby County mayor Mark Luttrell are preparing to present their legislative agenda to Nashville.

Jackson: The City Council was asked to approve $434,000 for renovations to Pringles Park. This did not go well. Two Madison County jailers have been suspended when an inmate committed suicide. More in the Jackson Sun.

Business: Do rising car prices denote an improving economy?

From the Daily News, it’s Today’s Events. The Business Journal reports People on the Move. And the Commercial Appeal covers People in Business and What to Do.

US Airways: Beginning in March, they will offer three non-stop flights from Memphis to Reagan National Airport in Washington DC.

Gibson Guitars: They announced yesterday a partnership with Japan’s Onkyo to move into audio technology.

Neola Farms: The Tipton County-based beef producer is calling it quits after the death of one of its lynchpins.

Daily Commute: Almost two-thirds of Memphians have a commute time of less than 30 minutes.

Collierville: The developer of a gas station/convenience store has yielded to neighborhood pressure and abandoned his plan.

Nashville: The Metro Council’s Black Caucus will change names to the Minority Caucus. The Family Action Council of Tennessee and the TN Equality Project are squaring off over the Metro schools’ policy on bullying as it relates to homosexuality.

2012 Republican Primary: Our Tea Party contributor Ed “Doc” Holliday looks at the Republican presidential candidacy of Newt Gingrich and wonders if his past baggage can–or should–be overcome in tea party eyes.

The Main Street Journal Gets Social: We’re instituting some new ways for you to let your friends know about Memphis news in the MSJ. Look at the bottom of the left-hand column for sharing tools. And don’t forget the social media tools we offer in the right-side widget. We’ve also got a new Facebook page. (Will require Facebook login.) Share the news, with the Main Street Journal!

Shelby County Commission: Commissioner Walter Bailey, speaking on WREG’s Live at 9, discusses the lawsuit he’s party to regarding County redistricting. Commissioner Terry Roland says the suit is to push the Commission into picking a plan. A Flyer story. And now, there’s a potential conflict with the County’s lawyers.

Immigration: The lawyer requesting a stay of enforcement of new State immigration rules was not prepared for the trial.

230th Sustainment Brigade: Three hundred TN Army National Guardsmen ended their year-long deployment in Kuwait and are back home safely. More from WREG and the Commercial Appeal.

DeWitt Spain Airport: Up to 60 gallons of fuel was spilled there.

DeSoto County: Naming rights have been sold and the Civic Center is now named Landers Center; the new sponsor is Landers Nissan. State auditors descended on Southaven and seized Mayor Greg Davis’ computer and that of his assistant. More on the Southaven Board of Aldermen’s repeal of the resolution that allowed Mayor Davis to rack up huge spending bills and further “sweeping changes”. Davis himself is on a “mysterious” vacation with no timetable for return. Jimmy Doyle will serve as interim Alderman in Walls. From the Commercial Appeal, the Bulletin Board for Thursday.

Mississippi: Governor Haley Barbour addressed a joint session of the State Legislature. He also wants County school districts to spend more of their reserve funds this year. Two of four Congressmen have already filed for re-election. Forner FedEx executive Jim Barksdale as will serve as interim executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority.

Memphis Area Association of Realtors: The Commercial Appeal profiles new president Carol Lott.

Education Realty Trust: They are changing their brand, the name they do business publically under, to EdR.

Presidential Republican Primary: Governor Bill Haslam sees Mitt Romney as the clear front-runner, though he isn’t endorsing yet.

Elvis Presley: This is the 35th anniversary of his death and Elvis Presley Enterprises, in charge of his legacy, is “pulling out all the stops”. Graceland is also preparing for the onslaught. A. Schwab’s downtown will hold a musical tribute/party on Saturday.

Senator Bob Corker: Operation Cork Screw has targetted Corker for his support of the NDAA and SOPA bills.

Wolf River Conservancy: They are rolling out plans for the 2012 year.

Politics: State Senator Brian Kelsey filed a bill to offer financial incentives to low-income mothers to seek pre-natal care. Representative Antonio Parkinson has filed a bill that would compel teachers, parents and doctors to report tattoos on underage people.

Judges: The State Supreme Court has adopted new rules, applicable to all judges, barring political donations by them. They will also change rules for recusal.

Arlington: Officials have refused to expand the area where beer can be sold for on-premises consumption.

Burn My Mouth: Would you like, could you stand, a recipe for molten meatballs? Sure you could.

Brain Release Valve: He’s back on the air! Welcome back.

Biking in Memphis: Congratulations on his blog’s one year anniversary.

Bigger Than Your Head: The wine of the week. And, continuing his series, the 10th day of Christmas!

beth g. sanders: Her “boring resolutions” for 2012.

Benito’s Wine Reviews: A detour, with a review of Michter’s whiskey, a 250 year old whiskey manufacturer.

Ben Thompson Can Change: The year of good enough and setting the stage for 2012.

almost famous: How about a free (on the internet) pictorial tour of her new home? And a recap of her 2011.

Air Traffic Mike’s: He went on a tour of the duPont estate, Longwood, and took a lot of fascinating pictures. Part two. His commentary on the Iowa caucuses.

Joe Spake’s Daily Buzz: The rest of the day’s news, from all sorts of eclectic places.

Jackson Sun: The whole community must buy in to innovation for change to work.

Rays of Wisdom: Late retirement has its upsides. (via the Daily News)

I Swear: Courtroom humor. (via the Daily News)

Commercial Appeal: This is a rather unwarranted and unjustified view of the General Assembly’s Republicans. Gene Bartow was more than a coach.

Wendi Thomas: What Memphians should stop doing in 2012. (via the Commercial Appeal)

Because I Said So: For Richard, time travel is a specific thing. (via the Commercial Appeal)

A Merry Wife: The script for her wedding ceremony.

a belle, a bean, & a chicago dog: Ten New Year’s resolutions she’ll never keep. Snip, snip.

Andrea Fenise: A vlog of her “haul” from the Dillard’s Annual Sale! And a recap of her 2011.