In close, tough race, Overbey has edge
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Originally published by the News-Sentinel

There are several interesting primary races for legislative seats but none more contentious than in the 8th District that involves voters in Blount and Sevier counties. In that spirited Republican contest, incumbent Sen. Raymond Finney is being challenged by state Rep. Doug Overbey.

The race is being watched for its money and its rhetoric. Records through July 28 show Overbey has spent $208,186, with $114,363 on hand. Finney’s total is $136,763, with $165,344 cash on hand, courtesy of the senator’s personal loans to his campaign.

Both men have accused each other of misrepresenting – in fact, that might be a kind word for it – the other’s records. Finney has pointed to Overbey’s vote for House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, a Democrat, to retain his leadership position, while Overbey has pointed to Finney’s vote in favor of a revised Basic Education Program (BEP 2.0) that restored needed school funding to Knox, Hamilton and other populous counties but left Blount and Sevier without funding increases.

Overbey, a lawyer who was first elected to the House in 2000, said his vote for Naifeh illustrated realities in the House, which has a Democratic majority. “In order to be effective and pass legislation,” he said, “you have to reach across the aisle.”

Finney, a retired physician seeking a second term, said his vote for BEP 2.0 also reflected the reality of the situation; it passed in the Senate 32-1. He said there were other parts of the bill that were good for local schools and that funding-formula alterations that addressed complaints in his district could be made in the 2008 session. However, that did not occur because of the state’s tight budget.

Both men sponsored a number of bills that became law during the two-year session: Finney 25 and Overbey 38. In fact, Overbey’s total was more than any other House Republican and ran the gamut from revising medical malpractice laws to funding hospital trauma centers. Chairing a House subcommittee that dealt with health care issues put him in a good position to shepherd those measures, but it is important to note the bills passed with a Democratic majority.

And, beyond the rhetoric and spending, Overbey’s effectiveness in working both sides of the aisle and his energetic approach to issues give him the edge in this race and our endorsement.

His bill on limiting medical malpractice lawsuits is an effort to keep frivolous lawsuits from being filed but at the same time to allow people who have been injured to proceed with their cases. Likewise, he is proud of pushing through legislation to provide sprinkler systems at all long-term care facilities following a disastrous fire at a center in his home county.

And we like Overbey’s enthusiasm for the job. He says he enjoys being a legislator and enjoys the legislative process. “At the end of the day,” he said, “it seems to work.”

We think Overbey deserves a chance to make the process work in the state Senate.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 6th, 2008 at 12:45 pm and is filed under In The News.
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