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Lee OK With Outside Money for Pro-Voucher Candidates

Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash

Gov. Bill Lee says he is OK with outside groups spending big on Tennessee legislative races featuring candidates who support his universal private school voucher plan.

Last month, the Republican governor took the unusual step of wading into local races and endorsing some Republican candidates in Thursday’s primary election based on their voucher positions.

“We have a really smart electorate, and I believe in the power of people to sort through the information, as long as it’s accurate,” Lee said on Friday after speaking at a workforce development event in rural Perry County, west of Nashville.

But some local officials say money from groups such as American Federation for Children, Americans for Prosperity, and the School Freedom Fund is bringing misinformation into several key races.

“The fact that out-of-state interest groups would spend that much money in a local House seat election should give us all concern,” says a July 23 letter to Williamson County voters from retiring Rep. Sam Whitson and four local city and county mayors.

The outside groups — which are not required to disclose their donors — are paying for mailers, television commercials, and other ads seeking to influence voters who will pick a successor for Whitson, a four-term Republican lawmaker who opposes vouchers. Similar special interest group activities seek to favor pro-voucher candidates in other parts of the state.

The tension comes as voters prepare to pick Republican and Democratic nominees to run for the statehouse on Nov. 5 before a critical legislative session for the future of Tennessee’s education system.

The governor, who wants to give public funding to any family statewide who wants to send their children to private school, says his administration is already crafting a new plan after his 2024 bill stumbled in committees during the recent legislative session.

“It’s a process that takes several months, but we’re working on it right now,” Lee told Chalkbeat in Perry County.

He did not provide details but promised “a commitment to universal school choice.”

Lee also pledged to “fully vet the program’s cost” when asked about recent comments by Rep. Scott Cepicky, a Republican voucher ally from Maury County, who called the governor’s education scholarship proposal a “terrible” plan that would have plunged Tennessee into dire financial straits.

“That’s a part of this process,” Lee said of studying the proposal’s financial feasibility.

Lee’s slate of preferred GOP candidates include Lee Reeves, a Williamson County real estate investor and attorney who supports private school vouchers, over fellow Republicans Brian Beathard and Michelle Foreman.

Beathard, who chairs the Williamson County Commission and opposes the governor’s plan, has been endorsed by most top locally elected leaders in the Republican enclave south of Nashville. Mailers and ads funded by outside groups have depicted him as anti-conservative and supportive of higher taxes and labor unions.

But Beathard’s supporters are pushing back.

“All of us are used to some ‘puffing’ and exaggerations when it comes to political mailers, but the negative messages aimed at Brian Beathard cross the line of decency,” says the letter to voters from Whitson, the outgoing Republican legislator, and other local officials.

They say some of the campaign materials include misleading policy statements, innuendo, and outright lies, as well as manipulating photos to distort Beathard’s appearance. The letter did not give specific examples.

Chalkbeat did not immediately receive responses from leaders with several organizations behind the ads. A spokesman for the School Freedom Fund, a pro-voucher group tied to Club for Growth and New York-based investment billionaire Jeff Yass, asked for specific examples but did not respond directly to the claims.

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

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Film Features Film/TV

Music Video Monday: “RICH VIKING” by Moneybagg Yo

Memphis rap icon Moneybagg Yo wants you to know that he’s rich. In the first music video from his new album Speak Now, he showing off fat stacks, rolling in expensive SUVs, and throwing dice for high stakes. But success hasn’t spoiled Yo. When his monster blunts give him the munchies, he’s still feasting on cheap ramen noodles outside the convenience store.

The other thing he wants you to know is that he’s a viking. He’s probably not claiming actual viking heritage, just identifying with the whole plundering marauders lifestyle. Gotta give him and director Teo ShotThis props for not pulling out the tired old “horned helmet” trope, since the Northmen never actually wore them. That’s what I ask for in my rap videos: Historical accuracy.

If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.

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Film Features Film/TV

Now Playing July 26-August 1: Deadpool and Playtime

Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. (Courtesy Marvel Studios)

It’s looking like a rainy weekend in Memphis. Lucky for you, there’s some new movies out.

Deadpool & Wolverine

The Merc with the Mouth teams up with Canada’s favorite mutant to repair a rift in the multiverse. Ryan Reynolds returns as Deadpool, the only Marvel comic book character who knows he’s in a comic book — or in this case, a movie. Hugh Jackman comes out of superhero retirement to reprise his role as Wolverine. This time he’s wearing that fetching yellow outfit Logan wore in the comics, but was deemed too cheesy for the screen. This is the first R-rated Marvel movie, so expect some cussin’. 

