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For LGBTQ Tennesseans from immigrant families, culture may add extra hurdle to acceptance
For some LGBTQ Tennesseans, growing up meant coming to the realization that their sexual orientation could be used against them by society, including members of their families. According to the Movement Advancement Project, about 3.5% of Tennessee adults identify as non-cisgender. But despite being only a small percentage of the state’s population, LGBTQ residents face […]
Hamilton County District Attorney race features family dynasty vs. veteran attorney
A heated race in Hamilton County has candidates clashing on key issues, including whether they will enforce Tennessee’s abortion ban if elected. After Coty Wamp handily beat incumbent Neal Pinkston in the Republican primary, she now faces John Allen Brooks, the Democratic candidate, for the position of Hamilton County District Attorney during a term in […]
Businesses craft policies in response to Tennessee abortion ban
Following Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade, several companies announced their support for reproductive rights by offering to cover abortion expenses for employees. Tennessee’s abortion “trigger ban” law will take effect in mid-August. creating a near-total ban on abortions within state borders. Tennessee is one of 13 states that have abortion trigger […]
Plans for wastewater treatment plant cause uproar in Hickman County
One January day in rural Hickman County, drivers on Highway 7 noticed an inconspicuous sign posted on a bridge crossing Lick Creek, a pristine waterway used for recreation and farming. Few dared to stop and read, since the bridge obscured the view of incoming traffic, until one curious local hiked to the sign, took a […]
Thousands of Tennesseans protested for abortion rights on Friday
More than a thousand women marched through downtown Nashville Friday to protest the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to reverse Roe v. Wade, creating a clear path for Tennessee’s abortion “trigger ban” law to go into effect. Abortion-rights advocates met at the Legislative Plaza to discuss the future for thousands of women who may soon be […]
Tennessee’s elected women, candidates speak on Roe reversal
Following Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, many of Tennessee’s women in elected office and female candidates urged Tennesseans to back candidates who support women’s right to legal abortions. Metro Nashville Councilmember Delishia Porterfield, who is also running for the Democratic nomination in Tennessee House District 52, said she will introduce legislation […]
Memphis Light, Gas and Water suspends disconnections through heat wave
As Tennessee residents endure the second week of a heat wave, Memphis’ utility provider announced the agency will not suspend services for residents who fail to pay their bills. On Tuesday, Memphis Light, Gas and Water’s president and CEO J.T. Young addressed Memphis City Council members’ concerns and added that MLGW had already suspended disconnection […]
Wave of evictions may depress voter turnout for Tennessee midterm election
Tennessee habitually ranks as one of the lowest states in the nation for voter turnout, with fewer than 60% of the state’s voting-eligible population casting a ballot in the 2020 presidential election. And while the General Assembly hasn’t passed as many restrictions on voting rights as other Southern states, voting in Tennessee has limits. A […]
Pair of lawsuits allege Metro Nashville Schools failed to address student harassment
Parents of two Metro Nashville Public School students filed lawsuits claiming that elementary school officials failed to prevent their daughters from facing continuous sexual harrassment from other students or to address the issue. The two separate lawsuits were filed on behalf of students that attended Sylvan Park Paideia Elementary and Carter-Lawrence Elementary. On June 1, […]
Memphis attorney part of group leading suit against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
A group of immigration-policy attorneys plan to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in an effort to force the processing of thousands of Green Cards to combat backlogs made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. IMMpact Litigation, a group comprised of several law firms, announced its intent to force the USCIS to process […]
Shelby Commission approves new voting machines amid discord
Shelby County commissioners voted Monday to spend $5.8 million on voting machines for the November elections as tempers flared and in spite of an ongoing lawsuit pitting county officials against one another. The Shelby County Commission and the Shelby County Election Commission are currently embroiled in litigation to decide which body has jurisdiction over deciding […]
Tennessee’s Arabic speakers work to add their language to driver license tests
When Ashraf Fam, an Egyptian immigrant, first came to Nashville 16 years ago, he quickly sought to get a driver’s license, knowing that transportation was key to survival in the U.S. The Tennessee Department of Motor Vehicles offers its driver license test in five languages—English, Spanish, German, Korean and Japanese—but not in other languages more […]