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Lawmaker’s Remark on Bullying Bill Draws Criticism

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A bill to strengthen the state’s anti-bullying law was sidelined for the year in a House subcommittee after a remarks by Rep. Roger Kane that are being criticized as insensitive.
Kane, R-Knoxville, read from a section of the bill (HB927), which would broaden the definition of bullying to include “any conduct that substantially interferes with a student’s educational benefits, opportunities, or performance, and that is based on the actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, academic achievement, sexual orientation, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, or physical appearance of either the student or a person with whom the student has an actual or perceived association. ”
He told the sponsor, Rep. Karen Camper, D-Memphis, that he could see the broad language covering a 7th grader “wearing a Texas Aggie t-shirt” being the butt of jokes from other students. Kane recalled himself “being the tallest 4th grader and being picked on because my ears stuck out.”
“That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger,” Kane said.
The latter remark was cited by Tennessee Equality Project, which advocates for gay, lesbian and transgender rights, in a news release declaring that Kane should be removed from the House Education Committee.
“He’s essentially saying that bullying is good for you because it toughens you up. Rep. Kane sends a terrible message to those Tennesseans who have forever lost a friend, a student, a son, or a daughter (through suicide after a bullying situation),” said Jonathan Cole with the Tennessee Equality Project.
Kane said afterwards that he was simply pointing out that the bill is overbroad. Kane said his mother was Jewish and his father Catholic, which caused him to be criticized as “a Jesus killer” as a child.
“It made me a better person – able to got to a better place because of it,” he said.
Several other members of the panel criticized the measure in lengthy debate. It was ultimately sent to to the state Department of Education for review with Kamper’s agreement. That means it will not be further considered this year.
Kane said he would work with Kamper on the bill “to refine it and make it better” for consideration next year.
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UPDATE: Asked for House Speaker Beth Harwell’s response to Kane’s comments, her spokeswoman, Kara Owen, sent this email:
The Speaker takes the issue of bullying very seriously, as does this entire legislature, evidenced by the full discussion in committee on the bill. We are confident Representative Kane wishes to work toward good, solid policy on this very important issue.

Carr’s Bill to Nullify Fed Gun Laws Dies in House Sub

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Legislation declaring that new federal laws and executive orders on firearms are invalid in Tennessee has been killed in a House subcommittee.
The bill (HB42) by Rep. Joe Carr, R-Lascassas, also would have made attempts at enforcement of federal gun laws and executive orders a misdemeanor crime within the state. It would have applied to measures taking effect after Jan. 1, 2013, thus covering executive orders on gun regulations issued recently by President Barack Obama and any gun laws enacted by Congress this year.
“I understand that we’re pushing the envelope a little bit here,” Carr told the House Civil Justice Subcommittee. “But it’s our intent to do this in some respects.”
He told the panel that “we are seeing a tyranny coming from Washington” and the bill is “seeking to assert the sovereignty of this state as defined in the Second Amendment.”
Rep. Mike Stewart, D-Nashville, told Carr he disagreed with the bill as “throwing a wrench in these 200-year-old gears” at the federal level. But otherwise there was little debate or discussion before the subcommittee’s chairman, Republican Rep. Jim Coley of Memphis, called for a vote.
The bill was killed on voice vote. Only two members of the eight-member panel — Republican Reps. Mike Carter of Ooltewah and Jon Lundberg of Bristol — asked that they be recorded as favoring the bill.

Virtual Schools Melee: Repeal Bill Killed, Haslam Bill Passed, Legislator Testimony Blocked

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A House committee killed legislation that would have closed Tennessee Virtual Academy Tuesday after one Knoxville legislator effectively blocked another from talking to the panel about allegations the for-profit school altered the bad grades of some students.
Instead, the House Education Subcommittee approved a bill pushed by Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration that puts some new restrictions on virtual schools, but only after eliminating – with the governor’s approval – a proposed 5,000-student enrollment cap that was originally part of HB151.
Democratic Rep. Mike Stewart of Nashville sponsored the bill (HB728) that would have effectively repealed a law passed in 2011 that allowed for-profit virtual schools to operate in Tennessee.
The 2011 bill was sponsored by Rep. Harry Brooks, R-Knoxville, who is now chairman of the House Education Committee and sponsor of the Haslam administration bill changing some rules for running virtual schools.
Stewart told the committee that Tennessee Virtual Academy, part of a system of virtual schools operated around the nation by K12, Inc., has proven itself in a year of operation a “bad idea” for both its students, who have had low scores in testing, and for taxpayers.

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Senate Kills Bill Reviving Nashville’s Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Senate panel has rejected efforts to roll back a bill barring local governments from enacting stricter anti-discrimination standards than those held by the state.
The State and Local Government committee on Tuesday voted 6-2 against the bill sponsored by Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle of Memphis.
Gov. Bill Haslam last year signed into law a measure voiding a Nashville ordinance that barred companies that discriminate against gays and lesbians from doing business with the city.
Several large employers opposed the law, including FedEx, AT&T, Whirlpool, Comcast and Nissan.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville said his understanding of the state constitution is that nothing prevents the Legislature from setting guidelines for local governments.
Kyle responded that it wasn’t constitutional question, but one of stopping “bad policy.”

State Board of Ed Kills Proposed Knox Charter School

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The Tennessee Board of Education dealt the death blow Thursday to efforts to open a charter school in Knox County this year, reports the News Sentinel. Proponents said they’ll regroup for 2013.
“We will definitely be reapplying next year,” said Tommie Henderson, executive director of SMART Schools, the nonprofit that sponsored the effort.
The board voted unanimously in Nashville to deny a charter school application for the proposed New Consortium of Law and Business. The school would have served grades six through 12 with an emphasis on legal and business skills.
The Knox County school board had already denied the application twice, but the organization appealed that decision to the state level. Gary Nixon, the state board’s executive director, had given the appeal a thumbs-down in a written evaluation.
The board then voted on Thursday to deny the application. Nixon cited “a lack of development of the vision for the school and a lack of coherence with the overall education plan. This was evidenced by a lack of data focusing on the specific intended population of students to be served as well as a lack of definition as to the student population of the communities to be served.”