Tag: London Lamar

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Democrats Seek Answers After Surge in HIV/Syphilis in Shelby County

Photo: Deon Black on Unsplash

Amid a surge in HIV and syphilis cases in Shelby County, a group of Democratic lawmakers is pressing state health officials for answers.

Cases of HIV and syphilis in the Memphis region increased by 100 percent over the past five years, according to the Shelby County Department of Health, which has, thus far, not released total case numbers. Among young people aged 15 to 19, diagnosed cases increased 150 percent.

“This disturbing trend underscores the urgent need for effective public health strategies and resources to combat the spread of these infections,” read the letter, sent late last week.

The lawmakers are demanding an explanation from Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Ralph Alvarado about a series of state policy changes that they believe are exacerbating the crisis, rather than addressing it.

Among the changes: a new parental rights law requiring parental consent for teens seeking healthcare services.

The Lookout reported last month that the Tennessee Department of Health quietly instructed public health clinics to turn away teens seeking access to routine healthcare without a parent, citing new legislation known as the Family Rights and Responsibilities Act.

Dept. of Health denying teens preventative healthcare, citing new parental consent law

It’s a significant shift in policy for teens accustomed to seeking out birth control, sexually transmitted disease testing, pregnancy tests, and routine healthcare in public health clinics — which serve as the only accessible source of healthcare for teens living in some rural Tennessee communities.

Advocates have warned that the way the Department of Health is interpreting the new law — by concluding it supersedes prior laws that allow teens to access birth control and sexually transmitted disease testing — will deter young people from visiting clinics entirely, exacerbating outbreaks of sexually transmitted disease.

The Department of Health has not yet publicly acknowledged the shift in policy for teens and did not respond to a renewed request for information from the Lookout on Tuesday.

“There hasn’t been anything concrete in writing,” said Rep. Aftyn Behn, a Nashville Democrat. “There hasn’t been any communication from the commissioner.”

Behn said she is concerned that the growing influence of a parental rights movement in Tennessee, which has ushered in a series of laws in recent years giving parents more legal control over teens, shares blame for the surge in HIV and syphilis cases among young people.

“The actual, tangible consequence of the movement is this public health crisis,” she said.

The Democrats are also seeking information on how Gov. Bill Lee’s decision to reject federal HIV funding is impacting the current Shelby County outbreaks.

The reality is this is 2024. Teens are having sex. What they don’t have is the information they need.

Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis

Last year Lee announced he would reject millions in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for HIV prevention and treatment that previously went to Planned Parenthood clinics in Tennessee.

GOP lawmakers have, for years, fought to remove public funding from the clinics, which also provided abortion services until the state’s strict ban took effect in 2022.

Sen. London Lamar, a Memphis Democrat who signed onto the letter, cited another GOP backed measure as contributing to the current outbreak in Shelby County.

A so-called “Gateway Law” enacted by GOP lawmakers in 2012 requires abstinence-only sexual education in public schools.

“The reality is this is 2024. Teens are having sex. What they don’t have is the information they need,” she said.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and X.

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CannaBeat: Feds Move On Cannabis; Could Loosen Laws in Tennessee

Jeff W on Unsplash

The White House will remove cannabis from the federal list of the country’s most dangerous drugs, according to the Associated Press, a move that could lead to looser laws in Tennessee.

In 2022, President Joe Biden promised to reevaluate cannabis’ placement on Schedule I. Schedule I is the federal government’s classification for some of the worst drugs, such as meth and heroin. These drugs are highly addictive and have no medical use, according to the government.

Biden promised cannabis reform in a statement in October 2022. It outlined three steps his adminstration would take to end what he called the government’s “failed approach” on cannabis so far. 

Back then, Biden pardoned all federal offenses of simple possession and urged governors to do the same. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee did not make any cannabis pardons.

Biden said the next step to reclassify cannabis was to check with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Attorney General to “expeditiously” review how cannabis is scheduled under federal law. 

