Oak Ridge Today

Lunch with League: Immigration, humanitarian crisis in East Tennessee

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Karla McKanders

Karla McKanders

An associate professor in the University of Tennessee College of Law will discuss the migration surge of vulnerable immigrants to East Tennessee during a lunchtime meeting Tuesday, a press release said.

Karla McKanders will be the guest speaker at Lunch with the League on Tuesday, November 4. The program will be held at noon in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church’s new location at 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

The press release said vulnerable immigrants are those who have migrated to the United States and are not afforded full protections under national and state laws. [Read more…]

2014 Election: Constitutional amendments, wine in groceries, a candidate’s record

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League Women Voters Constitutional Amendment Forum

Corinne Rovetti, co-director and family nurse practitioner for the Knoxville Center for Reproductive Health, second from right, discusses Amendment 1, which is on Tuesday’s ballot, during a forum in October. Also pictured are moderator JoAnn Garrett, right; Judy Cornett, second from left, distinguished professor in the College of Law at the University of Tennessee, who discussed Amendment 2; and Sherry Davis Kasper, professor of economics at Maryville College, who discussed Amendment 3.

 

Many voters remain confused about the four proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot in Tennessee on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4.

Three of the amendments were discussed during a League of Women Voters forum in Oak Ridge in October, and you can find a guide to the four amendments here.

The first amendment, Amendment 1, is related to abortion, and it appears to be the most divisive.

Here’s the full text of the proposed amendment to the Tennessee Constitution:

“Nothing in this Constitution secures or protects a right to abortion or requires the funding of an abortion. The people retain the right through their elected state representatives and state senators to enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion, including, but not limited to, circumstances of pregnancy resulting from rape or incest or when necessary to save the life of the mother.”

[Read more…]

Three speakers to discuss three proposed constitutional amendments

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Corinne Rovetti

Corinne Rovetti

Two college professors and a co-director of a reproductive health center will discuss three proposed constitutional amendments that will be considered by Tennessee voters in the November 4 election.

The proposed amendments will be discussed during a Tuesday evening forum in Oak Ridge.

Corinne Rovetti, co-director and family nurse practitioner for the Knoxville Center for Reproductive Health, will address Amendment 1, which deals with reproductive choice and privacy, a press release said. [Read more…]

Gov. Haslam, Bredesen to discuss Amendment 2 at UT on Wednesday

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Governor Bill Haslam

Bill Haslam

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and former Governor Phil Bredesen will discuss a constitutional amendment that could affect the judicial system during a Wednesday celebration of Constitution Day at the University of Tennessee.

Amendment 2 to the Tennessee Constitution will be on the ballot in November. It proposes new checks and balances to the governor’s appointment of Supreme Court and intermediate appellate court judges. It also protects the rights of Tennesseans to vote to retain or replace those judges in retention elections, UT said in a press release.

Haslam and Bredesen will discuss the amendment at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Toyota Auditorium of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy. The discussion will be moderated by Doug Blaze, dean of UT’s College of Law.

It’s part of the Baker Center’s celebration of Constitution Day on Wednesday. Free and open to the public, the day’s events will also include: [Read more…]

Energy Secretary Moniz to give lecture on energy, environment at UT on Friday

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Ernest Moniz

Ernest Moniz

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will give a lecture on energy and the environment at the University of Tennessee on Friday. It’s free and open to the public, a press release said.

Moniz will also talk about the U.S. Department of Energy and its activities in Tennessee, a press release said.

It’s the Baker Distinguished Lecture on Energy and the Environment, and it’s scheduled from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Friday at the UT College of Law, Room 132. Overflow seating will be available in Room 135, and the event will be streamed live here.

The College of Law is at at 1505 W. Cumberland Ave. in Knoxville. Paid public parking will be available in the Volunteer Hall Garage. A map of campus is available at utk.edu/maps. [Read more…]

Fifth in nation: UT graduate program in nuclear engineering

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The graduate program in nuclear engineering at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville has risen to fifth place among all universities in the country, according to the 2015 U.S. News and World Report graduate rankings released last week.

Nuclear engineering ranked sixth in the nation in last year’s list. In a press release, the University of Tennessee said it’s one of the college’s fastest growing graduate programs.

The College of Engineering’s overall graduate program also climbed to 36th among all public universities, moving up three spots since last year, the UT press release said. [Read more…]

Possible changes in Tennessee judicial selections to be discussed at Lunch with the League

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Judy Cornett

Judy Cornett

A University of Tennessee law professor will discuss potential changes to Tennessee’s judicial selection process during a Lunch with the League meeting on Tuesday.

Judy Cornett is a distinguished professor at the University of Tennessee College of Law, and her presentation starts at noon Tuesday in the Social Hall of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 1500 Oak Ridge Turnpike.

In November 2014, Tennessee voters will vote on three proposed amendments to the Tennessee Constitution, a press release said. One proposed amendment would create a semi-federal system of selecting Tennessee’s appellate judges. This amendment would empower the governor to nominate a candidate, who would then be subject to confirmation by both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly. Cornett will discuss the history of the legislative battle over judicial selection and will analyze the proposed amendment, which has been touted as an alternative to popular election of appellate judges. [Read more…]

Constitution Day lecture on immigration law at Roane State on Tuesday

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Karla McKanders

Karla McKanders

University of Tennessee College of Law professor Karla McKanders will discuss immigration law on Constitution Day on Tuesday at Roane State Community College’s Oak Ridge Campus.

The lecture will be held from 1–2:30 p.m. in the City Room. The event is free, and the public is invited.

McKanders’ research focuses on civil rights, immigration and asylum law, and policy. She has explored the constitutionality of recent state and local laws targeting immigrants and the legal connections between past discriminatory laws and current anti-immigrant legislation. [Read more…]