Latest Tennessee state government News
Mass shootings seldom shift partisan policies despite outcry
Public outrage is swift following mass shootings, such as the killing of six people at a Christian elementary school in Nashville. Sorrow and sympathy are widespread. But what comes next from policymakers is likely to depend on which political party is in charge of a state. Don't...
4 ex-cops charged in Tyre Nichols' death barred from police
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Four of five former Memphis police officers charged in the killing of Tyre Nichols, a Black man who was handcuffed, brutally beaten and ignored by first responders for crucial minutes despite being barely conscious, can no longer work as law enforcement in Tennessee. ...
GOP leader passes confidence vote after social media uproar
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally's Republican colleagues in the Senate have voted 19-7 that he should keep his leadership post in the wake of revelations that he repeatedly commented on posts of nearly nude photos of a young gay model and other LGBTQ personalities. ...
Tennessee House OKs narrow abortion exemption bill
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's GOP-dominant House on Monday advanced legislation that would add a narrow exemption to the state's strict abortion ban, despite concerns raised by Democrats and medical experts that the bill does not go far enough to protect doctors and pregnant patients. ...
Tenn. advances push to allow express toll lanes, hike EV fee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A roads funding push by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee that would allow express toll lanes to be built on some highways and would increase fees on drivers with electric or hybrid vehicles cleared a key hurdle with state lawmakers on Monday. The Senate voted to...
Ex-Tennessee lawmaker asks judge to withdraw guilty plea
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A former Tennessee state senator accused of violating federal campaign finance laws is seeking to withdraw his guilty plea, arguing that he initially did so with “unsure heart and confused mind.” Brian Kelsey had entered a guilty plea before a federal...
Tennessee eyes 18+ gun-carry age with court or Capitol deal
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Two years after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee led the charge to allow residents 21 and older to carry handguns in public without a permit, younger adults could soon have the same privilege, with or without the governor's signoff. A gun rights group sued after the...
Tennessee GOP advance new narrow abortion exemption bill
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Republican lawmakers on Wednesday took another swing at adding a narrow exemption to one of the strictest abortion bans in the United States. Nearly a month ago, a Republican legislative panel defied political threats made by the state's...
Arkansas lawmakers send Gov. Sanders school bathroom bill
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Transgender people at Arkansas public schools would not be able to use restrooms that correspond with their gender identity under a bill lawmakers sent to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday. The bill approved by the majority-Republican House applies...
St. Louis prosecutor: Ouster effort is politically motivated
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The elected prosecutor in St. Louis, under intense criticism after a visiting teenage athlete lost her legs in a crash blamed on a man who remained free from jail despite multiple bond violations, is accusing Missouri's attorney general of seeking her ouster for political gain. ...
