News
U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona leaves Democratic Party, registers as independent
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona announced Friday she is leaving the Democratic Party and has registered as an independent. The first-term senator wrote in an opinion piece for the Arizona Republic that she does not intend to change the way she legislates or casts votes, but plans to be “an independent voice […]
Marriage equality bill heads to Biden’s desk following bipartisan U.S. House vote
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill Thursday that would ensure same-sex and interracial couples continue holding many of the rights they have now, should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn the cases that established those constitutional protections. The measure now heads to the desk of President Joe Biden, who plans to […]
Chattanooga senator wants private school vouchers expanded to Hamilton County
State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, assured that the state’s education savings account program cleared legal hurdles, has filed legislation to expand private school vouchers to the Hamilton County school district. Senate Bill 12 would enable the state program to include qualifying students in districts with at least five schools in the bottom 10% of the state […]
Future of U.S. election law at stake as Supreme Court hears North Carolina case
WASHINGTON — North Carolina Republicans appeared to have at least three of the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative justices on their side Wednesday in a case that could determine the future of elections nationwide, and leave decisions about federal elections in the hands of state legislatures and beyond the reach of state courts. The Supreme Court […]
University of Tennessee Health Science Center expands options for pharmacy students
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center plans to expand options for first year pharmacy students on its Nashville and Knoxville campuses beginning in Fall 2023. Presently, all pharmacy students must spend their first semester on the flagship Memphis campus and have the option of transferring to either the Nashville or Knoxville campuses. Courses will […]
Congress on track to scrap Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate in defense bill
WASHINGTON — Members of the U.S. military would no longer be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine under a proposal Congress could pass as soon as this week. The provision eliminating the vaccine mandate is tucked into the massive National Defense Authorization Act, the annual defense policy bill that Congress has passed each year for […]
Investigation finds Tennessee domestic violence nonprofit retaliated against employee
This story was jointly reported by WPLN News and the Tennessee Lookout. A federal watchdog has found that the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence unlawfully retaliated against and then forced out an employee who blew the whistle about potential misuse of federal funding. The investigation by the Department of Health and Human […]
Talks over protecting Dreamers pick up in Congress, but agreement still elusive
WASHINGTON — In a last-minute push, U.S. senators are working on a bipartisan agreement to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented people who were brought to the United States as children. But the success of any major immigration deal appears unlikely, as a lame-duck session of Congress dwindles into its last days. Democrats are […]
Governor’s transportation proposals draw wide reactions
Facing tens of billions of dollars in transportation project backlog, Gov. Bill Lee’s administration is proposing a patchwork of proposals designed to expedite work and raise more revenue, the most notable of which would institute toll roads or “choice lanes” built and maintained by the private sector through a state partnership. The thinking is that […]
Civic engagement groups grow programs for immigrant and Black organizers
Layla Ahmed, a 2022 Vanderbilt University graduate, signed up to be a civic engagement coordinator for TIRRC Votes shortly after graduation, figuring her political science studies and prior volunteer experience on campaigns would come in handy across the state. But the highlight of her work came close to home. “Campaigns don’t usually target my neighborhood,” […]
Here’s when drug prices will start to decrease for Medicare recipients
Starting next month, a $35 cap on insulin prices will go into effect for millions of Medicare recipients. The lower pricing is one of the first of several policy measures Americans will see in the coming months and years under the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law in August. The bill also requires pharmaceutical companies […]
Senate majority leader sponsors bill to close public records in non-criminal death investigations
Legislation sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson would close public records in death investigations such as those surrounding the suicide of country music legend Naomi Judd, a move drawing opposition from open records advocates. Johnson, a Franklin Republican, filed Senate Bill 9 in advance of the 113th General Assembly, a measure that would conceal […]