Author: Corinne Murdock

President Biden’s ‘Infrastructure’ Rescue Plan Bars Memphis from Using Any of the $343 Million in Federal Funds to Repair Bridge

Corinne Murdock

President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan doesn’t allow for either Shelby County or Memphis to use their $343 million in federal funds to repair the broken Memphis bridge. The Hernando de Soto bridge, or I-40 bridge, has been closed to traffic since May 12 due to a large crack in one of its structural beams. As The Tennessee Star reported, Governor Bill Lee visited the bridge on Tuesday to review repair plans. After his visit, Lee criticized Biden’s plan for being marketed as an infrastructure plan but not assisting in actual infrastructure.

“While Congress ponders the definition of infrastructure, we call upon the federal government to prioritize the safety of actual roads and bridges. Although the American Rescue Plan designated $182M to Shelby Co. & $161M to Memphis, funds are prohibited from being spent on road or bridge infrastructure,” said Lee. “The American Jobs Plan, touted as an infrastructure plan, would spend $2T w/ a mere 5.6 percent dedicated to roads & bridges.”

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Senator Marsha Blackburn: ‘Biden Surcharge’ the Hefty Price Americans Pay for President’s Policies

Corinne Murdock

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) blamed the “Biden Surcharge” for the climbing prices of goods in this country. Blackburn coined the term during a Senate floor session on Thursday. She had a poster propped up next to her that read: “THE BIDEN SURCHARGE: PAYING A PREMIUM JUST TO LIVE FROM THE MOMENT YOU WAKE UP, TO THE MOMENT YOUR HEAD HITS THE PILLOW.” In a statement to The Tennessee Star, Blackburn claimed that Biden’s spending was to blame for the increasing cost of living nationwide.

“President Biden has recklessly spent American tax dollars throughout his first 100 days in office. Now, future generations will bear the burden of Biden as inflation catches up and grips our nation,” said Blackburn. 

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Knoxville to Fund over $50 Million for Affordable Housing over the Next Decade

Corinne Murdock

The city of Knoxville plans to fund over $50 million for affordable housing over the next decade, according to legislation proposed by the mayor. The Affordable Housing Fund, as promulgated by Mayor Indya Kincannon, will commit a minimum of $5 million annually for the next decade to develop affordable housing.

The Knoxville City Council is considering the legislation that would make Kincannon’s goal possible. The legislation would create a trust fund account called the “Knoxville affordable housing fund.” If passed, the new fund will take effect immediately.

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Two Tennessee Colleges Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines: Vanderbilt University and Maryville College

Corinne Murdock
In this 2020 photograph, captured inside a clinical setting, a health care provider places a bandage on the injection site of a patient, who just received an influenza vaccine. The best way to prevent seasonal flu, is to get vaccinated every year. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone 6-months of age and older get a flu vaccine every season.

Come fall, Vanderbilt University and Maryville College are requiring students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 – even if the vaccine isn’t fully approved by the FDA. Maryville College was the first to announce a mandate of that nature in this state, issuing their press release late last month. Vanderbilt University issued their announcement on Monday.

Maryville College is the more lenient of the two Tennessee colleges in their mandate: they will allow exceptions for personal preference in addition to medical or religious reasons. The news release didn’t mention an accommodations request deadline. Vanderbilt University made no mention of personal preference-based exceptions – only medical and religious exemptions will be accepted. Their deadline for an accommodations request is June 15.

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Knoxville Mayor Removes Police from Schools After Police Shot, Killed Armed High School Student

Corinne Murdock
Mayor Indya Kincannon

Knoxville schools will no longer have a police presence, per a joint letter issued by Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon and the Knoxville Police Department (KPD). The mayor and KPD pulled the plug on an agreement in which KPD supplied officers as security for Knox County Schools (KCS).

KPD officers will be pulled from schools by June 12 – the latest date of graduations occurring. The letter explained that KCS’s internal security and mental health professionals have grown since the agreement took place, making it unnecessary to have KPD assistance.

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Metro Nashville Public Schools Will Continue Requiring Masks, After Nashville Officials Ended the Mask Mandate Last Week

Corinne Murdock

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) announced last week that they will continue enforcing their mask mandate indefinitely. The announcement came out Friday – the same day that Metro Nashville health officials ended the mask mandate.

