Business, Free Enterprise and Constitutional Issues; Pro-Life and Pro Second Amendment. Susan Lynn is a member of the Tennessee General Assembly. She serves as Chairman of the Consumer and Human Resources subcommittee, a member of the Finance Ways and Means Committee and the Ethics Committee. She holds a BS in economics and a minor in history.
The NRA Political Victory Fund has awarded Susan Lynn its highest possible rating for a non incumbent. The rating of 'A' was reported to Lynn last Thursday in a letter, and is based on her answers to their candidate survey and her 100% pro-Second Amendment voting record during her four previous terms in the Tennessee General Assembly.
Lynn stated "This high ranking from the NRA PVF is something for which I am very proud - the voters can feel confident that I am a supporter and defender of their Second Amendment rights."
During Lynn's previous four terms in the House she earned a rating of A+; the '+' is an additional endorsement reserved only for incumbents. NRA PVF assured that if Lynn "had been the incumbent at this time her record shows that she would have received the highest endorsement with the + added however at this time only incumbents can are awarded the additional +.
"Plus or no plus - an 'A' is their highest ranking for a non-incumbent and I am very grateful for this and for the NRA's A+ ratings for each of my four previous terms of service. The indication of incumbency is not necessary; voters' can feel well assured that my long record in support of the Second Amendment is absolute proof of where I stand on their right to bear arms." Lynn concluded.
Thank you to the Nashville Tennessean Editorial Board for your endorsement of my candidacy to return to the Tennessee General Assembly and represent the people of House District 57.
I was very careful never to vote for tax increases - I must be pretty squeaky clean if she has to dredge up Private Acts in order to convince you that I voted for taxes.
Today Linda Elam sent out a mailer
accusing me of “Allowing” tax increases. Again – she severely misleads and again this
is extremely disingenuous.
The items were not bills for statutes
but they were Private Acts for local governments - each one starts with “subject
to local approval”. And enacted only if approved by the local government or the people at the ballot box.
But Private Acts are not passed by the General Assembly but adopted. The adoption simply records with the Secretary
of State’s office that a local government or the people who live there are going to vote on the subject of the Act.
I hate to sound like I am schooling Ms. Elam but
the General Assembly can only pass bills or statutes that apply statewide.
Only
a local government or the people of the government can vote to impose a local
law on themselves.
Adopting
a Private Act is not a political endorsement of the Act – most Acts are adopted unanimously.
In the last General Assembly
80 requests for Private Acts were adopted for many different things such as
changing a local government’s charter, the repeal something previously passed or to consider a local tax.
But it is the local government or the local people
that get to decide on the issue; not the General Assembly and in truth, the General
Assembly should not micro manage local governments.
No, state legislator should be blamed for imposing
a local tax because he or she voted to adopt a Private Act - if the General Assembly routinely blocked Private Acts by rejecting adoption the General Assembly would have a highly charged and very political atmosphere - I guess sort of like the Mt. Juliet city commission under Ms. Elam's tenure.
The Acts are a formal process that a local government
must go through. Private Acts are not
state statutes and are not enacted unless the local government votes for it by a super majority or the local
people vote for it. After the Private
Act is voted upon by the local government or the people, proof of the vote is sent to
the Secretary of State who either amends the local government’s charter with
the change imposed by the Act or if rejected locally or never voted upon the Private Act expires.
The Wilson County $17.7 million dollars in
taxes in the mailer refers to a Private Act proposed by the Wilson County
Commission to defray the cost of growth in Wilson County by use of an adequate
facilities tax; a tax on each new dwelling or commercial property built in the
county.
I remember the issue fairly well – while
most people are generally opposed to new taxes many long time residents were
for the proposal because they didn’t want to see their property taxes go up to
pay for the rapid new growth in the county for the new roads, schools and law enforcement needs.
The Act
was carried by Senator Beavers and Rep Bone in the General Assembly and
adopted unanimously by the House and Senate - the adoption was not a political endorsement of the proposal but the General Assembly was simply allowing the local government to decide its own affairs. After a super majority vote by the Wilson County Commission passed the Act the vote was registered with the secretary of
state and recorded.
I can't say I've never seen anything like this race because the state Senate race in 2010 rose to a whole new level but it is just so easy to disprove what she is saying that it is amazing that she'd even make the attempt.
Ladies and Gentlemen my opponent and her friends are now saying
that I voted for traffic cameras. You know
that I would not do that to you EVER.
In fact, I voted against them several times through amendments
to other bills because the House Transportation Committee bottled up the bill to ban them.
If this race was not so important their attacks could almost be
funny – they are so terribly desperate.
