House Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Crazytown) is quoted in a different print version of the AP report (quote has been scrubbed from online versions I could find):

"The activity had gotten to the point that it was offensive to our staff and we could no longer tolerate it."

If Harwell and her staff are offended by people exercising their Constitutional right to peacefully assemble and redress their government for grievances then maybe that's the whole point of the protest. Maybe people are offended by her and are no longer going to tolerate what she is doing to our state.

Well, our 'moderate' GOP Governor has now transferred his membership to the TEA wing of his party. This action on his part will make National news once again...proving that TN does not give a tinker's damn for any citizen in this State...not about public education, not about jobs, not about losing homes, not about poor health care, not about hungry children. This Legislature, with the exception of a FEW Democrats continue to suck up to those billionaires who refuse to pay even one dime in tax...any tax, to help 'Rocky Top' survive. And guess what? Next Session will include cutting teachers pensions in HALF. TN Dept of Education even sent back to the FEDS thousands in grant (free) money because 'we didn't NEED it...it didn't meet our needs'.
And look who is driving this run-away train?

jack neely's thoughtful progressive

Maybe the most popular mayor of our time, the affable blond jogger, gas-station heir, and mayor-turned-gubernatorial-candidate, whose philosophy seems to be friendly, thoughtfully careful progressivism, disarms would-be opponents with a smile, and hasn’t done anything that pisses people off much—which, for a second-term mayor, is quite a trick.

It would appear there were no arrests last night. Victory!

MSNBC continues with the story.

The clash [in Denver] came as Occupy Wall Street protesters and state officials in Tennessee squared off for a third consecutive night, even though a local judge has refused to jail demonstrators who have been arrested.

I saw that KNS headline this morning and I just knew it was about our own Governor Lepetomane.

But no, it was about last night's other fiasco.

Judge orders Bill Haslam to take middle school civics class

Occupy is calling for a boycott of all Pilot owned service stations.

There's a locally-owned chain that I can't think of the name of now based in Maryville. I have extended family who works for them.

It's especially easy in my neighborhood. I go by a Pilot, a Weigel's, and a Food City on Western Avenue two days a week on my way to rehab. In the past few months Pilot frequently raised prices overnight by as much as fifteen cents above the Food City price with Weigel's soon to follow. In a few days Food City's price would creep up to match. When prices trend downward, Pilot and Weigel's are always the last to lower theirs.

Food City's fuel prices are further reduced by the use of their 'value card'.

(link...)

Occupy Nashville protesters are suing Gov. Bill Haslam over a new curfew on the grounds around the Capitol that has been used to dislodge their camp and arrest demonstrators.

The lawsuit claims the curfew was created without following required procedures, and its enforcement violates the protesters rights to free speech, freedom of assembly and due process.

The curfew was adopted on Thursday after protesters had camped on the Legislative Plaza for about three weeks. At 3 a.m. on Friday, state troopers moved in and arrested 29 protesters.
Troopers arrested 26 more at the following night. On both occasions, the judicial commissioner refused to jail the protesters, and they were released.

Haslam's spokesman David Smith said he cannot comment on pending litigation.

The suit was filed Monday in federal court.

from CNN ...

A judge told Tennessee officials on Monday to stop enforcing new rules that have been used to arrest Occupy protesters in Nashville.

U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger issued the order, which state officials did not fight.

CNN article

Governors and Mayors everywhere are confused and need corporate overlords ALEC to issue marching orders on how to respond to disgruntled Americans. They can't be seen interacting with the peasants.

I have requested information from TEA and others in education in Tennessee and no one outside of Mary Wilson and Gloria have said that teacher pensions are going to be cut in half. Teacher's monthly retirement checks are calculated using a formula encompasses their five highest paid years, generally the last five years. Their retirement is then paid according to that formula. They are first paid the money that they paid in while teaching. Once that money is depleted, they are paid the money that was paid in on their behalf as a matching contribution program from the school system for whom they worked. If they are still drawing retirement after that account is depleted, they are paid their monthly retirement from the state of Tennessee.

Since Mary Wilson is throwing around "teacher's retirement is going to be cut in half next year," but I've not been able to find one teacher, one member of a local teaching association, or even anyone from TEA to verify this information, I would like for Mary to post her sources and explanations of how teacher's retirement checks are going to be cut from approximately 35% to approximately 18% of their salary.

Thank you,
Angela Danovi