Those conversations went on, apparently, behind the scenes, even out of Congressional view. Last summer Congressman Steve Cohen and Congressman Matt Gaetz grilled Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram for details during a meeting of the House Judiciary Crime and Federal Government Surveillance Subcommittee. They got very few. 

Milgram said her agency couldn’t move on the matter without word from HHS. She said DEA had not heard anything and had not even heard of a timeline for when HHS might send word. 

On Tuesday, The AP reported that DEA will move to reclassify cannabis, citing five anonymous sources. That proposal must then get the approval of the White House Office of Management and Budget and go through a public comment period. If approved, cannabis would be listed on Schedule II, alongside drugs such as ketamine. 

Tennessee lawmakers have long said they wouldn’t approve any looser laws for cannabis unless the drug was moved from Schedule I at the federal level. Despite the creation of the Tennessee Cannabis Commission years ago, a group tasked with establishing a cannabis program for Tennessee, no material changes have been made in state laws.  

State Rep. Jesse Chism (D-Memphis) said he hopes that with the reclassification ”we can start the ball rolling soon and begin having serious discussions here in Tennessee.”

“Our state has spent millions and millions of taxpayer dollars to enforce cannabis laws that are outdated and harmful to a lot of people, including many Tennesseans who are trying to get relief from painful chronic medical issues,” Chism said in a statement. “In addition to wasting those dollars, we’ve completely ignored the financial benefits that could be coming the state’s way. 

“I’ve filed several pieces of legislation ranging from allowing medical use to decriminalization to even trying to put a non-binding referendum on the ballot to hear from Tennessee’s voters. The main point of contention has always been its federal classification.  Hopefully, with this movement we can start the ball rolling soon and begin having serious discussions here in Tennessee.”

Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus Chairwoman Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis) applauded the move, saying it will will have benefits for Tennesseans seeking medicinal cannabis.

“Reclassifying marijuana as a less-dangerous drug at the federal level is a historic decision, driven by common sense,” Lamar said in a statement. “Republican lawmakers have kept Tennessee in the dark ages on marijuana policy — wasting our tax dollars locking people up for a plant. While my ultimate goal is still legalization in Tennessee, this is incredible news for folks who would benefit right now from natural medical cannabis to treat chronic pain or illness.”

Cohen, a longtime advocate for cannabis reform, was frustrated by delays in the process during that Congressional hearing last year. “I’ve been here 17 years … and I’ve seen DEA heads, I’ve seen [Federal Bureau of Investigation] directors, I’ve seen attorney[s] general, exactly where you’re sitting, say governmental gibberish about marijuana. They’ve done nothing for 17 years, and for years before that. It goes back to the [1930s]. 

“The government has messed this up forever and you need to get ahead of the railroad. You’re going to get something from HHS. Biden understands [cannabis] should be reclassified. He said from [Schedule I to Schedule III] and it should be classified from [Schedule I] to 420. We ought to just clean it up and get over with it.” 

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Sen. Lamar Offers Bill to Provide Continuous Healthcare Coverage For Minors

Sen. London Lamar. Photo Credit: Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus

Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis) has introduced a bill to ensure that children in Tennessee not only get equitable healthcare, but they’re able to keep it.

Lamar’s bill would implement continuous eligibility for children who are enrolled in TennCare and CoverKids. Senate Bill 1828, introduced by Lamar and Memphis Democrat Rep. Antonio Parkinson, would ensure that children who have healthcare coverage under these programs are continuously having their coverage renewed.

If passed, Lamar said this bill would solve the problem of children losing state healthcare coverage due to “procedural reasons — not eligibility.”

“[SB 1828] prohibits the bureau from subjecting the minor to a redetermination of eligibility or disenrollment except under certain circumstances,” reads the bill.

Lamar said accountability measures are included to ensure fraud isn’t being committed, and parents are not applying for any children who are deceased.

Lamar said she wanted to focus on topics that impact families the most. She said the most vulnerable populations in the state tend to be children, and she wanted to push for all children to have access to healthcare.

