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Governor extending mask opt-out order despite three court rulings
Gov. Bill Lee, hamstrung by three federal court rulings, said Thursday he is extending an executive order allowing parents to opt their children out of school district mask requirements. “I’ve been incredibly disappointed by rulings from the federal judges who’ve chosen to legislate from the bench,” Lee said Thursday after an event at Stewart Builder […]
COVID could creep into Blue Oval special session
With a legislative special session likely in two weeks to approve the state’s Blue Oval City deal, talk is circulating about COVID-19 issues sneaking into the debate. Gov. Bill Lee could call the General Assembly together Oct. 18-20 to approve a $500 million incentive package for the Ford-SK Innovation deal at the Memphis Regional Megasite, […]
Ford’s Blue Oval City to set up union shop at Memphis Regional Megasite
A $5.6 billion electric truck and battery plant set for the Memphis Regional Megasite will be a union shop, continuing Ford’s relationship with the United Auto Workers, an official confirmed Tuesday. UAW President Ray Curry made the announcement Tuesday, saying the facility set to hire 6,000 workers in Haywood County, about 45 miles from downtown […]
Physicians fire back at governor’s COVID policies
Doctors across the state, including one who serves on Gov. Bill Lee’s COVID-19 advisory panel, are challenging his COVID-19 policies and cheering three court decisions to overturn his executive order allowing parents to opt out of school mask mandates. Dr. Erica Kaye, a pediatrician, oncologist and palliative care physician at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital […]
Memphis megasite to land $5.6B Ford plant
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Monday that Ford Motor Co. has selected the Memphis Regional Megasite for one of the largest battery and vehicle manufacturing campuses in the nation, a $5.6 billion investment creating 5,800 jobs. “West Tennessee is primed to deliver the workforce and quality of life needed to create the next great American […]
Governor discounts effect of constitutional carry law on Collierville Kroger shooting
A day after a disgruntled employee opened fire in a Collierville Kroger, killing one woman and injuring 14 others, Gov. Bill Lee said he believes there is no connection between the shooting and a constitutional carry law he signed this year. Lee called the incident a “terrible shooting” and tragedy, while expressing sorrow for victims […]
Stockard on the Stump: Schwinn denies piloting materials in book adoption, but LIFT did
Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn told lawmakers this week the state didn’t pilot any materials during the English Language Arts adoption two years ago, nor is it in the upcoming math adoption process. She made the statement just two weeks after state textbook commission members made it clear the 18-month book and material selection lies […]
Tennessee sees student improvement from summer programs
Tennessee students who took part in summer camps improved in English and math, regaining some of their pandemic learning loss, after the Legislature pumped $160 million into new programs, according to new data the state released Wednesday. Test scores from 120,000 students who participated in the classes showed an improvement of 5.97 percentage points overall […]
State saving monoclonal antibodies for the unvaccinated
Apparently reacting to cutbacks from the federal government, Tennessee is recommending monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 be used for the unvaccinated as the state ranks at the bottom nationally for vaccination rates. As reported Tuesday by The Tennessean, the Department of Health issued a statement saying, “Our recommendation to monoclonal antibody providers or individual facilities […]
House Education panels won’t hear Hakeem’s Black history bill
A joint meeting of House Education committees isn’t likely to consider Rep. Yusuf Hakeem’s Black history education bill this week even though he was told it would be made “perfect” in summer study. The Chattanooga Democrat sought to increase Black history curriculum in grades 5-8 earlier this year, but the House Education Instruction Committee voted […]
Governor signs letter to Biden requesting border ‘crisis’ discussion
Gov. Bill Lee joined 25 Republican governors Monday in sending a letter to President Joe Biden seeking a meeting to resolve the “crisis” at the Southern border where tens of thousands of Haitians and people of other nations are gathered to enter the United States. “As we surpass the eight-month mark of a relentless and […]
Lieutenant governor appoints bipartisan redistricting committee
Lt. Gov. Randy McNally appointed a bipartisan panel Friday to draw new state and federal district maps, naming a Memphis Democrat as a chairman to the panel and ordering the group to focus on public input. Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, and Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, will be joined by Sen. Raumesh Akbari, chairman […]