GOP Caucus bumps Tennessee bill honoring Michael Jackson

[Catherine Vincent]

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jan/28/gop-caucus-bumps-tennessee-bill-honoring-michael-j/

GOP caucus bumps Tennessee bill honoring Michael Jackson
By Richard Locker

Originally published 02:13 p.m., January 28, 2010
Updated 10:14 p.m., January 28, 2010

NASHVILLE -- State Rep. G.A. Hardaway of Memphis is almost as curious as he is disappointed about why one of his House colleagues blocked a vote Thursday on a resolution he filed to honor the late pop star Michael Jackson.

The four-page resolution recites the highlights of Jackson's musical career and charity work and was one of eight similar "memorializing resolutions" that were to be voted on en masse Thursday on the House floor as part of a routine "consent calendar" of noncontroversial and nonbinding bills.

But just before the vote, House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada of Franklin "bumped" the resolution off the consent agenda without explanation -- which effectively blocked it from a vote Thursday and held it for a separate vote by itself whenever its sponsor reschedules it. The other seven bills on the consent calendar were collectively approved 97-1, with Rep. Donna Rowland, R-Murfreesboro, casting the lone "no" vote.

Hardaway, a Democrat and chairman of the Shelby County legislative delegation, said he sponsored the resolution because of Jackson's ties to Memphis, including his marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, which is cited in the resolution. He had planned on presenting it to Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, whom Hardaway said is scheduled to visit Memphis this weekend.

The Memphis lawmaker said Casada told him that he bumped the bill only because a member of Casada's House GOP Caucus asked him to. He didn't say who that was.

"I'm disappointed but I'm also curious," Hardaway said. "I'd prefer that whoever it was had just come up to me himself or herself and told me they opposed it and why. But I'm going to call the bill up Monday and we'll see who votes 'no' on it then."

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We'll see what happens when Limbaugh or O'Reilly gets a sponsorhip to be honored. I'm betting these same people would vote "yes" faster than a road runner. Oh and make sure you read the comments after the article, the haters and their ignorant comments sound like some of you when it comes to Michael Jackson. Makes ya proud.

[TheDebbieDee]

1. "When Limbaugh or O'Reilly gets a sponsorhip to be honored"

The spineless Democrats will just roll over and let the repukes do what they want.

I HATE that the repukes got a National Airport named after Ronald Reagan after he broke up the union of the Professional Air Traffic COntrollers, but the Dems didn't put up a fight about that either.

[NecklyTyler]

2. Republican racism on display