Search Results for: the tennessee star

Tennessee House Speaker Sexton Provides New Details on Constitutional Amendment to Refuse Bail for More Violent Criminals

Tom Pappert

A spokesman for Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) on Monday provided The Tennessee Star with new details about the constitutional amendment proposed last week in Memphis to allow Tennessee judges to refuse to grant bail to more violent criminals.

Sexton was joined by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) and Memphis Mayor Paul Young in a Friday press event with other lawmakers and community leaders to call for the constitutional amendment, which would need to be approved by Tennessee voters in a public referendum.

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Draft Bill for Expansion of Tennessee School Choice Shows Scholarships Will be Available to All Students

Tom Pappert

The Tennessee Star obtained on Monday a draft of the forthcoming Education Freedom Scholarship Act previously announced by Governor Bill Lee in November.

Lee announced in November that he would champion new school choice legislation in 2024 that will ultimately allow all Tennessee families to choose where their children are educated.

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Tennessee State Senator Mark Pody Announces School Safety Grants Will Now Fund Requests for Technology to Alert Law Enforcement of Threats Inside Schools

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) joined Monday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss the latest developments surrounding his efforts to make new school-specific security technology eligible for the school safety grants approved by the General Assembly last year.

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Bills Would Let Some Tennessee Gun Owners Carry in Restricted Areas, Strip Ability to Restrict Firearms in Buildings and Private Property

Tom Pappert
Jody Barrett

Tennessee State Representative Jody Barrett (R-Dickson) filed a bill last week that will allow Tennessee gun owners with an enhanced handgun carry permit to bring their firearm into buildings that otherwise prohibit or restrict carrying weapons.

A second bill filed by Barrett, which would prevent individuals, businesses, or governments in Tennessee from prohibiting firearms, is scheduled to be heard this week.

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Tennessee Judicial Board Unanimously Recommends Shelby County Judge be Removed from Office

Kaitlin Housler

The Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct (TBJC) has sent a letter to Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) and House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) recommending Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd be removed from office.

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Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee Tightens Qualifications for Candidate Eligibility in GOP Primaries

Michael Patrick Leahy

The Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee voted in a specially called meeting on Saturday to tighten the standards for candidate eligibility in GOP primaries in the state, effective immediately.

Article IX, Section 1, Paragraph B of the Tennessee Republican Party (TRP) bylaws had been previously amended in a September 7, 2023 meeting of the SEC  to state that “Beginning in 2026, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Article IX, Section 1A, an individual who has voted in any of the most recent four (4) statewide primary elections held by a party other than the applicable Republican Party will be ineligible to seek the Republican nomination for any public office in Tennessee.” (emphasis added)

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Tennessee Senators Hagerty and Blackburn Introduce Bill to Ensure Illegal Immigrants Do Not Affect the Count for Congressional Districts, Electoral College Map

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) introduced a bill this week that would ensure only U.S. citizens are factored into the count for Congressional districts and the Electoral College map that determines presidential elections.

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Senator Marsha Blackburn Visits All 95 Counties of Tennessee Each Year: The ‘Full Blackburn’ Takes a Page from Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa

Kaitlin Housler
Marsha Blackburn

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined Friday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss a new bill she and Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) introduced as well as State Representative Gloria Johnson’s (D-Knoxville) recent vote against a bill that would allow prosecutors to pursue a death penalty sentence for convicted child rapists.

Blackburn, who was traveling through Sumner County while on the newsmaker line, first discussed the importance of her annual trips to all 95 Tennessee counties.

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Tennessee House Speaker, Senate Majority Leader Call for Constitutional Amendment to Let Judges Deny Bail for Violent Criminals

Tom Pappert
Memphis Press Conference

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) joined Memphis Mayor Paul Young and a number of lawmakers from both major political parties at a Friday press event in Memphis to call for an amendment to the Tennessee Constitution that would empower judges to deny bail more often.

Sexton, Johnson and Young were joined by State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) and State Representative Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis), and other local leaders, to call for the constitutional amendment.

