1. David Shepard did not stand up for Tennesseans against the Obamacare mandate.
Possibly the biggest exercise of power against the individual citizen by the federal government is the mandate in Obamacare for individuals to purchase health insurance or pay a "tax."
In statehouses across the country, resolutions were passed proclaiming that their citizens would not be required to purchase health insurance. Tennessee was once such state. In 2011, the Tennessee Health Freedom Act worked its way through the General Assembly. This act states:
(1) Every person within the state is free to choose or to decline to choose any mode of securing health care services without penalty or threat of penalty; and
(2) Every person within the state has the right to purchase health insurance or to refuse to purchase health insurance.
Simple right? Free people should not be required to purchase something if they do not want to. Other than Barack Obama and the other radical leftist anti-liberty forces in Washington, who would be against this? David Shepard, that's who. When the vote came up, Shepard aligned himself with Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi by voting against the Tennessee Health Freedom Act. His vote shows that he does not value individual liberty but supports extreme government mandates. In times as dire as these, any public official who will not stand up against such measures does not need to be in office. The stakes are too high.
2. David Shepard sponsored legislation that would have reduced the power of each Tennesseans' vote for President.
In a truly stunning and silly move, David Shepard sponsored legislation that would have essentially allowed citizens of other states to determine which Presidential candidate gets Tennessee's Electoral College electors. The dubious named "Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote" set out to do an end-run around the Electoral College, but in the process did an end-run around Tennessee voters.
If Shepard would have had his way (thank goodness this nonsense was defeated), the way Tennessee awarded its electoral votes would have changed:
(1) Prior to the time set for meeting and voting by presidential electors, each member state would:
(A) Determine the number of votes for each presidential slate in each state of the United States and in the District of Columbia in which votes were cast in a statewide popular election;
(B) Add such votes together to produce a "national popular vote total" for each presidential slate and designate the presidential slate with the largest national popular vote total as the "national popular vote winner"; and
(C) Certify the appointment of its elector slate nominated in association with the national popular vote winner;
Here is the way it would have played out. States would agree to give their state's electoral votes to the candidate that received the most popular votes. By adding the electoral votes of the participating states together (and awarding the votes to the national popular vote winner), they would be able to give one candidate enough votes to win the presidency. Here's the problem: this system allows other state's citizens to essentially determine how Tennessee awards its electoral votes. Remember, this still is not a national popular vote. States are still awarding electoral college votes. States who are not in this agreement, would now have the ability to determine not only who gets their state's electoral slate but also how the compact states' votes are awarded. These citizens' votes would count several times while we would have no say in how their electors go.
A second problem is that this legislation would take what people do not like about the Electoral College (popular vote winner might not be the Electoral College winner) and put it at the state level. You could have the situation where Candidate A wins the popular vote in Tennessee but Candidate B wins the national popular vote. Candidate B would win Tennessee's electors even though this candidate lost the state's popular vote.
If David Shepard is re-elected, would he make another attempt to undermine the votes made by Tennesseans' for President?
Possibly the biggest exercise of power against the individual citizen by the federal government is the mandate in Obamacare for individuals to purchase health insurance or pay a "tax."
In statehouses across the country, resolutions were passed proclaiming that their citizens would not be required to purchase health insurance. Tennessee was once such state. In 2011, the Tennessee Health Freedom Act worked its way through the General Assembly. This act states:
(1) Every person within the state is free to choose or to decline to choose any mode of securing health care services without penalty or threat of penalty; and
(2) Every person within the state has the right to purchase health insurance or to refuse to purchase health insurance.
Simple right? Free people should not be required to purchase something if they do not want to. Other than Barack Obama and the other radical leftist anti-liberty forces in Washington, who would be against this? David Shepard, that's who. When the vote came up, Shepard aligned himself with Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi by voting against the Tennessee Health Freedom Act. His vote shows that he does not value individual liberty but supports extreme government mandates. In times as dire as these, any public official who will not stand up against such measures does not need to be in office. The stakes are too high.
2. David Shepard sponsored legislation that would have reduced the power of each Tennesseans' vote for President.
In a truly stunning and silly move, David Shepard sponsored legislation that would have essentially allowed citizens of other states to determine which Presidential candidate gets Tennessee's Electoral College electors. The dubious named "Agreement Among the States to Elect the President by National Popular Vote" set out to do an end-run around the Electoral College, but in the process did an end-run around Tennessee voters.
If Shepard would have had his way (thank goodness this nonsense was defeated), the way Tennessee awarded its electoral votes would have changed:
(1) Prior to the time set for meeting and voting by presidential electors, each member state would:
(A) Determine the number of votes for each presidential slate in each state of the United States and in the District of Columbia in which votes were cast in a statewide popular election;
(B) Add such votes together to produce a "national popular vote total" for each presidential slate and designate the presidential slate with the largest national popular vote total as the "national popular vote winner"; and
(C) Certify the appointment of its elector slate nominated in association with the national popular vote winner;
Here is the way it would have played out. States would agree to give their state's electoral votes to the candidate that received the most popular votes. By adding the electoral votes of the participating states together (and awarding the votes to the national popular vote winner), they would be able to give one candidate enough votes to win the presidency. Here's the problem: this system allows other state's citizens to essentially determine how Tennessee awards its electoral votes. Remember, this still is not a national popular vote. States are still awarding electoral college votes. States who are not in this agreement, would now have the ability to determine not only who gets their state's electoral slate but also how the compact states' votes are awarded. These citizens' votes would count several times while we would have no say in how their electors go.
A second problem is that this legislation would take what people do not like about the Electoral College (popular vote winner might not be the Electoral College winner) and put it at the state level. You could have the situation where Candidate A wins the popular vote in Tennessee but Candidate B wins the national popular vote. Candidate B would win Tennessee's electors even though this candidate lost the state's popular vote.
If David Shepard is re-elected, would he make another attempt to undermine the votes made by Tennesseans' for President?
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