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Delays in processing disability applications impose “significant hardships” in Tennessee
A longstanding backlog in the processing of disability benefits applications from people who are too sick to work has surpassed 1.1 million people nationally — a 27% increase from pre-pandemic levels two years ago and a level not seen in more than a decade. In Tennessee, the number of people waiting to see if their […]
Report: Tennessee could run government for more than a month on rainy day balance
Tennessee could run the entirety of its government operations for more than a month relying on its rainy day balance alone, a reflection of a record $1.45 billion in savings as of the 2021 fiscal year, according to an analysis of state budgets released this week by the Pew Charitable Trusts. The report noted that […]
Vanderbilt University lawsuit alleges unequal treatment of female “spousal hires”
An assistant professor of art history has filed a $2 million suit against Vanderbilt University, claiming she was denied tenure as a result of the school’s unequal treatment of female “spousal hires,” who are offered a job as part of an employment deal extended to their partners. Mireille Lee filed suit in Davidson County Chancery […]
Town of Mason dismisses lawsuit after reaching deal with Comptroller over financial takeover
The Town of Mason has dismissed its lawsuit against the Tennessee Comptroller after entering into an agreement for more favorable terms as part of ongoing state financial oversight. The agreement, released Wednesday, pares back an earlier plan by the Comptroller to maintain close financial control of the majority Black town, whose predicament drew national scrutiny […]
In Tennessee, roots of expected ban on abortion date 20 years back
As the leaked draft of a Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade spilled swiftly across the internet Monday night, the reality that abortion in Tennessee could be almost entirely illegal before summer’s end was brought into sharp focus by morning. “I think we knew this day would come,” Ashley Coffield, CEO of Planned Parenthood […]
Comptroller: Tennessee’s aging population on track to outpace available senior services
The projected growth in the number of Tennesseans over the age of 60 will far outpace the availability of public services designed to keep aging Tennesseans out of nursing homes, according to a report released Wednesday by the Tennessee Comptroller. There are currently about 1.6 million Tennessee residents aged 60 and older, a figure that […]
Franklin man who harassed dress-wearing teen boy sues Kathy Griffin
A Franklin man seen on video telling a teenage boy wearing a prom dress “you look like an idiot” has filed a federal lawsuit against comedian Kathy Griffin, claiming her tweets caused the incident to go viral and led to his firing as CEO of a tele-health company. Sam Johnson filed suit in the U.S. […]
State appeals ruling that warrantless searches by wildlife officers are unconstitutional
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will appeal a judicial panel’s ruling that warrantless searches on private lands to enforce hunting, fishing and wildlife laws are unconstitutional. The ruling last month by the three-judge panel concluded that TWRA’s searches without permission or notice to property owners — and without appearing before a judge to show probable […]
Flooding concerns halt Fairview development
For months, residents of Fairview showed up to local government meetings, armed with photographs of flooded basements and overflowing culverts. “We cannot sustain any more water, not a single drop,” Diane Miller told the Fairview Board of Commissioners in April of last year as board members weighed whether to approve an 180-home subdivision – one […]
NAACP: Town of Mason will continue its legal fight against the Tennessee Comptroller
Attorneys for the Town of Mason said Friday they will continue to pursue a lawsuit against the Tennessee Comptroller over plans to take financial control of the majority Black, west Tennessee community located five miles from the site of a future $5.6 billion Ford Motor Company plant. “The Town of Mason plans continuing to litigate […]
Tennessee audit finds millions of dollars misappropriated for childrens’ meal programs
In the summer of 2020, with pandemic-driven unemployment surging across Tennessee, the state contracted with two Shelby County community groups to provide meals to children at risk for hunger in locations scattered throughout the county. But when auditors with the Tennessee Comptroller’s office made surprise visits to check on the programs, they found no children […]
Judge denies Mason’s request for temporary injunction against Tennessee Comptroller
A Nashville judge has denied a request by elected leaders of the Town of Mason to temporarily halt a financial takeover by Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower, noting his office has “broad authority” over local government operations. The Comptroller formally took control of Mason’s finances on April 4, citing a long history of financial mismanagement, and […]