The Fabulous Four

Bette Midler’s getting married in Key West, and her college besties Susan Sarandon, Megan Mullally, and Sheryl Lee Ralph are on coming to the party. This outrageous road trip will rekindle friendships and open old wounds. 

Longlegs 

The art horror sleeper hit directed by Osgood Perkins is the creepy slow burn you’re looking for. Maika Monroe stars as an FBI agent, who may or may not be psychic, assigned to a case that has stumped the agency for decades. Nicolas Cage delivers a tour de force performance as a satanic serial killer with a glam rock fetish. This film is even weirder than it sounds, and I mean that in a good way. Read my full review.

PlayTime

The eyes of the world are on Paris this week, as the City of Light hosts the Summer Olympics. So it’s an appropriate time for Crosstown Arts’ film series to feature one of the great masterpieces of French film. Jacques Tati’s PlayTime is something rare: an epic comedy. Shooting over the course of three years in the 1960s on gigantic sets built to mimic (and mock) the glass and steel architecture that was taking over Paris at the time, it was the most expensive French film ever made. It’s nearly wordless, nearly plotless, and hilariously slapstick.

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On the Fly We Recommend We Recommend

On the Fly: Week of 7/26/24

Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox brings reimagined hits to Minglewood Hall this Thursday. (Photo: Braverijah Gregg)

Mamma Mia
Orpheum Theatre
Through Sunday, July 28
You can dance; you can jive; you’ll have the time of your life at Mamma Mia, the ultimate feel-good show told through the timeless hits of ABBA. Performances are Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets ($34-$125) can be purchased here. (Oh, and our writer Michael Donahue got to interview one of the cast members. So cool, right? Read that piece here.)

An Evening of Ghost Stories 
Memphis Made Brewing Co. (at the Ravine)
Friday, July 26, 6 p.m.
When there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Bill Murray? Nah. Can’t get ahold of the guy. Try Stephen Guenther, professional ghost hunter right here in Memphis. He’ll be telling ghost stories at Memphis Made with Toby Sells, some guy who works at some paper called the Memphis Flyer who wrote some book called Haint Blues. Who are we kidding? Toby wrote a book (read more about it here)! We know Toby! And Toby knows a real-life ghost hunter! Can he get any cooler? 

SHITFEST: The Room 4D Experience
Black Lodge
Friday, July 26, 6:30 p.m.
Any time I get to write the word “shit” in a professional capacity, I have to capitalize on it because I never had a phase as a preteen where I cursed for the sake of cursing and now I must avenge my preteen, Catholic-guilt-ridden self. So here goes: SHITFEST is happening. (And, yes, the ALL CAPS are necessary because that’s part of SHITFEST’s branding.) SHITFEST, for those of you who don’t know shit, is an interactive viewing of a shitty movie, this time around The Room. Spoons will fly, footballs will be thrown, TVs will be ceremoniously destructed, audience games will envelop you, and the full-scale riffs and callbacks will be constant. See how bad a movie can get and how much fun it can be to shit on it with others. And, shit, it’s free to attend.

Soulin’ on the River ft. Zsa Davis
Fourth Bluff Park
Friday, July 26, 7-10 p.m.
And we’re soulin’, soulin’ on the river. Do do do do do do … And you don’t have to worry, if you got no money, people on the river are happy to give … By people we mean the Memphis Slim Collaboratory in partnership with Overton Shell & Memphis River Parks Partnership, and they’re ready to give four free concerts this summer. First one is this weekend with Zsa Davis. Here’s what you need to know: Gates open at 7 p.m.; music starts at 8 p.m. The whole family is welcome, and so are lawn chairs, blankets, picnic baskets, and coolers. Food trucks and a full bar will be available on site. More info here. Up next: KJ Willis (August 9), Deonna Sirod (August 23), and Cameron Bethany (September 6).

Laser Live: Blvck Hippie
Museum of Science & History
Saturday, July 27, 6-8 p.m.
The Museum of Science & History’s Laser Live features live bands in the AutoZone Sharpe Planetarium, accompanied by a laser light show. This edition of the one-of-a-kind concert series will star Blvck Hippie, who make VHS-inspired music for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider. With their firmly DIY attitude, refusal to accept the status quo, and knack for pushing musical boundaries, Blvck Hippie has turned being an outsider into their superpower. There will be drinks available to purchase from Crosstown Brewery, and a DJ from WYXR to host and kick off the event with a pre-show set. Purchase tickets ($20) here.

