Latest Tennessee state government News
Tennessee bill to untangle gun and voting rights restoration is killed for the year
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
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
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
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...
Tennessee state senator hospitalized after medical emergency during floor session
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee state Sen. Steve Southerland experienced a medical emergency during a floor session Monday and was taken to the hospital. Other senators came to his aid and removed Southerland from the Senate chamber, before emergency personnel attended to him and...
Tennessee politicians strip historically Black university of its board
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Trustees of Tennessee's only publicly funded historically Black university were removed Thursday under legislation signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee. Black lawmakers and community leaders said state leaders, a majority of whom are white, are unfairly targeting...
The Supreme Court won't intervene in a dispute over drag shows at a public university in Texas
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday rejected an emergency appeal from a student group that has been blocked from staging a drag show at a public university in Texas. The justices did not comment Friday in refusing to issue an order that would have allowed Spectrum WT —...
Tennessee lawmakers propose changes to how books get removed from school libraries
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's Republican-controlled Statehouse is once again looking to tweak how books can be removed from school library shelves despite concerns that the latest proposal could result in the Bible being possibly banned. The legislation is the latest...
Judge upholds Tennessee law to stop crossover voting in primaries. Critics say the law is too vague.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge in Nashville on Monday dismissed a challenge to a Tennessee law aimed at making sure primary voters are “bona fide” members of the party they are voting for. Former Ambassador to Poland and longtime Tennessee Republican politician Victor...
Tennessee House advances bill to ban reappointing lawmakers booted for behavior
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republicans in the Tennessee House voted Monday to advance a bill that would prevent local governments from reappointing state lawmakers who were expelled due to behavior. The proposal is one of several restrictions being considered after the GOP's...
