Briefs

Emergency hearing over House sign ban set for Monday

BY: - August 25, 2023

A Davidson County Chancery Court judge has set an expedited hearing for Monday in a legal dispute over a decision by the Tennessee House of Representatives to ban protest signs during a specially called session on public safety. In the order issued Friday, Chancellor Anne Martin said a temporary restraining order will remain in place, […]

Jennifer Watson holds up a sign of the type that was banned during an Aug. 2021 special legislative session. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Judge issues injunction against Tennessee House, barring enforcement of sign ban

BY: - August 23, 2023

Davidson County Chancery Court Judge Anne Martin issued a restraining order on Wednesday, barring the Tennessee House of Representatives from enforcing a rule banning signs during the special session on public safety. A temporary injunction hearing has been set to hear the ACLU lawsuit on Sept. 5. The ACLU of Tennessee, representing three women ejected […]

A crowd of teenagers hold signs in the Tennessee Capitol on Thursday as part of a rally to urge lawmakers to take up gun safety laws. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Tennessee community and gun safety groups organize special legislative session activities

BY: - August 19, 2023

As the Tennessee General Assembly prepares to convene Monday for a special session dedicated to public safety — spurred by a mass shooting at Nashville’s Covenant School in March — community and faith groups have organized activities to call attention to gun safety. Rise and Shine TN in partnership with Together Collective  2 p.m., Legislative […]

Abortion pills and drinking water. (Peter Dazeley/Getty Images)

Abortion pill to stay on the market until U.S. Supreme Court ruling after appeals court order

BY: - August 16, 2023

WASHINGTON —  A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday the abortion pill can stay on the market, but it agreed with a lower court that ultimately use should revert to prescribing and dosage instructions that were in place before 2016. However, that appeals court ruling will immediately be put on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court […]

A four-piece mailer sent to households across the state from Hillsdale College leads with accusations against Nashville media.

Hillsdale’s American Classical Education officially appeals charter denials in Maury and Madison

BY: - August 15, 2023

American Classical Education, a Hillsdale-College-affiliated charter school chain, continued its blistering critique of Madison and Maury counties’ school systems in its appeal to the Tennessee Public Charter School Commission, filed last week. In letters attached to the appeal applications, American Classical board member Dolores Gresham — a former state senator — called the Maury charter […]

Glenda Glover, Ph.D., announced her resignation as president of Tennessee State University effective Jan. 30. 2024. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Glover to retire from TSU presidency, hints at national role

BY: - August 14, 2023

(This article has been updated.) Nearly a year after Republican lawmakers threatened to fire her over a housing crunch, Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover announced Monday she will step down next year. During a Faculty Staff Institute meeting, Glover said she will end her tenure as TSU president June 30, 2024, making her decision […]

The Poplar Avenue Starbucks store in Memphis at which seven employees were fired in Feb. 2022 for union organizing efforts. (Photo by Karen Pulfer Focht ©)

Sixth Circuit upholds reinstatement of Memphis Starbucks workers

BY: - August 10, 2023

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a lower court’s ruling that a Memphis Starbucks violated the Fair Labor Standards Act when it fired seven workers over union organizing efforts.  The Aug. 8 ruling affirmed the terminations also had a chilling effect on organizing efforts, not only in the Memphis store but in Starbucks […]

Gov. Bill Lee, surrounded by Republican lawmakers during an April 3 press conference at which Lee announced he would direct funding towards school safety measures. (Photo:John Partipilo)

Draft proclamation lays out the narrow focus of Gov. Bill Lee’s special session

BY: - August 8, 2023

(This story was updated after Gov. Bill Lee issued the special session proclamation.) Gov. Bill Lee still wants lawmakers to consider temporary mental health order of protection, according to a draft document obtained by Tennessee Lookout laying out the 18 topics lawmakers will be allowed to debate at the upcoming special session. The topics are […]

A Delta Airlines plane taxis down a runway at Nashville International Airport. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Court allows state-appointed Nashville airport board to remain in charge as lawsuit precedes

BY: - July 31, 2023

A board appointed by state leaders will remain in charge of Nashville’s airport while a lawsuit over control continues. A three-judge panel ruled against Metro Nashville’s ask for a temporary injunction on a state law that went into effect on July 1, reconstituting the airport board. The panel ruled that Nashville should have filed its […]

Williamson County Courthouse in Franklin, Tenn. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Franklin ethics commission finds alderman violated ethics code with messages to Nashville airport

BY: - July 27, 2023

The Franklin Ethics Commission substantiated evidence that Alderman Gabrielle Hanson violated ethics codes and will  recommend to the Franklin Board of Mayor and Aldermen that she should be censured following a commission hearing held Thursday afternoon. The committee met to consider multiple complaints submitted by citizens after Hanson sent emails and text messages from personal […]

Nashville mayoral candidates, from left: Metro Councilmembers Freddie O'Connell and Sharon Hurt, Jim Gingrich, and Sen. Heidi Campbell. (Photo: John Partipilo)

O’Connell mayoral campaign snaps up former team of Jim Gingrich in Nashville

BY: - July 21, 2023

The campaign team of former Nashville mayoral candidate Jim Gingrich, who suspended his campaign on Monday, will join the staff of Metro Councilmember Freddie O’Connell. Sources in both campaigns say the Gingrich staff took an internal vote on which candidate to move to, after almost a week of wooing by other candidates. “We are incredibly […]

Passengers prepare to board Amtrak's California Zephyr at the Denver Union rail station during its daily 2,438-mile trip to Emeryville/San Francisco from Chicago that takes roughly 52 hours on March 24, 2017 in Denver. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

State report recommends forming public transit office, among others to restart passenger rail

BY: - July 10, 2023

Tennessee’s Department of Transportation should determine the cost of building passenger rails lines connecting the state’s largest cities and create an office dedicated to public transit, the state agency of intergovernmental relations recommended Last year, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers passed legislation for the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) to determine where […]