Irene Taylor
Irene Taylor | |
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File:Helen-mirren.jpeg | |
Secretary of Commerce and Labor | |
Assumed office November 10th, 2022 | |
Preceded by | Glass |
Senator | |
Assumed office November 17th, 2022 | |
Preceded by | James Bruhman |
Secretary of Education, Dixie | |
Assumed office November 4th, 2022 | |
Assemblywoman, Dixie-4 | |
Assumed office October 11th, 2022 |
Irene Dorothea Gallagher Taylor (née Gallagher, born July 26, 1958) is an American musician, educator, and politician currently serving as the Secretary of Commerce and Labor and as Senate Majority Leader in Dixie's Class I Senate seat. Taylor is also Party Chair of the New American Left, Dixie Secretary of Education, and assemblywoman for its fourth district. However, on December 16th, 2022, she announced she would not seek the assembly seat again.
Born and raised in Pigeon Forge, Dixie, Taylor graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in 1981. She served in the Pigeon Forge Chamber of Commerce, as Director of Marketing and Sales from 1983 to 1991 and then as Executive Director from 1991 to 1993. Taylor left the Chamber that year in a bid to become Superintendent of the Sevier County Public School System, which she garnered in 1994. From 1994 to 2021, Taylor served as Sevier County's head educational official, a tenure notable for the implementation of CTE programs in the county's high schools, the School Board's approval and negotiation with the local teachers union, and Taylor's personal advocacy for masking and vaccinations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Taylor announced her retirement from the position in the summer of 2021, alongside her successful completion of the federal bar exam.
On October 11th, 2022, Taylor became the newest assemblywoman for Dixie's fourth state district, after running a small and unopposed campaign. Her tenure in the body has been marked by minor legislative activity and, more recently, a high-profile corruption hearing surrounding Draven Prince's illegal activity as Dixie's Attorney General. Governor Grant of Dixie announced Taylor's nomination to the Secretary of Education in early November, and on the fourth of the month, she was formally confirmed and sworn in. Perhaps the most inactive of Taylor's responsibilities, she's primarily focused on expanding programs outlined under the self-authored CATT Act and the teaching of Indigenous histories and cultures of Dixie in the state's high schools. Despite being nominated under President XRT, Taylor was not formally confirmed as the United States Secretary of Commerce and Labor until November 10th, 2022. In this position, Taylor has executed and aided a number of significant measures, including a resolution to the Ddet Patent Controversy and a newly consummated trade deal with the United Kingdom.
On November 8th, 2022, Taylor filed for the Class I Dixie Senate seat held by James Bruhman and subsequently announced her run. Advertisements and campaigning on Taylor's behalf high-lighted Bruhman's purported inactivity and overheld tenure with Taylor's own relatively fresh political history. During Debate, Taylor was criticized on the freshness of her activity as questions continually arose about her ability to govern, given such a recent entry into governance at large. Nonetheless, Taylor garnered just over 53% of the vote in the November to beat incumbent Senator Bruhman. She was then elected Senate Majority Leader.
Due to her several high-profile roles, as well as her involvement in the Ddet Patent Controversy, the Draven Prince Scandal, and the Small Exodus, Taylor has continued to be a highly controversial figure. Opponents have criticized Taylor for mismanagement of the New American Left, commenting more specifically on the inability of the party to coordinate across its caucus and further vet the legislation members of that caucus introduce. Furthermore, some have claimed that pieces of legislation supported or written by Taylor, namely the Agricultural Labor Rights Act and the Federal Education Reauthorization Act, are illegal or unconstitutional. Perceived involvement in Draven Prince's ploy to manipulate his then-powers as Attorney General has also drawn particular ire and criticism.
Personal Life
Music
Faith
Role in the New American Left
Taylor was a founding member of the New American Left and the primary author of its present constitution and platform.
The Small Exodus
Five Points Forward
Dixie Assembly
Draven Prince Scandal and Corruption Hearing
Senator from Dixie
Significant Legislation
ALR Act Controversy
Secretary of Commerce and Labor
Ddet Patent Controversy
US-UK Trade Deal
Taylor was a founding member of the New American Left and the primary author of its present constitution and platform.