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Governor renews $250M for K-12 mental health trust fund
A year after putting the program on hold as the COVID-19 pandemic started, Gov. Bill Lee injected $250 million into his fiscal 2022 spending plan for a K-12 mental health trust fund. Lee and other state officials cited increased pressure on young people and the difficulty of the pandemic in renewing the program for a […]
House approves Bible resolution, but lieutenant governor opposes making it state book
The General Assembly is replaying a decision on making the Bible Tennessee’s official state book, and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally intends to maintain the opposition he held five years ago. The House passed the resolution 55-28 Monday evening as Rep. Jerry Sexton, a minister from Bean Station in East Tennessee, said he wants to elevate […]
Stockard on the Stump: Schwinn-anigans abound
Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn does not disappoint when it comes to getting a tad off track, incidents increasingly becoming known as Schwinn-anigans, in the halls of power. Not only did the General Assembly change its textbook approval process in 2020 to keep her out of the loop because of concerns about favoritism, legislators put an […]
McNally, Sexton part ways on Medicaid expansion
Lt. Gov. Randy McNally said Thursday the state’s modified block grant should stay in place before he would support a move to accept the Biden Administration’s Medicaid expansion funds. But regardless, the measure doesn’t appear to have any hope in the House, based on Speaker Cameron Sexton’s comments Thursday when he said, “I’m not willing […]
Lieutenant governor willing to consider Biden’s Medicaid expansion
Republican Lt. Gov. Randy McNally is opening the door to President Joe Biden’s plan to offer states more money for coverage of the working uninsured. A McNally spokesman said Tuesday the lieutenant governor believes the proposal within the American Recovery Act, which would increase Medicaid payments by 5 percentage points and bring $1.2 billion extra […]
Lee shifts stance away from China economic recruiting, education
Just months after actively seeking Asian investment in Tennessee, including China, Gov. Bill Lee’s administration is taking a hard stand against the communist country, forcing closure of already-defunct Confucius Institutes at Tennessee universities and shutting down the state’s investment office there. Lee recently introduced legislation to require more transparency on foreign investments in the state’s […]
Education commissioner runs into possible conflict with $8M contract
Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn signed a multimillion-dollar deal in March with a New York-based company as part of the state’s reading initiative, a move lawmakers say creates a potential conflict of interest because her husband works for the vendor. As part of the state’s plan to help students rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, Schwinn […]
Stockard on the Stump: Akbari, Towns would stamp out “fake history” of slavery
In 2022, Volunteer State voters could be deciding the fate of a constitutional amendment banning all vestiges of slavery from the state Constitution. First, though, they have to figure out whether it’s “fake history,” at least according to one Republican lawmaker. In one of the head-scratchers of the 112th General Assembly, Sen. Brian Kelsey of […]
Permit-less handgun carry rolls through Senate
The state Senate overwhelmingly approved a permit-less handgun carry bill Thursday, setting the stage for law-abiding Tennesseans to go armed without a background check or basic weapon training. Senators voted 23-9 to pass the bill, sending the measure to the House of Representatives to consider, despite opposition from law enforcement across the state. The Tennessee […]
For-profit charter schools could take hold in Tennessee
Nearly 20 years after nonprofit charter schools started in Tennessee, legislation enabling for-profit charter school managers to operate is moving through the Legislature despite concerns they could benefit from state funds while keeping financial aspects secret. This proposal is being pushed by National Heritage Academies, a for-profit company owned by entrepreneur J.C. Huizenga, which has […]
Senate committee bucks governor to remake Historical Commission for Forrest vote
A Senate committee gave credence Wednesday to legislation vacating the Tennessee Historical Commission over its vote to relocate the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust, despite opposition from Gov. Bill Lee. In a 5-4 vote, the Senate Government Operations Committee gave a positive recommendation to Senate Bill 600 from Sen. Joey Hensley to remove 29 Historical Commission […]
Public officials would be impeached for removing statues
Two lawmakers who want to impeach any public official who removes statues from the Capitol’s second floor are tiptoeing around an amendment that appears to punish the governor for his efforts to relocate the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust. Sen. Joey Hensley, a Hohenwald Republican, and Rep. John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican, both said Tuesday […]