Occupy Nashville Waiting on Next Eviction Effort

Anti-Wall Street protesters in Nashville woke up in soggy tents Tuesday morning to news that encampments from New York to Portland did not have such a peaceful night.

A retired couple from Smyrna went to Congress today to complain about the hassle of getting a state-required ID to vote. Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee were holding an unofficial forum to gather complaints on new voter ID laws in many states, including Tennessee.

Governors in southern states say there’s an upside to stagnant wages – they make the region more competitive for manufacturing jobs. Members of the National Governor’s Association met in Nashville today to share economic development ideas.

Today a judge agreed to drop all charges against Occupy Nashville protesters arrested last month. A lawyer for occupiers says for now they can keep protesting and camping on the War Memorial Plaza – but that’s not the final word.

The Speaker of the state Senate has been calling for unemployment recipients to show they’re actually looking for work. The governor sees the same abuse of the system, though he’s not sure it calls for massive changes.

The Tennessee Valley Authority wants to borrow money while interest rates are low to pay for expansions it’s planning. Officials say they could pass the savings on with lower electric bills. But TVA’s borrowing options are constrained because the power provider is close to its debt limit.

Law enforcement officers around the state are finding out just how difficult it may be to fight a war on so-called synthetic drugs. They’re sold in convenience stores under labels like bath salts and plant food. While the legislature outlawed a list of substances earlier this year, new versions continue to crop up.

This week, Nashville was chosen to host soccer matches for the men’s Olympic qualifying tournament. Mayor Karl Dean says the city wouldn’t even be considered for such international events if voters had passed the English-only ballot initiative in 2009.

Listen Now: Tennessee is home to about half a million veterans—from peacetime to Vietnam to the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. For those who served in combat, they might find it difficult to talk about. World War II vet Jimmy Gentry of Franklin says he knows those feelings himself.

Tennessee’s senators – both Republicans – helped pass a portion of President Obama’s jobs bill that provides tax credits to business for hiring veterans. The vote was more about rewarding military service than spurring economic growth in Middle Tennessee.