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Tennessee GOP State Executive Committee Member Chris Morris Explains Frustration with ‘Bona Fide’ Bylaw Not Being Followed

Kaitlin Housler

Chris Morris, a State Executive Committee Member of the Tennessee Republican Party (TNGOP), joined Thursday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss his concern regarding the TNGOP’s failure to follow the Republican bylaws of the state of Tennessee.

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Tennessee House Speaker, Senate Majority Leader to Hold Joint Event in Memphis with Paul Young

Tom Pappert

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) will hold a joint event with Memphis Mayor Paul Young at Memphis City Hall.

In a Thursday media release from Sexton’s office, the leaders revealed they plan to “make a major announcement alongside Mayor Young, law enforcement officials and community leaders” on Friday at 10:30 a.m.

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Gov. Bill Lee Supports Gov. Greg Abbott in Southern Border Standoff: ‘Tennessee Has Always Stood With Texas’

Tom Pappert

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee confirmed on Thursday that he supports Texas Governor Greg Abbott in his standoff with the Biden administration over Texas’ defense of its southern border.

After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government had the authority to remove border defenses erected by Texas to prevent illegal immigrants from crossing the southern border, Abbott invoked the state’s right to self defense on Wednesday, declaring the Biden administration failed in its duty to protect the country and President Joe Biden “violated his oath to faithfully executive immigration laws enacted by Congress.”

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New Tennessee Bill Would Outlaw ‘Abortion Trafficking’ of Minors

Peter D'Abrosca
Jason Zachary

A bill introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly would criminalize abortion trafficking of minors. 

HB 1895 “creates the criminal offense of abortion trafficking of a minor; provides for a civil action against a person committing the offense of abortion trafficking of a minor for the wrongful death of an unborn child that was aborted,” according to its summary. 

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Tennessee House Democrats Want Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds to Resign over Lack of Classroom Qualifications

Tom Pappert

Tennessee Commissioner of Education Lizzette Reynolds is facing calls to resign over her appointment allegedly failing to comply with the Tennessee law governing her office, which was originally written in 1925 which specifies commissioners must be qualified to teach in the state’s classrooms.

A collection of Tennessee Democrats and the statewide party held a press conference on Monday to call for Renyolds’ resignation, claiming she is not legally qualified for her position, citing Tennessee Code Section 4-3-802, which specifies the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) must be overseen by a commissioner who “shall be a person of literary and scientific attainments and of skill and experience in school administration” who is also “qualified to teach in the school of the highest standing over which the commissioner has authority.”

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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Fails to Join 16 GOP Governors Who Told Biden to Drop Electric Vehicle Mandate

Tom Pappert
Bill Lee Evs

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee was not among the 16 Republican governors who sent a letter to President Joe Biden demanding his administration drop its controversial electric vehicle mandate that would force two-thirds of automobiles sold to be electric by 2032. Lee’s office did not respond to a press inquiry from The Tennessee Star seeking information about why he did not represent Tennessee in the letter.

The letter, revealed on Monday by the Republican Governors Association (RGA), includes signatures from Republican governors representing four of Tennessee’s neighboring states, namely Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Tennessee, Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, and Governor Mike Parson of Missouri.

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Tennessee Republican Delegation Members Support Bill to Repeal the Death Tax

Kaitlin Housler
Estate Tax

All eight GOP U.S. representatives from Tennessee have sponsored a bill to repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, collectively known as the death tax.

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BlackRock Touting Tennessee Investments in X Advertisement

Peter D'Abrosca
Blackrock Ad

In an advertisement on X, formerly Twitter, the hedge fund BlackRock is touting its investments in the state of Tennessee.

“BlackRock invested in the future of Tennessee,” the ad says. “On behalf of our clients, BlackRock has invested over $36.5 billion in public companies across Tennessee and nearly 1 in 12 Tennesseans benefit from the public pensions we manage.” 

