Recent editorials from Tennessee newspapers:
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Feb. 14
The Kingsport Times-News on ending cockfighting in Tennessee:
Every year for more than a decade, state Sen. Jon Lundberg of Bristol has pleaded to no avail with fellow lawmakers to lift Tennessee out of the dark ages by making the disgusting, barbarous practice of cockfighting a felony, as it once was.
But Lundberg is not one to give up the fight. This year, he’s taking a new approach by having the bill heard in the House Judiciary Committee on which he once served, giving it “new eyes and with different perceptions looking at it.”
It is to the great embarrassment of Tennessee that several decades ago, the General Assembly reduced cockfighting from a felony to a misdemeanor, giving the state one of the weakest cockfighting laws in the nation and increasing the practice where sharp blades are attached to the feet of fighting roosters as spectators bet on which will slash the other to death.
Why would lawmakers allow such a brutal “sport”? As Sen. Frank Niceley, who represents Hawkins and Hancock counties, once said, it’s good for tourism with “people coming from other states for the fights. They buy food, they stay in hotels, they buy gas.”
Lundberg is sponsoring legislation to change the penalties from the current Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony for owning, possessing or training any bird for the purpose of cockfighting; causing for amusement, sport or personal gain a cock to fight or injure another animal; and permitting any of the aforementioned acts to be conducted on any premises under a person’s charge or control.
The bill establishes a mandatory minimum fine of $1,000 when such offense involves a cockfight attended by spectators. Lundberg said raids on large cockfighting pits in Tennessee have found the presence of young children and many spectators from neighboring states. “People come here for cockfighting because our state laws are so weak,” Lundberg said. “This has become the place to do it.”
Tennessee has long been identified as a key destination in what the Humane Society of the United States has called the “cockfighting corridor,” which includes Mississippi, Alabama and Kentucky. Law enforcement officials also say Tennessee has become a major exporter of fighting roosters to locations around the world.
Despite that the practice is banned in all 50 states, in some Eastern Tennessee communities cockfighting is as ingrained a tradition as Friday night football, officials say. “It’s a social event for many people. For people who grew up on farms, it doesn’t seem like cruelty,” said a spectator.
“I’ve heard people say cockfighting is part of the culture of Tennessee,” says Lundberg. “I would counter that. We’re bringing people who are obviously associated with gambling and other issues that we don’t want to have here.”
“There are cockfighting journals that advertise championship birds from Tennessee,” Lundberg said. “Raising fowl for cockfighting is not the same as raising backyard chickens for eggs.”
Let’s hope Lundberg is successful this year. His perseverance is to be appreciated and applauded. There’s too much good in this state for it to be known as a haven for such a barbaric, disgusting and inhumane activity that appeals to the worst of human instincts.
Online: https://www.timesnews.net
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Feb. 13
The Johnson City Press on environmental strides in Tennessee:
If you haven’t been paying attention, you may not have noticed Tennessee’s role in the green industrial revolution.
Tens of thousands of workers in our state contribute to reducing the use of fossil fuels, decreasing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the efficiency of energy usage, recycling materials and developing and adopting renewable sources of energy.
We already make electric vehicles at Nissan’s plant in Smyrna, and will soon start making them at General Motors’ plant in Spring Hill and Volkswagen’s facility in Chattanooga. Just this week, Microvast, a battery maker, announced a project in Clarksville to renovate and expand a plant to make lithium-ion batteries, cells and packs.
Northeast Tennessee has seen growth in the green economy, too.
In Telford in 2019, solar energy company Silicon Ranch and the Tennessee Valley Authority flipped the switch on a 40-acre, 5-megawatt solar farm expected to generate enough electricity to power the needs of 500 households each year. And last month, Eastman unveiled a plan to build one of the world’s largest plastic-to-plastic recycling facilities in Kingsport that will be able turn 100,000 metric tons of previously unusable plastic waste into specialty plastics, keeping it from taking up space in landfills and polluting waterways.
The future of our economic success and our well-being as a species depends on pivoting from the dirty fossil fuels upon which we now rely to more sustainable forms of energy and consumption practices. This transition is already underway, and we could and should be a part of it.
We should act boldly and swiftly, with marketing campaigns and competitive incentive packages, to bring some of these green industries to our region.
It shouldn’t be a hard sell to entice companies focused on sustainability to our shovel-ready sites in places like the Washington County Industrial Park, a short distance from the Telford solar farm with tenants already making products for vehicle applications.
If they aren’t already, we encourage our economic development officials to doggedly pursue these green jobs.
With careful planning and foresight, we can position Tennessee and our region for a brighter and cleaner future.
Online: https://www.johnsoncitypress.com
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