State and Local Politics Blog

Like everyone else, the steering committee for Future901 is attempting to adjust to COVID-19. Now that the initial shock of this crisis has subsided, a few things are coming into focus. First, the past few weeks have underscored why it matters who we send to government. The policy decisions of the State and Federal government have come home to roost in a painful way this month. Every city in Tennessee (like the rest of the country) is scrambling to figure out what to do with the coming influx of patients into our hospitals.

On March 19, 2020, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state of Tennessee topped 150. As of this being published on March 21, the cases were at 371. This number is growing quickly and is expected to be underreported, as at least one study found that up to 86% of cases can go undetected. Combine that with the well-documented severe shortage of available tests in the United States and the fact that East Tennessee is showing an atypical spike in fevers, and Governor Bill Lee has a huge undertaking on his hands.

If we want to see Tennessee change directions, we need to flip TN State House seats.  If you were to make a list of TN House seats vulnerable to flipping, State House 97 will be one of the top three on your list.  This includes Berclair, parts of Bartlett and a little of Cordova. Over the past few years, demographic changes and sweat equity have made a once solidly “red” seat purple.  Moreover, with the recent retirement of the district’s long-time incumbent, a focused Democrat candidate can win this seat. After watching this district for years, the Future901 Steering Committee unanimously agrees that Allan Creasy is the ideal candidate to make this happen.

Heralded and unheralded people will be featured on the upcoming Memphis Suffrage Monument to be located on the river side of the University of Memphis Law School. Unveiling for the “Equality Trailblazers” monument is planned for either March 27 or 28, 2020. The monument honors early and later suffragists as well as those women whose careers were made possible by the suffragists' victory.

We are excited to announce our endorsement of Jerri Green as she runs for Tennessee House of Representatives, District 83.  This is a critical race to unseat incumbent Mark White, who has enjoyed support from the Koch and Casada political networks (among others).  Lucky for us Jerri Green is exactly the woman for the job.  A native Memphian, a Georgetown Law graduate and a fierce advocate, she is ready for this fight.

In 2018, Rep. Mark White (Dist. 83) promised the voters that he would oppose vouchers.  Shelby County residents were understandably concerned that the tax dollars being paid to support SCS would be looted for private schools or worse to go to out-of-state, for-profit online groups.  Mark White claimed that he would not support the ETA law while running for re-election to the House, because it would take away the much-needed funds of Shelby County Public Schools. Unfortunately, Mark White said one thing to his constituents and then did something completely different in Nashville.  The voucher vote is the most consequential betrayal from White, but it is consistent with someone who has, unfortunately, morphed into a Casada- Republican.  He cannot be trusted to represent Shelby County and it is time for him to go.