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Tennessee U.S. Senate Candidate Gloria Johnson Was Only Lawmaker to Vote Against Giving Death Penalty to Child Rapists

Tom Pappert
Gloria Johnson

U.S. Senate Candidate Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) on Tuesday was the only member of the Tennessee State House Criminal Justice Subcommittee to vote against legislation that would allow prosecutors to pursue a death penalty sentence for convicted child rapists.

After an exchange with Representative William Lamberth (R-Portland) over his bill, HB 1663, which amends existing law to authorize “the death penalty as a punishment for rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, or especially aggravated rape of a child,” Johnson quietly voted against the legislation and was seen on video verifying her “no” vote would be recorded by making a thumbs down gesture.

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Tennessee State Rep. Gino Bulso Explains Why the Aitken Bible Should Be an Official State Book

Kaitlin Housler
Gino Bulso

Tennessee State Representative Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) joined Tuesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss his bill that would designate the Aitken Bible as one of Tennessee’s official state books.

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Tennessee Valley Authority Thanks Customers for Conserving Energy During Last Week’s Extreme Winter Weather System

Kaitlin Housler

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is thanking its customers for conserving energy during the extreme winter weather and cold system that swept through Tennessee and surrounding states last week.

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Tennessee State Rep. Susan Lynn Awaits Final Version of Universal School Choice Bill, Notes Funding of Budget Is Issue This Year

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee State Representative Susan Lynn (R-Mount Juliet) joined Monday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss the General Assembly’s legislative session this year, specifically concerning its approach to Governor Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act.

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Tennessee Democrats Silent on Nashville Mayor’s Biden White House Trip During Snowstorm, but Upset Glenn Jacobs Campaigned with Trump

Tom Pappert

Democrats in Knox County issued a series of statements on social media last Tuesday which claimed Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs was “absent” during the recent winter weather because he traveled to Iowa to campaign for former President Donald Trump ahead of the state’s caucuses.

The Knox County Democrats posted to social media on Tuesday, “Why is Glenn spending more time this week with Trump, MTG, Matt Gaetz, Kari Lake, and Jim Jordan than with county employees clearing roads or at local churches hosting warming centers?”

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Former Trump Campaign Spokesman Steve Cortes Reveals Why He Fled Chicago for Tennessee

Kaitlin Housler

Steve Cortes, former Senior Spokesman and Strategist for the 2016 and 2020 Trump campaigns and National Spokesman of the Ron DeSantis Never Back Down super PAC, joined Monday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss his family’s move from Chicago, Illinois to Chattanooga.

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Tennessee U.S. Reps. Andy Ogles, Tim Burchett Named Top Defenders of Liberty by the Republican Liberty Caucus

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee U.S. Representatives Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) and Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) have been recognized as the Top Defenders of Liberty in 2023 by the Republican Liberty Caucus.

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Tennessee Judge to Consider Releasing List of Seized Items from Covenant School Shooter, May Set Court Date for Manifesto Release Hearing

Tom Pappert

Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles set a court date last Friday for this week, during which she will hear motions regarding the possible release of a list of documents written by Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale and to determine a future hearing to decide whether she will release Hale’s manifesto to the public.

Myles will hear two motions this Friday, reported WSMV on Saturday, including a motion regarding the release of “a list detailing the documents” written by Hale, the biological female who identified as a transgender male before she fatally shot three six-year-olds and three staff members at the Covenant School in March 2023, which were “turned over to the judge for her private viewing” last year.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Signs Executive Order for ‘Car-Free Streets,’ Expanding Initiative Started by Disgraced Mayor Megan Barry

Tom Pappert
Nashville Mayor

Metro Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell signed 44 executive orders on Friday, including Executive Order 45, which expands Metro’s Green and Complete Streets policy with calls for the city to close some streets to vehicles and “serve the most vulnerable users of the transportation network.” The policy was originally introduced by disgraced former Mayor Megan Barry in 2016.

The text of O’Connell’s order acknowledges inspiration from Barry’s Executive Order 31, signed in 2016, which aimed to “[a]pproach every transportation improvement project phase with the purpose to create greener, safer, and more accessible streets for all users” to “enhance environmental quality” of Metro Nashville.

