Latest Tennessee state government News

Tennessee politicians strip historically Black university of its board

Mar. 28, 2024 18:56 PM EDT

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

Mar. 15, 2024 14:32 PM EDT

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

Mar. 07, 2024 13:21 PM EST

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.

Mar. 04, 2024 13:03 PM EST

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

Feb. 26, 2024 22:41 PM EST

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...

California governor launches ads to fight abortion travel bans

Feb. 25, 2024 16:37 PM EST

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday announced an advertising campaign to combat proposals in several Republican-controlled states to prohibit out-of-state travel for abortions and other reproductive care. The multistate ad campaign and an online...

A Tennessee House panel advances a bill that would criminalize helping minors get abortions

Feb. 13, 2024 19:12 PM EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee would be the latest state to make it illegal for an adult to help a minor get an abortion without parental consent under legislation that advanced Tuesday inside the GOP-controlled Statehouse. The proposal stems from the growing push among...

Tennessee GOP could change law to prevent Democrat's simultaneous bids for Senate and statehouse

Feb. 13, 2024 17:35 PM EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Less than a year after Tennessee Republicans attempted to expel her from the state House, Democrat Gloria Johnson is seeking another term there while simultaneously waging an uphill campaign for U.S. Senate. Republicans are trying to force her to choose...

Tennessee governor pitches school voucher expansion as state revenues stagnate

Feb. 05, 2024 21:18 PM EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Nearly five years after narrowly convincing lawmakers to allow a select number of families to use tax dollars for private schooling, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Monday stood before the GOP-dominant Legislature with a much more ambitious pitch: Make school vouchers universal...

Tennessee governor's budget plan funds more school vouchers, business tax break, new state parks

Feb. 05, 2024 20:38 PM EST

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — As Tennessee's recent boom years fade with slower tax revenues, Gov. Bill Lee is forging ahead on some big-ticket items in his state budget proposal — among them, a dramatic expansion of taxpayer-funded vouchers to help kids attend private schools, a big tax break for...