Governor Nashi Puts the “Mid” in the Handling of the Midnight Crisis

Written by Adie Norris

Last night, there was a call for Governor Mark Nashi to resign after his handling of a crisis left much to be desired by both citizens and politicians like Mayor Gooch of Oak Ridge. Nashi headed the crisis-resolution effort dealing with the “Midnight Crisis,” during which the Fontana Dam was suddenly shut down and 228,000 were left without power or access to emergency services. The incident was quickly discovered to be a cyberattack by an unknown party, and the Governor was faced with some options: pay the 75 billion dollar ransom to the attacker, who was threatening to shut down communications, or spend 35 of the 75 billion dollars to instantly restore devices, or publicly address the crisis. 

Nashi opted instead to pay the suspected terrorist group to restore state-owned devices, saying “I don’t care about Tennesseans, I just want my devices back.” Nashi also claimed that the money was used to restore devices for “all Tennesseans.” However, this only meant power was restored to government devices. 

Although billions were expended to recover government devices, Nashi has heard claiming “We do not have any money whatsoever.” Shortly after devices were restored, Nashi called for the National Guard to be mobilized to provide disaster relief for Tennesseans, despite the lack of need for disaster relief of this level. In the meantime, however, the identity of the terrorist(s) was unknown, and little was being done to discover it past providing funding for a TBI investigation of the incident.

Eventually, FEMA was able to get power back to the dam and restore emergency communications, after the Governor’s Cabinet claimed they “totally forgot” about the lack of emergency communications. The crisis was resolved, although at the expense of billions of tax-payer dollars and the prolonged suffering of the Tennessee residents impacted by both the blackout and the lack of access to emergency services.

When questioned later about his government’s vulnerability to cyberattacks and reminded of the fact that he was the one who had opened the email containing the malware, Governor Nashi shared that he would be funding more cybersecurity for the government to prevent further attacks. The question is, can we trust the governor’s word to keep this state safe after this, or should he heed Mayor Gooch’s call for him to resign for the good of the people?

Not Just a Dam Problem: A Not So Brief Recap of Last Night’s Midnight Crisis

Written by Alianna Jones

Last night, I had the honor of attending and doing a bit of press mischief at the Midnight Crisis. Governor Mark Nashi and his cabinet seemed quite confident going into the event, hoping to put their brains and extra money in the budget together to be done in 30 minutes. Spoiler alert: they were not, in fact, done in 30 minutes. So strap in because this whole meeting was a long and wild ride.

All seemed to be going well until we were informed of a sudden emergency. The Fontana Dam, located in North Carolina, which provides power to around 228,000 Tennesseans had ceased to function unexpectedly. The dam reported no signs of physical damage and had been operating normally just before. To make the situation worse, temperatures were dropping, on their way to freezing, and the hundreds of thousands of citizens without power would not be able to keep warm. 

The team launched themselves into research, trying to find out all they could about how they could get the dam back online. Some questionably helpful ideas about how to help the powerless citizens were also thrown out at this time, with some notable options being building fires fueled by cash to keep people warm or simply “blankets.” 

As the research progressed, speculation about the cause of the dam’s failure arose. Some thought that there could be unnoticed damage, while others suggested that overtopping had occurred, causing water to rise over the dam. Governor Nashi believed that the reason for the failure was a cyberattack, citing the lack of physical damage and the suddenness of the entire situation.

Governor Cab had a strong idea of what might have caused the dam to fail, so they decided to shift their focus toward helping the affected people. They started looking into solutions like temporary housing to provide immediate assistance. However, their plans were disrupted when the mayor of Oak Ridge, Mayor Gooch, informed Governor Nashi that the outage was caused by a ransomware attack. To make matters worse, they discovered that the source of the attack was an email sent by Chief of Staff Ella Kate Harris, which Governor Nashi had opened.

The attackers demanded a hefty sum of 75 billion dollars to halt the cyberattack. They promised to restore control over the Fontana Dam and power to the affected Tennesseans if 35 billion dollars were paid immediately. However, the cabinet discovered that they could not afford to buy their way out of this attack. They decided to focus on cybersecurity and work towards shutting down the attack. 

