Kathryn I. Bowers

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Kathryn Inez Bowers (born May 2, 1943) is a former Tennessee politician. 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.^[1] 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.^[1]

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.^[1]

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.