The Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act, which passed the Tennessee General Assembly and signed by Governor Bill Lee in March, is set to take effect on July 1.
As artificial intelligence (AI) has become more accessible to the general public, personalized generative AI cloning models and services have been used to enable human impersonation.
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A law ensuring that Tennessee’s worst juvenile offenders do not walk free upon becoming adults is awaiting the signature of Gov. Bill Lee (R).
HB 043o, passed at the end of the most recent legislative session, “allows a juvenile court to impose a blended sentence on a child 16 years of age or older for a juvenile offense that would be a Class A, B, or C felony if committed by an adult.”
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a bill this week that bans judges in the state from using “ability to pay” bail systems.
“Ability to pay” bail systems are bail calculators that determine a defendant’s bail based on the amount of money immediately available to them. The system was recently implemented in Memphis.
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As anti-Israel protests on college campuses across the country dominate the headlines, higher education institutions in Tennessee have also harbored a presence of student activism on behalf of the Palestinian side of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Two student organizations with chapters at some Tennessee colleges—Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)—are among many activist groups across the country that receive abundant funding and harbor ties to left-leaning groups.
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The Tennessee Eagle Forum on Monday announced State Senator Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield) was awarded the Tennessee Eagle Forum Award for 2024 due to his successful legislation that “effectively repealed” a 2022 law which enabled some illegal immigrants to receive state-issued commercial and professional licenses.
Roberts’ legislation, according to a Tennessee Eagle Forum press release, removed key language from Public Chapter No. 11, the 2022 legislation that allowed illegal immigrants to obtain professional or commercial licenses if they are “either a United States citizen or authorized under federal law to work in the United States as verified by the SAVE program.”
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Anti-Israel demonstrations at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK) continued into their sixth consecutive day on Monday, May 6. A non-student organization calling itself the People’s School for Gaza held demonstrations at multiple locations on UTK’s campus.
The group announced a meeting at 9 a.m. ET in an initial Instagram post and moved across campus throughout the day. By 1:50 p.m. ET, demonstrators had moved to the lawn of the Student Union, according to a post later in the day.
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Social media companies in Tennessee will need to verify parental consent before allowing minors to create accounts in the state starting Jan. 1.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill, which along with age verification and parental consent, requires social media companies to allow parents access to monitor the account with privacy settings, daily time restrictions and creating breaks where the minor cannot use the social media.
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Leaders at the University of the South reportedly caved to the demands of pro-Palestinian protestors who were occupying the All Saints’ Chapel on the school’s campus.
Among other things, the protestors demanded full disclosure of how the school spends its $400,000 endowment, and that the school cut ties with any organizations that makes weapons used against Palestinians.
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Tennessee U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) sent letters to the chairmans of the House Judiciary Committee and House Oversight Committee on Thursday requesting that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) be investigated after an employee of the CIA’s Cyber Operations Division made bombshell accusations about the intel agency when it comes to its covert relationship with former President Donald Trump – both during and after his presidency.
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Americans for Prosperity – Tennessee (AFP-TN) released a statement Thursday in response to Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s proposed $3.1 billion transit referendum that will be presented to Davidson County voters on the November ballot.
AFP-TN State Director Tori Venable, noting how Nashville voters rejected then-Mayor Megan Barry’s $9 billion transit plan six years ago, acknowledged the dramatic cost difference in O’Connell’s plan while also pointing out the half-cent increase in the city’s sales tax that will be used to fund the plan.
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Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy was joined on Thursday by Memphis Mayor Paul Young and Interim Police Chief C.J. Davis to call on Tennessee lawmakers to increase the state’s penalties for criminals who make handguns fully automatic using converter devices known as “switches.”
Mulroy said the “so-called Glock switches” are “relatively cheap and easy to maintain and they basically turn handguns into effective machine guns.”
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Tennessee U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) introduced a bill this week that would prohibit federal funds from being used to finalize, implement, or enforce the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) interim final rule amending the Export Administration Regulations.
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The attorneys general of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia have joined Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares’ lawsuit challenging the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) name, image, and likeness (NIL) recruitment ban.
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A man who pled guilty to vehicular homicide by intoxication and reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon in connection with a boating collision on Norris Lake last year that resulted in the death of a child has been sentenced to eight years in prison, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).
On the evening of July 22, 2023, Norman Sturgill, 62, of Grayson, Kentucky, was operating a 19-foot Triton bass boat that collided with a 24-foot Chaparral open motorboat in front of Norris Landing Marina.
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The Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) is joining a lawsuit with several states and pro-Second Amendment groups against the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which says that the ATF far too broadly interpreting a new law passed by Congress regarding private gun sales.
The lawsuit stems from the definition of the term “‘Engaged in the Business’ as a Dealer in Firearms,” and claims that the ATF is angling to make citizens who sell even one firearm privately subject to licensure that large firearms sellers must obtain, according to a release from TFA.
