Matthew Hill

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the Tennessee politician, for the English football (soccer) player, see Matthew Hill (footballer).

Matthew Hill is an elected House member of the Tennessee General Assembly (104th 2005-2006; 105th 2007-2008),^[1] and one of the highest-ranking Native Americans ^[2] in politics.

1 Early life
2 State Representative
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Early life

Hill graduated high school from Tri-Cities Christian School and earned an associate's degree from Northeast State Technical Community College and later received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication from East Tennessee State University. According to his archived campaign website (2004), Matthew Hill was also at one time concurrently working as the host of "Good Morning Tri-Cities" on the WHCB 91.5 FM "sister station" WPWT "PowerTalk" 870 AM for seven years.^[3]

Hill is employed by his father, Rev. Dr. Kenneth "Ken" C. Hill^[4]^[5], as Information Communications Corporation, Inc. Vice President and Independent Methodist broadcaster with WHCB 91.5 FM.^[6]^[7] Dr. Kenneth Hill is currently (2005-2006) serving as a Sullivan County State Executive Committee Member to the Tennessee Republican Party^[8] and president of the State of Franklin political action committee. Dr. Kenneth Hill was in late 2005 nominated by then U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in 2005 for appointment as commissioner with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).^[9]

Rep. Hill's younger brother, Timothy Aaron Hill, is currently employed as a press secretary by U.S. Representative David Davis and is also himself a former WPWT 870AM Good Morning Tri-Cities^[10] conservative talk radio show host.

[edit] State Representative

Hill was first elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2004 as a member of the Republican Party and represents the 7th district, which is part of Washington County. He is a member of the Children and Family Affairs Committee, the Transportation Committee, the Domestic Relations Subcommittee, and the Public Safety and Rural Roads Subcommittee.

During the 2004 7th House District election, Hill was quoted by a local newspaper stating that he "would only vote for an income tax if there was a war."^[11]

A 2005 article within Business Tennessee Magazine cited Hill as a "...firebrand political conservative," who "...championed social issues to recently get elected to the state House of Representatives representing Johnson City and Washington County."^[12]

Among the 2006 legislation sponsored by Hill in the Tennessee General Assembly is HB2921 authorizing (upon passage) "...the display, in county and municipal public buildings..., of replicas of historical documents and writings" including the Ten Commandments religious displays.

Former Rep. Jerome Cochran of Carter County introduced HB2921 in the Tennessee House Constitutional Protections subcommittee^[13] --- of which Hill is not a standing member --- and Hill's HB2921 legislation died peacefully in subcommittee.^[14]

Another 2006 bill introduced by Matthew Hill, HB2924^[15], would make child rape a capital offense, punishable by death or life imprisonment and would cost Tennessee taxpayers over $15 million each year to carry out the proposal.^[16]. Hill's HB2924 failed in both the House and the Senate during the 2006 legislative session. The Senate version of Hill's child rape bill, SB2490, was sponsored by State Senator Raymond Finney. Finney has stated since the defeat of both HB2924 and SB2490 within the Tennessee General Assembly that he "...does not plan to continue with his bill."^[17]

Hill defeated former Washington County Sheriff and Tennessee Department of Safety Director Fred Phillips in the November 2006 general election.^[18]^[19]