Oak Ridge Today

Lunch with the League: Amending the U.S. Constitution

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Theodore Brown Jr.

Theodore Brown Jr.

A senior lecturer at the University of Tennessee will discuss the process of amending the U.S. Constitution during a lunchtime meeting in Oak Ridge on Tuesday.

Theodore Brown Jr., a senior lecturer in UT’s Department of Political Science, will be the guest speaker at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, May 19. The program starts at noon in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The Constitution of the United States was ratified on June 21, 1788. In the 227 years since then, there have been thousands of proposals to amend the Constitution, but only 33 obtained the necessary two-thirds vote in Congress and only 27 (including the Bill of Rights) have been ratified, a press release said. Amendments can also be proposed by constitutional conventions called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures.

Brown will discuss and clarify issues surrounding the state-initiated process of amending the Constitution, the release said. His presentation will set the stage for a nationwide study of the amendment process by the League of Women Voters. [Read more…]

League of Women Voters to mark Bill of Rights Day on Sunday

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League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge will join with chapters across America to mark the 222nd anniversary on Dec. 15 of the adoption of the Bill of Rights with a call for improved political discourse and greater civic participation in our community.

The Bill of Rights—the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution—is generally considered to be the mainstay of our constitutional freedom, a press release said. They are said to guarantee a number of personal freedoms, limit the government’s power in judicial and other proceedings, and reserve some powers to the states and the public. The League of Women Voters believes the best way to honor this historic document is to protect the freedom it guarantees.

For more than 90 years, the League of Women Voters of the United States has defended civil liberties and promoted balanced civic discourse on important community issues. Its mission is to increase civic participation—to help individuals recognize the critical importance of protecting and honoring our most cherished constitutional rights because they impact our everyday lives. [Read more…]

Council members clash over Baughn’s budget-cutting proposals

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Trina Baughn

Trina Baughn

Charlie Hensley

Charlie Hensley

Several Oak Ridge City Council members clashed on Monday as they debated a few last-minute proposals to reduce city spending in some areas and increase it in others.

Most of the debate centered on proposals submitted by Oak Ridge City Council member Trina Baughn. She asked the City Council to consider nine budget-cutting proposals and consider selling the Centennial Golf Course and the property used by the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, among other things.

Baughn said she represents the citizens of Oak Ridge and is trying to find the highest and best use of city-owned property. She has previously said she would like to lower the property tax rate and has advocated for a more limited government. [Read more…]

Council approves no-tax-increase budget that could be amended

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Mark Watson

Mark Watson

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday gave initial approval to a budget that does not raise property taxes but could be amended.

Council members Trina Baughn and Chuck Hope proposed amendments that could be considered during a special meeting before second and final reading of the budget on May 28.

The budget presented by City Manager Mark Watson on Monday would give city employees a 1 percent pay raise, cut funding for the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau, and change the city’s contract with the Chamber of Commerce. [Read more…]