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Death Count from Extreme Winter Weather in Tennessee Rises to 19, Department of Health Confirms

Kaitlin Housler
Snow Nashville

The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) confirmed 19 Tennesseans died as of Friday evening due to the winter weather and extreme cold in the state.

“The Tennessee Department of Health has confirmed 19 weather-related fatalities. Seven in Shelby County, one in Hickman County, one in Madison County, two in Washington County, one in Carroll County, one in Knox County, one in Van Buren County, one in Lauderdale County, one in Henry County, two in Marshall County, and one in Roane County,” the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) wrote in its  Flash Report.

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Former Tennessee Judge Accused of Being ‘Drug Kingpin’ Faces 10 Years in Prison After Pleading Guilty to Money Laundering, Marijuana Charges

Tom Pappert
Perry Stout

Former Johnson County General Session Court Judge Perry Stout pleaded guilty to charges related to money laundering and distributing marijuana on Friday in a plea agreement with prosecutors that saw charges dropped related to the weapon he allegedly possessed at the time he committed the crimes, a conspiracy to sell the drugs, and maintaining a home to sell or use drugs.

Stout was reportedly “visibly broken in appearance,” in court on Friday, reported The Tomahawk, which added that he “seemed almost disconnected” from the events unfolding in the court room, “but was very keen to ensure that his family was considered in connection to his plea deal.”

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Tennessee Lottery Celebrating Its 20th Anniversary

Kaitlin Housler
Lottery Game

The Tennessee Education Lottery is celebrating its 20th anniversary this weekend as the Lottery’s first ticket sale took place on January 20, 2004.

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Tennessee Democrat to Reportedly Face Primary Challenge over Refusal to Back Tennessee Three

Tom Pappert
Johnny Shaw

A member of the Tennessee Three indicated on Friday that he may back a primary challenger against State Representative Johnny Shaw (D-Bolivar) for a seat in the Tennessee General Assembly that Democrats have held for nearly 25 years. The remarks came after Shaw refused to join other Democrats in an ineffectual vote against rules in the Tennessee House designed to prevent chaotic speeches and insults.

Representative Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), one of the three members of the Tennessee House who faced expulsion last year, told The Tennessee Lookout on Friday that, while he respects Shaw as a “black American in this country” born in an “era in American history of legalized subjugation of black people,” he will nonetheless seek to find and support Democratic candidates who “align with the vision of a more just Tennessee” in 2024.

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Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett Supports Bipartisan Resolution to Allow New Mothers in Congress to Vote by Proxy

Kaitlin Housler
Burchett Luna

Tennessee U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) joined a group of bipartisan representatives on Thursday to announce his support for a resolution allowing new moms in Congress to vote by proxy up to six weeks postpartum.

Clause 2 of rule III of the Rules of the House of Representatives currently reads as follows:

A vote by a member of a committee or subcommittee with respect to any measure or matter may not be cast by proxy.

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Tennessee Republican Delegation Members Vote Against Continuing Resolution

Kaitlin Housler
TN GOP Reps

Four Tennessee U.S. Representatives voted against a continuing resolution on Thursday that would fund the government through March 1 and March 8.

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Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti Warns Instagram Effects ‘Catastrophic’ on Teens, Cites Unredacted Complaint Against Meta

Tom Pappert
Friends Phone

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti told The Tennessee Star in a Thursday phone interview that his office’s unredacted lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, shows the company is using strategies to increase Instagram user engagement which are “catastrophic” to teenage girls, and warned that other social media companies may soon land within his crosshairs.

Speaking to The Star, Skrmetti explained that his office’s unredacted complaint against Meta, which it released last week, outlines “a very sophisticated effort by a very sophisticated company to design a product that kids would have a hard time not using.” Meta’s focus on children, Skrmetti said, was motivated by a desire to keep them using the platforms into adulthood, when the company will have collected years worth of data that can be used by advertisers.