“I know one population we can make a direct impact on is those children who are under state healthcare insurance programs,” said Lamar. “What we did find out was that many kids were taken off the health insurance plans because of clerical issues.”

The 2023 State of The Child in Tennessee report from the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth showed that 29,154 children in the state were disenrolled from Medicaid due to procedural reasons, while 6,838 were disenrolled from Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for the same reason.

“A significant component to ensuring children have access to health care is to protect those who are already insured or are eligible for insurance from losing coverage due to procedural mistakes on an application,” the commission said in a statement.

Lamar said she doesn’t think procedural issues are enough to take children off of healthcare plans. She said it’s common that people change addresses and move out of state, and wanted to make sure the state does its due diligence.

“Our families and our state are stronger when every child has access to health care,” said Lamar. “When children get the health care they need, they are more likely to succeed in school, graduate from high school and attend college, earn higher wages, and grow up into healthy adults.”

While Lamar is adamant about pushing for the legislation to be passed, she anticipates that TennCare won’t want to approve it, as she believes it will want to continue its current re-enrollment process

“I think it will definitely be an uphill battle with folks across the aisle,” Lamar said. “We’re going to push the issue as best as we can to get the support we need to get this bill across the finish line. But no doubt about it, it’s going to be tough.”

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Lawmakers Hope Medicaid Dollars Can Ease Gun Violence With “Proactive Approach”

State Capitol (Photo: Tennessee State Government)

New federal Medicaid dollars may help Tennessee ease gun violence with a “proactive approach” sponsored by two state Democrats who say inaction by Republicans has been “shameful” and that the party is “scared of the [National Rifle Association].”

State Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis) and Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) filed legislation that could flow Medicaid dollars here for community violence intervention programs proposed by Preisdent Joe Biden in 2021. 

So far, seven states have received the funds, which require a match by states. The money is used to bolster existing programs that hope to stop gun violence well before someone picks up a firearm.    

“For example, violence interruption programs deploy trusted messengers to work directly with individuals most likely to commit gun violence, intervene in conflicts, and connect people to social and economic services to reduce the likelihood of gun violence as an answer,” reads a statement from the White House. “Hospital-based violence interventions engage people who have been shot while they are still in the hospital, connecting them to services to decrease the likelihood that they commit gun violence or are victimized in the future. Programs like these have reduced homicides by as much as 60 percent in areas where they are implemented.”

The bill from Lamar and Jones would authorize Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to request the federal funding and the state matching funds. Then, TennCare officials would be responsible for identifying existing programs or creating new ones to use the funds. 

“This legislation represents an opportunity for us to try a more holistic approach to reducing gun violence — an approach that recognizes the effect issues, such as poverty, education and mental health, have on crime,” Jones said. “It is a vital step in expanding the funding and resources necessary to protect our communities.”

Both Lamar and Jones ripped Republicans for inaction on gun violence in Tennessee, pointing to few laws of substance passed on the issue in the wake of the Covenant School shooting last year. 

Since Republicans ended the legislative session last April, there have been 1,096 shootings — more than three per day — in Tennessee said Lamar, quoting facts from Tennessee Under the Gun, a data project from the Tennessee Senate Democrats. Since then, there have been 11 mass shootings where four or more people were shot, not including the shooter. Since the last sessions ended, 417 adults and 47 children were killed by gun violence in Tennessee. 

So far this year, there have been 114 shootings in Tennessee and one mass shooting, that of Courdarion Craft who killed one person and injured two others in a weekend crime spree here this past weekend.  

However, Lamar said data hasn’t changed the minds of Republicans who, ultimately, have the power to change gun violence in Tennessee. 

“There is nothing anybody can say to me that [can prove] Republicans have done what they’re supposed to do for the good of people,” Lamar said. “They are too scared of the NRA and gun lobbyists than they are of babies dying.”

“There is not another piece of data we can produce for them to change their minds. They actually know what the problem is. They’re making a conscious and deliberate decision not to do anything.”

