Democratic leader Mike Turner said last week that Gov. Bill Haslam is now the most powerful (Tennessee) governor ever. Hyperbole? Or is there an element of truth in it?

A lot of attention is being paid to the oil sands in Canada and North Dakota and the Keystone pipeline. What has been pretty well ignored is something called Chattanooga Shale, a pocket of natural gas-rich shale that stretches from ...

You would think the pension board and a couple of CPAs would be a better vehicle to solve problems with the Knox County Uniformed Officers Pension Plan, but it will instead be resolved by a subcommittee of the Charter Review ...

Sometime I think I’ve entered Bizarro World when I view public policy issues being argued in the Tennessee Legislature.

The post-election battle between Law Director Joe Jarrett and Law Director-elect Bud Armstrong has been more entertaining that the election itself.

Home builders, chambers of commerce, Realtors, and others involved in development are frustrated. Times are hard and deals are even harder to get done. The sentiment to loosen regulation and speed up the process to get projects done has never ...

The next assault on our privacy will not allow you to opt out. The Constitution protects our property rights. Even the police need a warrant to come in. But it never occurred to the Founding Fathers that we would enter ...

The president’s management style must be conducive to reaching the best solutions—to get the widest variety of opinions possible. Then be able to sell those solutions to Congress and the public.

Most people are more concerned about their kids, their jobs, and just living life. I suppose the culture warriors among us have appointed themselves to do battle on our behalf. They fight the gay menace so you don’t have to.

So a rich guy decides to run for office. He calls all his friends, they call their friends, and they pony up a pile of cash. He then begins the race as the perceived “front runner.” The rest of the ...

Trustee John Duncan III ought to send Gloria Ray flowers. Her troubles with the Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corp. have kept him off the front page or the lead TV news items for a few days.

A special panel of the state Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s appellate justices are being properly elected to office by being appointed by the governor then one day facing a retention election. This in spite of the Tennessee ...

So how did Gloria Ray get to be Gloria Ray?

It’s an election year so expect the Legislature to at least talk about cutting taxes. This might seem odd in the middle of a recession (remember the crisis last year to pass a balanced budget?) but the state Legislature is ...

The Republicans are in control now and they are redrawing House district lines following the 2010 census and they are attempting to secure a filibuster proof majority. It is likely the Republican plan this time around will face a great ...