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Tennessee, Arizona Tie for Second Most Inbound Movers in 2023

Tom Pappert

Arizona and Tennessee tied with equal proportions of new residents moving in versus out of the states in 2023, with both states seeing about 61 percent of moves bringing new residents. Despite tying in percentages, Arizona was ranked second and Tennessee was ranked third by in the 2023 Allied US Moving Migration Report.

The data, which tracks migration patterns within the United States and is published by Allied Van Lines, showed that 60.8 of interstate moves in Tennessee and Arizona were new residents moving from elsewhere in the country, while just 39.2 percent of interstate moves saw residents leave the states. At 60.8 percent, Tennessee and Arizona are only edged out by South Carolina, where 64.7 percent of interstate moves brought new residents.

Data released in the 2023 Allied US Moving Migration Report, which tracks migration patterns within the United States and is published by Allied Van Lines, showed that 60.8 of interstate moves in Tennessee and Arizona were new residents moving from elsewhere in the country, while just 39.2 percent of interstate moves saw residents leave the states. At 60.8 percent, Tennessee and Arizona are only edged out by South Carolina, where 64.7 percent of interstate moves brought new residents.

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Gov. Lee Appoints New Tennessee State Forester

Peter D'Abrosca
Heather Slayton

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDOA) Commissioner Charlie Hatcher, D.V.M., announced Wednesday that he, along with Gov. Bill Lee (R), appointed a new state forester.

Heather Slayton is now the Tennessee State Forester and assistant commissioner for the Forestry Division, according to a release from TDOA.

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Tennessee Valley Authority Requests ‘Voluntary Curtailment’ to ‘Reduce Electric Consumption’ but Predicts No Blackouts

Tom Pappert

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) on Tuesday began asking utility companies to request their customers voluntarily curtail their power usage in an effort to “reduce electric consumption” as frigid weather slows much of the country, but the federally owned power company recently told Tennessee media outlets it does not expect rolling blackouts to occur because of winter weather in 2024.

Energy companies in Alabama and Kentucky have confirmed the TVA is requesting their customers decrease their energy use, with Huntsville Utilities in Alabama explained in a news release that “dangerously low temperatures” and “the expected high electric demand” prompted TVA to request “voluntary curtailment across their entire system.”

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Tennessee General Assembly to Resume Next Week Due to Severe Weather

Kaitlin Housler

The Tennessee General Assembly will resume business next week as a winter storm warning and wind chill advisory remains in effect for Davidson County.

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Tennessee Lawmakers Propose Legislation Banning Banks, Credit Card Companies from Tracking Purchases of Guns and Ammo

Tom Pappert

State Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill) and State Sen. Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) introduced legislation on Wednesday that would prohibit banks, credit card companies and other financial institutions from tracking purchases of firearms.

Warner filed HB 1784 and Hensley filed SB 1702 to make it “an unfair or deceptive trade practice” for any “financial institution to require a firearms retailer to use firearms-specific transaction codes” after the industry began creating a new credit card merchant category code for purchases of firearms and ammunition, which they claimed would help identify dangerous gun owners or suspicious transactions. 

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Democrat Lawmaker Files Tennessee ‘Right to Die’ Bill

Peter D'Abrosca
Bob Freeman

A Democrat member of the General Assembly has introduced a bill that would make euthanasia legal in Tennessee. 

HB 1710 “creates a process whereby an adult suffering from a terminal disease may request medication for the purpose of ending the adult’s life in a humane and dignified manner if certain requirements are met,” according to the bill’s summary. 

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett Reintroduces Bill to Require the House Clerk Read the Estimated Cost of Legislation After Reading Its Title

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) reintroduced a bill this week that would require the House Clerk to read the estimated cost of a bill after reading its title.

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Tennessee to Address AI Impact on Music Industry with ‘ELVIS Act’

Peter D'Abrosca

Gov. Bill Lee (R) announced this week that he is working with the General Assembly on a bill to protect the rights of Tennessee’s artists as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a more prevalent threat.

