Politics
Stockard on the Stump: Congresswoman Greene to headline Wilson County Trump Day dinner
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, fresh off an apology trip to the U.S. Holocaust Museum, is slated to be the guest speaker at the Wilson County Republican Party’s Trump Day Dinner in October. Terri Richman Nicholson sent a Facebook message to members this week notifying them the party is “excited” to have Greene to speak at […]
U.S. House Ag leader seeks permanent scholarship funding for 1890 land-grant colleges
WASHINGTON—Leaders from 1890 land-grant colleges laid out to the House Agriculture Committee Wednesday how a fresh infusion of scholarship funding provided by Congress has helped those historically Black institutions educate and train the next generation of agriculture workers. Committee Chairman David Scott, (D-Ga.), said that their testimony would help members of the committee work to […]
Republican lawmakers threaten to dissolve Health Department over child vaccines
GOP legislators came close Wednesday to dumping the Tennessee Department of Health after accusing it of targeting minors for mass vaccinations without parental consent. Instead, the Government Operations Committee ordered Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey to soften the state’s efforts to vaccinate children, mainly by bringing parents into the fold, and report back in July. Republican […]
Shelby Schools split with historic agency dominates county commission meeting
Shelby County Board of Commissioners addressed the dissolution of a contract between Shelby County Schools and Porter-Leath, the historic Memphis preschool agency, at Wednesday’s regular session. Last week, Porter-Leath officials learned that Shelby County Schools would not be renewing their organization’s contract to provide thousands of students with preschool classes. For decades, Porter-Leath has provided […]
Law enforcement officials investigating report of abuse at Chattanooga facility for migrant kids
State and federal authorities, along with local law enforcement, are investigating a report of child abuse at a Chattanooga facility that has come under fire from Tennessee’s Republican lawmakers for housing migrant children picked up by federal border authorities. The abuse was reported to officials with the Department of Children’s Services, accompanied by an interpreter, […]
Piercey to face raft of childhood immunization questions
The chairman of the House Government Operations Committee appears ready to grill Tennessee’s Health Department commissioner over childhood immunization policy, potentially to overturn the state’s mature minor doctrine. Rep. John Ragan, an Oak Ridge Republican, sent a list of questions June 12 to the Department of Health requesting that Commissioner Lisa Piercey be prepared to […]
After Metro Nashville Council passes $2.6B budget, focus turns to Chancellor Perkins’ ruling in referendum lawsuit
After three years of bruising budget fights, Metro Council breezily passed a $2.6 billion opening budget on Tuesday night. The unanimous vote was a far cry from the contentious council meetings in recent years when property tax hikes were debated. In both 2018 and 2019, the margin for rejecting the proposed property tax increases came […]
Memphis votes to set $2.71 tax rate
The Memphis City Council voted Tuesday to certify the city’s tax rate at $2.71 after back and forth discussion. Before the vote concluded, Councilmember Martavius Jones proposed increasing the tax rate in order to improve long standing issues in the city, such as the affordable housing crisis, the Memphis Area Transit Authority and numerous trash-pick […]
Massive federal funding to locals could put burden on banks
Local governments are slated to receive $2.28 billion in federal funds through the American Recovery Plan, but banks could be running into a problem handling the amount of money slated to go straight to counties and cities. Finance and Administration Commissioner Butch Eley, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, Comptroller Jason Mumpower and […]
Why it matters that 7 states still have bans on atheists holding office
Tennessee’s Constitution includes a provision that bars three groups from holding office: atheists, ministers and those engaging in duels. Efforts are under way in the state legislature to remove this exclusion for ministers, but not for duelists – or atheists. In January 2021, Republican Tennessee State Senator Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, proposed Senate Joint Resolution 55 […]
Governor goes “back to the future” with Memphis Megasite push
Gov. Bill Lee sent out a press release this week hailing a renewed effort to market the Memphis Regional Megasite in Haywood County and – at long last – build a wastewater line needed to attract a major manufacturer. It’s a tactical change of sorts because not too long ago, state officials were saying Tennessee […]
Transgender people in Tennessee: How one business owner walks a fine line in a small city
For Wendy McCown-Williams, life as a transgender woman and a gay bar owner in a small Tennessee community can be a fine line to walk. Tennessee ended this year’s legislative session with multiple anti-transgender bills, and most recently passed a bill requiring businesses and government facilities to post a sign stating if they let transgender […]