Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed (R-TN-28) Tennessee State Senator Joey Hensley to the newsmaker line to talk about the big issues in Tennessee’s 2023 General Assembly agenda.
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Niche has released its annual school rankings for 2023. This year’s list shows that 7 of the top 10 public high schools in Tennessee are located in the mid-state region. Nashville’s Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet School holds the top spot, closely followed by Williamson County’s Ravenwood and Rutherford County’s Central Magnet. It isn’t until the 7th slot that a high school outside middle Tennessee is recognized – Knox County’s Farragut High School.
The middle school rankings tell a similar story. Once again, 7 out of the top 10 schools are located in the state’s central region. The top public middle school, per Niche, is Rutherford County’s Central Magnet (a 6 – 12 school), followed by Merroll Hyde Magnet School (a k – 12 school) in Sumner County and Thompson Station Middle School in Williamson County. Coulter Grove Intermediate School is the highest-ranked middle school located outside of Middle Tennessee. The Maryville City School is ranked 5th.
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All nine representatives serving Tennessee were sworn into the 118th Congress following the chamber’s vote for house speaker.
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The conservative political advocacy group Americans for Prosperity – Tennessee (AFP-TN) published its 2023 Legislative Agenda, suggesting four major policy changes in the state.
During Tennees’s General Assembly legislative session this year, AFP-TN will advocate for legislation that moves to tackle and overall improve: economic opportunity, educational freedom, transparency, and criminal justice reform.
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Jonathan Roumie, who plays the role of “Jesus” in the groundbreaking series THE CHOSEN, will keynote the 50th annual March for Life – the first since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade – in Washington, DC, the pro-life organization announced Thursday.
In a press release, the March for Life Education and Defense Fund announced actor, director, producer and voice-over artist Jonathan Roumie, who portrays “Jesus” in the fan-supported free streaming series THE CHOSEN, a drama about the life of Jesus and the calling of his first disciples, will keynote the pro-life organization’s Rose Dinner Gala on January 20.
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As of January 3, 2023, the Republicans were supposed to control the United States House of Representatives by a slim majority. On that date, many expected that the task of electing a new Speaker and moving forward with the business of “the people” in the House would start under Republican party control. But as of January 6, 2023, those elected to serve in the House have not selected a Speaker and so the House has not been organized nor undertaken regular operations. National news reports indicate that the presumptive Republican Speaker so far has fallen short in getting the required number of votes in part because approximately 20 Republicans who were elected in November have refused to vote for McCarty and no other individual has demonstrated enough votes to get the position.
One of the issues that is being discussed is whether any of those who have refused to support McCarthy in the 11 votes taken as of January 5th have broken a promise, perhaps a campaign promise, to do so. It is an active discussion over what was promised and whether there are any valid justifications for withholding support if a promise was made. Indeed, at least in Nashville, the talk radio shows are expending a great amount of time reviewing this issue because there is a Congressman-elect from Tennessee who is part of the story.
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Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Tennessee Firearms Association CEO, Attorney John Harris in studio to explain the Brewing decision and offer suggestions as to how the Tennessee General Assembly can protect the Second Amendment.
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Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Roger Simon in studio to talk about his new book, American Refugee, and the Republican Party’s Speaker election transparency with frequent Caller Carl.
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Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Roger Simon in studio to comment upon the recent letter by the Conservative Action Project calling for a new US House of Representatives leadership.
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The 113th Tennessee State General Assembly is set to convene at noon on Tuesday, January 10, and preliminary indications are that the state’s Department of Education (TDOE) will not be supporting any new initiatives this year. The official position of the TDOE is that the administration sets the legislative agenda for state agencies, but in the past, the department has led the charge on several occasions – including, but not limited to, literacy, high-quality materials, and school funding.
For their part, legislators appear to be looking to amend – and in some cases expand – past efforts to improve student educational opportunities. This year’s legislative agenda forsakes the bold initiatives of the recent past in order to tweak and expand existing laws. Education Savings Accounts (ESA), TISA, and the 3rd-grade retention policy are all on the table for modification this year.
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The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) recently announced its intent to distribute approximately $15 million in state funds to local community agencies and organizations that will provide housing for Tennesseans living with behavioral health challenges, recovering from addiction or re-entering society from prison.
The funding, according to TDMHSAS, will be distributed by the department’s Creating Homes Initiative (CHI) to “grantees to develop safe, quality and affordable permanent supportive housing opportunities in the communities they serve.”
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed official guest host Aaron Gulbransen and all-star panelist Carol Swain in studio to discuss footballer Damar Hamlin’s injury from Monday night’s game and the selection of a new US House Speaker.
