Tag Archives: julia

Rep. Hurley Pulls Up Libertarian Signs (at landowner request)

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State Rep. Julia Hurley was seen pulling up and tossing down a campaign sign at a major Loudon County intersection, reports the News Sentinel. Apparently someone complained, but the lawmaker says the signs were on private property and she was following the landowner’s request.
Hurley, who lost her re-election bid for the 32nd Legislative District seat in the GOP primary, said Jennifer Wampler owns the property at the intersection of Highway 321 and Highway 11 in Lenoir City.
“They didn’t ask permission to place their signs there,” Hurley said.
Hurley said she “gently” placed the sign of Dr. Shaun Crowell on the ground. Crowell is an independent candidate seeking to unseat incumbent U.S. Senator Bob Corker, a Republican.
Also on the ground: A sign touting independent presidential candidate Gary Johnson.
(Note: Gary Johnson is the Libertarian Party nominee for president; Crowell has been endorsed by the Libertarian Party. Both are listed on Tennessee’s ballot as independent candidates.)
“His (Crowell’s) sign was literally right next to the sidewalk,” said businessman Brad Boring, who said he watched Hurley pull it up Sunday morning.
“That close to the road is private property?” he asked. “I don’t believe so.” Boring questioned whether the sign was within state right-of-way.
Guidelines for campaign sign locations vary by jurisdiction.
In Lenoir City, signs on land beyond sidewalks are deemed as being on private property, and the landowners have the final say-so on allowing them, city Codes Enforcement Officer Leslie Johnson said.
Political signs between sidewalks and road curbs are on either state or city rights of way, she said.

Calfee, Hurley Speak to TV Folk; Not to Each Other

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Rep. Julia Hurley lost Thursday’s Republican primary after serving one term. Former Roane County Commissioner Kent Calfee took 55% of the vote, while Hurley garnered 45%. Hurley and Calfee say they have not spoken to one another since the results came in and don’t intend to either.
But they did speak with WATE-TV:
They’re each trying to look to the future instead. Kent Calfee says he had a feeling Thursday night’s numbers would come out in his favor.
“We got to feeling pretty good about the time early voting started, and we were just getting lots of positive feedback from both Roane and Loudon counties,” he said.
However, setting out to beat an incumbent was going to be tough.
“It’s hard to do and we knew it was an uphill battle from the beginning, and we think that gives us a lot of momentum going into the November election,” Calfee said.
Hurley says she also had a feeling about this election. “I’m not shocked at all. I wasn’t. My family and I had prepared for this election to go either way,” she said.
She understands how hard it is to unseat an incumbent, which she did herself.
“I took a seat that they had had for 18 years, and they worked very very hard to get it back. They chose a candidate who had voted half and half, and that’s wonderful. The voters decided what they wanted,” Hurley said.
She says she believes crossover voting contributed to her loss. “The Democrats came out and voted in the Republican primary and they got their candidates. You’ve got to commend them, you really do,” she said.
Hurley says just because she lost this election doesn’t mean the end of her political career. “One door closes. One door opens so we’re just keeping a positive outlook for the future,” she said.
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Note: See also the collected election night Tweets, by of Julia Hurley, by Stephen Hale.