Please do not forget that it was Linda Elam who voted for the
traffic cameras as Mayor of Mt. Juliet and the reason why we have them
today. Then in what many believe
was a strictly politically expedient move to get rid of them it was learned she
hadn’t read the contract; revealing that either the city is tied to the cameras
long term or the citizens would suffer a loss of $700,000.
They are citing two bills so I have posted them for you here:
HB0698/SB0666
is a bill to make it a non-moving violation if you get a ticket with a traffic
camera - thus you won’t get points on your license and your insurance shouldn’t
go up. Prior to this bill passing it was a moving violation to get a
ticket from a traffic camera – truly, most people appreciated the General
Assembly passing this bill.
HB1202/SB1502
(the amendments rewrite the bill) bans surveillance cameras on interstate
highways. The bill excludes SmartWays
and work zones – cameras were already allowed in these areas for safety reasons
– and they do not issue tickets. SmartWays provide information to
travelers about traffic congestion – You are probably familiar with them
because the local news broadcasts the SmartWay cameras’ footage on the morning
news so you can see the commute into the city. Work
Zone cameras are used by TDOT (not the department of safety) in a number of
ways but for two single reasons safety and to alleviate congestion – the cameras
ARE NOT used to issue tickets nor do they monitor a red light. (the link for
work zones actually covers their use on SmartWays as well).
Just because these bills mention the word camera it doesn’t mean
that they are FOR traffic cameras. I
have never voted for traffic cameras and I have voted against them through
amendments a number of times.
There is a quote that says it all about this race "the worst thing about being lied to is knowing you're not worth the truth to someone." unknown
For more information on my opponent’s other misdeeds please visit:
I would like to thank Ms. Elam – because while trying to
make a point in her mailer about the growth of the state budget while I was in
office (her statement is that the state budget grew by $10 billion dollars) I
can once again show that her statement is not only false but that she voted to
break a very important constitutional provision which restricts the growth of
the state budget.
When I came into office the state budget was $9.8 billion–
when I left eight years later it was $12.1 billion – hardly $10 billion.
The amount of federal pass through dollars that Tennessee
Received did grow considerably – they went from $7.4 billion to $12.9
billion – but these are mandated federal programs over which a state
legislator has little to no control.
Now, please keep reading as I detail for you Ms. Elam's vote to
overspend our state budget by $250,000,000 in just her first year in office.
States have a Constitutional mandate to balance their
budgets including Tennessee – states cannot deficit spend.
An additional protection in Tennessee is a Constitutional
provision called the Copeland Cap –
named for Representative David Copeland who proposed it.
The Cap restricts the rate of growth of the state budget to the
rate of the state’s economic growth – also known as the rate of personal income
growth.
Therefore, constitutionally, the budget cannot grow faster
than our collective household income or budget.
Tennessee Constitution, Article
2, Section 24:
No public money shall be expended except pursuant to
appropriations made by law. Expenditures for any fiscal year shall not exceed
the state’s revenues and reserves, including the proceeds of any debt obligation,
for that year. No debt obligation, except as shall be repaid within the fiscal
year of issuance, shall be authorized for the current operation of any state
service or program, nor shall the proceeds of any debt obligation be expended
for a purpose other than that for which it was authorized.
In no year shall the rate of growth of
appropriations from state tax revenues exceed the estimated rate of growth of
the state’s economy as determined by law.
No appropriation in excess of this
limitation shall be made unless the General Assembly shall, by law containing
no other subject matter, set forth the dollar amount and the rate by which the
limit will be exceeded.
Any law requiring the expenditure of state funds shall be null
and void unless, during the session in which the act receives final passage, an
appropriation is made for the estimated first year’s funding. No law of general
application shall impose increased expenditure requirements on cities or
counties unless the General Assembly shall provide that the state share in the
cost. An accurate financial statement of the state’s fiscal condition shall be
published annually.
I was in the General Assembly during years of firm Democrat
Control (2002-2010). I voted for four
out of eight budgets.
The truth is the state budget largely grew so much due to
federal funds and mandates – the federal spending that we all detest so much. States administer many of those federal programs. It did not grow because of anything I did. That is why Ms. Elam doesn’t name one bill
that I may have sponsored that could have produced $10 billion dollars of
growth in the state budget.
I voted for four out of eight budgets - they were were all balanced, responsible budgets
that helped our district and sent your tax dollars back to us for things like the construction
of Mount Juliet Road, the SR 109 widening, the road construction in the Providence
area, building a new SR 109 bridge and the money to design and acquire the
right of way for SR 109 N. Those budgets
also funded our local schools and state colleges, gave grants to police and fire for emergency
equipment.
The Copeland Cap that I told you about – unfortunately it
can be broken – we called it “Busting the Cap”.