The Tennessee Star reported on a recent court ruling that schools lacked the legal authority to impose a mask mandate contrary to state and their local government policy decisions. The Star inquired with MNPS about the relationship between this ruling and their decision to continue the mask mandate. MNPS spokesperson Sean Braisted told The Star that the case referenced doesn’t prevent a school district from enacting or enforcing mask requirements. The Star asked if this ruling would jeopardize MNPS’s qualified immunity if parents challenged the mask mandate in court. Braisted responded that MNPS wouldn’t comment on hypothetical legal challenges.

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Nashville Mayor Announces Free Beers, Coffee for COVID Vaccine Recipients Only

Corinne Murdock
Beer in glass on table

A total of 37 Nashville businesses are offering free beers or coffee drinks now through the end of May – but only for those who’ve been vaccinated. Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced the campaign, “Shot for a Beer, Shot for a Cup,” in a press release on Friday.

Partners on the campaign are the mayor’s Hospitality Advisory Committee, the Nashville Convention and Visitor’s Corp, and HospitalityTN. Certain businesses require a purchase to acquire the free drink. The campaign announcement didn’t specify whether an individual could get more than one free drink.

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Williamson County Schools Rescinds Mask Mandate After Saying Judge Didn’t Rule Against Their Authority to Impose It

Corinne Murdock

Williamson County Schools (WCS) announced Friday they’re ending their mask mandate, several weeks after a judge opined they lacked legal authority to continue imposing it. After the spring semester lets out, WCS won’t require masks any longer. In a voicemail obtained by The Tennessee Star, WCS Communications Director Carol Birdsong announced to parents that WCS was ending their mask mandate.

“Hello Williamson County Schools families, this is Carol Birdsong calling. Superintendent Jason Golden announced at last night’s school board work session that the district’s indoor mask requirement will come to an end once school has been dismissed and campuses have been cleared on Friday, May 21. The district will continue to recommend and encourage masks this summer for those who are not fully vaccinated – but they will not be required. More information is included in the email that is accompanying this phone call.”

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Tennessee Joins Arkansas’ Legal Battle to Prohibit Abortions Based on Down Syndrome Diagnosis

Corinne Murdock

Thursday, Tennessee joined 19 other states to support Arkansas’ legal fight for its law banning discriminatory abortion based on a Down syndrome diagnosis. Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III announced the decision on Thursday – the same day that Missouri filed the amicus brief for the case, Leslie Rutledge v. Little Rock Planning Services.

“People with Down syndrome add unique joy, beauty, and diversity to our society. Yet the abortion of children with Down syndrome approaches genocidal levels, threatening the Down syndrome community with complete elimination,” asserted the brief. “All states share Arkansas’ compelling interests in preventing the eradication of people with Down syndrome through the practice of eugenic abortion.”

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Governor Lee Signs Bill into Law that Prohibits Outside Funding to Elections Without Legislative Speakers’ Consent

Corinne Murdock

A new Tennessee law makes outside funding to state and local election officials an exception to the rule. Governor Bill Lee signed the bill into law last week – it ensures that select elected officials review all outside funding, if any. It would also enable the public to access information on those outside funds through open records. 

This law will apply to both the state and county-level election commissions, the secretary of state, county administrators of elections, and the coordinator of elections. Only combined approval from the state House and Senate speakers would enable state election officials to accept funding from private individuals, corporations, organizations, or political parties. As for county election commissions and administrators of elections, outside funding must be approved by the secretary of state or one of their designees. 

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Over $50K Raised for Children’s Charities at Murfreesboro Boxing Event, Featuring Lineup of Fitness Celebrities

Corinne Murdock

A Murfreesboro, Tennessee boxing event featuring nearly a dozen fitness celebrities, “Rumble in the Boro,” raised over $50,000 for children’s charities last weekend. 100 percent of the profits will be distributed to four charities that benefit children: Legacy of Valor Endowment, Shepherd, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and WithLove.

Marc Lobliner, MTS Nutrition CEO and famed fitness influencer, created and hosted the event. In an interview with The Tennessee Star, Lobliner shared that each of the charities featured would receive well over $10,000. He added that they were still collecting money from an auction and companies submitting checks.

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Metro Nashville Health Officials Silent on Reason for Sudden Reversal of Decision to Continue Mask Mandate, Just Hours After Pledging to Uphold It

Corinne Murdock

According to the Metro Public Health Department (MPHD), Nashville’s mask mandate was supposed to continue despite the latest CDC recommendation. However, health officials quickly reversed their decision within hours, and without offering a detailed explanation. As The Tennessee Star reported Friday, the mask mandate ended on Friday morning at 5 a.m. CST. The Metro Public Health Department (MPHD) shared that the decision was made by certain Metro health officials, who convened after Thursday’s board of health meeting.

