Monday brought an unusually feisty press release from the Knoxville Chamber, declaring state Rep. Frank Niceley "hostile to business." In particular, the Chamber rapped the Strawberry Plains Republican--who represents parts of Knox and Jefferson counties--for 5 bills he has sponsored: two that seek to limit eminent domain powers; two that call for more transparency from limited liability corporations doing business with a county or the state, including listing the names of all partners online; and, funnily enough, one that would make chamber of commerce meetings and minutes subject to the state's open meetings and records laws. Chamber spokesman Garrett Wagley acknowledged it was an unusual and possibly unprecedented move for the Chamber to so directly criticize a single legislator. But with the bills scheduled for legislative hearings on Wednesday, Wagley said the Chamber felt compelled to act in its members' interests. The press release argues that all five bills would make it harder for Tennessee governments to recruit and find land for prospective businesses. (It also chides Niceley for his support of allowing school systems to return to elected rather than appointed superintendents.)
Niceley, a conservative who last year joined Stacy Campfield in demanding to see President Barack Obama's birth certificate, was a little feisty himself when reached at his Nashville office Monday afternoon. Of the LLC and chamber of commerce proposals, he said, "It's just sunshine bills. They're taking taxpayer money, they need to have open meetings and open minutes." The eminent domain bills, he said, were in keeping with East Tennesseans' strong feelings about property rights. On superintendents, he noted that both Knox and Jefferson county commissions had passed resolutions asking the Legislature for the option to elect school chiefs, "so the Chamber's a little out of touch on that." As for the general tone of the Chamber's attack, he said, "What they don't realize is that if they smack me, I'm going to smack them back. What are they wanting to hide? Why are they so secret?"
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