Meanwhile, state Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) has introduced several bills to tamp gun violence in Tennessee. One bill would ban the manufacture of semi-automatic rifles in Tennessee. He also would ban the manufacture, transfer, or sale of magazine clips that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition. He also wants to require anyone who has lost a gun to report the loss to state officials within 24 hours.

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State of the State: Lee Pushes $1.6B Corporate Tax Cuts, Rebates, $141M for School Vouchers

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee enters the House chambers and greets Lt. Gov. Randy McNally for Lee’s sixth State of the State address. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Entering the second year of a second four-year term, Gov. Bill Lee is singing the same chorus he did when he started five years ago: A heavy dose of private-school vouchers is the solution for Tennessee.

In the annual State of the State speech, Lee presented a $52.6 billion spending plan the day after he committed to send Tennessee National Guardsmen to Texas to provide backup to federal personnel on patrol there. 

Lee entered office in January 2019 with a plan to offer students public money to attend private schools, as well as to bolster charter schools, which are privately held but officially considered part of public school systems. The state also has boosted K-12 spending by about $3 billion in five years, $1.8 billion from the state level.

After a contentious vote that led to an FBI investigation, in addition to a protracted lawsuit, his education savings account plan took effect two years ago.

As he starts his sixth year in office amid flattening state revenue and a looming business tax break caused by “significant legal risk,” Lee is pushing a $141 million voucher plan for up to 20,000 students to go to private schools, this time without as many requirements to qualify financially. The details for his bill haven’t quite tumbled out completely, but he continued the sales pitch Monday night in the State of the State address.

Less than half of the crowd stood and cheered as Lee introduced his proposal, and people jeered from the balconies, even as the governor said he wants to avoid the “status quo.”

“There are thousands of parents in this state who know their student would thrive in a different setting, but the financial barrier is simply too high,” Lee said during his annual address Monday. “It’s time that we change that. It’s time that parents get to decide — and not the government — where their child goes to school and what they learn … 2024 is the year to make school choice a reality for every Tennessee family.”

In his pitch, the governor also maintains the argument that the state has put an “unprecedented focus” on public schools and he noted Monday the two ideas “are not in conflict.”

The state’s revenues are 46 percent higher than they were four years ago, increasing to $19 billion from about $11 billion. The state is weaning itself off the flow of federal funding that came down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet Lee is pushing for a franchise tax rebate of $1.2 billion and $400 million reductions for the next few years after 80 companies balked at paying the property portion of the state’s franchise tax.

Even though some financial experts have said the state could fight big business efforts to reduce the tax, the Lee Administration and Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office recommended the refunds and reduction because of “significant legal risk.” Officials say no lawsuit is pending.

Democrats criticized the governor’s proposals, saying Tennesseans are being told they should support a “scam” to defund public schools and give large corporations another tax break. No sales tax holiday is scheduled for the coming fiscal year that starts July 1 after the state gave a three-month break from the grocery sales tax last fall.

They point out Lee contends Tennessee is among the nation’s leaders in low taxes and several other financial categories, yet the state is seeing rural hospitals close and money diverted that could go to public schools.

“We ain’t leading nothing when we’re leaving so many people behind.”

Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis)

“We ain’t leading nothing when we’re leaving so many people behind,” said Senate Minority Caucus Chairman London Lamar of Memphis.

Lamar said the franchise tax break will cost the state $8.3 billion over a decade while the private-school voucher plan will take $800 million in its second year when it could become available to every student. She noted companies will be getting a “fat check” while hourly workers will receive no tax breaks.

Democrats point toward increases in gun violence amid softer gun laws and personal bankruptcies that forced working families to struggle while wealthy business owners receive treatment with kid gloves.

Besides his private-school voucher move, Gov. Lee is proposing legislation to stop the theft of musicians’ voices through AI, calling it the Elvis Act.

He also plans to introduce legislation dealing with the protection of young people from social media. The measure would enable parents to oversee their children’s use of the Internet by requiring new social media accounts.

