Drop It Like It’s Hot: Strip Club Invitations On Capitol Hill Spark Controversy
Posted on May 15, 2008 at 2:32 pmThis evening at 4:00pm a VIP party will be held at Deja Vu Showgirls, a popular Nashville “Gentleman’s Club.” The Tennessee Cabaret Association’s lobbyist, Tracy O’Neill, who is registered to lobby both at the state level and here in Metro Nashville, admits to Post Politics that she handed out invitations to this event at Legislative Plaza but stated that the event “is in no way” a legislative reception as characterized by at least one state representative. O’Neill asserts that she merely shared information about an event being held by one of the Association’s members to “friends and colleagues.”
The invitation, which can be seen at this link, was handed out to various folks at the Plaza, including legislators, offers the chance to “Party like a Rock Star and Rock it Like a Porn Star.” Rep. Stacey Campfield discussed the circulation of the invitation here and described the event as a “legislative reception” sponsored by the Tennessee Cabaret Association.
Within the invitation, along with promises of totally nude performances and $10 dances, is an offer of complimentary drinks and a free buffet.
While free gifts to legislators are largely forbidden, entertainment, food, refreshments, meals, beverages, or health screenings that are in connection with an in-state event to which invitations are extended to the entire membership of the general assembly are permitted by Tennessee law under an exception list in Public Act § 3-6-305.
However, an invitation must be submitted to the ethics commission and to each member of the General Assembly at least seven days in advance of the event by the employer or lobbyist paying for the event.
This event is not listed on the Tennessee Ethics Commission website and Post Politics was told by the Commission that there had been no notification of the event nor were they in possession of a copy of the invite.
Additionally, Rep. Stacey Campfield announced publicly on his blog that he had not been invited to the event.
If all legislators are not invited to the event legislators can attend and receive food and drink in accordance with other provisions in § 3-1-106 so long as they do not receive a per diem allowance for the day. Also, an officer or management-level employee of the sponsoring organization must be present. The sponsor’s registered lobbyist cannot be counted as the officer or management-level employee.
The question of who is the sponsor then becomes important. In an opinion issued by the Ethics Commission in February of 2007, the commission concluded that local affiliates of the Tennessee Education Association were not “employers of lobbyists” or “lobbyists” and thus could “serve refreshments at meetings to which State Senators and Representatives are invited to discuss matters related to public education.”
While the correlation is not a direct one, Deja Vu, as a member of the Tennessee Cabaret Association, could possibly be seen in a similar fashion as the TEA’s local affiliates.
When contacted by Post Politics, lobbyist for the Tennessee Cabaret Association, Tracy O’Neill said that the Tennessee Cabaret Association doesn’t, due to the controversial nature of the adult entertainment business, host legislative receptions.
O’Neill stated to Post Politics that it is “completely inaccurate” to categorize the event as a reception, “The Tennessee Cabaret Association has nothing to do with this event.”
O’Neill went on to castigate a member of the legislature for describing it as such on his website, “Being aware of the history of [Rep. Stacey] Campfield, I can only assume that he is trying to exploit a potential situation here.”
Ms. O’Neill sent an email to Rep. Campfield, copying Tennessee Ethics Commission Executive Director Bruce A. Androphy, registering her dismay with his characterization. You can see that email at this link.
As to the role she did play in regards to the disbursal of the invitation, O’Neill did admit to handing out a few in the halls of Legislative Plaza to “a few friends” but said she made clear to everyone that she personally talked to about the event that it was not a legislative reception.
“I made it very clear that these invitations were being handed out at the request of one of our members and not on behalf of the Association,” O’Neill explained.
When asked whether or not she personally put an invitation in any legislator’s hand, O’Neill responded, “I cannot say that for sure.”
Does Stacey Campfield Have Political Aspirations?
Posted on May 2, 2008 at 7:41 pmYou’re goshdarn right he does. An interesting little dustup at the end of Capital Hill Chaos yesterday, that you probably won’t see in the papers is this one between Rep. Stacey Campfield and Rep. Kent Williams.
After chief sponsor Rep. Dolores Gresham rose to declare that she would not be attempting to bring up SJR 127, the controversial abortion resolution that ignited controversy when Rep. Dunn tried to bring it up earlier in the day, Rep. Kent Williams, a moderate representative who has supported Jimmy Naifeh for speaker and has drawn a conservative primary challenge rematch, bemoaned the election year maneuvering he had just witnessed during the day on the issue of abortion.
After going on a bit about the unfortunate political posturing over abortion, Rep. Stacey Campfield calls out Williams’ attack on posturing as a political posture of its own. Williams then declares that he has “no aspirations for a political career.” To which Campfield replies:
“Anyone who does not have political aspirations should remove their name from the ballot. Thank you.”
Distressed Over Tax Credits
Posted on April 28, 2008 at 10:09 amStacey Campfield is wary of a tax credit of businesses in economic distressed neighborhoods contained in this year’s “technical corrections bill“:
While I generally support lowering taxes, this seems like it could be ripe for abuse. I wonder how “economically distressed” is defined. Why should some counties get an unfair advantage over other counties? This does not seem like a bill that benefits the entire state or has state wide applications. Shouldn’t the county set up the tax break if that is what their constituents want? It is like if the federal government said “We are giving tax credits if you start a small business in Georgia.” All well and good for Georgia but is that fair for Tennessee? Why is one employer more special than another? If they employ some one who needs a job no matter where they live don’t they deserve credit?