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed (R-64) Representative Scott Cepicky to the newsmaker line to talk about the need for classroom supply funding and making the teaching profession more attractive to college-bound students.
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Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Crom Carmichael in studio to discuss the ongoing devolution of the blue states in America and the contrast between California and Florida.
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The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) announced a new security protocol that applies to everyone who enters TDOC prisons in 2023.
Beginning this month, all people who enter a TDOC prison will be required to be screened by a full body scanner. The scanners are meant to “act as deterrents for individuals considering bringing contraband into a facility,” TDOC explained in a recent press release.
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Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) posted their picks for the top five new business investments in the state during 2022.
In all, about 100 projects were supported by TNECD statewide in 2022, resulting in more than 16,000 jobs and $8.6 billion in private investment, according to the department.
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A list of new laws will take effect in Tennessee on January 1, 2023. The list of laws will go into effect in the new year, from relation to medical records, security-guard training, abortion-inducing drugs, and medication aide certification qualifications.
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Congressman Tim Burchett has voiced criticism over Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) rolling blackout mandates over the Christmas weekend.
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The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) released a report this week that showed 323 officers were shot in the line of duty, with 60 killed. In Tennessee, 12 officers were shot in the line of duty this year.
FOP called 2022 “one of the most dangerous years for law enforcement.”
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Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the nation will receive a large portion of funds from the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package on its way to President Joe Biden’s desk for signature.
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A phone call from a local Tennessee jail costs an average of $2.97 per minute for a 15-minue call, 1.8 times more expensive than state prisons, according to a new report from the Prison Policy Initiative.
The report looked at costs of calls across the United States and the causes of the different rates. Tennessee’s rate was within 5 cents per minute of most of its neighboring states outside of Arkansas ($3.15) and Virginia ($2.65).
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The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) terminated “planned intermittent interruptions,” also known as rolling blackouts, across Tennessee and beyond on Saturday. TVA thanked the public for its “patience,” adding that the blackouts were necessary in order to “maintain grid stability for 10 million people across seven states.”
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Amid temperatures in the teens and single digits across the state on Friday, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) announced that power demand in Tennessee hit an “all-time December peak.”
TVA announced Friday that it and local power company employees were “actively working to maintain a stable power grid for everyone amid unprecedented demand,” by “temporarily reducing power supplies to localized areas.”
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Skrmetti is joining Governor Bill Lee and Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) in calling on the Biden administration to reverse their plan for detainee relocation.”
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Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn is preparing to release a video via social media discussing the state’s economy and spoke with The Tennessee Star this week to discuss both the pressures it endures as well as its bright spots compared with other regions.
In the one-minute spot, which shows the senator touring a Clarksville-area manufacturing plant, she discusses the challenge ongoing inflation poses to producers as they attempt to provide affordable goods to Tennesseans.
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The state Department of Education received 23 letters of intent from charter school operators seeking to open new schools in eight districts across Tennessee. The deadline to apply for approval for the 2023-24 academic year was December 3. Formal applications are due February 1, 2023.
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Tennessee Congressman John Rose (R-TN-06) called for U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to be removed from office via resignation or impeachment on Tuesday.
Congressman Rose’s demand follows reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are planning to bus illegal immigrants to Tennessee this week.
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The Nolensville Police Department (NPD) warned residents of a scam being reported throughout Middle Tennessee neighborhoods.
In a Facebook post Sunday, the Nolensville Police reported that the recently reported scam involved an “unidentified individual knocking on the door of a potential victim.”
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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities in New Orleans are scheduled to begin transporting an unknown number of illegal aliens to Tennessee this week, Governor Lee’s office announced in a press release.
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Tennessee lawmakers across the state are applauding the passage of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.
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In its annual Pork Report published earlier this week, the Beacon Center of Tennessee highlighted three areas of waste, fraud, and abuse of Tennessee taxpayer money in East Tennessee. The report specifically identified the issues of the city of Knoxville’s lawsuit against Netflix and Hulu, synthetic turf athletic fields in Johnson City, and pickleball courts in Bristol.
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Following outrage and legal action, Ticketmaster announced it would offer a second chance for a select number of fans to acquire tickets to Taylor Swift’s upcoming “Eras Tour”.
In November, as previously reported by The Tennessee Star, Ticketmaster announced that it suspended ticket sales for Swift’s tour after the site experienced an array of problems during its previous ticket presale event.
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In its annual Pork Report, the Beacon Center of Tennessee highlighted three areas of waste, fraud, and abuse of Tennessee taxpayer money in Middle Tennessee. The report specifically identified the issues of unused homeless pods in Nashville, raised vehicle registration fees in place of emissions testing, and the funding of a grant for Planned Parenthood.