The state budget is prepared on estimates of tax revenues. If at the end of the year, the revenue exceeds
the estimates on which the budget was prepared the General Assembly can vote to
spend that money anyway – exceeding the rate of growth of your income. This happens routinely in the
Legislature. However, I always voted NO –
not to bust the Copeland Cap; such unbalanced growth cannot be supported by the
incomes of Tennesseans.
However, my opponent, Ms. Elam in only her first year in the
General Assembly voted Aye to “Bust the Cap” further burdening you. The raid allowed excess spending of up to $250,000,000.
HB2136 - Authorizes the index of appropriations from state tax
revenues for 2010-2011 fiscal year to exceed the index of estimated growth in
the state's economy by $250 million or 2.15 percent.
Ladies and gentlemen – Ms. Elam is simply intellectually
dishonest - she voted to break a constitutional provision and exceed spending by $250 million. Her dismal record on ethics,
her lack of responsiveness to you the voter and horrendous political antics should be enough - not just including what she is saying about me but what she did to you by her arrogant refusal to resign
one of her offices when 87% of Mount Juliet voters decided that they did not
want their elected officials to hold duel offices - and then using city funds to sue you the voters to stay in office is unjustifiable.
Please watch a video of me and the State Treasurer - we were under Democrat control at this time and the Democrats typically tore us up for asking such questions. I tried to prevent that attack by being reserved and professional - they let me fully ask my questions:
I refused to break the Copeland Cap each and each and every year I was in office. Ms. Elam broke this cap in her very first year in office.
We need mature and professional people to serve in office - not politicians who try to deceive you to get your vote - isn't that the problem we have in Washington?
Please recall that I served you ethically and honorably for eight years and again, I humbly ask for the honor of your vote in the Republican
Primary on August 2.
I live in the
57th House District and I will live in the 57th House District when the new
district boundaries take effect on the night of the General Election, November
2, 2012.
REDISTRICTING
Every ten years the US
Congressional, State Senate, State House, County Commission, City Commission
and School District boundaries are redrawn.
It's constitutional - the premises is, one man one vote - each district is
to contain the same number of residents so that representation is proportional. Therefore, every
ten years, after the results of the US census are finalized, all of the above
districts are redistributed according to population.
The 2010 census results were finalized in 2011, and the elected
officials from each of the above offices got to re-draw their district lines
according to populationand
perhaps other considerations as well.
So this past Session the Tennessee General Assembly, House and
Senate, voted on their newly conceived
district boundaries which will take effect with the General Election in
November at midnight.
WHERE DOES SUSAN LYNN LIVE?
I live in the 57th district - I've lived here since moving to
south Mount Juliet in 1997, and I lived there the entire time I served in the House from
2002-2010.
The 57th District map:
However, while my residence hasn’t recently changed, the new
57th District that will take effect in November will run behind my property leaving my home
on the other side in the 46th district.
Therefore, upon winning the Primary Election, my husband and I
will establish residence within the upcoming legal boundaries before the
General Election.
THE UPCOMING
DISTRICT BOUNDARIES - WHY WON'T LYNN'S HOUSE BE LOCATED THERE?
The House members in the State Legislature were allowed to draw
their own district boundaries. According to Speaker Harwell's Chief of
Staff and the former Republican Caucus Chairman it was Linda Elam that chose to
draw me out of the upcoming new district boundaries.
I have to admit, I've been pretty amazed by accusations that I
do not live in the district.
For one, I do
currently live in the 57th District.
The
new district boundaries do not take effect until midnight on General Election
night, November 2, 2012. No one can
speak to my family's plans.
Secondly,
I have always trusted the voters; I believe they can sense when someone is
being disingenuous.
The next district boundaries are as
follows:
Side by side it is easier to see the difference.
The map below depicts my house in relation to the new
district.
This
northern part of the county is still fairly rural. Taking a closer look,
you can see that the line jumps up from Coles Ferry Pike, a logical and natural boundary, and captures
our neighborhood and then heads back down to and along Coles Ferry before heading north again and encapsulating the
next subdivision before returning to Coles Ferry Pike and continuing.
It isn’t difficult to see that my home was placed just outside of
the next 57th District by encircling our neighborhood with the vacant subdivision land by departing from Coles Ferry Pike.
Again, the boundary
zig zags from S. Cairo Bend, along Coles Ferry, then turns left on N Cairo Bend and
then heads right onto Rural road. It
follows the creek right behind my property back to Coles Ferry before continuing on Coles Ferry.
Someone asked if this wasn't just following a natural boundary - I suppose he meant the water - no, it is not. I live on Barton's Creek which is a tributary off of Old Hickory Lake. The entire span of Old Hickory Lake and Barton's creek is in the 57th District - in fact, if I could afford to do so, I could live anywhere on the lake or creek in the entire county because all of the waterway is in the district - except for exactly where I live - it is the only part of the waterway not within the new district boundaries.
