School tax vote bodes well for transit money — maybe

(Atlanta Journal Constitution) Despite the no-new taxes drum beat in modern politics, many metro Atlanta voters showed they have a tolerance for at least some taxes, as nine area school districts voted in favor of continuing a penny tax for education. While that is perhaps a positive for folks pushing for yet another penny-on-the-dollar tax for transportation headed to the voters next year, experts say another yes vote is far from certain. “What it says is that voters aren’t turning their backs on adding new taxes, at least when it comes to education,” said Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia. “But this shouldn’t be seen as any tea-leaf prediction for what the voters might do next year. Transportation is entirely a different animal.”

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North Carolina has one of the highest autism rates

(Charlotte Observer) About 1 in 88 American children have autism or similar disorders, and the prevalence in North Carolina is even higher, according to new estimates from the Centers For Disease Control. That’s a jump of 23 percent since the last national estimate of autism spectrum disorders two years ago. The numbers are just estimates, and researchers acknowledge that the increase is attributable at least partly – and perhaps greatly – to increased awareness about the disorders and greater ability to diagnose them, rather than more kids developing ASDs.

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GOP, Rep. Marsha Blackburn take aim at TSA

(The Tennessean) Rep. Marsha Blackburn and other Republicans have a beef with the Transportation Security Administration: It’s inefficient, too expensive, and full of rude and power-hungry officers, they say. A few years ago, after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, such criticisms would have been politically dangerous. But now a growing number of lawmakers — mostly Republicans — are taking aim at TSA as a bloated and poorly run bureaucracy. Public complaints about airport security screeners have been fueled by recent reports of the 10-year-old agency’s missteps — overlooking a loaded gun inside a checked bag at Los Angeles International Airport, for example — and by publicized kerfuffles over new screening procedures such as body scanners and pat-downs. In January, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky attracted national media attention when he was blocked from boarding a flight in Nashville after refusing a pat-down.

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Poll shows confusion over scope of N.C. marriage amendment

(Raleigh News & Observer) This much is clear: There’s a lot of confusion over the so-called “marriage amendment” on the May 8 primary ballot. Everything from what it’s called to what it would do has been disputed. Poll results released Thursday show solid support for the referendum – until the pollsters explained to the potential voters what it proposes. For instance, 7 percent of those surveyed thought it would legalize gay marriage, instead of the opposite. For something as serious as amending the state constitution, that seems like a problem.

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Anti-government ‘sovereign movement’ on the rise in U.S.

(USA Today) Gary Thomas will never forget the letter he received in early 2000. It was from John Joe Gray, a suspect in a felony assault case, offering a not-so-subtle warning to the area’s chief criminal investigator: He had no intention of answering charges that he had attacked a state trooper.  “What he said was this: ‘If y’all come to get me, bring body bags,’ ” said Thomas, now a local justice of the peace.  Thomas remembers the message clearly, not because of its unvarnished threat, but because — after 12 years — Gray, who doesn’t acknowledge the authority of any government, continues to dare police to come and get him. Sequestered on a 50-acre, wooded compound in East Texas since jumping bail more than a decade ago, Gray and his clan have effectively outlasted the administrations of four local sheriffs, all of whom have decided that John Joe’s arrest is not worth the risk of a violent confrontation.

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Federal judge considers motion to reinstate student as president

(Atlanta Journal Constitution) A federal judge will soon decide whether an Alpharetta High School senior should be reinstated as student body president despite his ouster by faculty advisors who criticized his leadership. A hearing on the motion to compel Alpharetta High to restore Reuben Lack, 18, to his position was held today before U.S. District Judge Richard Story. Lack believes he lost his position as student body president because he shared a proposal to make the prom queen and king competition more inclusive of gay teens. Lack filed a federal lawsuit alleging his First Amendment rights to free speech were violated shortly after he lost his position as president.

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TN Senate OKs bill to close teacher evaluation data

(The Tennessean) The sponsor of a proposal to close teacher evaluation records to parents and other members of the public said Thursday that doing so will keep the process honest. The measure sponsored by Republican Sen. Jim Tracy of Shelbyville was unanimously approved 27-0 in the Senate. The companion bill is scheduled for a vote on the House floor next week. Tracy said access to the data should be limited to school officials and not available to the general public. “The principal would be much more honest if he knows it’s not going to go into the public record,” he said after Thursday’s vote. “We’re all about teacher performance, and that’s what evaluations are, to improve a teacher to be the best that they can be.”