In addition, Lee said he plans to make hundreds of rule changes and cut permitting regulations to streamline government but gave no details.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and Twitter.

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Money Matters: Sen. London Lamar Says Tax Reform Benefits the Wealthy

Credit: vepar5 | Adobe Stock and State of Tennessee
Credit: vepar5 | Adobe Stock and State of Tennessee

Our cover story this week looks at issues stoking the embers of class struggles in Tennessee. 

School vouchers, flagging revenues, and even that brief “tax holiday” on groceries have some wondering for whom does the state’s Republican-dominated government work? 

State revenues will flatten this year, according to experts, after years of increases. This is thanks, in large part, to big tax breaks the legislature approved for business owners last year.

This “business-friendly” policy framework, which cuts taxes for the business class in hopes of prosperity for everyone, found harsh critics in economists with the national Economic Policy Institute. 

Another harsh critic of Tennessee’s version is Memphis state Sen. London Lamar. Here’s what she told us in a recent interview. — Toby Sells 

(This interview has been edited for clarity.) 

Memphis Flyer: Does Tennessee economic policy work for most folks in Tennessee? 

Sen. London Lamar: Our tax policy is incentivizing businesses for keeping people poor. 

I say that because when you think about since 2011 and when the Republicans got in office, the main tax reform and benefits have truly benefited the wealthy and big corporations. 

When you look back since 2011 … think about it. You had a repeal of the millionaire estate tax. You have a repeal of the luxury gift tax. A repeal of income taxes on stocks and bonds. A reduction of the jet fuel tax. Corporate exemptions to the sales tax and exemptions for corporate income tax. 

So, all of these major policy reforms around taxation have all been policies to benefit corporations and rich people. So the question is,  where are the priorities for those citizens who are working the hardest to contribute to our economy?  

If we are really about seeing … everybody being able to elevate their economic status, then you would demand that there be a set minimum wage, understanding the cost of housing inflation, taking into account people who have children and families they got to feed, the cost of housing, rent, being able to be approved for housing loans based on income. You got to think about that and setting a basic living standard where people can know they can go to work and be able to feed themselves. 

Secondly, I just feel like if Tennessee wanted to see equity in the system, they would demand a minimum wage because everybody improves in my opinion, not only Black and brown communities, but everybody. 

But because there’s so few regulations on what business have to pay, and the hiring practices — this is a right-to-fire state or a right-to-work state, basically — I think that our policies don’t reflect the values of trying to create an equitable workplace. The data show you that when these policies are not in place, Black people and brown people are suffering the most.

As someone who’s living in Memphis, Tennessee — that’s predominantly African American — you can look at our school system where half our kids are living below the poverty line, and the state of housing, and just the livelihood and the economic status of Black people in our city that is actually affected by it. It’s sad and it should be a crime.

I don’t think Tennessee is oblivious to its impact on which communities [it affects the most]. Again, I think they’re incentivizing businesses to keep people poor, knowing that Black and brown people are going to be at the brunt of that. 

When you think of businesses in Memphis, they’re like warehouse jobs … and temp services that people have to rely on. That’s where where a large population of Black people are working at. But they’re paying them [minimum wage]. $15 an hour is still really not affordable, to be honest, if they’re getting that.

Because they’re temp workers, are they getting healthcare services? No. Getting healthcare off the marketplace is still really expensive.  So, these people are going without healthcare services, making probably nothing, and they have to work 16 to 17 hour shifts just to make sure they can meet ends meet. 

Then what does that lead to? Them not being able to watch their kids. And those other kids that’s getting in trouble out here in Memphis streets.

So, how we are building our economic base in Tennessee and the South is perpetrating a continuous system of poverty for Black and brown people? There’s not another study that needs to be shown that this is going to be the result. It’s just a matter of our politicians deciding to continue to reinforce this system or change their policies.  

Rank-and-file taxpayers got a temporary reprieve from grocery taxes last year. But they went right back on the books while those businesses taxes were made permanent. What do you think about that?

