Republican State Senator Mark Norris criticizes Republican Gov. Bill Haslam in exchange characterized as the ‘gloves coming off.’
Readers, it is astounding to me, there is so much incredible (and critical) news about the federal Refugee Admissions Program in recent days and weeks and nary a word about it on any mainstream or cable media that I’ve seen.
In fact there will be a big public meeting in Rutland, VT this week and I’m seeing nothing in the media about it!
Back to Tennessee and another report from Breitbart’s star refugee reporter, Michael Patrick Leahy. For new readers, please go here to read the background of this hot issue involving a Republican governor refusing to go along with his Republican legislature.
Leahy at Breitbart:
NASHVILLE, Tennessee—State Senator Mark Norris (R-Collierville) is sharply rebuking Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam for mischaracterizing the Tennessee General Assembly’s Tenth Amendment lawsuit against the federal government for its operation of the refugee resettlement program to the state’s Attorney General, Herbert Slatery.
In a letter sent on Monday, Norris, the co-sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution 467, which passed both houses of the Tennessee General Assembly by wide margins, took the gloves off against the state’s Republican governor.
“I am troubled by the statement you released on Friday concerning SJR467,and I am uncomfortable with your mischaracterization of this important Resolution,” Norris wrote.
“The federal government must not do indirectly what it cannot lawfully do directly, and the Tennessee General Assembly must have the opportunity to approve, or disapprove, specific expenditures through the appropriation process,”
[….]
Norris then blasted Haslam for his poor understanding of the federal statutes and regulations upon which the federal refugee resettlement program is based.
Tennessee’s refugee lawsuit against the federal government “is not about ‘dismantling the Refugee Act’ as you said. It is about enforcing it,” Norris wrote….
There is much more here.
Come on governors of Wilson-Fish states, stand up for your states!!! Where are you Chris Christie and Sam Brownback?