MPHD said in a press release that certain Metro health officials met after the Metro Board of Health meeting Thursday to further review the CDC recommendations. It is unclear what further information caused them to change their minds. In response to inquiries from The Star, the MPHD spokesperson shared the same MPHD press release. He said that there weren’t any other reasons for the reversal beyond what’s been shared publicly.

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Nashville’s Community Oversight Board Wants Metro Police to Increase Diversity Hires Based on NAACP-Prompted Report

Corinne Murdock

Metro Nashville’s Community Oversight Board (COB) wants the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) to prioritize diversity when hiring. This came out of an advisory report focused on reforming MNPD hiring procedures, requested by the Nashville NAACP. In the conclusion of its report, the COB insinuated it wasn’t enough for MNPD’s current standards to hire applicants who are critical thinkers, empathetic, problem solvers, good communicators, and have integrity. They recommended that MNPD prioritize diversity more.

“The data analysis in this report shows that there are racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in the hiring process that should be evaluated and addressed so that the goal of diversifying the police force can become a reality,” read the report’s conclusion. “The eleven recommendations offered in this report aim to encourage community, transparency, accountability, equity, justice, and evidence as core components of the police department.”

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Knoxville to Fund Up to $25,000 for COVID-19 Memorial Mural

Corinne Murdock

Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon pledged up to $25,000 for a mural dedicated to memorializing COVID-19 deaths. The mural will be a permanent memorial for over 600 Knox County residents who reportedly died from COVID-19. The commissioned artist, Kelsey Montague, is best known for “What Lifts You” – the popularized angel wings mural located in the Nashville Gulch.

The pandemic memorial mural will be located on one of the Clinch Avenue Viaduct underpasses at the World’s Fair Park; it will depict brightly-colored birds flying upward into a blue archway toward the base of the historical Sunsphere. Kincannon announced this development in a press release on Thursday. 

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Tennessee Officials Investigating Unemployment Claims for Those Who Refuse to Work

Corinne Murdock

Tennessee government officials told The Tennessee Star they’ve received about 300 complaints of individuals passing up work for unemployment benefits. According to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD), these are the total complaints filed since last March – when Governor Bill Lee first declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19. Unemployment claims have fallen steadily since the beginning of the pandemic – claims reached their height a little over a year ago, totaling over 325,000.

Nearly 264,000 job postings are active currently on the state’s job site alone. As of May 8, TDLWD reported a total of 50,376 continued claims, and the unemployment rate sits at 5 percent. Of 95 counties in the state, only 8 have continued unemployment claims running in the thousands: Shelby, Davidson, Rutherford, Knox, Hamilton, Montgomery, Sumner, and Maury counties. Shelby County leads by far, with over 13,000 continued claims – coming in second is Davidson County with around half that amount: over 6,600 continued claims. 

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Representative Harshbarger Introduces Bill to Reform Occupational Licensing: ‘Freedom to Work Act’

Corinne Murdock

Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) introduced the “Freedom to Work Act” on Wednesday – a bill to reform occupational licensing.

The Freedom to Work Act would require federal executive agencies to review their authorities, regulations, or policies that directly impose occupational licensing requirements or cause state, local, or tribal governments to adopt occupational licensing requirements. Then, those agencies would have to identify any changes that would either rescind or offer the least restrictive alternative to any occupational licensing requirements.

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New Tennessee Law Allows College Athletes to Profit from Sponsorships, Endorsements

Corinne Murdock

Tennessee will allow its college athletes to be compensated for any use of their name, image, and likeness (NIL), beginning next January. Governor Bill Lee signed the bill into law on Tuesday.

Current NCAA rules don’t allow college athletes to receive NIL compensation from opportunities like sponsorships or endorsements. That’s because the NCAA requires college athletes to maintain “amateur athletic status.” In addition to prohibiting compensation based on NIL, college athletes are prohibited from receiving additional compensation for competition, training expense funds, or prize money from competing. The NCAA also doesn’t allow college athletes to be represented or marketed by agents or other professionals.

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Governor Lee Declares End to All Federally-Funded Unemployment, Effective July 3

Corinne Murdock

Tennessee will cease all federally funded unemployment on the eve of Independence Day, Governor Bill Lee announced Tuesday. The governor asserted that work opportunities are abundant – meaning, people can and should get back to work. 

“We will no longer participate in the federal pandemic unemployment programs because Tennesseans have access to more than 250,000 jobs in our state. Families, businesses & our economy thrive when we focus on meaningful employment & move on from short-term, federal fixes,” wrote Lee.