Up until this moment, I had been taking note of the action of the cabinet, already constructing my story. Unfortunately, the cyberattack had another nasty surprise in store: it was about to take down all the cellular devices in the room. I was left without my trusty notes page and voice memos filled with quotes and observations from the meeting; I would have to resort to stolen paper and a pen I scavenged from the ground, truly a modern journalist’s worst nightmare.

More importantly, the devices of all the commissioners, the chief of staff, and the Governor no longer worked, bringing all research and planning to a halt. We were informed that the attacker(s) demanded 7 billion dollars to regain the use of the devices. This left Governor Cab in a dilemma over whether it was wise to pay the ransom or to prioritize the needs of the people of Tennessee who were facing power outages. During this period of frustration and stress, Governor Nashi began making statements such as “I don’t care about Tennesseans, I just want my devices back.” (It should be noted that the Governor has since attempted to explain these comments.) Several commissioners pointed out how sending money to the attacker(s) to get their devices back might be a bad look, especially with Tennesseans without power or access to emergency communications. While locked in this debate, Gov Cab considered other possible methods of communication but eventually decided that sending out homing pigeons was not viable and that it would be in their best interest to buy back access to their devices.

“Maybe the real 7 billion was the friends we made along the way.”

Hunter Bailey, Commissioner of Human Resources 

The Governor and his team declared a level two state of emergency after the power outage affected a large number of people. They hoped to receive 40 million in funds from FEMA to assist. However, the application for federal assistance was denied, and they decided to look for other options. 

An update came in: the people affected by the outage are freezing and protests are beginning to form, demanding action be taken by their mayor, Warren Gooch of Oak Ridge, who was requesting advice from the Governor as to what should be done. They did not advise the mayor and returned to researching possible shelters, planning to use emergency shelters in schools across Oak Ridge with volunteers to help guide people to the shelters. The National Guard was also called in, assigned to aid in the transportation and guiding efforts into the shelters. 

Governor Nashi then received a call, in which he was informed that Mayor Gooch had begun calling for his resignation, and that people were angered by the comments that I and the rest of the press had published. Oops (we’re not sorry.) The cabinet then decided to follow up their previous controversial statements with even more, with one commissioner crying out, “Let them be cold, just give them a box,” when stressed about the potential costs of running emergency shelters. Finally, the cabinet has begun to take real action, finding suitable shelter for citizens and funding several programs—SNAP, WIC, and Medicaid—by executive order, completely bypassing the legislative branch.
Despite this, the dam remained without power and emergency communications were down for over two hours. When a commissioner was made aware of the potential danger for citizens without access to emergency services like 911, they admitted to having forgotten about it. 

Finally, after a long night of effort, pizza, and yelling, a second application for federal aid was approved, and FEMA assistance got power back to Fontana Dam and emergency communications functions. Governor Nashi issued a press statement, in which he explained the actions taken by the team to solve this crisis, and tried to make amends for the comments made by himself and his cabinet, claiming that they were “taken out of context.”

We eagerly await the Governor’s next moves as he deals with Mayor Gooch’s call for his resignation, a government proven to be vulnerable to cyber attacks, and citizens outraged over the funding of controversial programs without input from the House and Senate. 

A Dynamic Friendship: Govcab and Lobbyists’ Teamwork On Dynamic Legislation

Written by Matthew Zaremba

Being that most of YIG is composed of the legislative component, many delegates don’t know what the Governor’s Cabinet and Lobbyists actually do. Today, the Govcab and Lobbyist components held a joint meeting in which five groups of Govcab members presented their own unique pieces of dynamic legislation to the Lobbyists. Members of Govcab serve as Commissioners where they each oversee a specific department, such as the environmental department, the corrections department, and the education department. One of the functions of the Govcab is to write Dynamic Legislation to address issues that may not be present in the bill book. They will write a piece of legislation, which they then present to Govcab, just as legislative teams present to their chairs/delegation.

The process is really quite similar to the process of presenting legislation in the House or Senate. You present, you’re asked questions, and then the overseer of the specific committee you wrote legislation on chooses if they would like to move forward with your legislation. If they are interested, they will aid you in editing and finalizing your legislation before it moves forward to be presented in the House and Senate.
Topics of discussion at today’s meeting included a job program for recently released prisoners, a reduction in the amount of low-level radioactive waste being improperly disposed of in Tennessee, implementing more health checks for commercial businesses, creating a set handbook of rights available to persons with intellectual disabilities, and raising the tax on tobacco products.