MORE:
Ben Cunningham
Martin Kennedy
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Open Meetings Give Rise To The Chuckleheads
Posted on April 25, 2008 at 8:38 amKen Whitehouse argues that it wouldn’t drive a steak through the heart of our republican form of government for pols to close a meeting door every once and again.
Having a problem with the link above? Your problem solver is right here.
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You Wanna Talk About Adultery? Are You Sure?
Posted on April 23, 2008 at 7:45 amCommenting on his personal blog, TNGOP Communications Director Bill Hobbs states that he cannot believe that Rep. Stacey Campfield didn’t make a very obvious retort when berated before the Judiciary Committee during discussion over a bill allowing men to opt out of child support payments for children determined not to be theirs:
Briley, you’ll recall, was the very married father of four who, according to press reports, cheated on his wife and had an affair with the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association lobbyist while she was shepherding legislation through the House Judiciary Committee that Briley chaired.
Campfield managed to hold fire and not blister Briley with the response Briley so richly deserved, but I’d have loved to have heard him respond, “No, Rep. Briley, I don’t believe adultery is ever appropriate. Do you?”
Rob Briley’s Ophelia Ford Moment
Posted on April 22, 2008 at 11:43 amKay Brooks is blogging about the Rob Briley/Stacey Campfield brouhaha over letting men out of obligations to their partner’s offspring not of their line. She calls it Briley’s “Ophelia Ford moment”:
For some reason the Democrat ’statesmen’ at the legislature have decided that Campfield is fair game for their petty antics and Briley took full advantage of this culture by threatening to hold the entire committee hostage until Campfield answered Briley’s completely inappropriate questions. The legislature doesn’t need to know how Campfield feels about adult relations. It needs to understand that this an injustice that needs to be corrected.
How Campfield managed to remain calm and professional during this latest personal attack, and the others, is beyond me.
And there is the rub isn’t it? As much as this event is now getting press, how different would this be covered and how different would public perception be if this had happened to anyone but Stacey Campfield?
Would Rep. Bill Dunn have been treated like this if he presented this bill? Jason Mumpower?
Well Propertied Men
Posted on April 21, 2008 at 5:01 pmAunt B. sides with Rob Briley being of the opinion that if a man signs on as father on a child’s birth certificate and then finds out later the child is not biologically it is his fault for not getting all the information before he signed on the line:
A person is not free from the debts their spouse incurs while they are married, even if the person in question didn’t have anything to do with incurring those debts. Why should a person be free of paying child support for a child brought into the marriage just because the person didn’t have anything to do with incurring that child?
To me, it seems like these men are pissed because, in their minds, they’re giving money to their wives and kids in order to purchase their wives’ sexual fidelity and the assurance that those kids share genetic material with him. So, on the one hand, they believe their wife and children to be their property.
On the other hand, if you ask why this kind of “property” should be treated differently than other kinds of property incurred during the marriage, they get to argue that it’s different because women and children aren’t property.
To me, though, what it looks like is that they want the ability to punish their wives for being unfaithful by cutting off funds to their kids.
Gone, Baby, Gone: Briley Sends Campfield Paternity Bill To Summer Study
Posted on at 8:10 amRep. Rob Briley plays Detective Bressant to Rep. Campfield’s Casey Affleck during discussion over a bill which would allow fathers to petition to the court to disestablish paternity after DNA evidence reveals a baby was not sired by the man on the birth certificate:
“I think this is the most anti-child piece of legislation I’ve seen down here in 10 years - by far,” said Briley.
“Do you believe in premartial sex?” Briley asked Campfield.
“I don’t see what that has to do with this (legislation),” replied Campfield.
With little variation, Briley repeated his question and Campfield his answer. Briley also asked Campfield if “you see adultery as wrong?”
“You’re talking about children that are the result of premartial sex or adultery,” Briley said.
“No. I don’t think that children should be involved in premartial sex,” said Campfield. He also expressed disapproval of adultery.
“Yet you want to punish a child as the result of an adulterous situation,” said Briley. “You put the child in the position of bearing the burden of a parent’s conduct.”
“Children never have to pay the child support,” said Campfield.
MORE:
Stacey Campfield
Kay Brooks
Angelia
Knoxville Talks
Attempt To Link English-Only To Sewage Bill Rubs Some Raw
Posted on April 18, 2008 at 8:15 amGoldnI shares her thoughts on the situation:
I’m not going to pretend to understand anything the Republicans do, but why not file your own bill on the subject? Or if not, why not attach this to a bill that is remotely related to the subject? Why a sewage bill, for Heaven’s sake?
Well, it’s nice to see at least one state representative, Brenda Gilmore, taking care of the more important but less headline-grabbing issues.
SEE ALSO:
Associated Press
John Rodgers
Stacey Campfield
Gestapo Tactics
Posted on April 17, 2008 at 7:04 pmStacey Campfield does not believe that Republicans are as strong in the legislature as the media does.
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Proceed With Caution
Posted on at 6:14 pm10 things you may not know about Rep. Stacey Campfield.
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