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House Democrats select Dixie as Caucus chairman
Hoping to put a dent in the Republican supermajority, the House Democratic Caucus elected second-term Rep. Vincent Dixie of Nashville as its chairman in a Monday vote. Dixie, the owner of a bail bonding company, will replace Rep. Mike Stewart of Nashville, who is stepping down from the post after six years. He defeated Rep. […]
DeBerry “surprised” by appointment to governor’s cabinet
Former Memphis state Rep. John DeBerry, fresh off losing a re-election bid as a first-time independent candidate, says he was planning retirement after 26 years in the Legislature when Gov. Bill Lee tabbed him for a senior cabinet position. “This is one of the most unexpected things I have had happen to me in my […]
Legislators could undercut governor’s emergency orders
Amid questions about Tennessee’s elongated response to the COVID-19 pandemic, legislators are planning to cut drastically into a future governor’s ability to declare extended states of emergency. “If this state of emergency we’re in right now were a pregnancy, we would be diapering the baby,” state Rep. John Ragan said Tuesday, contending the virus is […]
COVID-19 decisions could shift to county mayors from public health boards
Spurred by fears that appointed public health boards hold too much power in the COVID-19 pandemic, a state legislator is trying to change Tennessee law to put crucial decisions in the hands of county mayors in six large counties. State Rep. Jason Zachary, a Knoxville Republican, has filed House Bill 0007 in advance of the […]
Senate Republican Caucus backs Trump election challenge
Senate Republicans joined a chorus of GOP leaders standing “absolutely and unequivocally” with President Donald Trump in his challenge of the 2020 election, saying it is “far from over,” even though most media outlets have “called” it in favor of former Vice President Joe Biden. Issued this week and signed by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally […]
Mancini to step down as Tennessee Democratic Party chair
Four days after Tennessee Democrats made slight progress in statehouse races, Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Mary Mancini is set to leave the post, announcing Saturday she will not seek re-election in 2021. “It has been an honor of a lifetime to work with Democrats across the state and serve the Tennessee Democratic Party as chair […]
Tennessee’s vote-counting process is smooth in record-breaking year
With key states in the presidential election holding up the outcome to count absentee ballots, Tennessee reported no such delays despite handling a record-breaking 3 million-plus votes, including more than 210,400 absentee ballots, after balking for months at legal challenges of the state’s mail-in voting laws. The state recorded 3,045,401 votes, a 68% turnout, topping […]
Legislature sees little change but first LGBT members
Supermajority Republicans staved off Democratic challengers across Tennessee Tuesday, holding on to all but one seat. Yet despite the status quo results, the Legislature will make history by introducing its first openly LGBT members when the General Assembly is sworn in next year. In the only party shift of the night, former Oak Hill Mayor […]