A team of presenting to the Lobbyists

The teamwork exhibited between these two components is impressive, and their anticipation to present their legislation to the House and Senate is obvious and overwhelming.

Antioch High School: The Power of Youth in Government

By Oliver Molina

Antioch High school, located in outer Nashville is mostly known for its lackluster stats. According to greatschools.org Antioch is rated a 2/10. College readiness 2/10, Student progress 2/10 , Equity 1/10 , and Test scores are 1/10. These scores were all below average and this builds a stigma of Antioch being an underperforming school. For 7 years Antioch has been known as a school filled with students who don’t care for education. This stigma is not at all true. We have students that truly care but they don’t have the right resources. The fact Antioch high is a public school means they can’t just make a class for YIG/MUN, so they decide between in-school meetings which are very difficult due to conflicting with class time and other clubs, and doing after school is hard too because people don’t have rides or the time they might have a job or go babysit their siblings. Other factors like financial situations stop students from Antioch from joining clubs like YIG. Many students in Antioch High want to learn and join clubs but can’t and it gets overlooked by everyone outside of Antioch.

The Propaganda against Antioch High

Recently, a blog titled “Antioch neighborhood terrorized by students
skipping school”. This hurt the AHS student body and AHS as a whole. The students who commit crimes, cut class and do anything to make the news. Therefore the majority of the students that want to learn, go to conferences and represent their schools. The real Antioch does not get noticed by the media enough to be noticed for their hard work and efforts. Those same students get ignored by many others, but YIG helps those students by giving recognition and information.

The Interviews

Youssoupha Charles

OM – “Why do you think Antioch has a bad reputation?”
YC – “ I think Antioch has a bad reputation because we are in a lower income area and in lower
income areas we tend to have students who aren’t able to afford things there is a higher
crime rate and a lot of those times we get overlooked because we are lower income”
OM – “ How does YIG help out Antioch from an educational standpoint?”
YC – I think YIG can be very beneficial to Antioch because as you can see alot of our students
are ready standing out we are asking a whole lot of questions I think this is really just character
building and why Antioch stands out and I also believe this also gives another opportunity to see
careers and give them a lot of guidance on how professional you can be.”
OM – “How can you help out Antioch?”
YC – “ I already made strides to help out Antioch. Currently, I have a website called AHS
NewsBears which basically meant to raise the reading levels of our students and while also
giving intriguing stories that capture their attention”

Demaruis Webster
OM – “ Why do you think Antioch has a bad reputation?”
DW – “ Antioch has a bad reputation because normally the more negative students stand out
more because they are going out and going to jail and vandalizing property when the mass
majority of Antioch students are actually in school doing school they are just unrecognized
because what they are doing is good and the media only promotes negativity.”
OM – “ How can YIG help out Antioch in an educational Standpoint?”
Dw – “ I think is very important for Antioch as gives people from Antioch an opportunity for
downtown Nashville and how governing works in downtown nashville it gives you the chance to
meet new people and be more like minded and respectful so it takes away all that negativity.’
OM- “ How can you help out Antioch”
DW- “ What can I do to improve Antioch is hard because Antioch is a very good school overall.
I believe we just need a little more teachers that actually respect and like the students and if we
can get teachers that like the environment that would make Antioch a top tier school.”

Abdoulaye Charles

OM – “ Why do you think Antioch’s rep is bad”
AC- “ I feel like due to the media and other people telling us we are bad people and bad
students. I’m not declining the fact that we don’t have students that do bad stuff and get caught
,but that’s a small number compared to the numerous students that want to learn but can’t
because they are given the opportunity due to being in a lower income area. Many people told
me like I do drugs or smoke to relieve stress, not to look cool. They have to deal with stress of
school and having a lot of pressure.”
OM- “ How does YIG help Antioch in a Educational standpoint”
AC “ YIG is a branch that can help our students learn more about the laws that truly affect
them. Outside of the Bills stuff it gives them skills like communication and gives them a path of
professionalism. Our school being public means we can’t have a YIG/MUN class meaning after
school meetings not everyone can go to that which stops them from going to YIG.”
OM- “ How can you help out Antioch”
AC- I can help out Antioch by setting an example on how even though I’m from Antioch I can be
successful just like the private school kids. I can talk to them and show them that programs like
YIG help you understand life after Antioch.”

