Blackburn voted with 'extremists' against Smokies funding, Johnson says | Ashe

State Rep. Gloria Johnson hosted more than 200 people at a fundraiser Sept. 19 at Holly’s Gourmets Market for her U.S. Senate race against Marsha Blackburn.

Johnson strongly criticized Blackburn’s voting record. In a separate interview with me, she singled out Blackburn’s vote against then-Sen. Lamar Alexander’s legislation to provide permanent funding for national parks, including Great Smoky Mountains National Park. “This legislation received overwhelming bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate except for Blackburn’s 'no' vote along with a few other extremists,” Johnson said.

“Alexander chaired President Reagan’s Americans Outdoors Commission, which recommended permanent funding for national parks to fix infrastructure issues. He secured significant bipartisan support,” Johnson added.

Attorney Daniel Herrera, controversial former Knox County GOP chair, filed a form to run for county law director, an office now held by David Buuck. The form names Chrissey Stephens as his treasurer.

As GOP chair, Herrera paid conservative activist Charlie Kirk $20,000 to speak to a GOP dinner and endorsed a slate of so-called GOP candidates for Knoxville City Council in 2021. They all lost.

Before he moved to Knoxville, Herrera unsuccessfully sought municipal office in New Jersey and North Carolina. He never got more than 25% of the vote in any contest.

Buuck in April named William Curtis as his treasurer for the 2024 race.

Stephens seems to be a professional treasurer, as she is also listed as treasurer for three other candidates or officeholders – Andy Fox, running for county commission; County Commissioner Gina Oster, and state Rep. Elaine Davis.

The League of Women Voters will hold a forum between the two municipal judge candidates, Tyler Caviness and John Rosson, 6:30-8 p.m. Oct. 9 at Messiah Lutheran Church, 6900 Kingston Pike. There will be a similar forum Oct. 16 for the five candidates running for City Council at-large seats in the Nov. 7 general election. The location for this event has not been determined.

Knox News is a co-sponsor of the events, along with the American Muslim Advisory Council; East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists; Institute of American Civics; the Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy at the University of Tennessee; Knoxville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.; Knoxville Area Urban League; Knoxville branch of the NAACP; the Voter Education Fund; and Voter Turnout Coalition.

Arrive early as these events attract a crowd.

The recent Knox GOP endorsement of two City Council and one judicial candidate was not requested by City Council candidate Tim Hill, who is trying to appeal to a wide range of city voters. When the GOP under Daniel Herrera did this two years ago, it backfired badly when all five so-called GOP candidates lost. Hill opposes City Council member Amelia Parker.

State Sen. Becky Massey will kick off her reelection campaign 2-4 p.m. Oct. 8 at Marble Hall in Lakeshore Park. There will be a food truck and family activities. Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and several other senators are expected to back Massey with their attendance. She chairs the Senate Transportation Committee.

A joint state House and Senate committee was appointed by speakers Cameron Sexton and Randy McNally to determine if it’s reasonable or feasible for Tennessee to become the first state in the nation to turn down federal aid for education. The 10-member committee includes two Democrats, one from each house, but three of the four largest counties are not represented – Knox, Davidson (Nashville) and Hamilton (Chattanooga). Much of this federal money goes to those populous counties.

Blount Mansion will celebrate the city’s 232nd birthday with refreshments 5-7 p.m. Oct. 5 (the actual birthday is Oct. 3) at the Craighead Jackson House.

Birthdays

Oct. 5: Donna Chase is 69. Dr. Kimbro Maguire is 66. Businessman Hank Bertelkamp is 92. Betty Sue Sparks is 76. Alex Varlan is 33. Merrill Ammons is 71.

Oct. 6: Robert F. Elder is 69.

Oct. 7: Thomas Rentenbach is 84. Marsey Williams is 76. Russian President Vladimir Putin is 71. Mike Wooten is 66. Lauren Madigan is 40. Michael Littlejohn is 72.

Oct. 8: Wade Davies is 57. Retired News Sentinel editor Harry Moskos is 87. JoAnn Coffman is 93. Wilson Ritchie is 86. Former County Commissioner Amy Broyles is 56. Ashley Glander is 42. Attorney Francis Cain is 86. Hugh Neil Jr. is 79. Knox County GOP chair Buddy Burkhardt is 66. Joyce D. Lee is 72. Former County Commissioner Larry Smith is 70.

Oct. 9: Gov. Bill Lee is 64. Jarrod Arellano is 47. J. Todd Bolinger is 60. Kenneth M. Gresham Jr. is 97. Tennessee baseball coach Tony Vitello is 45.

Oct. 10: Andrew Conrad is 41. Sonja Armstrong is 83. William H. Curtis is 81. Former Knox Chamber leader Jack Hammontree is 82. Joshua Gregory is 34. Thomas Zacharia is 66. Former Knox Chancellor Clarence Pridemore Jr. is 49.

Oct. 11: Michael Foltz is 74. U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann is 61. Nicholas Zell is 39.

Victor Ashe can be reached at vhashe@aol.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Gloria Johnson: Marsha Blackburn voted with extremists against Smokies funding