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Shelby County Schools Equity Audit Revealed Black Students Had Higher Graduation Rates Than White, Hispanic Students for Past Three Years

Corinne Murdock

A Shelby County Schools (SCS) equity audit revealed that Black students had higher graduation rates than their White and Hispanic peers for the past three years. Even when broken down by gender, both Black males and females graduated at higher rates than their White and Hispanic counterparts, respectively. The Shelby County Board of Education reviewed this information on Tuesday. The University of Memphis’ Center for Research in Educational Policy (CREC) conducted the audit, relying on data from SCS and the Tennessee Department of Education (TNDOE).

SCS Equity Officer Michael Lowe gave a presentation on the audit during the Tuesday board meeting. He noted that SCS didn’t actually receive the white paper of the entire audit report. Instead, the presentation was based on CREC’s executive summary of the report. The Tennessee Star requested the full audit report from Shelby County Board of Education Chair Miska Clay Bibbs. She didn’t respond by press time.

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Williamson County Schools Ignores Judge Ruling Against Mask Mandates

Corinne Murdock

Williamson County Schools (WCS) will continue their mask mandate, although a judge opined that they lacked authority to do so. Since Williamson County Circuit Court Judge Michael Binkley dismissed the case for lack of standing, he didn’t order the Williamson County Board of Education (WCBOE) to stop enforcing their mask mandate. However, he did specify in an alternative ruling that WCBOE lacked the legal authority to continue enforcing their mask mandate.

The Court is not convinced, as a matter of law, that WCBOE acted within its statutory authority at the time it promulgated its face-covering requirements. Further, the policy decisions promulgated by Mayor [Rogers] Anderson and Governor [Bill] Lee in February 2021 and April 2021 are inconsistent with WCBOE’s continued enforcement of face-covering requirements. With respect to WCBOE’s authority to issue a face-covering requirement, [their] Motion to Dismiss or for Summary Judgment is alternatively DENIED. The Court cannot find, as a matter of law, Defendants have acted within the authority given to them by the legislature when enacting face-covering requirements.

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Metro Nashville Public Schools Considering Paying Up to $500,000 for Additional Diversity Consultant

Corinne Murdock

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) may award up to $500,000 in a contract for a new diversity consultant. MNPS Board of Education is considering an addition for the school district’s Diversity Business Enterprise (DBE) Program.

The MNPS diversity consultant, if approved, would be Gwendolyn Sims. She runs the Sims Strategic Diversity Consultants, which specializes in DBEs as well as diversity programs and management for contractors and companies. She’s identified as “Gwendolyn Davis” on her website.

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Tennessee Attorney General Urges Facebook to Cease Building an Instagram for Kids Under 13

Corinne Murdock

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III submitted a letter this week urging Facebook to stop developing an Instagram specifically for children under 13. In addition to Tennessee, 44 other attorney generals signed onto the letter addressed to Mark Zuckerberg. 

The attorneys general stated that research consistently links social media to physical, emotional, and mental health issues; that children can’t handle the challenges and responsibilities of social media, such as privacy and inappropriate content; and that Facebook fails to protect the safety and privacy of children.

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AP Government Test Asked How a Taylor Swift Instagram Post Illustrated Structural Barriers to Voting

Corinne Murdock

Last week’s AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam asked how a Taylor Swift Instagram post illustrated structural barriers to voting. It appeared on the May 3 version as a free response question.

The College Board explained to The Tennessee Star that Swift’s post was an example of a key concept for AP students: how knowledge of voter registration laws and procedures influence the nature and degree of voter turnout. Swift announced in a 2018 post that she would vote for both Democratic candidates in Tennessee’s midterm elections. Prior to that, Swift didn’t speak publicly about politics. The pop singer alluded to the Trump Administration as her main reason for deciding to share her political views.

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Tennessee Senate Killed ‘Anti-Riot’ Bill Protecting Drivers Who Unintentionally Hit Protestors Blocking Roads

Corinne Murdock

After passage in the House, the Tennessee Senate killed a bill protecting drivers who hit protestors unintentionally and heightening charges for protestors blocking roads. The Senate deferred the bill to summer study last Tuesday. Prior to that, the legislation struggled to move forward in the Senate after action was deferred or delayed several times in committee.

The Tennessee Star reported in early March that State Representative Ron Gant (R-Rossville), the bill sponsor, called the legislation an “anti-riot” bill.

