Memphis lawmaker defends decision to accept free trip to Europe

State Sen. Reginald Tate defended his decision Sunday to accept a free “education” trip to Europe from a Republican businessman known for his anti-Islam views, reiterating that he sought approval from state officials before taking the trip.

Tate, a Memphis Democrat, was one of six state legislators who spent five days in Europe in fall 2011 on the tab of Andy Miller, a Nashville millionaire who is the leader of the Tennessee Freedom Coalition. The Southern Poverty Law Center says that group’s anti-Islam views earn it a place on  the law center’s list of hate groups.

Neither Miller nor the legislators ever reported the trip on their disclosure forms, which apparently is legal under state law since Miller is not a registered lobbyist. The trip only came to light because of an investigation by The Tennessean into Rep. Jeremy Durham, who was recently expelled from the state legislature.

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“I told you already. I don’t have any problems with it. Hurry up and finish, because you’re getting on my nerves now,” Tate told a reporter during a telephone interview Sunday.

Tate recently told The Tennessean that he vetted the trip with Drew Rawlins, executive director of the state Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance. “I don’t have any problems with any of it,” the Memphis lawmaker said during Sunday’s interview. “That’s my answer to it. Do you have any problems with it?”

Tate was joined on the trip by Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro; Rep. Judd Matheny, R-Tullahoma; Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough; Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby; and then-Rep. Joe Carr, a Republican from Lascassas.

The trip included stops in London, Brussels, Antwerp and Amsterdam.

Tate said Sunday that the lawmakers spent much of their time meeting with government officials.

“It was just an awareness of how this particular religion is spreading,” Tate said, adding that he learned about the trip from Ketron. “We visited with leaders. We visited with the actual people that was experiencing it, that was affected by (radical Islam).”

Tate added that the trip produced no legislation.

“I don’t think I brought back (anything) that I put into effect as legislation as far as it relates to Islam,” he said.