Kathryn I. Bowers
Encyclopedia
Kathryn Inez Bowers is a Tennessee
politician and former member of the Tennessee General Assembly
. She served as a Democratic
member of the Tennessee Senate
representing the 33rd district, which is composed of part of Shelby County
, from 2005 until 2006. Before being elected as a state senator to the 104th General Assembly
, she had served as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
from the 99th through 103rd General Assemblies. During the 103rd General Assembly, she had been the House Majority Whip.
She was sworn in on May 3, 2005, replacing Senator Sidney Chism, who had been elected to the post on an interim basis by the Shelby County Commission as a replacement for Roscoe Dixon, who resigned on January 13 of that year. She served on the Senate Government Operations Committee, on the Senate Commerce, Labor & Agriculture Committee, on the Senate Environment and Conservation Committee, and on the Joint Tenncare Oversight Committee.
In 2005, she was indicted on charges of corruption as a result of Operation Tennessee Waltz
. On July 16, 2007, she pleaded guilty to one count of bribery in exchange for the prosecution's agreement to drop five charges of extortion, each of which could have carried a twenty-year sentence. In her plea bargain, she admitted she split a $11,500 bribe with an accomplice who was her contact with FBI agents impersonating crooked businessmen. Her plea carries the risk of a sentence of as much as ten years and a $250,000 fine, although federal sentencing guidelines suggest leniency for first-time offenders.
As of mid-July 2007, Operation Tennessee Waltz had produced indictments against eleven individuals and, including Bowers, convictions for ten of them. The remaining individual, a former member of the Memphis school board, has not yet gone to trial. Prosecutors said that Bowers was one of the first corrupt officials identified, and that she helped them make contact with other legislators.
Kathryn Bowers obtained an associate's degree
from Griggs Business College in 1962 and attended the Memphis State University School of Journalism from 1970 to 1972. She works as a contractor business consultant and was also a one-time state director for Women in Government. From May 2003 until June 2005, Bowers served as Chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Executive Committee. She was previously the President of the Women Action for New Direction (WAND) from 1999 until 2003.
According to a September 1, 2006, story in The Commercial Appeal
, Bowers was arrested for suspicion of DUI
in Memphis the day before. She had previously announced the abandonment of her re-election campaign due to "health reasons," even though she had secured the Democratic Party nomination on August 3 for another term.
Bowers is divorced with two daughters. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee
.
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
politician and former member of the Tennessee General Assembly
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
. She served as a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Tennessee Senate
Tennessee Senate
The Tennessee Senate is the upper house of the Tennessee state legislature, which is known formally as the Tennessee General Assembly.The Tennessee Senate, according to the state constitution of 1870, is composed of 33 members, one-third the size of the Tennessee House of Representatives. Senators...
representing the 33rd district, which is composed of part of Shelby County
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
, from 2005 until 2006. Before being elected as a state senator to the 104th General Assembly
Tennessee General Assembly
The Tennessee General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional structure:According to the Tennessee State Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is a bicameral legislature and consists of a Senate of thirty-three members and a House of Representatives of...
, she had served as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
Tennessee House of Representatives
The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee.-Constitutional requirements:...
from the 99th through 103rd General Assemblies. During the 103rd General Assembly, she had been the House Majority Whip.
She was sworn in on May 3, 2005, replacing Senator Sidney Chism, who had been elected to the post on an interim basis by the Shelby County Commission as a replacement for Roscoe Dixon, who resigned on January 13 of that year. She served on the Senate Government Operations Committee, on the Senate Commerce, Labor & Agriculture Committee, on the Senate Environment and Conservation Committee, and on the Joint Tenncare Oversight Committee.
In 2005, she was indicted on charges of corruption as a result of Operation Tennessee Waltz
Operation Tennessee Waltz
Operation Tennessee Waltz was a sting operation set up by federal and state law enforcement agents, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The operation led to the arrest of seven Tennessee state lawmakers and two men identified as "bagmen" in the...
. On July 16, 2007, she pleaded guilty to one count of bribery in exchange for the prosecution's agreement to drop five charges of extortion, each of which could have carried a twenty-year sentence. In her plea bargain, she admitted she split a $11,500 bribe with an accomplice who was her contact with FBI agents impersonating crooked businessmen. Her plea carries the risk of a sentence of as much as ten years and a $250,000 fine, although federal sentencing guidelines suggest leniency for first-time offenders.
As of mid-July 2007, Operation Tennessee Waltz had produced indictments against eleven individuals and, including Bowers, convictions for ten of them. The remaining individual, a former member of the Memphis school board, has not yet gone to trial. Prosecutors said that Bowers was one of the first corrupt officials identified, and that she helped them make contact with other legislators.
Kathryn Bowers obtained an associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
from Griggs Business College in 1962 and attended the Memphis State University School of Journalism from 1970 to 1972. She works as a contractor business consultant and was also a one-time state director for Women in Government. From May 2003 until June 2005, Bowers served as Chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Executive Committee. She was previously the President of the Women Action for New Direction (WAND) from 1999 until 2003.
According to a September 1, 2006, story in The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal
The Commercial Appeal is the predominant daily newspaper of Memphis, Tennessee, and its surrounding metropolitan area. It is owned by The E. W. Scripps Company, a major North American media company. Scripps also owned the former afternoon paper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar, which it folded in...
, Bowers was arrested for suspicion of DUI
DUI
DUI is a three letter acronym that may stand for:* Driving under the influence * Democratic Union for Integration — the largest ethnic Albanian party in the Republic of Macedonia* Data Use Identifier...
in Memphis the day before. She had previously announced the abandonment of her re-election campaign due to "health reasons," even though she had secured the Democratic Party nomination on August 3 for another term.
Bowers is divorced with two daughters. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
.