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This week, the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) released the ACT state results and participation rate for the 2022 graduating class, two months after national data was released by ACT. The results show that Tennessee is not moving the needle in student outcomes.
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Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) announced four new changes to his staff on Wednesday.
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In its annual Pork Report highlighting waste, fraud, and abuse of Tennessee taxpayer money, the Beacon Center of Tennessee identified 2022’s ‘Pork of the Year’ – the biggest waste of taxpayer money – as the funding and proposals of many sports stadiums across the state.
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Tennessee will receive $265 million in opioid crisis funds from a settlement with Walgreens and CVS, according to Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s Office.
The state’s settlement with the two companies is a part of a national multistate settlement which will see Walgreens and CVS paying more than $10.7 billion combined.
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Wednesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) to the newsmaker line to describe state House and Senate roles and highlight forthcoming agenda for 2023.
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The Beacon Center of Tennessee published its annual Pork Report this week, highlighting the wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars this past year across Tennessee.
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Newly-announced scholarships for college students funded by the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) Foundation and in partnership with the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE) – Memphis Chapter will only be distributed to minority students
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Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Aaron Gulbransen to discuss the weaponization of government and left-wing response to the overturning of Roe v Wade using the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.
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A new study revealed that Tennessee ranks as one of the top states in the nation for kindness.
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The chair of Nashville’s East Bank Stadium Committee believes that the Metro Council does not have enough information from the mayor’s office to properly analyze and vote on a non-binding term sheet at the council’s Dec. 20 meeting.
In a series of posts on the topic, at-large Council Member Bob Mendes has pointed out that, while the mayor’s office has provided a breakdown of tax projections that are expected to send $2.9 billion in public tax funds toward the stadium over the next 34 years – not including $500 million from the state of Tennessee – it has not provided a projected breakdown of how those funds will be spent.
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Governor Mike DeWine announced Monday that the Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) has finished setting the required training known as the Armed School Staff Essential Training (ASSET) Curriculum.
The OSSC developed the curriculum to meet the requirements of House Bill (HB) 99 sponsored by state Representative Thomas Hall (R-Madison Twp.) which gives Ohio school boards and governing bodies the option to arm staff members.
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Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report,host Leahy welcomed Professional Educators of Tennessee’s Founder and President, JC Bowman to the newsmaker line to discuss the recent report card for the state’s education revealing problems for Cannon, Williamson, and Davidson counties.
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American Classical Education (ACE) informed the Tennessee Department of Education and school boards of education in five counties – Rutherford, Montgomery, Madison, Maury, and Robertson – in separate letters last week it intends to apply for public school charters to operate classical schools in those five counties.
“We’ve filed our letters of intent with the school districts and the department,” Dolores Gresham, an ACE board member, former Tennessee State Senator, and former Senate Education Committee Chair, told The Tennessee Star.
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The recently released Tennessee State Report Card for schools and districts offers a means for parents to gather information about their children’s schools and compare and contrast neighboring school districts. The report focuses on performance, but also provides data on student demographics, student funding, staffing levels, and other pertinent information required by parents to make informed judgments about their children’s education opportunities.
“With the release of the State Report Card, Tennessee continues our firm commitment to providing families with clear, actionable information on how our districts and schools are serving students,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “The Report Card allows stakeholders to access years’ worth of meaningful data through an interactive, easy-to-navigate online platform, and now the latest data is available to help Tennesseans to explore and learn about their local schools and districts.”
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Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed (R-TN-14) State Representative Jason Zachary to the newsmaker line to discuss the ACLU’s lawsuit threat to Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare’s failure to maintain a schedule gender reassignment surgery and his legislature to maintain such surgeries halt in the state of Tennessee.
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Lawmakers and parents are increasingly questioning Tennessee’s third-grade retention law. While Tennessee has long had legislation in place allowing districts the ability to retain third-grade students who did not score “proficient” on TCAP, the previous law left the decision up to local districts. Legislation passed during 2021’s Special Session took that decision out of local districts’ hands and made it state-mandated. A move that state lawmakers are now openly questioning.
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Most speakers at the East Bank Stadium Committee public comment meeting held at the Bellevue Regional Community Center Wednesday evening expressed their opposition to the proposed deal for a new Tennessee Titans stadium.
The public comment meeting in Bellevue was the fourth in a series of five scheduled across the county by the East Bank Stadium Committee (EBSC) to hear feedback and comments directly from the community about the proposed $2.1 billion stadium.
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