Calfee faces challenge from Hooks in primary

roanecounty.com-Kent Calfee faces a challenge in the Republican Primary for his District 32 seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives. Calfee has held the seat since 2012. His challenger in the Aug. 6 Primary is Roane County Commissioner Mike Hooks.

“I have always had a heart to serve, and I love people,” Hooks said. “I love trying to help people. It’s not that I’m running against anyone. The job is open. It’s a passion I have and I’m applying for the job.”

Hooks spent many years as the director of Roane County E-911. He retired from the position last year. Having retired, Hooks said he now has the time he’ll need to serve as a state legislator.

“This (state rep) is an office I think you have to devote your time to,” Hooks said. “It’s an office that you have to be retired, and up until now I was never able to.”

Hooks is chairman of the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board. He said he’s familiar with how things work in Nashville through that position.

“I’m in my second term on that,” he said. “We work very closely with the legislators, and being in county government we work with the legislators. Are there things that maybe I’ll have to learn once I get there? Yes. When we quit learning we’re in trouble, but I feel comfortable I’m ready for the challenge.”

Hooks said he’s also worked with a number of state officials throughout his time in county government and emergency communications.

“I’ve worked with senators,” he said. “I’ve worked with representatives, I’ve worked with governors, I’ve worked with deputy governors, so I’m comfortable that with my experience I’m ready for the task.”

Hooks has also worked on the County Commission’s Budget Committee for a number of years. He said that experience would prove useful in the state legislature.

“I think it will help me tremendously,” he said. “I’d be working with a bigger budget with more departments, but overall it’s dollars and every dollar spent is a taxpayer dollar. I think we need to be mindful when we’re setting that budget and we’re divvying that money up, that it’s not our money. It’s the taxpayers’ money, so we need to be conservative.”

Helping the homeless is one of the things Hooks said he’d like to be a champion for in Nashville.

“One of the things that’s dear to my heart, and it breaks my heart, is the homeless that we have throughout our state and in our county,” he said. “I would love to get involved in that and see if we could do something about opening up some residences and maybe put some counselors in and help these people get reestablished because it’s sad.”

Hooks also said he’s “proud to be a conservative, proud to be pro-life and proud to be a lifetime member of the NRA.”

"This is something that I want to do and I think this is the opportunity for me,” he said. “I’m not getting any younger, so if I want to fulfill that dream, that passion for serving, then I think this is the time to do it.”

Early voting for the Aug. 6 election ends Saturday. The four early voting sites are Rockwood Community Center, Kingston Community Center, Harriman Community Center and First Christian Church in Oak Ridge. Early voting hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. today - Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Calfee was unavailable for an interview, but he did respond to some submitted questions.

What are your most important legislative accomplishments to date? The three things I'm most proud of is getting funding for Middle College students; they were not eligible for the Tennessee Promise because when it was enacted, there was not a Middle College and getting the language changed to include these rising Junior and Senior High School students was a proud moment; passing numerous pieces of legislation that removed unnecessary rules and regulations and made it easier for people to work in various industries; over 8 years I've voted to reduce 700,000,000 in annually recurring taxes.

What are you legislative priorities for the coming year? To move on with Telemedicine by allowing people, particularly in rural areas that have the ability to talk with the doctor online or on the phone; to have more transparency in billing provided to the customer; continue to work on doing away with the regulations on Certificates of Need so rural areas can work with the University of Tennessee to get a hospital or an emergency room

What are long term legislative goals for the region and state? I'm sure it's the same for the State, Region, and District, Economic Development. If our state is growing through new businesses and jobs our state will continue to flourish. Internet availability is also a top concern. We've already been working with providers to offer grants and incentives to move into those underserved areas. To improve safety for all our first responders; I will work again on the bill that went behind the budget to get the volunteers firefighters paid training like the paid firefighters. To continue to work with our local drug coalition on anti-drug issues; and to continue to improve the partnerships and alliances I've built over the last eight years for the good of the District.

School vouchers are a controversial issue. What is your position? I'm opposed to school vouchers. After serving 20 years on the county commission, the math doesn't work for me that you take away from public schools and give to private schools. I've told two governors this and it will continue to remain my stance as long as I am in office. The school voucher is only controversial if you are unsure of your position, and I've been sure of mine for 8 years.

Second amendment issues are important in Tennessee. What is your position on the second amendment? I am a defender of the Second Amendment. Both Marilyn and I have concealed carry permits, we are gun owners, and I'm a lifetime member of the NRA. The Governor sent through a bill concerning Constitutional Carry that wasn't properly vetted and there was opposition to it because most felt that people need training to operate, be proficient and safe in the use of firearms. I fully expect this to be addressed in the new year.

Are there any other important issues you would like to address in the legislature? The safety of our children whether at home, in school, on the playground, in the parks and anywhere they may be subject to harm. East Tennessee because of the interstate is a hot spot for sex trafficking and while the TBI, Highway Patrol, and local law enforcement agencies are doing a great job, we want to make it easier and safer for them to get a handle on this scourge to our society. I will continue to work toward getting our teachers pay raises. We were close this year but when COVID-19 hit, the budget took cuts and fell half a billion short; next year it may be a full billion short but I will continue to see that raise is on the forefront as soon as possible.