Cyrah Miller

OM -’’Why do you think Antioch high school has a bad reputation?’’

CM -“I think Antioch has a bad reputation because due to the people of color in a community
and how the stigma on how people of color act and like they’re not smart at all and there’s a
lot of people color in Antioch high school that’s why he has a bad reputation.”

OM- “How can YIG help out Antioch from an educational standpoint?”
CM – ”As a person who wasn’t really into government stuff until last year when I got into YIG.
He is also a very good educational program and it really just brings youth engagement to the
community. You learn about stuff that happens around you every single day and you may like
doing government stuff. Maybe you might not like doing government stuff but you still will have a
good time that’s a guarantee. It make you want to come back to you again like not just only you

make me want to learn more stuff outside of the classroom which will be great for in your high
school and that all starts with youth in government.”
OM- “ What can you do to improve Antioch?”
CM- “For me to improve Antioch i’ll be a friend to those who really need help those who don’t
know what they’re doing and like tell them that you don’t have to be perfect because there’s a
stigma that you need to be perfect for you to be successful which is not true.”

Akiles Pineda
OM -Why do you think Antioch has a bad reputation
AP – For the younger generation they always had a bad reputation. Back in the past a few
decades ago they didn’t have a bad rep but now they have a bad reputation for the younger
generation they are clearly lost.

OM – how do you think Yig helps Antioch in an educational standpoint
AP – YIG could actually help to exercise these students’ brains to further understand and further
develop their mind when it comes to the law and for them to understand that their voice matters
that they can be smart too

OM -What can you yourself can do to help out Antioch
AP – I feel like for myself I can help to advertise YIG and Redcon 1 for the students of Antioch.
Doing this would further help the students of Antioch find out how to properly exercise through
their brains and their body.

Abel Kebede

OM – “Why do you think Antioch’s rep is bad?”
AK – “I believe Antioch has a bad reputation because it is what it expected of the students from
people outside of the school and the students follow that expectations because thats the only
thing they hear, and if the students were given the opportunity and given a good reputation it
could help the students get to the level that we expect them to as Antioch High School.”
OM – How can YIG help Antioch in an educational standpoint
AK – “YIG can help Antioch in an educational standpoint by giving students a political
perspective. They will learn about bills and legislation and all that sort of stuff and it will expand
their knowledge in Tennessee legislation.”
OM – “How can you personally improve Antioch?
AK – “I can help personally improve Antioch by recruiting students to educational programs like
YIG , DECA , and MUN and help students become more interested in programs like this which
can in turn help them broaden their horizons.”

Conclusion

In conclusion, I believe that YIG is very helpful for a school like Antioch. We, as Antioch students, are very thankful for having this opportunity. Being allowed into youth in government, to showcase our professionalism, and talents are gifts we will cherish. Antioch, as shown in the media because of how negative they want to be about us and Antioch’s bad image, is shown through the media which puts all of Antioch away from other schools. Being pushed down removes opportunities that help other schools that get benefited from YIG and MUN. In my opinion, it is beautiful because public schools have unprivileged people that don’t get this opportunity often. This 3-day project really gave me a new standpoint on education and YIG in general.

I really had fun on this trip and I’m looking forward to next year since I am a junior. My Love and appreciation go out to the governor and my editors. They are very great and helpful people. As a person who really never got the chance to showcase professionalism and talents, I would like to thank YIG for giving me an opportunity. Giving others just like me this impeccable opportunity is the greatest thing to ever happen for me and others. It is very astonishing how you can bring people from different backgrounds and they can connect on the dot like that as well as communicate like they knew each other since the days in the sand box. I would like to thank those who I interviewed. They took the time out of their day to get interviewed about me and give really different standpoints about Antioch. They really had different opinions, some connected but it was very diverse and that’s what’s good about YIG. Having diverse people from different schools can help us relate more to one another and together become one.

Interview with Commissioner Rowan Felton

Abigail: “Hello. I’m here with Rowan Felton, the Commisioner of Environment and Conservation. At the end of the last session, a bill that would have extremely benefited the governor’s budget, and allowed the passing of other bills, had been failed. For the people who do not know, can you please recap what the bill entailed?”

Rowan: “So the bill would have implemented carbon pricing for companies that were producing oil, and it also would have implemented a midstream tax for imported oil for refineries.

