Latest Tennessee state government News

Openings expected Wednesday in Menendez corruption trial

May. 14, 2024 21:18 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Opening statements were expected to occur Wednesday in the New York corruption trial of Sen. Bob Menendez after the jury selection process is completed in the morning, a federal judge said Tuesday. Judge Sidney H. Stein also made rulings that will define what...

New lawsuit renews challenge to Tennessee laws targeting crossover voting in primary elections

May. 09, 2024 17:37 PM EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A group of Tennesseans who say they were intimidated into not voting in a primary election or were threatened with prosecution after they did vote has filed a legal challenge to two state laws meant to prevent crossover voting. A law passed last year...

140,000 people did their taxes with the free IRS direct file pilot. But program's future is unclear

Apr. 26, 2024 17:06 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS said Friday that more than 140,000 taxpayers filed their taxes through its new direct file pilot program and participants saved roughly $5.6 million in fees they would have otherwise spent with commercial tax preparation companies. The government pilot...

Tennessee lawmakers OK bill penalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care

Apr. 25, 2024 22:34 PM EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's GOP-controlled Statehouse on Thursday gave their final approval to legislation penalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care without parental consent, clearing the way for the first-in-the-nation proposal to be sent to Gov. Bill Lee's desk for...

Tennessee House kills bill that would have banned local officials from studying, funding reparations

Apr. 24, 2024 19:33 PM EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s Republican-dominant House on Wednesday spiked legislation that would have banned local governments from paying to either study or dispense money for reparations for slavery. The move marked a rare defeat on a GOP-backed proposal initially...

Tennessee would criminalize helping minors get abortions under bill heading to governor

Apr. 24, 2024 16:07 PM EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee is poised to become the second state in the nation to make it illegal for adults to help minors get an abortion without parental consent, a proposal that is likely to face immediate legal challenges should Gov. Bill Lee sign it into law. ...

Tennessee bill to untangle gun and voting rights restoration is killed for the year

Apr. 10, 2024 18:27 PM EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers have killed a bipartisan bill for the year that would have let residents convicted of felonies apply to vote again without also restoring their gun rights. Democratic Rep. Antonio Parkinson and Republican Sen. Paul Bailey advanced the...

Nashville school shooting families accuse senator of using bill to get his way in records lawsuit

Apr. 10, 2024 17:48 PM EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Family members representing the six people killed in a Nashville school shooting last year have filed an ethics complaint against a Tennessee state senator, arguing he is being self-serving by both suing for the release of the shooter’s writings and filing legislation to...

Tennessee bill untangling gun and voting rights restoration advances, but faces uncertain odds

Apr. 05, 2024 15:05 PM EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee residents convicted of felonies can apply to vote again without restoring their gun rights under a bipartisan bill that faces some GOP skepticism as it advances late this session. The effort by Democratic Rep. Antonio Parkinson and Republican Sen....

Editorial Roundup: Tennessee

Apr. 04, 2024 07:24 AM EDT

Kingsport Times-News. April 3, 2024. Editorial: Proposed law is an overreaction to Memphis case What may well be the worst case of police brutality on record was the Jan. 7, 2023, fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man pulled over for no apparent...