Politics
Nashville career educator Nabaa-McKinney-McKinney acclimates to public life
After the unexpected death of District 4 school board member Anna Shepherd, Berthena Nabaa-McKinney found herself in a difficult position. She recalled Shepherd as a wonderful person and was in the middle of processing Shepherd’s death when she was asked about stepping into the vacancy on the school board. Nabaa-McKinney didn’t think about the fact […]
Political organizations sue TN over law making it a crime to provide someone with an absentee request form
A group of political organizations and voting rights advocates sued the state of Tennessee in federal court on Friday over a law making it a felony to provide a voter with an absentee request form. The plaintiffs claim the law violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution, protecting free speech. Under Tennessee law, […]
Nashville attorney makes cameo appearance in Senate Russian interference report
Deep within the 966-page Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Russian interference in the U.S. political process, released August 18, a Nashville lawyer who formerly served as attorney to the campaign of U.S. Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn makes several cameo appearances. Kline Preston, IV is a long-time Nashville attorney — a graduate of the Nashville School of […]
Time to fix the “crummy roads” at your favorite national parks
The Great American Outdoors Act, which is estimated to bring millions to Tennessee in tourism means “there’s finally money to fix those crummy roads to your favorite public parks,” said one avid outdoorsman. Caleb Hemmer advocated for the bill, which passed both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support July 22. In April, he organized a […]
Oversight committee dedicates $2M to help live music venues, fine arts groups
The city’s financial oversight committee, which recommends how Nashville spends its CARES Act funds, unanimously voted on Thursday to appropriate $2 million in emergency grants to live music and arts businesses that have been shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s the first domino to help save Nashville’s independent live music venues, which disclosed to […]
Black Caucus rips state’s top two leaders
In a Wednesday press conference, members of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators sharply criticized the state’s top two elected officials’ handling of racial issues. Specifically, caucus members denounced Gov. Bill Lee for ignoring an Aug. 2 caucus letter asking him for an emergency meeting to discuss treatment of protesters at the Tennessee Capitol […]
Commentary: Time for the General Assembly to act on powers equal to governor
So, it appears revolutionary fervor is sweeping the Tennessee General Assembly, and there is a move afoot to reign in the tyrannical Gov. Bill Lee. Last week an ad-hoc committee of the legislature held its first hearing to determine if the governor is abusing his powers with the executive orders he has issued to respond […]
Supreme Court ruling allows TN voters with certain pre-existing conditions to vote by mail
The state of Tennessee has failed to comply with a Tennessee Supreme Court instruction to educate voters with pre-existing conditions making them vulnerable to COVID-19 of their right to vote by mail for the November election. The charge came in filings with the ongoing legal dispute over absentee voting rights during the deadly pandemic. The […]
Historic Hermitage Hotel hosts 19th Amendment celebrations
By the time the 19th Amendment passed on August 18, 1920, efforts for women to gain the right to vote had been in progress for over 70 years. In 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention adopted a Declaration of Sentiments, which included a resolution urging women to get the right to vote. After a number of […]
With Harris keynoting DNC, Tennessee’s elected women of color react
The selection of Sen. Kamala Harris as vice-presidential running mate to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden last week has been lauded for its historic nature. Harris is the first woman of color to be named to one of the top positions on a presidential tickets and one of only a few women of any […]
Tennessee now only state to pursue plan for Medicaid block grant
Tennessee remains the only state actively pursuing a controversial Medicaid block grant touted by the Trump Administration in January as a “game-changer” that would radically rejigger financing for the federal-state public health insurance program that covers 1 in 5 Americans. Last week, Oklahoma’s Republican governor, Gov. Kevin Stitt, informed federal officials he was scrapping plans […]
In-person voting rule challenges Rutherford County voter ill with COVID-19
On July 29, Brittney Whidden received a phone call from the Rutherford County Election Commission. While her husband’s absentee ballot had been approved, hers would not be. Whidden pushed back, and the election commission made an exception. Whidden, who tested positive for COVID-19 and is recovering, received her ballot via mail July 31, but reached […]