“From Beale Street to Broadway, to Bristol and beyond, Tennessee is known for our rich artistic heritage that tells the story of our great state,” Lee said in a press release. “As the technology landscape evolves with artificial intelligence, we’re proud to lead the nation in proposing legal protection for our best-in-class artists and songwriters.”

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Tennessee House Bill Would Require All Driver’s License Tests to Be Administered in English

Peter D'Abrosca

A new bill introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly would require drivers wishing to obtain Tennessee driver’s licenses to pass a test administered only in English. 

HB 1730 “requires all written driver license examinations to be administered in English only; prohibits use of a translation dictionary, electronic device, or interpreter to assist with the examination,” according to the summary of the bill. 

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Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti Claims Meta Knowingly Made Instagram Addictive to Children in Unredacted Lawsuit

Tom Pappert
AG Skrmetti

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti (R) released on Wednesday the unredacted lawsuit he is leading against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, which alleges Meta created Instagram using “deceptive and unfair business practices that are fomenting a mental health crisis in this state.”

Skrmetti stated in a press release that his office’s “complaint makes clear that Meta knew its platforms were hurting kids and made a very clear decision to choose money over the mental health of its young users.” The attorney general said that “Tennessee law protects kids from companies, big or small, that mislead and hurt them” and that the state “will continue to aggressively enforce that law.”

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State Senator Hensley Confirms Tennessee Will Likely Owe Out-of-State Companies Up to $1 Billion Due to Constitutional Flaw in Decades Old Law

Tennessee Star Staff
Joey Hensley

State Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy in-studio on Thursday to discuss new allegations by a group of out-of-state companies that say they are owed for taxes they paid to the tune of more than a billion dollars. The companies’ claims stem from a 1932 law that applies a different formula to in-state companies versus firms located outside of Tennessee.

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Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones Ruled Out of Order After Calling House Speaker Sexton ‘Drunk with Power’ on Second Day of Session

Tom Pappert
Jones Sexton

State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) was ruled out of order by the Tennessee House of Representatives on Wednesday after he reportedly claimed House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) was “drunk with power” on the second day of the 2024 legislative session.

Jones asked to speak about his purported concerns over an incident he and Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) claimed to witness on Tuesday, when they allege that Sexton’s security detail prevent Republican Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) from riding in the same elevator as Sexton.

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‘Tennessee Three’ Spoke in General Assembly for Combined Seven Hours in 2023, Despite Claims of Being Silenced

Tom Pappert

Despite repeated claims that Republicans seek to silence them in the Tennessee General Assembly, the members of the “Tennessee Three” collectively spoke more than seven hours in 2023, making them three of the four most loquacious Tennessee lawmakers over the year.

The Tennessee General Assembly began its 2024 regular session on Tuesday, but Representative Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) claimed in repeated statements outside the House chambers that Republicans are trying to silence him.

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Beacon Center of Tennessee Applauds Mt. Juliet Board of Commissioners for Amending Food Truck Permit Fee

Kaitlin Housler
Food Truck

The Beacon Center of Tennessee released a statement on Tuesday celebrating the Mt. Juliet Board of Commissioners for passing an ordinance setting a uniform rate for both in-city and out-of-city food trucks to operate within city limits.

“We are absolutely thrilled that our lawsuit prompted the City of Mt. Juliet to repeal its unconstitutional $100/day permitting fee for food truck operators located outside of Mt. Juliet,” Beacon Director of Legal Affairs Wen Fa said in a statement. “That exorbitant fee essentially shut out our clients— food truck owners who have served many satisfied Mt. Juliet residents in the past— from Mt. Juliet. We’re delighted for both our clients and for the residents of Mt. Juliet that the food trucks are now able to return.”

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Republican Bill Would Exempt Diapers, Baby Wipes, Formula from Sales Tax in Tennessee

Peter D'Abrosca

A bill introduced by a Tennessee Republican would exempt certain baby products from sales tax.

“There is exempt from the tax imposed by this chapter the retail sale of infant formula and diapers and wipes designed to be used by infants and children, if sold between 12:01 a.m. on July 1, 2024, and 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2025,” says the text of HB 1637.

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