Special Parking Meters Could Cut into Downtown Panhandling

The Metro Homelessness Commission will soon start collecting small donations for the homeless in refurbished parking meters downtown. The initiative is modeled after a program in Denver that has reduced panhandling in that city.

Governor Phil Bredesen says he’s pleased with the outcome of the two bills on education passed by the Tennessee General Assembly in a special session last week. The governor signed the bills into law Tuesday.

A Democratic candidate for governor hopes to add more jobs in Tennessee by recruiting suppliers for large businesses that are already building here. Jackson Businessman Mike McWherter says as governor job creation would be his top priority.

Nashville’s legislative delegation warned members of the city council yesterday they won’t be able to carry any new laws this session that come with a price tag.

A task force picked Monday by Nashville Mayor Karl Dean is expected to outline a plan to link services for young people. The so-called “Youth Master Plan” is something that’s been encouraged throughout the country by the National League of Cities.

One of the focuses of Tennessee’s Race to the Top application is strengthening the way science and math are taught. A key piece of the proposal is a partnership with science and technology firm Battelle – and with another state.

Tennessee Senator Bob Corker has been working for months to get a bipartisan agreement on strengthening financial regulations. He says recent developments give him both hope and pause.

The federal stimulus program isn’t saving many construction jobs in Tennessee, according to a new industry survey. Only 14% of respondents from the Association of General Contractors said the stimulus has helped them retain staff that would otherwise be laid off. Nearly three-quarters said they had to let employees go in 2009.

Last week the legislature passed a sweeping change to how the state funnels money to its colleges and universities. The way the state determines how much tax money goes to each school is shifting from how many students an institution enrolls to how many they actually graduate. WPLN state capitol correspondent Joe White tells Blake Farmer why changing the law is just the start.

A Middle Tennessee call center will be among those taking donations during tonight’s network TV telethon raising money in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti.