Barring any last-minute changes, the lion’s share of legislation has now been unveiled, including a near buzzer-beater in the form of Gov. Bill Lee’s new education funding formula.
Last week at the statehouse: ‘Rolling’ bills, setting the K-12 funding plan debut date, micromanaging school librarians
While lawmakers are voting on some bills, they’re kicking the proverbial can full of more contentious bills down the road.
Tennessee lawmakers will soon vote on eliminating early release for many crimes. Some say that could backfire.
Many people convicted of crimes in Tennessee may soon have no chance at early release from prison. A bill that would eliminate parole for some crimes is one step closer to becoming law.
This week at the statehouse: McNally gets COVID, a state supreme court pick is confirmed, Dems ask for more college polling sites
The 112th Tennessee General Assembly is nearly a quarter of the way through, and there’s a lot to catch up on. Here’s a roundup of some of what happened during week five at the capitol.
A Tennessee school board removes a book about the Holocaust, escalating tensions over what kids learn about history and oppression
The McMinn County School Board has voted to remove a graphic novel about the Holocaust from its eighth grade curriculum. It’s stoking tensions in the debate about what schoolchildren should learn about history and oppression.
Tennessee lawmakers introduce bill to oust Rutherford County’s juvenile court judge, subject of WPLN investigation
A new bill in the state legislature could result in the removal of Rutherford County’s juvenile court judge. That’s after reporting from WPLN News and ProPublica revealed the justice system there was illegally arresting and jailing children.
Tennessee Governor’s Next Challenge: Stomping Out COVID Conspiracy Theories
Misinformation is spreading among Tennessee Republican lawmakers, like that the governor is planning for “quarantine camps.” So his office is trying to cut off the “conspiracy theories unfortunately being shared as fact.”
Tennessee Democrats Discuss Missed Opportunities, Lessons Learned From This Year’s Legislative Session
It was a tough year for the minority party in the state legislature, and after the session’s wrap earlier this week, Democratic lawmakers criticized Republican for focusing on what they called “Fox News problems” instead of making life better for Tennesseans.
Lawmakers Make Opening New Hospitals In Tennessee Easier, Partly After Pleas From Rural Communities
Opening or expanding a new hospital in Tennessee just got a bit easier. State law requires health systems to prove their new facilities are needed. But this week lawmakers updated those rules, in part because of hospital closures in rural communities.
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