Again, it’s about policy priorities. You know that grocery tax will help middle, working, and poor-class families tremendously.  That loss of money could be made up if we kept many of these tax decisions in place that we had previously,  right? 

So, you can’t say that you don’t have no money. We could have had the money, but you decided to break off corporations and rich people over being able to sit here and put in a tax policy that supports the lower, working class.

This study says economic policies like there are “rooted in racism.” What do you think about that?

I do think it’s rooted in racism. As long as Black and brown people aren’t economically viable, then they don’t have really any impact politically. You can look at that in the campaign funding of Black candidates in Tennessee. We’re funded far less than Republican white folks, even white Democrats. As long as our community stays poor, then we can’t compete against rich people who have the ability, access, and resources to play in a political game in a real way. 

I think this system of racism is reinforced through classism. As long as you keep people of color poor, other white folks get to stay on top. This, more than likely, correlates to who owns the most businesses that are doing well. Who owns the corporations? What’s the income makeup of policymakers and people that they’re voting to benefit? So, you can look at all those things, not just the economics side. It’s racism that is rooted in the whole system.  

Anything I left out or that you’d like to add?

I want to challenge business owners and stakeholders and people of influence in the system to ask themselves, “Do you want to keep the status quo? Or, do you want to start putting us on the path for better?”

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On Making Money Matters

London Lamar (Photo (left): Clyde Sims, Jr.); Elena Delavega (Photo (right): University of Memphis)

Editor’s note: Flyer writers will occasionally share this space.

Some news stories don’t finish where they started. This week’s “Money Matters” cover story is one of those.

Back in October, the national Economic Policy Institute (EPI) published a report critical of the South’s “business-friendly” economic policies. They favor the wealthy, are “rooted in racism,” and their promised prosperity doesn’t really trickle down the way we’ve always been told, the study says.

EPI is a nonprofit think tank “that researches the impact of economic trends and policies on working people.” The Flyer is a paper for people. Tennessee data in the report were interesting. So, I wrote a post back then outlining some of the findings. At Large columnist Bruce VanWyngarden suggested at the time that the story could make a good cover story with some local quotes and context. Does this model work for working-class Tennesseans and, especially, Memphians? That’s where this week’s cover story started.

Just as I began to report on the story, the Tennessee General Assembly began to crank up. Most of the folks who head to Nashville to make our laws every year are evangelists of the “business-friendly” economic theory. They love it, promote it, and (usually without any kind of evidence) believe that it really does work for all of their constituents, whether they own the car dealership or just work there. So, a story based on data that showed the Southern economic model didn’t work seemed well-timed.

But as I began to dig, I found new money issues in Tennessee were pressing old class frictions to the top of discussions at the beginning of the session. GOP tax cuts for the business class were flattening state revenues, making the budget even more dependent on the state’s regressive tax structure. Some argued Gov. Bill Lee’s controversial school voucher plan would take money from lower- and middle-class taxpayers and give it to the wealthy so they could pay for private schools they can probably already afford. This all comes as Lee’s administration has fumbled two federal programs to help the state’s working poor, a sign to most that those folks were not a priority for Lee.

With all this, I diverged from the main idea of the story and these class issues became the primary focus of the main “Money Matters” piece. And I feel like I flubbed the very good original idea.

Information on the new story angle edged out some enlightening commentary from two Memphis thought leaders. Elena Delavega is a professor at the University of Memphis, a Memphis poverty expert, and co-author of the annual Memphis Poverty Fact Sheet. State Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis) is a constant voice for poor and working-class people in the legislature. Look for full interviews with both of those this week on The News Blog at memphisflyer.com under a “Money Matters” headline.

For a sample, here’s what Delavega said when I asked if pro-business policy models work for everyone: “It may help two or three people at the very top, but it ends up hurting everybody else by denying the investment in the community that would make it a livable community, that would attract people who can have a choice [of a place to live].

