State sales tax funding for a new baseball stadium in Chattanooga was passed in the last week of Tennessee’s legislative session.
House Bill 2609 was approved 79-11 by the House and 28-0 in the Senate. It would allow the Chattanooga Lookouts to move to a new stadium in the city and retain a sales tax deal where the Lookouts keep the first 5.5% of the state’s 7% sales tax for sales at the stadium and would extend the deal to apply to non-baseball events at the stadium.
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A newly proposed Pennsylvania law would require drunk drivers who cause deadly accidents to pay support to the children of those they killed.
State Rep. Anthony DeLuca (D-Pittsburgh) is currently seeking cosponsors in the House of Representatives for the legislation.
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Governor Bill Lee has appointed Billy Worsham to chair the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities’ (DIDD) Statewide Planning and Policy Council (SPPC) for the next two years, according to a press release by the department.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee marked the close of the 2022 legislative session Friday, which included the passage of his $52.8 billion budget and full agenda as outlined during his State of the State address in February.
“Tennessee is America at Its Best, and we’ve made strategic investments to cut taxes, strengthen infrastructure and invest in education at every level to prepare our state for future growth,” Governor Lee said in a statement. “I thank Leader Johnson and Leader Lamberth for carrying key legislation, and commend the General Assembly for passing measures that will benefit Tennesseans and continue our state’s reputation for conservative fiscal management.”
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Tennessee’s Senate passed a bill on Thursday that could require more reporting requirements for political action committees (PAC), candidates and some nonprofits.
An amended Senate Bill 1005 could require any PAC registering after July 1 to include a name and address from an ID for its officers if it becomes law.
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The adage is that no one loves a warrior until the enemy is at the gates. We are the land of the free for one reason only: We are also the home of the brave. We need more people willing to stand up and bravely speak out on issues. However, it is not always about being right, it is about doing what is right. On that front, we need more warriors not afraid to do what is right and what is necessary.
Ronald Reagan, a man known for his wit, preferred humor to attack politics. Journalist H.W. Brands wrote: “Even those who disliked his policies had difficulty disliking him.” Brands also called Reagan the Republican Party’s “last hero, their last real vote-getter.”
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee joined lawmakers at the state and federal level, as well as other prominent figures, in signing a letter asking Yale Law School to discipline a “vitriolic mob” that derailed a bipartisan panel on free speech at the campus in March.
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On Thursday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced efforts to recruit out of state law enforcement to the Tennessee Highway Patrol have “netted early results as the administration focuses on proven crime prevention methods and addressing law enforcement staff shortages.”
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On Friday, the Division of TennCare expanded health care benefits for pregnant and postpartum TennCare members, according to the department.
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A bill that will change the funding mechanism for Tennessee’s public schools passed the Legislature on the final day of session on Thursday.
Senate Bill 2396, known as the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement, could set up a new formula for Tennessee’s schools to be funded beginning in the 2023-24 fiscal year.
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Ultimate Linings, LLC officials announced Tuesday the company will relocate its chemical manufacturing facility from Bedford, Texas, to Lebanon, Tennessee, according to a press release by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD).
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced appointments to three judicial positions across the state on Monday, according to a press release by Lee’s office.
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Permobil, Inc. officials announced the company expects to invest $15.5 million to expand its manufacturing operations at the company’s North American headquarters in Middle Tennessee, according to a press release by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD).
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On Thursday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced in a press release his proposal for a 30-day suspension of state and local grocery sales tax to provide “direct financial relief to Tennesseans amid surging inflation nationwide.”
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On Wednesday, Governor Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Bob Rolfe, and ATC Drivetrain officials announced the company has selected Knoxville as the location for its newest manufacturing facility.
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Governor Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) Commissioner David Salyers announced a $19 million loan for the City of Chattanooga to improve water infrastructure on Monday.
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President Joe Biden granted a Major Disaster Declaration on Friday to help seven Tennessee counties recovering from the severe winter storm that hit the region in early February, at the request of Governor Bill Lee.
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On Wednesday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Bob Rolfe, and Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) officials announced the company will establish new manufacturing operations in Oak Ridge.
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Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Clint Brewer in-studio to comment upon Morgan Ortagus’ D.C. fundraiser and open records request by the national ACLU in regard to the Hillsdale College Barney Charter Schools.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced Wednesday that Iron Galaxy Studios, LLC will invest $950,000 to establish a new video game development studio in Nashville. As part of the company’s expansion to Davidson County, Iron Galaxy will create 108 new tech jobs over the next five years, according to a press release by TNECD.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn are scheduled to announce legislation for the new student-based funding formula, known as the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement formula (TISA) this week. According to an emailed statement, Lee and Schwinn are scheduled to present the legislation on Thursday, February 24.
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On Friday, Governor Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced that Wall Innovations, LLC has chosen Bolivar to relocate from Long Island City, New York for its U.S. manufacturing and distribution base.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a proclamation dedicating February 13-19, 2022 as “Adoption Is Love Week.”
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced Thursday that Chick-fil-A Supply® selected Antioch as the location for its fourth U.S. distribution center in the state. The facility will begin operations later this year, according to a press release by TNECD.
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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s $52.6 billion budget proposal uses $8.9 billion more in general fund dollars than the state’s current budget, according to an analysis from The Sycamore Institute.