Julia Hurley Offers Explanations; Others Offer Critiques

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Via an email to constituents, state Rep. Julia Hurley has responded to what she describes as “liberal media” accounts of various activities that have drawn attention over recent months.
Meanwhile, Hurley’ s fame is spreading. She has been listed in a Washington Times list of the nation’s “30 hottest political women,” along with Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachmann. It’s just a mention — she is described only as “a former Hooters waitress who is now a member of the Tennessee Legislature.”
As an example of the emailed commentary, here is Hurley’s response (writing of herself in third person) to reports that she carved her initials on her desk in the state House of Representatives chamber:
“Representative Hurley carved her initials in her desk in Nashville. Yes, she did. If you have ever visited Nashville or Washington D.C. you will see MANY names and initials carved into the tops, sides, legs and inside drawers of desks with over a hundred years of history.
“Not only did this make front page news, the liberal media decided to associate Representative Hurley as being a vandal, while two hundred years of history has shown this to be a traditional act in all aspects of Legislators services.
On top of admitting that she did this, Representative Hurley paid to have the entire desk revamped. Something that no other legislator has ever been asked to do or been attacked in the media for doing.”
Hurley also reviews her run-in with a Highway Patrol officer (who, she says in the email, is “the sister of Dennis Ferguson’s campaign manager. Ferguson is the former Democratic legislator defeated by Hurley in 2010.) and two episodes with her dog.
On one occasion, she brought the dog, Pepper, into the Roane County Courthouse where pets are not authorized. In her report, Hurley says that, at the time of her encounter, “Property Assessor Teresa Kirkham had just left with her two dogs, leaving behind their dog beds and two mice were just brought in the the courthouse to feed the 4-H pet snake held on the third floor.”
On the other, most recent occasion, Hurley had posted on Facebook a video of Pepper “air swimmng” – paddling with her paws as she was held outside a moving car.
“I cannot even imagine what the people who accuse Representative Hurley of abusing her dog consider abuse. Are these the same people that leave their pet outside in hot or cold weather? Do they also clothe their dogs? Feed them gluten-free food? Bathe them daily after having to wear 100spf sunscreen from being in the sun? Let their canine sleep in their bed so they do not shiver at night? I feel it necessary to say these things, because I love my pet. I take care of things I care about… much like the 32nd District.”
In Tennessee, Hurley’s activities have inspired considerable commentary among the state’s politically-oriented bloggers.
Especially notable, Steve Hale has a rundown, including videos, of Hurley’s “greatest hits.”
See also, for example, Betsy Phillips latest, which is on the hijacking of Hurley’s website. The website episode also inspired Trace Sharp to offer some advice to other politicians, namely Own Your Own Identity.
Though Hurley’s email says copies were sent to the press, yours truly didn’t get one and neither did Bob Fowler, the KNS reporter who initially wrote about some of those activities. But Brian Hornback and RoaneViews did and have posted the email in full (Hornback has also posted a rebuttal from a fellow mentioned by Hurley.)
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Note: This updates, replaces and expands an earlier post.

Rep. Hurley’s Campaign Website Hijacked

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State Rep. Julia Hurley, R-Lenoir City, said she’s infuriated that visitors to the website known as hurleyforhouse.com are immediately directed to the website of Kent Calfee, her opponent in the August Republican primary.
From the News Sentinel’s Bob Fowler:

Both candidates said they were unaware of the website redirect until informed Friday by the News Sentinel. Local blogger Brian Hornback noted it on his site, Shock and Awe.
Hurley promptly cast blame on Calfee and his supporters.
But she also admitted that she didn’t know the registration status of hurleyforhouse.com, launched two years ago during her inaugural campaign, and she didn’t know whether her camp has been maintaining it. It appears someone took over the registration June 16.
“I think that this is dirty politics at its best,” Hurley said. “I think Mr. Calfee should be ashamed of himself and if he did not do it, he should reprimand whoever in his camp did.”
“And if he doesn’t know who did it, he should find out.”
Calfee on Friday said he, too, was surprised to learn of the Hurley campaign site redirect.
“I’m not technically savvy,” he said. “I called my wife, and she says evidently the (website) registration was not maintained.
“I would assume that if you’re holding office and you had a website, you would maintain the control of it.”
The website domain registration is parked with domainsbyproxy.com, operated by GoDaddy.com, which keeps the domain name-holder anonymous.

Rep. Hurley: Pepper Enjoys ‘Air Swimming;’ Critics Politically Motivated

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By Eric Schelzig, Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A state lawmaker hit back Tuesday at critics of a YouTube video she posted of her dog Pepper being held outside a moving car for what she called an “air swim.”
Freshman Rep. Julia Hurley said in an interview in her legislative office that her Chinese crested named Pepper enjoys being held out into the wind.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reported that Hurley’s short video titled “Pepper Air Swims” was pulled two days after being posted on YouTube. Hurley, a Republican, said she removed the video because she “didn’t want to deal with” criticism she calls politically motivated.
“I think it’s a liberal ploy to take the attention off the bills and the legislation I’ve passed and the positive things I’ve done, to make me look like a bad person,” the Lenoir City Republican said.
Hurley said people who complained about the video should explain why they don’t have a similar reaction about other unrestrained dogs in the beds of pickup trucks or leaning out windows.
“My dog obviously enjoys it,” Hurley said. “She’s very happy.”