“So, it’s sort of like this downward spiral,” Delavega said. “We don’t invest and then become even less attractive. Then, we cut taxes. Then, there is less money for investment. We cut more taxes and so on.”

Lamar said Tennessee policies have favored the wealthy since Republicans took power in 2011. She rattled off a list of cuts including the millionaire estate tax, the luxury gift tax, the reduction in the jet fuel tax, and more. But she said there have not been big moves to aid “those citizens who are working the hardest to contribute to our economy,” especially Black and brown people. This is on purpose and permeates the system, she said.

“You can look at that in the campaign funding of Black candidates in Tennessee,” Lamar said. “We’re funded far less than Republican white folks, even white Democrats. As long as our community stays poor, then we can’t compete against rich people who have the ability, access, and resources to play in a political game in a real way.

“I think this system of racism is reinforced through classism. As long as you keep people of color poor, other white folks get to stay on top,” Lamar continued. “This, more than likely, correlates to who owns the most businesses that are doing well, who owns the corporations. What’s the income makeup of policymakers and people that they’re voting to benefit? So, you can look at all those things, not just the economics side. Racism is rooted in the whole system.”

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TN Attorney General Threatens Legal Action Against Fortune 100 Companies For “Racially Discriminatory” Employment Practices

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has signed a letter addressed to Fortune 100 CEOs that threatens legal action if they refuse to “refrain from discriminating on the basis of race, whether under the label of ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ or otherwise. 

This letter was sent in  response to the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, and was signed by 12 other attorneys general in Kansas, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Montana, Kentucky, and West Virginia.

“As the Supreme Court recently emphasized, both our Constitution and our civil rights laws guarantee every American the right to be free from racial discrimination,” said Skrmetti. “The Court’s reasoning means that companies, no matter their motivation, cannot treat people differently based on the color of their skin. Corporate America continues to have many avenues to help disadvantaged people and communities of all races without resorting to crude racial line-drawing.”

While the SCOTUS case Skrmetti cited struck down Harvard’s and the University of North Carolina’s affirmative action policies, the letter also noted that the Supreme Court “recognized that federal civil-rights statutes prohibiting private entities from engaging in race discrimination apply at least as broadly as the prohibition against race discrimination found in the Equal Protection Clause.”

The signees argued that “well-intentioned racial discrimination is just as illegal as invidious discrimination.” They also stated that the Supreme Court has “repeatedly and emphatically condemned racial quotas and preferences,” and cited the case of Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No.1 , 551 U.S. 701

“Sadly, racial discrimination in employment and contracting is all too common among Fortune 100 companies and other large businesses,” the letter said. “In an inversion of the odious discriminatory practices of the distant past, today’s major companies adopt explicitly race-based initiatives which are similarly illegal.”

The letter also stated that explicit racial quotas and preferences in hiring, recruiting, retention, promoting and advancement fall under “discriminatory practices.” It also called out companies such as Goldman Sachs, Apple, and Microsoft for adopting “race-based practices.”

“If your company previously resorted to racial preferences or naked quotas to offset its bigotry, that discriminatory path is now definitively closed. Your company must overcome its underlying bias and treat all employees, all applicants, and all contractors equally, without regard for race,” the letter said.

If companies do not cease to “continue treating people differently because of the color of their skin,” the attorneys general have promised that they will be held accountable.

Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis) said that Skrmetti’s move is “an abuse of power” and that he is trying to “undermine economic opportunity for Black workers and business owners. There is an appalling lack of representation in corporate America. For instance, there are only eight Black CEOs leading Fortune 500 companies — and that’s a record high number,” said Lamar.

Lamar also said that if Skrmetti succeeds in “bullying companies into ending their programs,” the consequences will be “devastating.”

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Report: Sexual Assault Kits Testing Time Cut In Half

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

The time it takes to test sexual assault kits in Tennessee has been cut nearly in half from last year, according to new data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

A new report shows results from state crime labs are now returned in 22.7 weeks on average. That’s down from an average of 45.4 weeks from August 2022. 

