Battle of the state budget: House vs Senate

House leaders presented a state budget plan Tuesday that clashes with a Senate plan in several ways, though both chambers agree on ditching Gov. Phil Bredesen’s plans to raise new revenue by changes in the state’s tax code.

The differences between the House and Senate plans are relatively small in an overview of the proposed $28 billion budget, but leaders of the two chambers appeared adamant in their positions. The dispute makes it likely that the Legislature will be unable to complete the 2010 session this week, as many had hoped

via Tom Humphrey House-Senate Budget Differences Laid Out (Well, Sorta).

Wamp criticizes Haslam’s investment in theater, controversy ensues

Lots of back and forth about a controversial news release from the Wamp campaign.

A Wamp news release sent to media statewide said Haslam has “co-mingled and co-invested” $2 million of his money, along with $750,000 each from his father and brother, with city funds, and government grants and tax credits to underwrite the development, “which is now 100 percent privately owned by Haslam, his family and co-owner.”

“The mixing of personal investment funds with the taxpayer money you oversee for your own gain or profit represents a serious breach of ethics,” said Sam Edelen, Wamp campaign spokesperson. “Yet that’s exactly what Mayor Haslam did when he co-mingled his own personal money, as well as investments from family members, with funding from the city of Knoxville on a private real estate development he now owns.

via KnoxNews Wamp criticizes Haslam’s role in downtown theater.

and Nashville Scene: Haslam Fends Off Wamp Attack

Vote set for Wednesday to ignore health-care mandates

State Rep. Mike Bell said today that, since the U.S. House approved a health-care reform bill Sunday, he has received a huge outpouring of support for a bill declaring Tennesseans can ignore federal health-care mandates and calling on the attorney general to fight them in court.

“The actions of the federal government yesterday have made Tennesseans mad from Memphis to Mountain City,” said Bell, R-Riceville. “My phone has been ringing off the wall … and I haven’t been able to deal with all the emails.”

via KnoxNews Vote set for Wednesday to ignore health-care mandates.