That would have raised over half a billion dollars for the state of Tennessee. And you are correct, that money is being allocated to other priorities that the governor has such as education and infrastructure.”

A: “We’ve been recently told that the bill got passed the second the second session started, but what wouldn’t happened if it had gotten failed again?”

R: “So the state’s of Tennessee’s Constitution mandates that it has a balanced budget. So, without the funding from that bill, we would not have been able to passs any more bills that spent money. A large portion of the bills that passed would not have been signed into law by the governor without the passage of this bill.”

A: “How would this have affected you since as the Comissioner of Environment and Conservation?”

R: “ This would have directly affected my department because there were several well-written, very well researched bills that were spending a reasonable amount of money for what they were asking for, but that were expensive bills that needed additional funding compared to the original budget. That’s why we had to pass more dynamic legislation. It would have also significantly affected our education dynamic legislation, because that is also pretty expensive. We really needed this bill in order to be able to pay for those other bills.”

What Was the Governor’s Cabinet Bill that Failed in Blue House and What Exactly Happened?

By Alianna Jones and Trish Zheng

Controversy shook the Blue House today, when BSB/D-1, a dynamic legislative bill from the Governor’s Cabinet, failed. The goal of this bill was to reduce carbon emissions by taxing oil companies at both the point of extraction and refinement. This would bring in almost six hundred million dollars annually to the Tennessee State General Fund.

When brought in front of Blue House by sponsors Reed Hampton, Toluwakitan Akinsola, Aidan Castellanet, Lee Greeson, and John Hancock, the bill proved very divisive. According to some Blue House members, a very convincing con speaker took the floor and convinced the committee that the passage of this bill would result in raised gas prices across the nation, resulting in an entire side of the room failing the bill.

Another common theory is that Aden Cobb, a delegate in the Blue House, convinced everyone to fail the bill. Cobb stated in an interview that he didn’t like how the sponsors represented BSB/D-1 because they seemed unsure and uninformed about the topic. Others have come to Cobb’s defense, sharing that they also believed the bill was poorly represented in the House. 

Governor Will Severn immediately took action against the failure of the bill, warning the Blue Senate and House that he would not sign any of their bills into law, due to the failed bill making up a large portion of the possible budget. Many were outraged at this, not wanting their bills to fail due to a lack of funds.

At the end of the session, comments about the controversy arose. Word has spread regarding the situation in the Blue House Chamber. There was a mix of opinions. Some thought it was unfair for the Blue Senate to be dragged into something the Blue House stirred up. Some sided with Governor Severn, saying his decision was reasonable. The bill was a main source of money; without it, the budget plan would greatly suffer. 

After the Blue House reconvened, there was a vote to reconsider BSB/D-1. The whole situation came to a close when Blue House finally passed the bill 95-13. The bill was then passed to Blue Senate. If it passes, it will be signed into law. 

The Life of a Lobbyist: Organizing a Dynamic Legislative Bill

By Alianna Jones

Today, I embarked on a journey to find out more about the Lobbyists and how exactly dynamic legislature works. My hunt for Lobbyists led me to White House, where I found Avery Gill and Bailey Marshall, who were on a search of their own. I was unsure of what I was in for—I had very little idea of what the Lobbyist even did (aside from, well, lobbying). 

I spoke with Bailey Marshall about what the component had been working on the last couple of days, to which she answered: “We have spent most of our time yesterday writing technical questions and speeches for the bills.” Then, to give me a better idea of the component overall, Avery Gill added that they “write bills throughout the conference that support the interests of the Governor and Head Lobbyist,” as well as connecting with others to fix “ problems in promising bills to make them better fit our goals and budget.”

They trekked across the conference—from the capitol building to Cordell Hull to the capitol building again—in search of well-spoken delegates to present their dynamic legislative bill to end book bans in Tennessee. I sat with them ask they observed the delegates of the blue house and blue senate, and they found the perfect groups to present their bill in Senate, with hopes that it will make its way to the House. They also had several quick meetings with officers to get opinions on the potential presenters.

Avery Gill and Bailey Marshall looking for candidates to represent their dynamic bill.

I also learned that even Lobbyists, with all of their knowledge and power over the passing or failing of bills, slip up sometimes. I stood by as an impromptu meeting was held in response to the lobbyist duo asking the wrong person to present their bill — life lesson: make sure that the person recommending a delegate actually knows what that delegate is wearing. But all turned out well in the end, so keep an eye out for Gill and Marshall’s dynamic bill.