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Metro Nashville Council Adopted Legislation to Preserve Local Music Venues

Corinne Murdock
Crowd at a live concert

The Metro Nashville City Council adopted a resolution to inventory all of Nashville’s music venues in order to preserve and support them. The council took less than a week to adopt the resolution after its initial introduction – no council members voted against it. Nashville Mayor John Cooper approved the resolution on Thursday.

The sale of the historic music venue Exit/In largely prompted creation of the resolution. As The Tennessee Star reported, the current Exit/In owners are skeptical about the purchasers’ promises to preserve the venue.

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Tennessee Now Requires Parental Notification, Consent for Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity Curriculum

Corinne Murdock

Tennessee will now require schools to notify parents and allow them to opt their student out before implementing sexual orientation or gender identity curriculum. The legislation went into effect on Monday, when Governor Bill Lee signed it into law. Essentially, this legislation serves as a notification and opt-out system concerning sexual orientation and gender identity curriculum. 

Schools are now required to notify parents at least 30 days before imposing any curriculum dealing with sexual orientation or gender identity. The law also specifies that parents have the right to examine the curriculum materials and discuss them with their student’s instructor, school counselor, or principal. 

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Gun Rights Group Sues Tennessee over Permitless Carry Law – Says Age Limit Violates Second Amendment Rights

Corinne Murdock

The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) is suing the state of Tennessee to challenge the constitutionality of its new permitless carry law. The coalition filed on behalf of three Tennessean men ages 18, 19, and 20 – they argue that the law excludes an entire class of law-abiding adults because it doesn’t apply to adults under 21 years old.

“[T]he State completely denies the right to bear arms to all law-abiding adults under age 21, prohibiting the plaintiffs, and those similarly situated to them, from carrying loaded, operable handguns outside their home for self-defense, in violation of their Second Amendment rights,” asserted FPC’s press release.

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Tennessee Legislature Passes Bill Changing Davidson County Boundary Line

Corinne Murdock

Part of Davidson County will now go to Wilson County, according to a bill passed by the Tennessee General Assembly this week. As reported by The Tennessee Star, the latest development was the culmination of a lengthy process that began in 2019, undertaken by Davidson County resident Mason Hunter. Hunter’s property was divided between the two counties, and the only accessible driveway was located in Wilson County.

The boundary change received unanimous bipartisan support in both the House and Senate up until the final House vote on the bill. Only four members voted against the change: State Representatives Mark Cochran (R-Englewood), Ron Gant (R-Rossville), Chris Todd (R-Madison County), and Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville). 

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Nashville Mayor Appoints 11 Community Safety Advisory Board Members to Handle $1.5 Million for Violence Prevention, Reduction

Corinne Murdock

Nashville Mayor John Cooper announced Tuesday that he’d appointed 11 individuals to an advisory board tasked with addressing Metro violence. According to the mayor’s press release, these newly-appointed members will determine how $1.5 million in grants should be spent to prevent and reduce community violence.

The members of the Community Safety Partnership Advisory Board are Katina Beard, chair of the mayor’s Behavior Health and Wellness Advisory Council; Christiane Buggs, chair of Metro Nashville Public School Board of Education; Sheila Calloway, judge in the Metro Nashville Juvenile Court; Jennifer Gamble, chair of the Metro Council Public Safety Committee; Dwayne Greene, deputy chief of the Metro Nashville Police Community Services Bureau; Nawzad Hawrami, public safety chair of the mayor’s New American Advisory Council; Dr. Christopher Jackson, reverend for the Pleasant Green Baptist Church; Dr. Alex Jahangir, chair of the Metro Nashville Public Health Board; Andres Martinez, chair of the Metro Community Oversight Board; and Tom Turner, president and CEO of the Nashville Downtown Partnership.

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Knoxville Appoints ‘Youth Council’ of 12 to 20-Year-Olds to Help Address City Issues

Corinne Murdock

On Wednesday, Knoxville announced the appointment of 17 youths to a council dedicated to addressing city issues through “strategic planning.” The “Mayor’s Youth Council” will work alongside the Knoxville City Council and other city officials as they focus on community organizing, leadership, and advocacy. The council has a total of four eighth-graders, three high school freshmen, four sophomores, four juniors, and two seniors representing eight schools.

The council will begin meeting over the summer. They will be tasked with learning municipal services, collaborating with their peers and youth-serving nonprofits, and “strategic planning.”