Credit: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation

The fresh data comes from new quarterly reports now required by legislation originally proposed by state Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis). The law sought to reduce testing times in the wake of the abduction and kidnapping of Eliza Fletcher. Her alleged assailant was matched to a DNA test from a sexual assault a year prior to the Fletcher case, but the DNA had not been tested in time to make an arrest. 

   “We filed this legislation because victims of sexual assault deserve transparency and accountability from the state and an 11-month wait time for DNA test results is an unacceptable threat to public safety,” Lamar said. “A six-month turn around time is still not where we need to be, but the TBI is making clear progress.

The report said 476 sexual assault kits are no waiting to be tested. That’s down from a 12-month high of 1,005. 

The TBI is hiring 39 new employees to be able to process more kits. Nearly half of those have completed training and half have begun training. 

The TBI is also outsourcing some testing to a Florida company with $1.9 million in federal grants funding. 

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Proposed Bill Would Encourage Doula Services

Source: Tennessee State Government

A bill that would allow for the Tennessee Department of Health to “collaborate with the bureau of TennCare in order to study existing doula certification programs” is headed to the House for consideration on April 18.

Senator London Lamar (D-Memphis) introduced Senate Bill 0394, and during a senate floor session on April 13, Lamar moved for third and final consideration of the bill. Lamar explained that as amended, it would rewrite the bill to “create a five-member doula services advisory committee.”

The text of the bill explains that the advisory committee will “advise the department of health by establishing core competencies and standards for the provision of doula services” in Tennessee. The bill also recommends reimbursement rates and fee schedules for TennCare reimbursement for doula services.

The amendment defines a doula as a “birth worker who provides childbirth education, advocacy, and physical, emotional, and nonmedical support for pregnant and postpartum women before, during, and after childbirth.”

“Doulas are vital members of the child birthing team and have proved to reduce the rates of maternal [and] infant mortality,” said Lamar.

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that the U.S. maternal mortality rate had increased 40 percent from 2020 to 2021.

The report also stated that the rates for Black women “were significantly higher than rates for White and Hispanic women.”

The 2021 Tennessee Maternal Mortality Rate Annual Report showed that “non-Hispanic Black women” are 3.9 times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared to “non-Hispanic white women.”  President and CEO Jennifer Pepper of CHOICES: Center for Reproductive Health told the Flyer in March that both the maternal and infant mortality rate crisis in Tennessee is “dire, particularly for Black women.”

While efforts are being made to help reduce Tennessee’s mortality rate, there are other obstacles that stand in the way of this.

Mayoral candidate Michelle McKissack is urging Governor Bill Lee to provide emergency state funding for maternal health after a presentation by the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration last week proposed that $19 million in state funds be used for programs that would have been covered by federal funds. 

According to a statement from McKissack’s office, Tennessee became ineligible for federal Title X funding as a result of “the state’s abortion ban and refusal to provide a full spectrum of reproductive health education that would include information about abortions.”

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human services, “The HHS Office of Population Affairs (OPA) funds Title X family planning service grantees who support hundreds of subrecipients and thousands of service sites.” HHS defines family planning services as those that are related to “achieving pregnancy, preventing pregnancy, and assisting women, men, and couples with achieving their desired number and spacing of children.”

McKissack said that Lee has “floated the idea of amending the state budget to include $7.5 million in recurring funding for family planning for low-income women,” to replace the Title X grant, however McKissack is calling on elected officials to do more for women, who she refers to as “our most vulnerable population.”

This funding impacts birth control, pregnancy testing and basic infertility services for low-income individuals. According to McKissack, this will have a “deadly” impact on women and mothers in Memphis, especially Black women.

“Lack of access to quality maternal care, lack of access to family planning resources and education, and lack of access to reproductive care that includes abortions, is a trifecta for worsening the number of preventable pregnancy-related deaths in Memphis and statewide,” said  McKissack. “These deaths will primarily be Black women. This is unacceptable.”