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Tennessee creates program to help families affected by opioid addiction
Tennessee families will soon receive state-funded assistance to battle addiction and keep children out of foster care. On Monday, the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse announced a 5-year, $3 million program designed to help families and children affected by opioids and other substance abuse by addressing addiction, improving permanency and enhancing the […]
8,000 Tennessee DACA recipients in limbo after appeals court rules immigrant program illegal
On Wednesday, a federal appeals court panel once again left the fate of more than 8,000 Tennessee childhood recipients of a federal program temporarily protecting them from deportation in limbo. The three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled the federal program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), illegal while […]
State officials begin distributing summer food funding for kids — five months late
Nearly three months into the school year, state officials will finally start distributing funds from a federal food program meant to feed families during the summer. When the COVID pandemic led to shuttered schools, federally-funded COVID-19 relief programs allowed children who relied on schools to feed them to continue having meals at home. Of these […]
Shelby County officials urge more funding for TBI to speed up sexual assault kit testing
Shelby County commissioners urged the Tennessee General Assembly to prioritize clearing the state’s backlog of rape kits on Wednesday. The Shelby County Legislative Affairs Committee unanimously passed a joint resolution of the Shelby County Commission and the Memphis City Council requesting increased funding to staff the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. After the kidnapping and killing […]
Crisis pregnancy centers steer women away from abortion
When Cherisse Scott learned of her pregnancy, her partner had terminated their relationship, leaving money for an abortion as his parting gift. In a telephone directory, Scott searched for an abortion clinic. ‘If you need an abortion, call us,’ an ad said. She booked an appointment, but when she arrived at the facility, the building […]
Biden hunger conference draws Tennessee advocates
Staff members for Tennessee nutrition advocacy groups who attended the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health hope the event will galvanize the movement to end hunger for families, seniors and other low-income populations after the pandemic. On Wednesday, the Biden Administration hosted the conference and invited policy makers and nutrition advocates from across […]
Shelby County Commission funds midwife program
The Shelby County Commission is taking steps to improve maternal mortality rates following Tennessee’s abortion ban — a move that is likely to increase the number of births in the state. On Monday, Shelby County commissioners voted in favor of awarding $201,800 to CHOICES Memphis Center for Reproductive Health, an organization that provides a birth […]
“In God We Trust” license plates draw attention
Tennessee drivers can choose whether or not to include “In God We Trust” on their license plates when renewing this year, an option that is attracting controversy. In Nov. 2021, Gov. Bill Lee invited Tennesseans to vote on a new design. The resulting new, all-blue design for license plates replaced the old plates, which depicted […]
Southern Environmental Law Center asks TVA for info on retirement of coal-fired plant
On behalf of the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club and Appalachian Voices, the Southern Environmental Law Center has asked TVA to prepare a supplemental environmental statement in order to address concerns with TVA’s draft environmental impact statement, which details the agency’s plans to retire the Cumberland Fossil Plant. The Cumberland Fossil Plant, which is […]
Tennessee Muslim, Jewish leaders weigh abortion ban against their faith’s teachings
Backers of Tennessee’s strict abortion ban often cite their Christian faith. But some Middle Tennessee Jewish and Muslim faith leaders say the law compromises their ability to draw on their own religious traditions in guiding worshipers through difficult decisions. “I think it’s a complete imposition of one religious tradition’s understanding upon the rest of the […]
Memphis Council talks remedies for crime
Following nearly two weeks of violent crime, Memphis City Council members discussed action to dampen further violent surges, especially among juveniles. On Sept. 2, Eliza Fletcher, a teacher, took an early morning jog near the University of Memphis and was kidnapped. An intense hunt ended when the suspect, Cleotha Henderson, was apprehended. Fletcher’s body was […]
Environmental groups urge Memphis utility to slow down decisions on energy future
The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy late last week urged the utility provider Memphis, Light, Gas and Water to allow the public more than 30 days to review the recently released list of energy companies that could potentially replace the Tennessee Valley Authority as Memphis’s main energy provider. The nonprofit group is among a growing […]