Political Roundup: Looking for votes in the heat
The roundup includes the contenders for county mayor clashing over PILOTs and other economic development incentives, reaction to the Roe v. Wade repeal and early-vote strategies.
Topic: Van Turner
RSSThere are 181 article(s) tagged Van Turner:
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June 2022
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Regional One plans $750 million project of ‘most critical part of’ hospital
And with almost half of Shelby County Commissioners leaving office in two months, they have a firm deadline to find $350 million in funding, their share of the project’s funding, for the county-owned hospital. The Commission also has ambitious plans to revamp the county’s MWBE program.
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County Commission caught between capital funding for schools or Regional One
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County Commission caught between capital funding for schools or Regional One
At one point Shelby County commissioners forgot they had allocated capital funding to the county’s seven public school systems as they debate how to fund $350 million ask by Regional One.
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NAACP calls for better paper ballot backups for August elections
The Memphis Branch NAACP and other organizations say problems at an early voting location ahead of the May county primary election day have prompted their push for paper ballots as a backup.
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First public bidder for MLGW electricity contract is familiar name
At a meeting Tuesday, local residents in favor of a split from the Tennessee Valley Authority criticized MLGW’s bid process — and learned who submitted at least one of the power proposals.
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New ordinance lets ex-offenders serve on Shelby County boards
The ordinance, sponsored by by Republican Commissioner Mick Wright and Democratic Commissioner Van D. Turner Jr., allows people with criminal histories to volunteer to serve.
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Heated County Commission debate results in new voting system for November
The commission voted to fund a new voting system with both touch-screen machines with a paper trail as well as hand-marked paper ballots.
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Democrats urge County Commission to vote against new voting machines
The vote could settle a nearly 20-year debate between a Democratic-majority Board of County Commissioners, which favors hand-marked paper ballots, and a Republican-majority Shelby County Election Commission, which believes ballot marking devices should be implemented.
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May 2022
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County Commission debates filling open State House District 91 seat
Some Memphis Democrats in the Legislature say they want a replacement appointed even though the Legislature is out of session. The commission put off a decision on the matter until its May 23 meeting.
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April 2022
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Democratic mayoral primary is contrast in leadership philosophies
Incumbent Mayor Lee Harris wants to continue a sea change in what issues the county mayor focuses on. His challenger in the May Democratic primary, Ken Moody, says that focus isn’t immediate or local enough.
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Lawsuit challenges limited opening of early voting sites before Easter
The Memphis Branch NAACP, along with two other organizations, has filed a lawsuit against the Shelby County Election Commission.
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March 2022
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Coalition says limiting first days of early voting to one site is unfair
The Election Commission’s decision not to open early-voting sites at churches during the Easter weekend is renewing charges of voter suppression.
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February 2022
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Watch: Taylor and Turner differ on post-pandemic return to voting laws
Election Commission Chairman Brent Taylor and Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner spoke on this week’s “Behind The Headlines.”
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County Commission mulls filling Katrina Robinson’s state Senate seat
The commission debated Monday whether it should fill the District 33 seat Robinson was expelled from last week by fellow Senators. Part of the argument is whether it amounts to an endorsement of the Senate action.
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January 2022
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Playground at women’s center puts abortion debate before commission
The commission’s Democratic majority approved a $25,000 grant to fund a playground at the center in Midtown. People on both sides of the abortion issue had a lot to say before the vote.
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Latest COVID case numbers remain high
The Shelby County Health Department reported 2,661 new cases for Thursday, Jan. 6.
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Taylor warns of packed hospitals even with less severe effects of Omicron
Shelby County Health Dept. Director Dr. Michelle Taylor told Shelby County commissioners Wednesday, Jan. 5, that state health officials are also watching the strain on hospitals and public health institutions closely.
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December 2021
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Pay raises approved for next elected commission, mayor and sheriff
The commission being elected in August with at least six new members will get a 19.9% pay raise. The mayor and sheriff elected on the same August ballot will get 21% raises.
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November 2021
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County Commission makes last-minute moves, approves final district map
The redistricting map approved Monday keeps a new Cordova-based district, restores the Collierville 7 precinct to District 2 and Germantown 4 to District 4. It also separates two incumbents expected to run again.
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County Commission approves redistricting plan, but must vote again
Democrats voted for it and Republicans voted against it. But the party line was not enough to make it the final vote on the redistricting plan that creates a new commission district built around Cordova, where most of the growth was in the 2020 Census.
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Shelby County Commission to take final vote on new district lines
It might be a long day at the county building Monday, Nov. 1, when Shelby County commissioners are scheduled for the final vote on the once-a-decade process of drawing new district lines.
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October 2021
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Council member Morgan launches bid for Shelby County mayor
The two-term City Council member began an exploratory campaign earlier this year and formally launched his bid on Monday, Oct. 11.
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Two new county redistricting maps start to show changes
The county’s redistricting effort is on its third and fourth proposed maps of what the new boundaries could look like for the 13 County Commission districts going into the 2022 elections. A “Poplar-Midtown corridor” in the East Memphis district caused a lot of debate.
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September 2021
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County redistricters take ‘first pass’ with first maps
The Shelby County Commission’s ad hoc group on the new district lines got its first look at some proposed maps for the redistricting plan this week. The group makes recommendations to the full commission, which decides on how to deal with shifts in population within its 13 districts.
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Rubble from Forrest exhumation mars Health Sciences Park
The Forrests’ reburial ceremony on Sept. 18 in Middle Tennessee may come sooner than restoration of Health Sciences Park.
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