The additional spending comes from multiple sources. A large portion is from excess taxes and fees collected over the past three years and an influx of federal funds.
The Sycamore Institute pointed to $5.2 million more in funds available this fiscal year than what was budgeted in July, including a $2.3 billion surplus from fiscal year 2021 and $2.3 billion more in surplus from fiscal 2022.
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Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver to the newsmaker line to talk about her priorities for 2022 and a Yes vote to refuse federal education money.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe, and Macy’s, Inc. officials announced Wednesday that the company will expand operations in Robertson County.
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On Wednesday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee asked FEMA to work with TEMA on a joint Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) to determine the state’s eligibility for federal assistance to support power restoration and recovery efforts in counties impacted in the floods and severe ice storm on February 3rd and February 4th, 2022.
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On Wednesday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the appointment of Butch Eley as deputy to the governor. Eley will continue serving in his current role as commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration (F&A) and as a member of Governor Lee’s cabinet, according to a press release by Lee’s office.
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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s proposed fiscal year 2023 budget includes $626.5 million in road projects for the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
The proposal includes 22 new projects that are categorized under the State Highway Partnership Program ($226 million), Rural Interchange Improvement Program ($176 million), IMPROVE Act Acceleration ($100 million) and economic development projects ($77 million).
The economic development projects, in what are characterized as some of the state’s fastest-growing counties, include a Cleveland Street extension and Interstate-24 underpass in Davidson County ($40 million), a Sullivan County alignment project ($22 million) and widening State Road 334 in Blount County ($15 million).
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During his fourth State of the State address on Monday in the House Chamber of the Tennessee State Capitol, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee declared, “the state of our state is strong.”
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee sent off approximately 50 Tennessee Guard personnel to support the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Safety on Wednesday.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and staff at the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) this week released projected data that predates COVID-19 and compared it to student’s actual TCAP scores. They said in a press release that they did this to measure the pandemic’s impact on student achievement via the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) public site. State officials use the site annually to measure students’ overall growth.
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On Monday in a press release, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe announced that they recently approved $28.5 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which will assist communities with infrastructure improvements, housing rehabilitations and health and safety initiatives.
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To commemorate National School Choice week in Tennessee, Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) released a statement calling for government funding to follow and benefit students.
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The Williamson County-based Tennessee Stands published an online column on their website Sunday that called on Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Health to enforce an already-existing state law enacted late last year. Gary Humble, of Tennessee Stands, referenced House Bill 9077 and its equivalent Senate Bill 9014.
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Along with 15 other governors on Wednesday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee called on President Joe Biden to work with states as partners and provide states with maximum flexibility to determine the best use of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funds.
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On Wednesday in a press release, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced he will deliver his fourth State of the State address to the General Assembly and fellow Tennesseans on Monday, January 31 at 6 p.m. CT. The joint session will take place in the House Chamber of the Tennessee State Capitol.
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The Tennessee Department of Education announced in a press release it has pioneered a new way to develop teacher pipelines. As of Thursday, Tennessee is the first official state to be approved by the U.S. Department of Labor to establish a permanent Grow Your Own model, with the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System and Austin Peay State University’s Teacher Residency program becoming the first registered apprenticeship program for teaching in the country.
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The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate that would apply to large U.S. businesses. The mandate, which would have been enacted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), could have forced businesses with 100 or more employees to mandate the vaccine or weekly testing.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced appointees to a series of key boards and commissions, according to a Tuesday press release by the Office of the Governor.
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On Tuesday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation marked National Human Trafficking Awareness Day by urging Tennesseans to educate themselves on how to identify human trafficking and support those who have been impacted by it.
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Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Carol Swain in studio to react to critical theory incentives for University of Memphis professors and failed leadership in K12 Tennessee education.
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Staff for Tennessee Governor Bill Lee won’t comment on the matter, but State Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) said Thursday that members of the Tennessee National Guard should decide on their own whether to vaccinate against COVID-19. Tennessee National Guard officials said in November that their troops must take the COVID-19 shot or face discharge. This, per a mandate from the U.S. Department of Defense and President Joe Biden.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee appointed Mark Hayes as circuit court judge for the 29th Judicial District to fill the Honorable Russell Lee Moore’s vacancy, effective immediately, according to a Monday press release.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced on Monday that he requested federal emergency assistance for nine counties impacted in the tornado outbreak over the weekend, according to a press release by the Tennessee Department of Military.
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Three Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) employees have come forward to say they will not take the COVID-19 shot, and, subsequently, their employer has forced them into unpaid leave. The ORNL employees have taken the matter to federal court.
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A new Tennessee law prohibits COVID-19 mask mandates in schools, but Governor Bill Lee’s legislative counsel warned in a recent and now heavily publicized email that the law violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. Legislative Counsel Liz Alvey sent the email October 30. The AP obtained Alvey’s email through a public records request.
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On Monday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced in a press release two actions he has taken in order to address and tackle the ongoing supply chain crisis happening across the nation.
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The head of the Oklahoma National Guard won’t require his troops to comply with the Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, but Tennessee National Guard (TNG) troops should not expect their superiors to follow the Oklahoma’s commander’s lead.
TNG spokesman Darrin Haas said Monday that his commanders will enforce Biden’s vaccine mandate.
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