Summerween
Black Lodge
Saturday, July 27, 8 p.m.
Can’t wait for Halloween? Settle for Summerween, Black Lodge’s annual creepytime, summertime party. Break out your creepiest outfits and cosplay and get ready for some tricks & treats. Start the night with special live performances by Macrophonics and Joybomb. Then at midnight, dance the night away with DJ sets by Scotty B, Cozmo, and Selector Jack. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. 18+. 

Uncle Kracker
Lafayette’s Music Room
Wednesday, July 31, 7 p.m.
Turns out I know four Uncle Kracker songs: “Follow Me,” “Smile,” “When the Sun Goes Down” (a duet with Kenny Chesney), and “Drift Away” (technically a cover, but I associate it with Uncle Kracker), and you probably know the songs, too. I know nothing else about the guy, but he’s playing Lafayette’s on Wednesday. Tickets are $40.55 and can be purchased here.

Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox
Minglewood Hall
Thursday, August 1, 8 p.m.
For self-proclaimed old souls, hipsters, jazz and swing lovers, and so on, Postmodern Jukebox has arrived — well not yet, but they’re coming to Minglewood, bringing all the pop hits and reworking them into something old-timey-sounding because why the heck not? Tickets start at $39 and can be purchased here. 

There’s always something happening in Memphis. See a full calendar of events here.

Submit events here or by emailing calendar@memphisflyer.com.

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News News Blog News Feature

Friends of George’s to Appeal Lawsuit Dismissal

Photo: Kevin Reed

Friends of George’s, the LGBTQ theater company and nonprofit organization, has promised to appeal the 6th Circuit Court of the United States’ ruling on their recent lawsuit regarding Tennessee’s drag ban.

Last week the court reversed the U.S. District Court of the Western District’s decision to halt the enforcement of the controversial law. According to the organization the court decided in a 2-to-1 ruling that they lacked standing, which led to the lawsuit being dismissed.

Melissa Stewart, attorney for the organization, said they strongly disagree with the ruling, and the court failed to address the constitutionality of the law.

“Instead, it decided this case on procedural grounds, holding that Friends of George’s does not have standing to bring this case,” Stewart said in a statement. “As Judge [Andre] Mathis’ dissent makes clear, this decision is contrary to the 6th Circuit and Supreme Court case law.”

Judge Mathis wrote in his dissent that part of Tennessee’s Adult Entertainment Act (AEA) is an “unconstitutional content-based restriction on speech.”

“The freedom to convey one’s ideas — no matter how unpopular — was seen as inalienable to the human experience, and the Framers of our Federal Constitution believed such freedom was ‘essential if vigorous enlightenment was ever to triumph over slothful ignorance,’”  Mathis said.

Mathis went on to analyze the language of the Adult Entertainment Act which makes performing “adult cabaret entertainment” on public property or in a place that a child can view it a crime. These performances are defined as those that feature “topless dancers, go-go dancers, exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators, or similar entertainers.”

The dissent went on to say that Friends of George’s has the right to sue since the law could stop them from doing their shows. The Tennessee Attorney General’s office argued that the company hasn’t been harmed by the law and can’t sue. However, Mathis argued they don’t have to be in trouble to challenge the law.

Friends of George’s was required to show that they planned to continue performances and that these productions were protected by the First Amendment. The company showed videos of their past shows which included satire of The View where performers “describ[ed] sexual acts including intercourse and masturbation,” and another video showed a group of actors satirizing a song by Meatloaf while portraying sexual acts.

While the First Amendment protects both words and actions, the “expressive conduct” must convey a clear message and be understood by the audience, which Friends of George’s productions do.

Though the district court ruled that the Adult Entertainment Act was unconstitutional as it limited free speech, Mathis argued they made a mistake by saying that Mulroy couldn’t enforce the public property clause, as the theater group could not challenge that part.

“The district court erred in enjoining Mulroy from enforcing the public-property provision of the AEA because FOG lacked standing to challenge that provision,” he said. “But the district court did not err in enjoining Mulroy from enforcing Tenn. Code Ann. § 7-51-1407(c)(1)(B) because that provision is a content-based restriction on speech that fails strict scrutiny. Thus, the district court did not abuse its discretion by prohibiting Mulroy from enforcing that unconstitutional law in Shelby County.”

As the decision leaves the law in limbo, Friends of George’s said this leaves “thousands of drag performers as well as transgender and nonbinary people across Tennessee [to] face terrifying uncertainty about the legal ramifications they could face outside the confines of 18+ or 21+ performance venues.”

Friends of George’s is preparing to host their latest production Death Drop at Hotel Le’George on August 2nd; however, they will only allow people ages 18 and up to enter.

