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Bill to override local control of pipelines spurs statewide backlash
On March 2, a seemingly innocuous bill in the Tennessee General Assembly proposed a study on energy infrastructure, but an amendment to remove local government’s ability to regulate fossil fuel infrastructure threw up red flags with legislators, local government officials and environmental groups. The bill was advancing quickly, and before a Senate committee meeting scheduled […]
E-Verify expansion moves through committee
A bill to expand the federal E-Verify program progressed in the legislature Tuesday as part of an effort to crack down on employment of undocumented workers. The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee voted to amend SB1780 to expand the E-Verify program to businesses with 35 employees instead of 25, as the bill was originally written. […]
Nashville groups seek benefits for low-income East Nashville residents
Metro Nashville councilmembers and affordable housing advocates hope negotiations with developers at the RiverChase apartment site in East Nashville will serve as a solid basis for future development in Nashville to benefit low-income residents. On Tuesday, Councilmembers Zulfat Suara, Sean Parker, Colby Sledge and others met with representatives of Stand Up Nashville (SUN), the Equity […]
Senate committee to vote on expansion of E-Verify program
A state Senate committee will vote today on expanding the use of E-Verify to businesses with 25 employees or more in an effort to crack down on undocumented employment. Sponsored by Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, SB1780 would expand the federal program from being required for businesses with 50 employees, which will affect small workforces and […]
Memphis Police Chief Davis tells oversight board cop complaints down
On Thursday, Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis told members of a police-oversight board that there were fewer aggressive interactions between police and citizens in the last year, possibly due to the pandemic. “Over the last couple of years, the climate had a lot to do with interactions with law officers, whether it was COVID […]
Immigrants find long and complicated road to citizenship
Claudio Vazquez came to the U.S. on a tourist visa in 1997 and planned to stay permanently. Noting the differences between the U.S. and Mexico, Vazquez was shocked to learn how easily people could buy basic commodities in the States, such as a used car. “In Mexico, I would have to work a year to […]
Legislation threatens local control of land use for fossil fuel infrastructure
Memphis activist Justin Pearson spent years trying to pass legislation to protect his city’s natural drinking water, but a bill being fast tracked through the state Legislature is threatening his efforts. Last week, environmental activists learned that Rep. Kevin Vaughan, R-Collierville, and Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, are seeking to pass a bill aimed at removing […]
Lamar tapped for Shelby County vacancy in Senate
The Shelby County Commission voted Thursday in a lengthy—and sometimes testy— special meeting for Rep. London Lamar to serve as the interim senator for District 33, a seat vacated by former Sen. Katrina Robinson. Robinson was ejected from the Tennessee Senate in February after a federal court found her guilty of fraud charges. By state […]
Ukrainians in Tennessee worry for safety of family and friends
Ira Tsykovska’s iPhone kept alerting her with the familiar Apple text tone ring every few minutes while her husband Bogdan Chornomaz looked over her shoulder and worriedly read texts from their families and friends in Kyiv and Kharkiv, two of the largest cities in Ukraine. “The Russians have surrounded the cities but we are fighting them”, said […]
Shelby County Commission defers funding bump to election commission
The Shelby County Commission deferred a motion to increase the county Election Commission’s budget despite an upcoming deadline to alert voters of precinct changes. Commissioner Tami Sawyer referred to recent controversial changes to voting in Memphis. Republican-controlled committees approved the state’s legislative and congressional maps despite testimony that Black voters were being disenfranchised in key […]
Third funeral home settles in rogue funeral director disputes
A Lewisburg funeral home entered a consent order to avoid being charged by state officials for their alleged role in assisting an ex-funeral director lose the remains of a deceased Mexican national. In 2020, Reid Van Ness, approached Anderson Funeral Home directors Gloria Quarles and Emmitt Quarles for assistance in preparing the body of Ramon […]
Shelby commission presses for post-ice storm emergency assistance
Shelby County Commissioners passed a resolution supporting Congressman Steve Cohen’s request for emergency assistance in dealing with damages caused by a recent ice storm, which left more than 233,000 residents without power. On Feb. 3, Shelby County residents received up to half an inch of ice accumulation, which caused tree branches to crash into power […]