On Friday, Feb. 19, the city mayor, City Council members, senior City staff, State Representatives, and Senators who represent Knox County legislative districts will meet for the annual legislative planning session. The public can follow virtually. KNOXVILLE, TN (February 2021) – The annual Budget Retreat is a public meeting that will be conducted via Zoom in…
The following open letter was delivered to the named recipients on Thursday, February 4, 2021, the day of the regularly scheduled City Council meeting when the matter was on the agenda. Prior to the meeting, there was a release stating that ‘no public comments’ would be allowed, which restricted public/citizen input. The organizations signed below…
Today, Friday, February 5, 2021, Tennessee Senator Raumesh Akbari will deliver a pre-buttal to Governor Lee’s State of the State. The pre-buttal will tell the truth of where our state is and what Democrats are prioritizing this legislative session. Senator Raumesh Akbari will call on the Governor and Republicans in the legislature to improve the…
Rhea Morgan, Contributor February 1, 2020 Although challenges, crises, and controversies remain, a new era has begun. for the Huddle. You will see this pivot reflected in the Good News and Educate Yourself sections below. Some great ideas are emerging on the federal level and we look forward to supporting their enactment. On the state and…
The Women’s Coalition/Maryville Huddle provides accurate information that impacts the daily lives of all Tennesseans; the voting position of Tennessee and Federal elected officials and encourages citizens to connect with their elected officials. Blount County, TN – The Maryville Huddle group monitors legislation as it passes through the TN General Assembly, which usually meets between January…
Submitted by the Maryville Huddlers BLOUNT COUNTY, (January 17, 2021) – The Daily Times reported this past week that Blount County Election Commission is considering replacing 31 precinct voting sites with 10-15 “convenience” voting locations on the next election day. This change does not affect early voting. This proposal would allow voters to vote at any of the new 10-15…
NASHVILLE, TN (January 16, 2021) – Today the Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee elected new officers to oversee the direction of the party for the next two-years. Outgoing chair Mary Mancini has held the reigns for the past 6-years. The vote of the Executive Committee made history by electing Hendrell Remus, who will be the…
COMMENTARY NATIONAL (January 11, 2021) – That this should happen at the Capitol, the People’s House, is a grave desecration of our democracy. Many of us know that the Capitol was built by Black people, both enslaved and free. As Fred Beuttler, former Deputy Historian of the U.S. House of Representatives notes, every step of…
(January 9, 2021) – The Knoxville City Council and County Commission has voted to create a Sports Authority, which is the first step to building a publicly-funded Smokies baseball stadium in downtown Knoxville. With the horse before the cart, information on the membership or purpose of this board has not been publicly shared. For example:…
MARYVILLE, TN – What a terrible day we witnessed Wednesday, January 7, 2021! Insurgents incited by a sitting president stormed the Capitol to try and prevent the counting of votes cast in a fair and free election. Americans everywhere are not only outraged, they are sickened and concerned for the future of our country. There…
OP-ED Knox County Democratic Party’s Statement on Tennessee and Knox County GOP Elected Officials’ Complicity in Recent Seditious Actions KNOXVILLE (Jan. 6, 2021)— Our local and state Republican Elected Officials are complicit in the seditious actions & insurrection in Washington DC. Wednesday, January 6th, 2021 For weeks, Marsha Blackburn, Bill Hagerty, Tim Burchett, and TN…
Commentary from the Blount County Democratic Party By J. Nathan Higdon, BCDP Acting Chair (January 7, 2021) – “The insurrection and attempted coup through the storming of the United States Capitol building (Wednesday, Jan. 7) would be viewed on the nightly news as the thing of despotic, far-off countries most folks couldn’t place on a…
BLOUNT COUNTY (January 5, 2021) – It’s been a tough year. We mourn the loss of so many friends and family members to Covid. It’s been agonizing to bear witness to the fragility of our democracy. Here in our corner of the world we are not immune. People face racial injustices, struggle with homelessness and…
OP-ED: By Barbara Bridges I lived for 4-plus months at a Knoxville shelter for women and children when my kids were little. It was during my first year of architecture school. While I appreciate the support they provided, I can also tell you that the expectations they placed on residents were unmanageable for most of us….
Politically, we’ve had more good news this past week but unfortunately, COVID-19 continues to ravage the country. Tennessee is now the worldwide epicenter of per capita infections. Accordingly, our action this week focuses on the performance of our Governor Lee in dealing with the pandemic. As the Biden transition team attempts to bring sanity back…
The mechanisms needed to clear the way for a new Smokies baseball stadium to be built in downtown Knoxville are strategically underway. Tonight’s (Dec. 15, 2020), agenda for Knox County Commission meeting will include a vote on the formation of the “Sports Authority of the County of Knox and the City of Knoxville, Tennessee.” he…
Knox County Commissioners, Tennessee State Representatives, and Health Professionals Make Urgent Appeal to the other State and Local Government officials and Residents Amid Spiking COVID-19 Cases. CAPTION: Knox County Commissioners for Dist 1 Dasha Lundy, and Dist 2 Courtney Durrett; State Representatives Dist. 13 Gloria Johnson and Dist 15 Sam McKenzie. KNOXVILLE, TN (Dec….
Four local legislators will meet with Knoxville hospital partners on Wednesday, December, 16th, to discuss the local impact of COVID-19. KNOXVILLE, TN (December 13, 2020) – “COVID and the Community – Our Next Steps Together” is set to be a roundtable discussion between local legislators and medical professionals. Local medical professionals will share current COVID-19…
By Rhea Morgan, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanks to your participation in the electoral process we have much to be thankful for. Please take a minute to celebrate the rewards of your efforts for a better future for all. We have much to be thankful for… There are only 52 days…
“Dr. Jane George, 2020 TN Senate District 6 candidate, announces run for TNDP Chair for 2021” KNOXVILLE, TN (Nov. 2020) – “Today I announce my candidacy for Chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party. Over the next several weeks, I will continue my conversations with stakeholders across the state to discuss my vision, while listening to…
KNOXVILLE, TN (Nov. 22, 2020) – Our mission is clear: to ensure a peaceful and secure transition of power, and for Congress, the Electoral College, and Tennessee officials to honor the accurate and final vote count. Join us on Sunday, Nov. 22nd at 10 a.m. for a brief rally/press conference and motor march through West Knoxville….
KNOXVILLE, TN (Nov. 20, 2020) – If you are planning on doing some holiday shopping at the Outlets in Sevier County or take your out-of-town Thanksgiving guests on a tour to enjoy Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg this Saturday, Nov. 21st, you might want to reconsider or postpone for a later date. Holiday travel and shopping…
Presented by Tennessee State Representative Gloria Johnson (D13) Hope you are all doing well and staying healthy. As we watch the coronavirus cases rise in Knoxville and across the state, I am becoming more and more concerned with the safety of our community. As others may be feeling concerned as well, I am hosting a…
By Rhea Morgan November 15, 2020 Post-election developments appear to be heading in the right direction. For the first, on Sunday, Nov. 15, President Donald Trump recognized he lost (although he also said the results were rigged). The turnout for the March on Washington, the previous Saturday, was also relatively small with an estimated attendance…
By Jack Vaughan KNOXVILLE, TN (November 13, 2020) – Knox County shifted 8.5% in Democrats’ favor from 2016 to 2020, Trump’s vote share shrank 1.9%. Trump won with a +23.7 margin in 2016 and then a +15.2 margin this year. This shift is the 3rd highest in the state behind only Rutherford and Williamson Counties….