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Metro Nashville Officer Shot, Hospitalized After Responding to Call Set Up to Lure and Kill Officers

Corinne Murdock

Three Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers were ambushed after responding to a 911 call alleging that a woman had been shot. One officer, Brian Sherman, was shot multiple times in the upper left arm and transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. According to MNPD, the call was a setup executed by an individual that police identified as the gunman, 22-year-old Salman Mohamed. His immigration status is unknown.

In a press conference late Tuesday night, Metro Police Public Information Officer Don Aaron explained that Salman falsely told the 911 operator around 6 p.m. CST that his brother had shot his mother, and that shots were continuing to be fired. Aaron explained that Mohamed answered the door when the MNPD officers knocked on the door of the residence identified in the 911 call about ten minutes later. Only Sherman was hit in the ensuing gunfire.

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Tennessee General Assembly Eliminates Sentence Reductions for Sex Trafficking, Rape, Molestation, Child Abuse and More

Corinne Murdock

The Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill eliminating sentence reductions for 31 sexually-related offenses. These offenses were largely related to rape, assault, sex trafficking, and a variety of crimes against children. The Senate hastened to pass the bill on Wednesday after the House passed it on Tuesday. The General Assembly voted unanimously in favor of the bill. 

As amended, the bill established that there would be no release eligibility for the following offenses: female genital mutilation, felony domestic assault, sex trafficking, advertising minor sexual abuse, rape, aggravated and non-aggravated sexual battery, aggravated statutory rape, felony indecent exposure, patronizing or promoting prostitution, public indecency, continuous child molestation, sexual battery by an authority figure, felony solicitation of a minor, sexual exploitation of a minor, statutory rape by an authority figure, promoting travel for prostitution, unlawful photography of a child under 13, observation without consent, incest, aggravated and non-aggravated child abuse or child neglect and endangerment, child pornography, sale and distribution of child-like sex dolls, and aggravated and especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor. It would also ensure no release eligibility for conspiracy, criminal attempt, or solicitation of any of the above offenses.

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Tennessee General Assembly Passes Bill Banning Critical Race Theory Tenets in K-12 Schools

Corinne Murdock
Classroom of students.

The Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill effectively banning critical race theory (CRT) from K-12 education. The legislature had to create a conference committee on Wednesday to resolve the legislature’s conflict on amending language effectively banning CRT in schools. That conference committee not only approved the ban – they added onto the ban. In addition to the original language of the bill outlining and banning 14 tenets of CRT, The Tennessee Star was informed by State Senator Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) that the conference committee report added on three tenets. In effect, these tenets further defined the prohibited conclusions typically advanced by CRT.

“(12) The rule of law does not exist, but instead is a series of power relationships and struggles among racial or other groups; (13) All Americans are not created equal and are not endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; or (14) Governments should deny to any person with the government’s jurisdiction the equal protection of the law[,]” read the added provisions.

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Tennessee Legislature Stalls on Bill Prohibiting COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates for K-12 Students

Corinne Murdock

The Tennessee legislature stalled on legislation prohibiting mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for K-12 students. The bill was removed from the Health Committee calendar last month. In the Senate, it was last referred back to the Calendar Committee after making it to the floor on Monday.

State Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) and State Representative Rusty Grills (R-Newbern) were the sponsors on the bill. Hensley’s legislative assistant Allison Wilson clarified with The Tennessee Star that the Senate won’t be hearing the bill this year.

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Tennessee Senate Passed Bill to Bar Discrimination Based on Certain Hairstyles; House Deferred to 2022

Corinne Murdock

The Tennessee Senate passed a bill determining that discrimination shouldn’t occur based on certain hairstyles. The “CROWN Act: Creating Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair” would place “protective hairstyle,” a reference to styling of Afro-textured hair, within the Human Rights chapter of the Tennessee Code. Ultimately, the bill would prevent discrimination based on hairstyles such as braids, dreadlocks, cornrows, or Afros. Enactment of this legislation likely won’t come soon, however: the Tennessee House deferred action on this bill until 2022.

State Senator Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) first introduced the CROWN Act, but the idea didn’t originate with her. A coalition dedicated to ending “hair discrimination” is advancing this type of legislation throughout the country. The coalition consists of Dove, the personal care brand, and several social justice organizations: National Urban League, Color of Change, and the Western Center on Law and Poverty. However, the Tennessee Senate version differs slightly from the model legislation. Tennessee senators struck a provision including race as a factor for determining discrimination.