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Film Features Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Zaire Love’s Award-Winning Documentary “Slice” Premieres Online

Divers take flight in Zaire Love’s “Slice.“

Memphis filmmaker Zaire Love’s confidence was boosted when she won both the Best Narrative Short and the Best Documentary Short awards at Indie Memphis 2023. It was a feat that had never been equalled in the 25 year history of the festival. “On a personal level, it really showed me that I can do it,” she says. 

For “Slice,” the winning documentary short, it was only the beginning. “We had our festival run in 2023, and we got into over 20 festivals,” she says. “We won seven festivals. And honestly, that’s rare. It is rare that you get into that many festivals, and it is rare that you are winning or a finalist in it.” 

“Slice” is about a uniquely Memphis sport. Think of it as the aquatic equivalent of jookin — acrobatic dives that are unlike the highly technical aerial maneuvers you’ll see at the Paris Olympics over the next two weeks. “Rico [the subject of “Slice”] says if you took somebody at the Olympics, they couldn’t even do what we do,” says Love.

For Love, the short film took up much more of her life than she had expected when she started filming four years ago. “I graduated my MFA program in 2020, and that’s when I considered myself what I wanted to be: a filmmaker. Right after graduation, I start this project that I’m thinking is going to be something that only takes maybe two weeks, and then I’m out of here. But it did take longer. And it has proven to be life-changing.” 

The truth is, most documentaries take longer to make than narrative films. “It’s a whole different beast,” says Love. “You can plan all you want, but in documentary, you really have to be able to pivot, because you didn’t know that you were going to get certain gems, certain really special moments that you can’t just file away in the archive. So you got to figure out how to put those nuggets in your film.” 

After gaining attention on the festival circuit, “Slice” was licensed by The New Yorker as part of their film series. It premiered on Thursday, July 25th, the day before the Paris Olympic’s opening ceremonies. “I learned that we have so many stories that need to be told, but I also learned to trust myself and trust my vision. Trust that me coming to a project with good intentions to, again, amplify and immortalize, it just showed me that I can do this. It really shows me that like Andre 3000 said, the Black South got something to say, and people really want to listen. So I just feel like it was just confirmation that this is what I’m supposed to be doing in life. This is why I’m here.” 

Watch “Slice” online at The New Yorker website. 

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Politics Politics Beat Blog

Tami Sawyer Gets Backup

Tami Sawyer and friends. Photo by Jackson Baker.

As the August 1st phase of the 2024 election turned into its final week, Tami Sawyer, the Democratic nominee for General Sessions Court Clerk, did not enter it by herself.

At a press conference held on the grounds of Anointed Temple of Praise on Riverdale Road, Sawyer was joined by an impressive roster of leading Democratic Party figures — including state party chair Hendrell Remus from Nashville, Shelby County Democratic chair Lexie Carter, State Representative Justin J. Pearson, Germantown Democrats president Jeff Ethridge, and numerous others.

The clerk’s race, on the county general part of the ballot, is basically the only direct test of party candidates on August 1st, and members of the group Wednesday — along with Sawyer herself  — were at pains to make the point that it was not a matter of indifference who gets elected to what is not generally thought as a policy position. The Republican nominee for clerk is Lisa Arnold.

Sawyer noted that the presidential hopes of Kamala Harris, who would be the first woman of color to be elected president, carried important symbolic impact. So, she suggested, would the election of herself, as a well-known activist and as a black woman and a Democrat, to a local post of more than usual import and visibility.

Sawyer and her supporters had worried all morning about a forecast of possible rain, and they had erected a tent on the grounds just in case, As things turned out, it wasn’t needed. The first drop, and it was a light one at that, didn’t fall until the press conference was concluded.

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News News Blog We Recommend We Recommend

Red Sand Project Brings Light to Human Trafficking

The Red Sand Project will fill in cracks in cement outside of MATA Airways Transit Center. (Photo: Courtesy Red Sand Project | Facebook)

Of all the counties in Tennessee, Shelby County’s population is the most vulnerable to human trafficking, according to the Tennessee Community Assessment 2023 Report released by the Engage Together Project. 

That ranking along what has been labeled the Vulnerable Population Index has been determined through a number of factors, like population density, poverty levels, crime rates, the percentage of population that speaks limited or no English, and much more. 

Individuals may be trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, or organ sales. “There’s been human trafficking documented in every one of the 95 counties of Tennessee, so human trafficking happens everywhere,” says Rachel Sumner Haaga, executive director of Restore Corps, which aims to eradicate human trafficking by working with survivors and seeking justice through systemic change.

