A full-page ad in Sunday's Tennessean advocates for expanded background checks and is signed by a metric ton of people, none of whom serve on the Metro Council.

Could Tom Ingram find himself in trouble?

Tom Ingram, veteran consultant to both Gov. Bill Haslam and Pilot Flying J, faces a potential civil penalty for failing for three years to register as required by law as a lobbyist for a company that wants to mine coal on state-owned land near Crossville.

Ingram said Wednesday the failure to register was "inadvertent on Marcelle's part," a reference to Marcelle Durham, president of The Ingram Group, the public relations and lobbying firm that Ingram founded and operates.

Durham has written a letter to the state Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance acknowleding the "inadvertent oversight" and declaring she will submit belated lobbyist registrations for three years of lobbying for Hillsborough Resources Inc., which is negotiating with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to mine for coal on Catoosa Wildlife Management Area.

The governor wants an AG's opinion on Ag-Gag. Expect the words "chilling effect" to appear prominently.

Albert Gonzales will host a fundraiser for Jim Tracy.