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Tennessee House Passes Bill Banning Critical Race Theory from K-12 Schools

Corinne Murdock

On Tuesday, the Tennessee House passed a bill effectively banning critical race theory (CRT) in K-12 schools. The bill doesn’t mention CRT explicitly, but it does prohibits CRT’s main tenets – such as the belief that America is fundamentally and systemically racist, and that an individual can be inherently privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive based on their race or sex. The amended version of the bill will now head to the Senate for review. During the third and final hearing before the House, State Representative John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge) gave a lengthy speech expounding on the fundamental founding principles of our country.

“[I]t is time that we support educating our children in fixing what is wrong with America with what is right with America,” said Ragan. “We must create an educational climate where every student is an individual, not just part of some group. Moreover, that educational climate must teach students that they can realize their own unique dreams through hard work and meritorious achievement.”

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Tennessee House Passes Second Amendment Sanctuary Act

Corinne Murdock
Scotty Campbell

The Tennessee House passed the “Second Amendment Sanctuary Act,” asserting the state can ignore unconstitutional federal gun rules and regulations. The act would also punish any official who violates this legislation by removing them from their position.

The act reasserts that Tennessee doesn’t have to enforce any federal law, treaty, order, rule, or regulation that the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) or the Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled unconstitutional. The Second Amendment Sanctuary Act passed 74 to 13, with just one Democrat voting for it – State Representative Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis). Last week, it passed in the Senate along party lines, 24 to 4 with two abstaining their votes. 

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Tennessee Senate Killed Bill Enabling Legislature to End States of Emergency, House Continues to Consider It

Corinne Murdock
Ferrell Haile and Jason Zachary

A bill enabling the Tennessee legislature to end public health-related states of emergency was deferred to summer study in the Senate. However, the bill lives on in the House – the representatives are scheduled to vote on the bill Tuesday afternoon.

State Senator Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin) and State Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) sponsored the bill. Haile was the one who requested to move the bill to summer study. He cited that there were some issues that needed to be worked over, which he didn’t explain in detail.

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Tennessee Legislature Moves to Ban Critical Race Theory from K-12 Schools

Corinne Murdock
State Representative John Ragan

Critical race theory (CRT) should be banned from Tennessee’s schools, according to an amended bill pending a final hearing in the Senate. Although the words “critical race theory” don’t appear in the amendment, it does address CRT tenets at length.

The bill now prohibits schools from using curriculum or any supplemental materials that promote conclusions of hierarchies or prejudices based on race or sex, or depict the United States as “fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist” and therefore worthy of overthrow. If any school violates these provisions, the Education Commissioner may withhold any amount of state funding from that school. These provisions appear at the tail end of the 14-page bill.

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Tennessee Democratic Legislator Pushes Special Recognition for Her Sorority Under Resolution; House Passes It

Corinne Murdock
Barbara Cooper

The House passed a Democratic legislator’s resolution to award special recognition for her African American sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA). The resolution sponsor, State Representative Barbara Cooper (D-Memphis), framed the resolution as a recognition honoring law enforcement prior to the House floor vote. However, the enacting clause doesn’t mention law enforcement at all. Instead, the enacting clause only recognizes a “virtual celebration” for AKA members.

“[W]e recognize Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Day at the Capitol, May 6, 2021, a virtual celebration for the AKA members from the South Eastern Region of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee,” stated the resolution.

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Knoxville Mayor Allots $100k for African American Equity Restoration Task Force

Corinne Murdock

Knoxville’s newly-established African American Equity Restoration Task Force was allotted $100,000 in the latest city budget. Mayor Indya Kincannon highlighted this task force as one of their biggest diversity initiatives. 

That is one tenth of a percent of what Kincannon projected the task force may receive. At the end of January,  The Tennessee Star reported projections that the task force may receive $100 million in government grants over the next seven years.

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Nashville Mayor Cooper Announces Significant Budget Investments During Annual State of Metro Address

Corinne Murdock

Nashville Mayor John Cooper delivered the Annual State of Metro Address on Thursday morning at the Music City Center. Cooper said that the theme for the year is “city on the rise.”

The mayor asserted that “a city on the rise must rise to the occasion.” He said Nashville has proved its resilience, and has faced more challenges and helped more people than at any time in history.

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Tennessee Senate Rescinds Bill Amendment Allowing Colleges, Universities to Mandate Vaccines; Passes Bill

Corinne Murdock
COVID Vaccine

The Tennessee Senate reamended a bill to strike an amendment allowing higher education to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine. Under the latest amended version of the bill, institutions of higher education may only mandate the vaccine for health care students. These public colleges or universities may enforce those mandates so long as they don’t own or control the health care facility. 

Essentially, the higher education mandate would only be necessary for certain students involved in a private health care facility that requires the COVID-19 vaccine. The amendment would apply to students in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, or any other health care profession.

