Bredesen not in on abortion measure
Online: Hear Gov. Phil Bredesen discuss the proposed constitutional amendment on abortion. Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen said he has not “engaged” a proposed constitutional amendment that would place stricter limits on abortions. The state Senate on Wednesday approved the measure 23-9. “Governors don’t have a role in those things in the sense that you don’t sign the legislation,” the governor said. He said the proposal is an attempt to say “there’s no subtle freedoms in the Tennessee Constitution” and that it was likely leading to something else down the road. Gov. Bredesen said he is prochoice, but that his position isn’t “a fundamental part of my personality.” “There’s some things I don’t think the government has a lot of business sticking its nose into,” he said. “I feel much safer and better decisions will be made by women and their doctors and their husbands than there will be by legislators and congressmen and governors.” BERZ CRITICIZED FOR SAYING SHE’S LAWYER A Chattanooga attorney is criticizing District 6 City Council candidate Carol Berz for calling herself a lawyer. “Carol Berz represented herself as a lawyer when she’s not,” said attorney Robin Flores, who is supporting Dr. Berz’s opponent Melinda Hickey in Tuesday’s election. “She’s using a title to boost herself in an election.” Dr. Berz, a mediator, said in an interview last week that she graduated from law school, but does not practice law. “I’m a policy writer, and law is formalized social policy,” she said. “I’ve said over and over again I don’t practice law.” She said there is a “smear campaign” against her. “I’m not misleading anyone,” she said. Rick Igou, Julie Chamberlain, Barbara Kelley and Charles Shaw also are running in Tuesday’s District 6 election. The race is for the seat given up by former Councilwoman Marti Rutherford last fall. She resigned amid a residency controversy. WAMP SEES HILLARY/OBAMA ’08? U.S. Rep Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., said Friday that he thinks the Democrats will have their best chance of winning in November if they can get U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., on the same presidential ticket. “If they did run together, that would be the strongest team they could put forward,” he said. At a meeting of the Southeast Tennessee Political Action Committee, Rep. Wamp called this year’s presidential campaign the most interesting in 80 years. He said the Democratic party has done more in terms of getting young people involved in the campaign. “The activation is happening most on the Democratic side,” Rep. Wamp said. He said that mostly has to do with seven years of a GOP administration and a desire for change. ALBERTINI RUNS AGAIN Chattanooga real estate investor Mark Albertini said last week that he has picked up papers to challenge U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., in the August GOP primary. “I just don’t think he is fiscally conservative enough to be voting in the United States Senate for our party,” he said. Mr. Albertini cited Sen. Alexander’s support for an extension of the federal State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Mr. Albertini previously ran in the Republican primaries for last fall’s 10th state Senate District special election and in the 2006 Tennessee gubernatorial race. Sen. Alexander was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and is running for a second term. DEED REGISTERS SEEKING HIGHER COMMISSION Hamilton County Register of Deeds Pam Hurst came before county commissioners Thursday to ask for their support for a bill in the Tennessee General Assembly that would give the county a higher commission on conveyance and mortgage taxes. “This bill is one the registers as a whole decided we would pursue this year,” she said. Ms. Hurst said she and other registers collect funds for the state Department of Revenue and feel they deserve a 5 percent commission on those funds. Currently registers get a 2.4 percent commission, she said. She also said the increased commission would not increase the amount of tax Hamilton County residents would have to pay. The commission is expected to vote on a resolution in support of the bill on Wednesday. A FIELD TRIP TO JAIL County Commissioner Greg Beck this Thursday said Sheriff Billy Long has agreed to take some Hamilton County students to the county jail to show them what happens to adults who commit crimes. Mr. Beck said his goal is to reach 1,000 young men through the program. “We want to spend some time in the courtroom seeing how that process is done,” Mr. Beck also said. Sheriff Long had come to the commission meeting to answer any questions commissioners might have. “We’ll either get on you about something or brag on you, one,” said commission Chairman Bill Hullander. (Sheriff Long was unavailable for comment Saturday because of his arrest on federal extortion, money laundering and gun charges.) Compiled by staff writers Michael Davis and Matt Wilson E-mail Michael Davis at michaeld@timesfreepress.com E-mail Matt Wilson at mwilson@timesfreepress.com
