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Advocates decry conservative measures as Legislature convenes
Dozens of progressive advocates rallied near the Capitol Tuesday before the 113th General Assembly convened, calling for everything from an end to the state’s abortion law to expansion of Medicaid. Pastor Kevin Riggs of Franklin Community Church urged the Legislature to pass a “moral agenda,” one that serves people on the “fringes” of society. “A […]
Cooper opposed Pelosi’s management style but received key appointment
When former Tennessee Congressman Jim Cooper voted against Nancy Pelosi multiple times in the House Speaker’s race, it wasn’t necessarily because they were enemies. In fact, Cooper, who bowed out of the U.S. House of Representatives last week after 32 years in office, says they are “great friends.” Still, he was concerned about her leadership […]
Metro council reduction bill called act of retribution
A day before the 113th General Assembly convenes for the year, two lawmakers filed legislation that would cut the Metro Council in half, a move critics say is retribution for the refusal to go after the Republican presidential convention of 2024. State Sen. Bo Watson, chairman of the Finance, Ways and Means Committee, and House […]
Stockard on the Stump: Lawmakers line up to add exceptions to abortion law
Six months after one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion laws took effect in Tennessee, state lawmakers are ready to loosen it. Sen. Ferrell Haile confirmed to the Tennessee Lookout this week he is preparing legislation to make rape and incest exceptions to the “trigger” law, which was enacted in 2019 before the U.S. Supreme […]
Congressman Cooper bids farewell after three decades in D.C.
For 32 years, U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper sought to bring “Tennessee common sense” to Congress. But in the end, he saw an insurrection spurred by a president and the undoing of his congressional district by the Republican-controlled state Legislature. The son of Tennessee Gov. Prentice Cooper and grandson of state House Speaker William Prentice Cooper, […]
Governor appoints new correction commissioner in wake of lethal injection debacle
A week after unveiling a report displaying incompetence in the state’s lethal injection program, Gov. Bill Lee appointed an Arizona prison official who oversaw a renewal of executions there to lead Tennessee’s prison system. Frank Strada, deputy director of the Arizona Department of Corrections, will replace interim Commissioner Lisa Helton this week as the governor […]
Stockard on the Stump: Governor sends mixed message on clemency, asylum seekers
Three days before Christmas, Gov. Bill Lee gave clemency to 16 people and granted parole eligibility to a host of folks who committed offenses in drug-free school zones. The governor pardoned 13 people, commuted the sentences of three people and expedited the parole eligibility for 30 people using a change in state law. It was […]
Public-private partnerships work their way into state government
Not long after the Tennessee Department of Transportation proposed public-private partnerships to build express lanes and cut congestion on highways, the University of Tennessee-Knoxville sought permission for a joint venture to build dorms and an indoor athletic facility. The State Building Commission authorized the university’s plan to take bids for a public-private partnership for three […]
State holds release of independent report on executions
The state has received an independent review of its lethal injection protocol on executions but is refusing to release it to the public until the Governor’s Office assesses it. Gov. Bill Lee put a hold on executions in May aftering finding out the state failed to follow guidelines on the testing of lethal injection drugs, […]
Stockard on the Stump: Former Democratic Caucus chair claims House Speaker pushed him out
Two weeks after narrowly losing a bid for re-election as House Democratic Caucus chairman, Rep. Vincent Dixie says House Speaker Cameron Sexton leaned on colleagues to stop his re-election. As a result, Dixie, a Nashville Democrat, holds no leadership position. He was defeated by Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, in the 24-member caucus race by […]
Tennessee school districts lose Title I money amid shifts stemming from federal audit
Polk County Schools Director James Jones was “left in the dark completely” this week when the school district in southeast Tennessee lost $36,000 in federal funds without an explanation from the state. It appears to be part of a roughly 5% reduction statewide in money that goes toward low-income students, though some districts are reporting […]
Third-grade retention law could pit Republicans against each other
Amid statewide complaints about Tennessee’s third-grade retention law, legislative Republicans are likely to butt heads over efforts to tweak the measure in 2023. House Education Administration Committee Chairman Mark White, an East Memphis Republican, said this week he hopes to find middle ground between the new state law and school districts, which are complaining about […]