Here is the entire 2016 Legislative Luncheon from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. WBIR's John Becker moderated.
Some items of note:
State Senator Randy McNally's muddled and distracting invocation of TennCare to obfuscate the failure to pass Insure Tennessee.
State Senator Rick Briggs candidly admitting fewer controversial things (including Insure Tennessee) will get done this session because of the election year.
State Representative Martin Daniel's backward-looking comments on UT and diversity, and some of the dismissive comments of others regarding what the UT Office of Diversity does.
Some bizarre comments, notably from Rep. Jimmy Matlock, suggesting the desirability of open carry of guns by adults within schools.
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Topics:
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Discussing:
- Federal Government sending marketing (campaign) messages? (1 reply)
- Knox SOUP Announces New Name, November 5 Community Dinner, and Call for Project Proposals (1 reply)
- Oconaluftee, Cherokee, Newfound Gap (1 reply)
- Pedestrians be careful, drivers (and pedestrians) not attentive (3 replies)
- Check and Recheck your ballot when voting (5 replies)
- Bernie Sanders vs AI (1 reply)
- SoKno discombobulation continues (2 replies)
- Execution failed!!! (3 replies)
- GOP Senator "deserves the obloquy" (2 replies)
- AI company going public says "existential risks to humanity" (2 replies)
- Michaela Barnett for Congress TN-02 (2 replies)
- Timing is everything (2 replies)
Upcoming events:
- Nov 5 2026 - 5:30pm (3 days 15 hours from now)
TN Progressive
- Blount County pausing on housing growth? (BlountViews)
- Tues., Oct. 20, 2026, Free Flu Shots at Blount County Health Dept. (BlountViews)
- View from the Overlook (Whitescreek Journal)
- Alcoa property taxes will probably not go up (BlountViews)
- Smith & Wesson not a good fit for Blount County (BlountViews)
- WATCH THIS SPACE. (Left Wing Cracker)
- America As It Is Right Now (RoaneViews)
- A friend sent this: From Captain McElwee's Tall Tales of Roane County (RoaneViews)
- The Meidas Touch (RoaneViews)
- Massive Security Breach Analysis (RoaneViews)
- (Whitescreek Journal)
- My choices in the August election (Left Wing Cracker)
TN Politics
- Federal subpoenas to election officials mark escalating Trump DOJ pressure campaign (TN Lookout)
- Commentary: A New Approach to Closing the Disability Wealth Gap (TN Lookout)
- Trump will hold in-person rallies in Iowa and Kansas after all as election nears (TN Lookout)
- Commentary: Sledgehammers for you, pillows for me: the politics of selective morality in Tennessee (TN Lookout)
- Lawsuit seeks to block TN from denying driver’s licenses to immigrants legally allowed to work (TN Lookout)
- Nearly $10M spent by outside groups attacking independent TN gubernatorial candidate (TN Lookout)
Knox TN Today
- This could be a November to remember (Knox TN Today)
- Monday Connections: History, music and a new week in Knoxville (Knox TN Today)
- Boo at the Zoo: A teenager, a toddler and a tunnel made for one (Knox TN Today)
- Dollar General accused of overcharging customers in federal lawsuit (Knox TN Today)
- Stupid things we do in medicine. (Knox TN Today)
- Meet Neveah: Monday’s Parent-A-Child (Knox TN Today)
- Knox County remembers Judge Scott Green for a lifetime of service (Knox TN Today)
- Mission Monday: Knox Area Rescue Ministries (KARM) seeking coat donations. (Knox TN Today)
- November business networking: Make connections that count (Knox TN Today)
- Youth Scoop: A new day to make a difference (Knox TN Today)
- Faith Along the Way: The Hills (Knox TN Today)
- Week 11 roundup: Powell takes down West, Central survives Karns as playoffs begin (Knox TN Today)
Local TV News
- 700 American flags dedicated to veterans for Crossville Field of Honor (WATE)
- 220-acre wildfire continues in Fentress County, trails remain closed (WATE)
- Knoxville Weather: Dry Monday with lingering clouds (WATE)
- 'Heartbroken' Fire damages barn at Blackburn Farm in Lenoir City (WATE)
- 'Everything we do is the traditions' Sevierville favorite celebrates 50 years (WATE)
- Two dead after crash near Grainger County church (WATE)
News Sentinel
State News
- Chattanooga approved $200K for nonprofit before paperwork - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- ‘Shameful’ or ‘satire’? Some offended by Chattanooga Chamber’s ‘NIMBY’ Star Trek parody - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Dade County High School principal arrested on two counts of improper sexual contact - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Man, 31, dies after shooting involving Chattanooga police near Chickamauga Dam - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
Wire Reports
- Flash flooding triggers evacuations in Southwest and dire warning for Colorado spa town - AP News (US News)
- Haley Stevens faces push for removal from House Dem caucus - Axios (US News)
- Judge tosses DOJ’s attempt to delay Alaska’s Senate results if Republican loses - The Washington Post (US News)
- Binance users withdraw $3.6bn after record crypto hack - BBC (Business)
- Democrats Are Leading or Tied in 7 Battleground Governor’s Races, Polls Find - The New York Times (US News)
- Could Orbital Data Centers Ruin the Night Sky? - WSJ (Business)
- 'Like a missile coming down' - Nine killed in fiery Florida jet crash - BBC (US News)
- Police investigate Deep Ellum shootings that killed 4, injured 15 - Dallas News (US News)
- Stocks bounce as Apple earnings near, oil falls - Reuters (Business)
- Trump launches racist diatribe against Abdul El-Sayed at Iowa rally - The Guardian (US News)
- Stock futures open a monster week after a $5 trillion AI wipeout - Yahoo Finance (Business)
- Kevin Warsh is managing US debt costs not inflation as interest rates risk topping GDP growth soon - Fortune (Business)
- Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy is in the hospital after having a stroke, his office says - PBS (US News)
- Wall Street Braces for Biggest Treasury Sales Overhaul in Years - Bloomberg.com (Business)
- Anthropic’s $2T IPO could create millionaires—but it’s asking candidates what they’d do if stock hit zero - Fortune (Business)
Local Media
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John Becker, the ultimate professional
Watching it on Youtube and all I can say is John Becker is such a true professional.
Next time
Next time consider putting Randy McNally on a timer. His slow-paced, rambling answers took up way too much time. Also, consider extending the forum by 15 or 30 minutes. There's never enough time to ask a sufficient number of questions.
But thanks for your role in putting this on and thanks to our senators and representatives for being willing to come.
Anyone running against Daniel next time? Support them. Even Steve Hall.