Currently, there are two bills on the docket for dynamic legislature: one for legally defining Munchausen’s Syndrome as not a mental illness in the court of law, and another requiring a multicultural education course to be taken before one can receive an education degree. More bills will surely follow these, as the Lobbyists push forward in assembling their teams and writing their new bills into existence.

Mischief Managed: Interview with Head Lobbyist Grace Harris

Interview by Jayln Hodge Shaw

After Governor Severn  announced his focus for a few dynamic legislation bills as well as the docket for the White, Blue, and Red legislatures, Lobbyist went to work. Lobbyists are tasked with advocating for individuals by using their influence to sway political decisions. It may be true that Lobbyists have special skills to get legislation passed that align with the Governor’s focus, but the goal is to get some information on the steps these members take to reach their goals. 

JHS: What’s the best way for a Lobbyist to stir up trouble?

GH :I won’t get too into my antics, but I am able to work with people on the inside to pass information concerning legislation.

JHS: When an individual finds a bill that they find significant and has the potential to make a dynamic legislation, what is the process a lobbyist undergoes? 

GH: Dynamic legislation is typically a bill that we like that has a logistical issue that prohibits it from being passed and enacted into the budget. This is the case when a bill doesn’t contain proficient wording that is needed to address the issues the legislation is meant to target especially if the diction weakens the objective of the bill’s author. When this kind of setback occurs, lobbyists create a draft addressing the sections they deem necessary and then they go into chambers to find delegates who are either strong presenters or are the original authors of the bill to present the new legislation.

JHS: Does every lobbyist have to agree with the bills that are going to be sponsored?

GH: As a group we would delegate and depending on the severity of the differences among us we would go from there. It is very common for lobbyists to be working on separate issues for different causes, but right everyone is united to complete the agenda we have set out for dynamic legislation and what we want to see in the budget. I have been blessed with my lobbyist as we are all like minded and we all came in with the same energy which has made it easy to get everyone on the same page.

JHS: How do you work out the kinks to fit in the number of bills that are paid to be endorsed and the bills that are being sponsored?

GH: We have had a few people come to us to sponsor their bills and we use these cute little note cards to share messages that contain information about pro or con questions that give them details to pass the bill based on x,y,z.

JHS: How did you become Head Lobbyist?

GH: Great question. Last year I wanted to run for White Speaker of the House and unfortunately, I didn’t get to run. I wanted to be an officer and instead I applied to be a lobbyist. There were five of us who had never done any lobbying and our head lobbyists at the time, Kaid, had been a lobbyist during Covid so none of us really had any idea of what was going on. We were trying to figure out what was going on and find a way to do something cool for the conference. That year there was a great deal of discussion concerning what we could do to make an impact and this year is more focused on making the change to put the legislation in place. I became Head Lobbyist through my component by putting my name in the running. There were two candidates for the position and I found I won at the closing ceremony. Big moment for me!

JHS: What is your goal by the end of the conference?

GH: That’s a big question that I have been thinking about a lot because I have set little goals for the end of each session for myself to keep Lobbyists accountable. My ending goal is I want everyone to feel like they have accomplished something significant because everyone is focusing on different projects so I want everyone to feel like they have contributed to the budget.

JHS: What’s your favorite part of YIG?

GH: My consistent favorite is Tomfoolery, but my recent favorite is getting to walk behind Will since I don’t have any other officers, I’m the lone officer. So the order is Will, Maya, and then me. I feel so special!

Judicial Review: A Quick Conversation with Attorney General Ethan Kennan

Interview by Lilly Ann Brown

Court, by nature, remains a bit mysterious to those not participating. Between their separate building and exclusive procedure, Court doesn’t seem quite as intertwined in the rest of the conference as it truly is. However, AG Ethan Kennan refuses to be ignored, and is determined to make sure that today the question of judicial review and constitutionality is on everyone’s mind. Here’s a brief conversation for those who want to learn more.

LAB: So, for those wondering, can you give us a little description of what’s happening today as it pertains to judicial review?

EK: Today we are taking Red Senate bill 1-1 to court because the constitutionality is called into question. Specifically, we are concerned as to whether it is in violation of the privileges and immunities clause of the United States Constitution.

