A resolution was approved by a Tennessee House committee on Tuesday to try and lure Fox News’ conservative radio show host Sean Hannity into moving to the Volunteer state, according to local media.
The move is a publicity stunt supported by several Republican legislators and comes on the heels of comments Hannity made on air complaining of New York state taxes, calling it “the unified socialist state of New York,” and offense he took to comments made by the state’s Democratic governor.
Apparently the Tennessee state representative sponsoring HJR642 saw an opportunity in Hannity’s dissatisfaction with the Empire state.
“Mr. Hannity is a conservative individual who possesses, I guess, some amount of wealth,” said Rep. Andy Holt, according to The Knoxville News-Sentinel. “We would like to attract any individual, whether they have wealth or not, to a state that offers so much opportunity.”
But one Democrat saw through the vanity of the bill and questioned, somewhat cynically, its validity, while slamming Hannity in the process.
“We’ve got our own troubles down here without Sean stirring up some more,” Rep. Johnny Shaw said. “Why do we want another troublemaker in our state? … Why don’t we just say all good rich folks who live in New York?”
But the best comment came at the end of the debate on the resolution when Rep. Curry Todd, said, “Make sure we make an amendment to keep the liberals in New York. We don’t need them down here.”
Curry, who sponsored a highly controversial guns-in-bars bill in the Tennessee legislature was later arrested for DUI and possession of a handgun while under the influence.
Comments like Todd’s tend to keep people from visiting the South and speak to an increasingly intolerant conservative culture that prefers its own, like-minded company. But to be fair, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo made similar comments about conservatives.
“If they are extreme conservatives, they have no place in the state of New York,” Cuomo said in a radio interview, according to The Buffalo News. Cuomo defined “extreme conservatism’” as being “anti-ga” by opposing same-sex marriage rights, opposed to abortion rights and favoring legalization of assault weapons.
Based on that, Hannity has decided to call New York quits.
He reacted to Cuomo’s comments on his radio show on Monday, saying that although he was “born and raised in New York,” he wants out.
“I can’t wait to get out of here. I really can’t. I don’t want to pay their 10-percent state tax anymore. I live in the second-highest property taxed county in the entire country in Nassau County. I can’t wait to sell my house to somebody who wants it. I can’t wait to pay no state income tax down in Florida or Texas,” Hannity said.
Now Tennessee’s conservative politicians are throwing the state’s name into the mix. Apparently, Hannity likes ocean fishing, too, and since the Volunteer state is landlocked, chances are low he’ll move there, despite the fact that the state has no state income tax.