Election officials in Memphis have decided to leave three gun control questions off the November ballot after top Republican state leaders threatened to withhold tens of millions of dollars in state funding.
Tennessee Republicans tell Memphis to abandon gun reform or risk funding cuts
In a joint statement, House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Speaker Randy McNally said that the legislature “will not tolerate any attempts to go rogue and perform political sideshows.”
Tennessee school voucher bill is ‘not dead yet,’ but the odds dwindle as the end of session looms
House Majority Leader William Lamberth said the bill is “not dead yet.” On Tuesday legislators said negotiations were ongoing.
Tennessee Senate advances nearly $2 billion business tax cut, refund to prevent lawsuit
The Tennessee Senate has approved a nearly $2 billion tax and refund for businesses, a proposal designed to prevent threats of a potential lawsuit. However, critics warn the so-called solution was rushed without being properly vetted and shrouded in mystery.
Vastly different school voucher plans are advancing in Tennessee’s legislature this week. Here’s where things stand.
Lawmakers are now in their second week of weighing competing proposals to expand private school vouchers across Tennessee.
House GOP introduces sweeping school voucher amendment, impacting testing, teacher evaluations and more
After months of anticipation and conversations with lawmakers, Gov. Bill Lee’s school voucher proposal is coming before legislative committees this week.
Legal worries have Tennessee considering changes to a long-running tax on businesses
Tennessee is remodeling it’s franchise tax, which businesses pay to operate in the state. Along with the reform, they are planning to set aside more than a billion dollars for companies who have raised concerns about the way the tax is calculated.
Tennessee Democrats to put up ‘fierce resistance’ to governor’s school vouchers bill
A draft bill on Gov. Bill Lee’s private school voucher plan was posted on the General Assembly web site and then removed Monday. The bill still has time to be amended, but many who saw the draft have noted recipients would receive more money than the state spends on some public school students.
Tennessee Democrats say limiting debate and public access is an unnecessary move by Republican Supermajority
Members of the public were met with resistance when trying to enter one of two balconies; Democratic members were singled out for talking too much; and the Republican Speaker was given new powers to set time limits on debates.
New House rules for Tennessee’s legislative session could limit speech and silence lawmakers for speaking off topic
Each year, lawmakers vote on a rules package that lays out the policies and procedures that must be followed. In the past, approving rules was not contentious, for the most part. But the current leadership has made several changes limiting speech on the Tennessee House floor.