danielpotter

A proposed new law could put a rift between doctors and so-called midlevel providers like nurse practitioners and physician assistants. The state Senate today approved tighter rules over who can give injections near a patients’ spine to treat pain.

Cigarettes from roll-your-own tobacco shops could soon be taxed at a higher rate under a bill approved yesterday by the state Senate. Roll-your-own shops sell raw tobacco, which is taxed at a lower rate, and then let customers make their cigarettes using a machine in the store.

State senators signed off today on a bill to punish someone who brings a lawsuit that gets dismissed as groundless. The proposal would force the loser to pay the other side’s attorney’s fees and court costs, up to $10 thousand.

State Senator Doug Henry has been hospitalized. The Nashville Democrat is the longest-serving current member of the state legislature. A spokesman for senate democrats says the 85-year-old was experiencing higher-than-normal blood pressure, and was lucid and talking with a colleague about the state budget when he left the capitol.

State lawmakers are close to passing a penalty for frivolous lawsuits. Critics complain it would unfairly discourage poor people from going to court.

State lawmakers are thinking about setting up a special court for Tennessee veterans who find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Vets can struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injuries and addiction. So if they land in court for a minor offense, lawmakers want to steer them into treatment instead of jail.

When the interstate nearest to East Nashville shuts down this weekend, ambulance and fire-truck drivers say they’re ready to navigate the detours and traffic. It’s the first of maybe a dozen weekends when I-24 will be closed near downtown for bridge work.

The state senate will soon take a floor vote on a proposal backed by the governor to overhaul the Tennessee Regulatory Authority. The board oversees private rates for utilities like water and gas.

A state trooper from north of Cookeville was arrested today for having sex with an underage girl while he was off duty. State officials say they’re reacting strongly, in part out of concern for the reputation of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.