WE HAVE MOVED BEFORE TO BETTER SERVE THE DISTRICT
In late 2005, my family and I moved from the
Gladeville area (Poplar Ridge subdivision) to just east of SR 109 in order that
I could better serve the district. As you can see by the first map above,
part of the district is in Sumner County and Lebanon - there is just no easy way to get
from where we lived in Gladeville (by the purple dot) to Sumner County. Our new proximity to SR 109 and I 40
made travel between Hendersonville, Gallatin, Lebanon and Mount Juliet much easier.
Since I was first elected ten years ago our
family has grown-up, our children are married and having children of
their own. My husband and I were
thinking of moving to a smaller home anyway.
We both look forward to the future and to me serving the people of the 57th
District once more.
And with all of that said, I humbly ask for your vote in the Primary Election on August 2nd and let me add that if anyone would like to buy a lovely
family home on Barton’s Creek…just give me a call :-)
Most sincerely,
Susan Lynn
To learn more about my conservative record while in the legislature go to www.susanlynn.us/record.html
Susan Lynn fought the hard fight for us in a Democrat controlled legislature and she was able to accomplish a great deal for us.
Like reversing the law to allow illegal aliens to obtain a Tennessee driver's license - this law is a tragic part of Tennessee's history.
What follows is the
legislative history of this long and difficult fight.
In 2001, a year before Susan Lynn
ran for the State House, the General Assembly passed HB983 - the Illegal alien driver’s license bill and it become law. The bill allowed someone without a social security number, namely an illegal alien, to
get a Tennessee driver's license.
102nd General
Assembly - 2001 – 2002
(2001)
HB983 - Illegal alien
driver’s license bill passes and becomes law. It allows someone without a
social security number to get a driver's license - vote
on page 921 - 922 of the Journal.
(2002)
Susan Lynn runs for office. Elimination of the illegal alien driver's license bill is part of her platform as well as her vow to fight a state income tax.
Rep. Lynn co-sponsors HB1790, a bill to require a SSN to get a drivers
license - this would ban illegal aliens from obtaining driver's licenses (be sure to
click on Show Prime Co-Sponsor link to see co-sponsors).
The Democrats, the majority party, will not allow the bill to move.
(2004)
Lynn again co-sponsors HB1790, it requires SSN to get a driver's
license - this would ban illegals from obtaining licenses.
The majority party does not allow the bill to move.
HB3486 is drawn up by Governor Phil Bredesen under pressure from Republicans and the public but he waffles and creates the
certificate of driving bill. A bill to abolish the driver's license for illegal aliens but institute a certificate of driving. The bill advances to the floor of the House. Rep. Lynn and others engage the Democrats in a bitter, drawn-out floor fight in an attempt to pass eight (8) amendments
to amend the bill to kill the driving certificate provision. Three of the amendments are withdrawn by their Democrat sponsors. Only Rep. Rowland's (R) amendments actually receive a floor vote but each is tabled by the majority party. After more than two hours the final vote is at hand and only two choices remain; a no vote will allow illegal aliens to keep their driver's licenses. An aye vote will take driver's licenses away from the illegals but unfortunately also issue them a certificate to drive. Left with an imperfect choice the Republicans must vote aye in order to ensure that driver's licenses are finally taken away but vow to continue the fight in the next General Assembly. The bill passes 96 to 3. - page 4055 - 4061 of the Journal.
Public chapter 158 becomes law -
it takes driver’s licenses away from illegals but creates the
certificate of driving.
Rep. Lynn speaks in the press about the vow to continue the fight to ensure that no illegal aliens are sanctioned by the state identification to drive.
104th General Assembly - 2005-2006
(2005)
Lynn co-sponsors HB2903, a bill to abolish the certificate of
driving. The majority party will not allow the bill to move.
(2006)
Lynn co-sponsors HB2903, a bill to abolish the certificate of
driving. The majority party will not allow the bill to move.
A Mount Juliet couple is killed in Lakewood, TN
by a drunk driving illegal alien. Rep. Lynn attempts to reason with the administration about the need to pass HB2903 and completely eliminate the ability of illegal aliens to drive in Tennessee.
105th General Assembly - 2007 – 2008
(2007)
Lynn co-sponsors HB366, a bill to abolish the certificate of
driving. The majority party will not allow the bill to move.
Public pressure mounts to abolish the certificate of driving. Democrats decide it will be their party that will finally pass this measure. Rep. Mike Turner files HB1827.
HB1827 -driver’s certificate elimination bill advances to the floor and passes - ayes 86, nays 8, PNV 2 in the House. Lynn is co-sponsor of this bill.Page 1377 - 1382 of the Journal.
