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Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation keeps Duck River withdrawal limits
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has agreed to keep water withdrawal limitations intact to protect the Duck River, denying an appeal from Marshall County to drop limits. The Duck River, which is the longest river to be entirely contained in Tennessee, is also one of the most biologically diverse rivers in North America. […]
Southern Environmental Law Center slams TVA with suit
The Southern Environmental Law Center has filed a lawsuit against the Tennessee Valley Authority after its public records requests for contracts with methane-gas companies were met with heavily redacted records. In 2019, TVA, which produces electricity for nearly 10 million people across the Southeast, announced their plans to possibly retire several coal-fired plants throughout Tennessee […]
Tennessee House Commerce Committee passes amended pipeline bill
The House Commerce Committee passed a controversial energy infrastructure preemption bill that removes local control from communities, but with amendments proposed by environmental and community organizers. On Tuesday, committee members passed HB2246 to allow exceptions for local zoning codes and local actions that are state authorized, among other tweaks that have loosened the bill. According […]
Shelby County Commission approves $28 million for juvenile correction center
The Shelby County Commission voted to award funds for the restoration of a defunct correctional facility set to house the county’s juvenile offenders, despite concerns from critics advocating for supportive programs to keep youths out of jail. Since 2012, Memphis and Shelby County Juvenile Courts have faced increasing scrutiny for failing to protect the constitutional […]
Tennessee Senate passes bill to preempt local laws on oil and gas pipelines
The Tennessee Senate passed a controversial pipeline preemption bill on Thursday in spite of concerns about the effect oil and gas pipelines could have on personal property and drinking water. Before passage, Sen. Ken Yager, R-Kingston, sponsor of SB2077, amended the bill to allow for wellhead protections and to align with its House counterpart. Critics […]
Vaughan pipeline bill is delayed in committee
An energy infrastructure preemption bill was delayed by the House Commerce Committee until next week, citing time constraints to debate a bill that has attracted statewide controversy. Dozens of environmental justice activists traveled from across the state to protest and speak against HB2246 in person, calling it a move against the local liberties of Tennessee […]
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 […]