“One thing to note with regards to human trafficking is, it is a victimization that, unless someone reports being victimized, is exceptionally hard to assess,” Sumner Haaga adds. “If someone busts the car window of your vehicle, it is very clear that you’ve been victimized, and it’s easy to gauge that victimization. No one’s going to ask, ‘Are you sure that somebody busted your window?’ 

“Whereas, human trafficking is not only a crime that goes underreported because even the victims themselves sometimes might not be aware of their own victimization for a number of different reasons, or they may have the belief that even if they were to say something, they might not be believed, because it’s hard to understand the grooming and recruitment process.”

So building awareness of what human trafficking is and that it happens here in Memphis is important, for the victims and for the community at large. That’s why Restore Corps, in partnership with MATA, is putting on the Red Sand Project, a participatory art installation created by Molly Gochman. 

“The purpose of the project,” Sumner Haaga says, “is to utilize the red sand to fill in cracks in the sidewalk, where had the sand not been there, we likely would just jump over it; we would walk by. That’s just what we do on a daily basis. The cracks are ignored, but the red sand draws attention to them. So just like people, all over the world or in our community here, who are caught in human trafficking, they’re easy to not see; they’re easy to go by. But when there’s red sand poured in the crack or a light shined on them, it paints the idea of filling the gaps in our community. We all can have some part in filling the cracks and bringing awareness to the issue. You don’t have to work with an organization like ours to [have awareness and raise awareness about human trafficking]. Anybody can do something.”

For the Red Sand Project, which will occur on Tuesday, July 30th, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., the organization will spread sand around the MATA Airways Transit Center (3033 Airways Blvd.). Those who wish to help spread sand are encouraged to sign up here and will be welcome to take sand home with them afterward to fill cracks in their own neighborhoods. 

July 30th is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. 

For more information on Restore Corps or to donate, visit their website here.

If you know someone who needs help to escape trafficking, contact the Tennessee Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-855-558-6484.

If you suspect you have come into contact with a victim of human trafficking, you may call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233722. Hotline staff members will identify resources in your community. For more information on human trafficking and the hotline, visit humantraffickinghotline.org.

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Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Sights and Sounds of the Memphis Asian Night Market 2024

Dragons dance at the 2024 Asian Night Market at Tiger Lane. (Photo: Chris McCoy)

Last Saturday, July 20th, the 2024 Asian Night Market attracted thousands to Tiger Lane. The second annual event was moved from the Crosstown Concourse, where it was held last year, since the crowds were so much bigger than anticipated. It was a good move because this year’s event was absolutely huge.

I was there with my trusty iPhone camera rig to capture the sights and sounds of the sprawling street fair, which brought together the Asian American communities from all over the tri-state area. I wish could have captured the smells, too! Food cooking in dozens of tents, and spices from all over the world, made this little corner of Midtown an olfactory heaven for one glorious evening. Despite the occasional logistical snafus incurred by any rapidly growing public event, a good time was had by all. Take a look.

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News News Blog News Feature

TN GOP Congressman Ogles Calls for Harris Impeachment

Photo: Kamala Harris via X

U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Nashville) filed articles of impeachment against Vice President Kamala Harris Wednesday for “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Ogles is the controversial congressman who still faces allegations that he misrepresented his education and work background on the campaign trail, a move that earned him comparisons to disgraced former Republican U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-New York).

A congressional watchdog group also filed an ethics complaints against him, alleging campaign finance violations. He admitted to those violations in May.

Ogles also told an activist in February, speaking about children being killed in Gaza, that “I think we should kill them all.” 

And there was this Christmas card: 

Ogles’ impeachment claims that Harris, now the presumptive front runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, showed “gross incompetence in dealing with the crisis at the southern border and her betrayal of the American people.”

He blames Harris, in part, for drugs on the streets, the rape and murder of “countless” women and children, and for allowing President Joe Biden to remain in office. 

Here’s his statement in full: 

“Kamala Harris has disgraced the office of the Vice President and willfully disregarded her oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. 

“She is not only an embarrassment to the country but has also intentionally ignored her responsibility to enforce the laws of the United States and protect the American people. 

“On her watch, every single town has become a border town. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have overdosed on illicit drugs brought across the southern border, and countless women and children have been raped and murdered. 

“Kamala Harris has betrayed the trust of the public by failing to exercise her sworn duty to employ the provisions of the 25th Amendment to remove President Biden from office when it became apparent that he was mentally and physically incapable of continuing to serve.

“For these reasons alone, immediate action should be taken to impeach her.”

Read the full articles of impeachment here: 

Ogles-Articles-Of-Impeachment-For-Kamala-HarrisDownload