A State House Zealot Shows His Shrewd Side
Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Pleistocene Epoch, is an Obama birther and far-right Christian zealot par excellence. But don't make the mistake of thinking this lawmaker is completely out to lunch. No, this is one crazy ideologue who knows how to play political hardball.
Behold House Bill 2683 sponsored by Hill this session. Our shrewd hero would transfer all commercial vehicle inspection and enforcement duties from the Safety Department to the Tennessee Regulatory Authority. Not coincidentally, we think, Hill's father Kenneth is a new director of the TRA.
(Kenneth Hill, you'll recall, was recently in the news for defending Pat Robertson for saying Haiti deserved the earthquake.)
In addition to all this new revenue from tractor-trailer tickets, the TRA and its directors also would gain fabulous new patronage powers under Hill's bill to fill positions outside of civil service for the next two years.
Curiously, Hill withdrew his bill six days after filing it. We think someone told the representative that he was courting a little negative publicity. It's a shame but some political reporters might have failed to appreciate this raw and unabashed grab for power.
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