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Rep. Hurley Video on Dog ‘Air Swimming’ Draws Criticism

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A brief YouTube video linked to state Rep. Julia Hurley showing a small dog being held outside a moving convertible was removed from the Internet Monday, two days after it was posted.
More, lifted from the News Sentinel’s website:
The video, titled “Pepper Air Swims” shows the small dog being held out the passenger window, its front legs moving in the air, as two people laugh in the background. (Note: Though the video has been taken off YouTube, the KNS has it up, HERE.)
The faces of neither person are shown. Only the forearms of the person holding the dog are seen. The video was posted to the freshman lawmaker’s YouTube channel under the user name “repjuliahurley.”
Hurley, a Republican seeking re-election to a second term in the 32nd House District, owns a Chinese crested, a hairless breed of dog that she named Pepper. She drives a BMW convertible.
Hurley didn’t return repeated calls and emails seeking comment Monday.
A Roane County resident blasted the video Monday.
“I find Ms. Hurley’s behavior to be extremely unkind and irresponsible,” the Rev. Peggy Blanchard stated in an email.

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House District 32: Hurley vs. Calfee

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Something of an incumbent-challenger role reversal seems afoot this summer in the parts of Loudon and Roane counties where Republican voters will decide whether they want Julia Hurley or Kent Calfee to serve them in the state House of Representatives.
Typically in such primary contests, especially this year in Tennessee, the incumbent is being criticized by the challenger as not strong enough in pushing conservative values and perhaps as having already served too long in office. In the 32nd House District, the opposite seems the case.
Incumbent Rep. Hurley, 30, a Lenoir City resident seeking her second term, is on the attack. Challenger Calfee, 63, a former Roane County commissioner, says that he is not.
“I’m already a better legislator than my opponent. Out of 20 years on the county commission, he’s missed three years of meetings,” said Hurley. “I have a 100 percent voting record and a 100 percent attendance record.”
Further, she declares that Calfee has voted in Democratic primaries, most recently in 2008, and “financially supported Al Gore.” Calfee denied ever aiding Gore.
More is to come as the Aug. 2 primary approaches, Hurley said. Her campaign has researched his voting record on the commission and plans direct mail pieces pointing out what she perceives as shortcomings.
“Bless his heart, he’s got to an age where he’s completely forgotten what he voted for, and those things will be coming to light very soon,” she said.
Calfee says “it’s not my nature to be attacking people” and he has no plans to do so in campaigning against Hurley.
Still, he does say things such as, “I want to restore respect, dignity and professionalism to the seat.”

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Revised Welfare Drug Testing Bill Goes to Governor

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The House on Tuesday passed a bill to implement a suspicion-based drug testing program for welfare recipients in Tennessee.
The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Julia Hurley, of Lenoir City, passed on a 73-17 vote. The Senate previously passed its version 24-9, meaning the bill now heads for the governor’s consideration.
Rep. Johnnie Turner, of Memphis, was among the Democrats raising concerns about the bill.
“It is degrading, it is demeaning, it is dehumanizing,” she said. “It impacts on a group of people who are at their lowest ebb.”
The legislation would require new welfare applicants to undergo a special screening process. If suspicion is raised after the screening, the applicant would be drug tested.
The final version retreated from the original proposal that would have required blanket testing to qualify for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, program. The state’s attorney general opined that that approach would have been unconstitutional.
The bill would require people who test positive for illegal drugs to enter into a drug treatment program, though they would continue to receive benefits during that time.
A subsequent drug test within six months would determine whether recipients are disqualified. Children would be exempt from testing and the measure would ensure children under age 16 would continue to receive benefits if their parents are disqualified.

Sponsor Spurns Drug Testing for Legislators

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By Lucas Johnson, Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A proposal to require drug testing as a condition for receiving welfare advanced in the House on Monday after the sponsor refused to accept an amendment to drug test lawmakers.
The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Julia Hurley of Lenoir City was approved on a voice vote in the House Finance Committee. The companion bill is awaiting a vote on the Senate floor.
The proposal differs from original legislation that the state’s attorney general said was constitutionally suspect.
The opinion said that approach would violate the constitutional rights of applicants who have a right not to be drug tested unless there is suspicion that they are taking illicit drugs.

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Drug Testing for Welfare Takes Another Step Forward

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A proposal to drug test people as a condition to receive welfare is advancing in the House despite a state attorney general opinion saying the legislation is constitutionally suspect.
The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Julia Hurley of Lenoir City was approved 11-6 in the House Health and Human Resources Committee on Wednesday. The companion bill is awaiting a vote in the Senate Finance Committee.
The legislation would test applicants with drug violations within the last five years. But Attorney General Bob Cooper has twice opined that the bill would violate constitutional rights of applicants unless there is suspicion they are taking illicit drugs.
Sponsors say savings of at least a million dollars would be used to help addicts recover from drug dependency.
However, opponents say the measure is politically motivated.