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U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn debunked a series of claims about Israel and Jewish students made by Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) after the Democrat claimed her rhetoric was “insanely dangerous” to anti-Israel protesters on college campuses.
Following a nationwide spate of anti-Israel encampments on university campuses, Blackburn posted to the social media platform X on Monday that students who have “promoted terrorism” or engaged in terrorist activities “on behalf of Hamas should be immediately added to the terrorist watch list and placed on the TSA No Fly List.”
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NetChoice, a “trade organization fighting to protect free expression and free enterprise online,” asked Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to veto a bill that would require minors to have parental consent before downloading social media applications.
The bill, filed as HB 1891 and called the “Protecting Children from Social Media Act,” passed the Tennessee General Assembly and was sent to the governor for final action last week.
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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said the Biden administration’s finalized rule to rewrite Title IX is “extreme,” noting how the administration’s determination to rewrite anti-discrimination rules to encompass gender identity issues appears to be one of its “highest priorities.”
On Tuesday, Skrmetti led six states in suing the Biden administration’s Department of Education on Tuesday over its finalized rule to rewrite Title IX to encompass gender identity and sexual orientation.
Read the full storyBIDEN – 225 TOSSUP – 78 TRUMP – 235
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Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network, announced the launch of the Star News Electoral College Map for the 2024 presidential election.
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Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced on Tuesday that Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky are leading a coalition of states in a new lawsuit seeking to stop the Biden administration’s revisions to Title IX that critics argue endanger women and girls.
“The U.S. Department of Education has no authority to let boys into girls’ locker rooms,” Skrmetti stated. He charged, “Under this radical and illegal attempt to rewrite [Title IX], if a man enters a woman’s locker room and a woman complains that makes her uncomfortable, the woman will be subject to investigation and penalties for violating the man’s civil rights.”
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Members of the Tennessee National Guard were among the personnel installing razor wire fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday as part of their work assisting Texas authorities in carrying out Operation Lone Star.
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Gov. Bill Lee (R) has officially proclaimed April 28 to May 4 as Small Business Appreciation Week in Tennessee.
Noting that small businesses are “the backbone of Tennessee’s economy, comprising a significant portion of the State’s employment including nearly half of private-sector workforce,” and that “supporting small business owners in Tennessee strengthens the State’s resilience against economic downturns and promotes sustainable economic development,” Lee released the official proclamation on the state’s website.
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Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation that will allow for “blended sentences” of minors who were aged at least 16 when committing a crime, meaning some juvenile offenders will receive adult sentences for their crimes.
The Tennessee Senate on Thursday passed SB 624, sponsored by Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), after the Senate version of the bill was adopted in the Tennessee State House. It now awaits a signature from Governor Bill Lee.
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Tennessee school staff are now eligible to concealed carry firearms at school if they have met the criteria and gained proper approval.
The law went into effect after it was signed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. Several school districts have already said they will not take part in the concealed carry option, which requires the approval of the school principal, superintendent and local law enforcement department.
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Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright on Friday called for the resignation of General Sessions Court Judge Bill Anderson, who leads the county magistrates that determine possible bail assignments after suspected criminals are arrested.
Wright said he is calling for Anderson’s resignation in remarks to WREG, pointing to soft bail policies from Anderson’s office as a source of Memphis’ crime.
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Tennessee State Representative Chris Todd (R-Madison County) reflected back on this year’s session of the Tennessee General Assembly, calling it “productive” in terms of lawmakers passing a “balanced budget” and “protecting the liberties and freedoms” of Tennesseans.
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Vice President Kamala Harris called lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly “extremists” for voting to pass a bill that would arm teachers who are licensed, receive annual training, and are approved by police and school officials.
“Arming teachers is not the solution,” Harris said in an X post on Wednesday. “We know what actually works: universal background checks, red flag laws, safe storage, and an assault weapons ban.”
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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti pursued legal action against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Thursday over its new rule regarding workplace abortion accommodations.
In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) into law, which protects pregnant workers and their babies by directing that women receive workplace accommodations for “pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.”
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Legislation that would fine the parents of delinquent children who commit additional crimes has the support of the Tennessee General Assembly after the State House passed it on Monday. The legislation will go to Governor Bill Lee for final approval before becoming law.
The bill, titled the Parental Accountability Act, will require juvenile courts to levy a $1,000 fine against children who are “found to be delinquent for a second or subsequent delinquent act” after already being found guilty of delinquency. Those unable to pay the fine may be granted community service.
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Tennessee filed a lawsuit this week on behalf of a transgender woman – a male that identifies as a female – challenging the enforcement of a Tennessee law that defines “sex” as “biological sex.”
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The Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) on Tuesday that addresses the state’s towing, parking, and vehicle booting laws.
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Tennessee received a payment totaling $146.1 million on Tuesday from the major tobacco companies that joined the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA), bringing the state’s total payout amount from the settlement to $3.9 billion.
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The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) endorsed U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) for reelection to Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District on Wednesday.