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Recall election ordered for Wis. Gov. Scott Walker

(Associated Press) Embattled first-term Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will face a recall this spring after an election was ordered Friday following the collection of more than 900,000 signatures in the wake of his push against union bargaining rights. The Government Accountability Board voted 5-0 to order the recall, a move that has been expected for weeks given the high number of signatures gathered between November and January. It took 540,208 signatures to trigger a recall.

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SC governor denies she is tied to tax probe

(The State) Gov. Nikki Haley vehemently denied Thursday that she is in any way connected to a 2011 tax audit of the Sikh temple in Chapin where her parents are leaders. “It is flat out not true,” Haley said of speculation that has swirled around the State House for weeks that she is tied to the IRS audit of the Broad River Road temple. “I have never kept their books. I’ve never made deposits. I never signed checks. I never did financial statements,” Haley said. “This is a church that I don’t go to. There are no issues related to me and that church.”

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Google launches ‘Account Activity’ tracker

(USA Today) Google is today introducing a new Account Activityfeature for all its users. By signing up to the service, Google will send you a link to a password-protected report with insights into your use of Google services. But only when you have been signed in to the service, of course. In a blog post today, Google product manager Andreas Tuerk, says: “Knowing more about your own account activity also can help you take steps to protect your Google Account. For example, if you notice sign-ins from countries where you haven’t been or devices you’ve never owned, you can change your password immediately and sign up for the extra level of security provided by 2-step verification.”

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Tennessee kicking jaw dropping bills through the posts

Saggy pants bill will go to full floor votes

Bill would let students pray freely, discuss faith

TN Senate may shield faith-based clubs from colleges’ bias rules

House panel considers bill for tax on strippers

Cellphone ban worries some Chapel Hill businesses

(WRAL News) Some small-business owners say that they expect Chapel Hill’s cellphone ban for drivers will cost them time and money when the ordinance takes effect in June. The Town Council voted 5-4 Monday to outlaw both handheld and hands-free cellphones while driving, making the town the first North Carolina community to enact such a ban. It’s not a welcome first for Mark England, who co-owns Advanta Clean, a cleaning service that responds to fire and water emergencies in Chapel Hill. “I work out of my car, so I rely a lot on email and cellphone,” England said.

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College ban struck from immigration bill in House

(Atlanta Journal Constitution) The sponsor of a bill that would bar illegal immigrants from attending Georgia’s public colleges said he supports an amendment striking that provision from Senate Bill 458.  Sen. Barry Loudermilk, R-Cassville, said the college ban “was stalling the bill” in the House and threatened to thwart other aspects of the measure.  “It wasn’t worth jeopardizing the entire bill,” he said. Provisions still in the bill would tweak last year’s sweeping illegal immigration law, House Bill 87. Parts of that law are being reviewed by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The changes outlined in SB 458 would address several areas, including requirements to receive public benefits and defining acceptable forms of identification.

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Adelson says Gingrich ‘at the end of his line’

(USA Today) A wealthy supporter of Newt Gingrich said this week the presidential candidate is “at the end of his line” when it comes to the race for the GOP nomination. The comments by Sheldon Adelson, the casino mogul who is the major donor behind a pro-Gingrich super PAC, were reported by The Jewish Journal. “It appears as though he’s … at the end of his line,” Adelson said. “Mathematically it appears he can’t get anywhere near the numbers and … unlikely there’ll be a brokered convention.” Adelson and his family members have donated $16.5 million to Winning Our Future. Gingrich and Adelson share the same views about Israel.

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McCrory unveils education proposals

(Rocky Mount Telegram) Republican gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory on Wednesday rolled out highlights of the public school improvements he’d make if elected in November. They included refrains from his 2008 campaign and build on current state initiatives. McCrory touted his longstanding focus on vocational education by saying he would push for two types of high school diplomas — one that certifies a graduate is college-ready and another that certifies he or she is ready for an outside career. He also said he backs merit pay to reward the best schoolteachers, and favors expanding the state’s online education network and the use of technology by both teachers and children. Although high school graduation rates have increased in recent years, McCrory said there are still too many students dropping out, placing a burden on the criminal justice or welfare systems. Others who graduate are filling up community college and university classrooms and need remedial classes before moving forward.

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