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Bill Declaring Personhood Begins at Conception Passes Tennessee General Assembly

Corinne Murdock

According to a bill passed Thursday by the Tennessee General Assembly, the unborn are people at the moment of conception. This was accomplished through changes to civil law, by extending wrongful death liability for the unborn all the way to conception. In effect, this legislation confers personhood the moment an egg is fertilized.

The legal change in the civil definition of personhood wasn’t presented in the caption text. It was mentioned once in a single sentence under the bill’s summary. Additionally, the name given to the bill by the sponsors – the “Prenatal Life and Liberty Act” – wasn’t mentioned anywhere in the bill’s language, caption text, or summary. 

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Constitutional Amendment Establishing ‘Right to Work’ Regardless of Union Membership Passed by Tennessee General Assembly

Corinne Murdock

On Thursday the House passed the “Right to Work,” ensuring an individual’s right to work regardless of union affiliation. This protection would be enshrined in the Tennessee Constitution. Under the resolution, no person, corporation, association, or the state or any political subdivisions can deny anyone based on labor union or employee organization membership.

The resolution asserts that individuals have a fundamental civil right to either join or refuse to join a labor union or employee organization. State Senator Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) sponsored this resolution. The resolution achieved its first approval under SJR0648, passed last June and also sponsored by Kelsey.

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Tennessee House Passes Bill Requiring Educational Boards to Approve Contraception Information, Allowing Parents to Access and Opt Child Out of Information

Corinne Murdock

The Tennessee House passed a bill enacting stricter oversight on contraceptive information for school-aged children. As amended, the legislation would require that any contraceptive information is consistent with public policy, approved by the local board of education or charter school governing body, and available upon request to the parent.

The educational boards must verify that the contraceptive information is both medically accurate and age-appropriate, and that it aligns with present state law and academic standards. If parents find the material objectionable, they can opt their student out without any penalty.

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Tennessee Senate Says Colleges, Universities Can Still Mandate COVID-19 Vaccine in Bill Amendment

Corinne Murdock

The Tennessee Senate amended a bill prohibiting mandatory COVID-19 vaccines so that colleges and universities can still mandate it. The amendment came out of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. 

The Senate was scheduled to take their final vote on the bill Wednesday, but they opted to conform to the House version of the bill and issue the amendment instead. The decision to temporarily postpone the final vote came from State Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) after lengthy, heated debate occurred over the bill on the Senate floor.

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Tennessee General Assembly Passes Criminal Justice Reform Bills Allowing Community-Based Incarceration Alternatives, Increasing Parole Eligibility

Corinne Murdock

Two of Governor Bill Lee’s criminal justice reform initiatives were passed unanimously by the Tennessee Senate on Wednesday. Once approved by the governor, the bills will expand community-based incarceration alternatives and parole eligibility, respectively.

The sponsors on the legislation were State Senators John Stevens (R-Huntington) for the former bill and Ken Yager (R-Kingston) for the latter. State Representative Michael Curcio (R-Dickson) was the House sponsor for both.

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CEO Fired for Criticizing Male Teen in Prom Dress Tells The Tennessee Star He Approached Teens over Obscene Language, Behavior – Not Dress

Corinne Murdock

A telehealth company fired their CEO for criticizing a male teen in a prom dress on video – but he says the teens asked for his opinion. Previous VisuWell CEO Sam Johnson explained to The Tennessee Star the whole context of the viral interaction, posted originally on the popular social media platform, TikTok, by the dress-wearing teen’s boyfriend, Jacob Geittmann. According to Johnson, he’d approached the group teens initially because they were yelling, being “obnoxious” and “vulgar” in a public area where children and some of his family were present – not because the male teen, Dalton Stevens, was wearing a dress.

In an interview with The Star, Johnson explained that he’d politely requested that the teens, as a group, could “tone it down.” According to Johnson, there were around five chaperones present that didn’t corral the group of just over one dozen teenaged prom-goers.

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Tennessee Senate Reschedules Bill Requiring Police Oversight Boards to Undergo Citizen Police Academy, Will Vote Monday

Corinne Murdock

The Tennessee Senate is scheduled on Monday to vote on whether local community oversight boards must undergo citizen police academy.

If passed, current community oversight board members will have until June 30 of next year to complete a citizen police academy or any similar program. After that, any members appointed after July 1 of this year will have one year. Any members who fail to complete the academy or similar program will have their voting powers revoked. Voting rights would be restored upon completion of the academy. 

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