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The White House Wednesday announced commutations for five major drug dealers, three of whom are Tennessee residents.
Daequon Charles Davis of Johnson City was convicted of conspiracy to distribute or to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine and was serving an almost 22-year sentence with a subsequent 10 years of supervised release, which began in 2017. Biden commuted for a period of 10 years, leaving intact 10 years of supervised release.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee joined a coalition of 24 other governors in issuing a joint statement demanding that the Biden administration lift its pause on new liquified natural gas (LNG) export approvals.
In January, the Biden administration temporarily paused pending decisions on LNG exports to “non-FTA countries until the Department of Energy can update the underlying analyses for authorizations” in the name of “climate change.”
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Tennessee Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles on Monday afternoon ordered the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) to provide a redacted copy of the manifesto written by Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale for the judge to review.
Myles made the order after Metro Nashville attorney Lora Fox previously confirmed MNPD holds no objections to releasing a redacted version of the manifesto, and would now make less redactions to the manifesto than were previously proposed in 2023.
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Bonnie Brezina, who serves as the state director of Marsy’s Law for Tennessee, said the state is in a positive position to vote on Marsy’s Law as a constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot in 2026.
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Tennessee U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) on Friday joined a number of congressional Democrats who seek to remove the Secret Service protection afforded to former President Donald Trump if he is convicted and sentenced to prison.
Cohen was named in a press release issued by Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02), who led the House January 6 committee, as a co-sponsor of the DISGRACED Former Protectees Act, which would amend Secret Service procedures “by automatically terminating Secret Service protection for those who have been sentenced to prison following conviction for a Federal or State felony.”
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Several state treasurers and other officials sent a letter to Bank of America warning the banking giant of apparently targeting customers with conservative politics by de-banking them—however, Tennessee State Treasurer David Lillard’s signature was absent.
The letter to Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said its signatories are concerned that Bank of America has a “track record of discriminating against religious ministries,” a “systemic bias” against politically conservative views, and supporters of former President Donald Trump.
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Two Republican members of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation both voted ‘No’ on foreign aid packages for Ukraine and Israel on Saturday.
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Tennessee State Representatives Justin Jones (D-Nashville) and Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) joined protesters engaged in a sit-in at the Tennessee Capitol after being removed from the House gallery and urged troopers not to make arrests.
Jones and Pearson reportedly “intervened” by stepping between protesters and troopers, according to NewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams, who was apparently feet away from the Democrats during what he described as a “sit-in.”
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Aaron Gulbransen, executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, said the Tennessee House of Representatives should have introduced a “clean” universal school choice bill instead of attaching additional incentives not particularly related to school choice to the bill.
While the governor’s school choice bill in the House includes additional incentives, the Senate’s version solely focuses on the governor’s proposal.
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Many American wheat farmers may face losses in 2024 due to a glut of foreign supply coupled with soaring equipment and labor costs amid high inflation, Reuters reported Wednesday.
Wheat prices are near their lowest point in nearly four years as supply from the Black Sea and Europe has unexpectedly flooded the market after three years of droughts draining reserves, hitting winter wheat farmers in the Great Plains particularly hard, according to Reuters. Costs for transporting and producing American wheat have soared compared to foreign wheat suppliers, with high inflation increasing costs for farm equipment, repairs and labor for farmers.
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U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03) was appointed to serve as a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee this week.
The Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, a subdivision of the House Appropriations Committee, funds America’s military and national defense.
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The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation announced Tuesday it raised $113,820,000 for education in the Volunteer State during the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), which spanned from January 1 through March 31.
“The Lottery is proud to announce this quarter’s results, which reinforce our commitment to funding vital education programs for Tennesseans,” Tennessee Education Lottery President and CEO Rebecca Paul said in a statement.
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More than eight months after a raid that left a Henderson man dead, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) won’t disclose details about the case, while the local police department says they weren’t made aware of the raid until after it happened.
FBI agents shot and killed Theodore Deschler at his mother’s home where he lived in August of last year.
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Chloe Akers, who founded The Best of Tennessee with seasoned political fundraiser Kim Kaegi, previously raised nearly $440,000 for a political action committee that sought to elevate moderate voices in support of abortion and gun control.
Prior to founding The Best of Tennessee, Akers was the creator of The Liminal Plan, a political action committee where she reportedly raised $439,461, according to Tennessee Lookout.
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Tennessee U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) introduced the Combating Houthi Threats and Aggression Act on Monday.
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A new law passed by the General Assembly protects Tennessee property owners from squatters, which has become a hot topic of debate around the country as the practice becomes more prevalent.
“Home ownership is the American dream for many, the foundation for building wealth and raising a family,” State Representative Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro) said in a press release after the passage of HB 1259. “This is proactive legislation that protects property owners but also deters bad actors who have learned to exploit the law and terrorize homeowners. This creates a streamlined process for Tennesseans to quickly take back control over what is rightfully theirs.”
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