Oak Ridge Today

Republicans nominate McNally for lieutenant governor

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

Tennessee Senate Republicans on Thursday voted unanimously to nominate Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, to the top leadership post—lieutenant governor and speaker of the Senate.

Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey, a Blountville Republican, will continue to hold the position until the Tennessee General Assembly convenes on January 10, when the full Senate will formally vote on his successor.

The nomination of McNally of Thursday was part of the Senate Majority Caucus leadership elections in Nashville on Thursday. The elections were for leaders in the 110th General Assembly. [Read more…]

Updated: McNally to seek Senate speakership

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

Note: This story was updated at 9:30 a.m. March 25.

Tennessee Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, will seek to become the next speaker of the Senate.

If elected, McNally would replace Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey, a Blountville Republican who recently announced he is not seeking re-election.

McNally, a longtime legislator, is chair of the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee.

“I want to thank Ron Ramsey for his tremendous leadership over these last 10 years,” McNally said in a Thursday press release. “If elected speaker, I will continue to support an independent state Senate, and I will remain committed to keeping taxes low, while maintaining the financial integrity of our state that benefits all Tennesseans.”

In the press release, McNally said he plans to spend his summer and fall working with Ramsey to help Tennessee Republicans maintain and grow their strong majority in the state Senate. [Read more…]

Sen. McNally reappointed chair of Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

Tennessee Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, has been reappointed chairman of the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee.

Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey made the appointment during the General Assembly’s organizational session, which ended Saturday. McNally has led the committee as chairman since 2007.

“I am very pleased to be reappointed to this role in our Finance Committee” McNally said in a press release. “This will be another challenging year for our budget, and I look forward to working on solutions to the issues we face.” [Read more…]

McNally to chair Finance Committee, Yager to head State and Local Government

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Randy McNally

Randy McNally

Tennessee Senator Randy McNally, an Oak Ridge Republican, will chair the Finance, Ways, and Means Committee, and Senator Ken Yager, a Harriman Republican, will chair State and Local Government.

Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey, a Blountville Republican, announced the Tennessee Senate committee assignments for the 109th General Assembly on Saturday. Ramsey was elected to his fifth term as Speaker of the Senate on Tuesday.

“The most important job I have as Speaker of the Senate is appointing the committees that hear and deliberate the legislation before us as representatives of the people of Tennessee,” Ramsey said. “Making sure the right people are on the right committees ensures not only that good legislation gets passed but that all legislation receives a fair hearing and a thorough vetting.” [Read more…]

Supreme Court justices campaign to stay on bench

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Tom Beehan and Gary Wade

Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Gary Wade, right, talks to reporters during a campaign stop at Razzleberry’s Ice Cream Lab and Kitchen on Thursday. Also pictured is Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan.

 

In most elections, voters don’t pay much attention to the retention elections for judges.

This year, though, the decision on whether to keep three of the five Tennessee Supreme Court justices on the bench is one of the most closely watched races in the state. More than $1 million has already been spent.

The three judges facing retention elections this Thursday—Chief Justice Gary Wade and Justices Sharon Lee and Cornelia Clark—were in Oak Ridge last Thursday trying to convince local voters to let them keep their jobs for another eight years.

Appointed by former Governor Phil Bredesen, the justices said they’re fighting out-of-state money and inaccurate portrayals of their work. They’re battling back against what they consider an attempt to introduce partisan politics into the courtroom.

“Partisan politics has no role in courts of law,” Wade said.

“We want to preserve fair and impartial courts,” Lee said. “When you put politics in the courtroom, you push the Constitution out.” [Read more…]

Anderson not included in latest judicial redistricting, but legislative session not over

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Dave Clark

Dave Clark

The most recent proposal to redraw judicial districts in Tennessee did not include Anderson County, but the battle isn’t over yet, an official said Wednesday.

Roane County also would not be affected under the proposal, announced Monday by Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, a Blountville Republican. The proposal could affect 22 of the state’s 95 counties, said Dave Clark, Anderson County district attorney general.

Still, there is a month or more left in the legislative session in the Tennessee General Assembly in Nashville, and the proposals—there are more than a dozen—are subject to amendment, Clark said during a Wednesday morning presentation to the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club.

[Read more…]

State officials Ramsey, Yager visit ORNL

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory Visit

Tennesseee Sen. Ken Yager, left, and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, center, receive an overview of the Spallation Neutron Source from Oak Ridge National Laboratory Neutron Sciences Director Kelly Beierschmitt at the SNS Thursday. (Photo by Jason Richards)

Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, who is also the Republican Senate Speaker, and Sen. Ken Yager, a Harriman Republican, visited Oak Ridge National Laboratory on Thursday afternoon.

Their agenda included discussions of ORNL’s partnerships with the state of Tennessee and tours of the Leadership Computing Facility and Spallation Neutron Source, the lab said in a brief statement Friday.