LAB: Can you tell us more about the bill?

EK: RSB/23-1-1 raises property taxes for non-residents of Tennessee in their county. Thus, those that have not filed for residency in the state by not providing documents such as a current paycheck, voter registration, or driver’s license must pay more to their county. 

LAB: What will the argument look like?

EK: We will have lawyer teams on both sides arguing with case law to see if it is constitutional or not.

LAB: Ok, great! What about the other bill you are pulling in?

EK: Right, the other one is Blue House bill 1-13, which calls into question the 5th amendment right to due process and the 14th amendment right to equal application.

LAB: Oh! Is this the death penalty one I’ve heard about?

EK: That’s the one.

EK: They are interested in prioritizing death penalty appeals proceedings over other cases in the judicial system which calls into question if prioritization violates due process.

State of The State Speech: Severn Served

By Alianna Jones, Trish Zheng, and Lily Smith

As we sat in the balcony, peering down on the historical floor of the House in Tennessee’s capitol building, everyone couldn’t help but feel the magnitude of our privilege to be there. The air was already thick with restlessness as we waited for the session to officially begin. The nervous chatter and rustling was quickly silenced as we saw our very own executive director, Susan Moriarty, approach the stand. Her introduction furthered the growing excitement as we leaned towards the railing, trying to catch every word. Finally, she finished her spiel and the moment we were waiting for finally arrived: our governor, Will Severn, swaggered his way down the aisle, his entourage not far behind. He approached the podium, and his confident gait told us all we needed to know about the speech to come.

After respectfully acknowledging his fellow officers and the delegates on the Floor, Governor Severn began his address with fervor. He acknowledged his platform and the unique position he had to enact change and didn’t dally in diving into his endorsements. Remarkably, each of the bills he backed were centered on issues he has been in support of since his initial campaign for governor; this was truly a testament to his character, showing that when he chooses a stance he becomes immovable in his beliefs. He stood by the policies he has campaigned for since the beginning, notably environmentalism, education, voting rights, and infrastructure.

He stated that his goal for Tennessee was for us to be “leader(s), not follower(s),” in the fight for change. His determination to leave a lasting impact has influenced his decisions today, with his endorsed bills reiterating his commitment to Tennessee, and imploring the government to take action. 

One of the first issues Governor Severn explored in his speech was the ongoing fight against climate change. Climate change has affected all of us; global warming is an issue we will all have to face the consequences of. Governor Severn urges for a solution to pollution and toxic chemicals, prioritizing public health.

Another major talking point was finding common ground and being united, not divided by differences. Governor Severn acknowledged how state partisanship dominates—especially when it comes to education and school board elections. He wishes to cultivate an atmosphere of acceptance and understanding so that we may find common ground and unite and not let us be defined by our differences. 

Severn showed his support for reforms in the education system. This included normalizing and providing care regarding mental health for both students and faculty. He also spoke on improving our lackluster teacher salaries. He especially emphasized his desire to eliminate all book bans in Tennessee, as diverse and inclusive education is essential to the development of society. These bans have left “libraries empty,” resulting in a lack of education and worsening the state’s already struggling school systems. He understands that the future is in the hands of young students. 

This led to his plans for involving young people in the voting process by lowering the minimum voting age to 16, as well as establishing a student committee in the Tennessee board of education. Governor Severn’s hopes for a rise in civic engagement in every citizen, as shown in his support of automatically registering every Tennessean to vote.

Governor Severn’s final promise to his audience was that of improving Tennessee’s infrastructure. He supported bills with goals for improving public transportation, making cities safer for pedestrians, and providing more funds for infrastructure projects across the state. 

As Governor Severn stepped back from the podium, the roar of applause echoed through the balconies. He left us with a sense of both inspiration and determination as we made our way out of the capitol, believing that the future was in good hands.

The following bills were endorsed by Governor Severn and his cabinet: WHB/23-2-7, RHB/23-3-1, WHB/23-3-8, BHB/23-3-12, RHB/23-5-1, WHB/23-6-7, WHB/23-7-8, RSB/23-1-3, WSB/23-1-11, BSB/23-2-14, RSB/23-4-6, RHB/23-1-3, RHB/23-2-3, BHB/23-3-13, BHB/23-3-15, and BHB/23-6-14.