A bill that would prohibit local governments from limiting the ability of a law enforcement agency to conduct routine traffic stops passed the Tennessee Senate on Thursday.
Read the full storyTag: Tennessee General Assembly
Democrat State Rep. Justin Jones Admitted He Walked ‘Across the Border’ with an Illegal Alien
State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) admitted on the floor of the Tennessee House of Representatives on Thursday that he walked “across the border” with an illegal alien named Javier after visiting a migrant caravan camp in Mexico last week.
Jones made the admission while speaking in opposition to a bill, HB 2124, on the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday.
Read the full storyTennessee General Assembly Confirms Governor Lee’s Appointment of Mary Wagner to the Supreme Court
The Tennessee General Assembly voted to confirm Governor Bill Lee’s appointment of Shelby County circuit court judge Mary Wagner to the Supreme Court on Monday.
Read the full storyState Senator Mark Pody ‘Much Happier’ with Senate Version of Governor’s School Choice Bill Compared to House Version
Tennessee State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) said he is “much happier” with the Senate’s version of Governor Bill Lee’s universal school choice bill compared to the House’s version, which includes additional incentives not particularly related to school choice.
Read the full storyDem Tennessee State Rep Justin Jones Goes to Migrant Caravan Camp in Mexico to Support Border Invasion
Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) traveled to a migrant camp in Mexico on Friday where he claimed that there is “no invasion” of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Read the full storyTennessee State Senator Joey Hensley Explains ‘Present’ Vote on School Choice Bill
Tennessee State Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) said he voted present on the State Senate’s version of Governor Bill Lee’s universal school choice bill this week in the education committee because he said he believed there needed to be “more discussion” on the bill before it advanced out of committee.
“I was present, not voting, because I felt like we needed more discussion in the education committee,” Hensley said on Thursday’s episode of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.
Read the full storyMichael Patrick Leahy Vows to Help Find, Support Challenger to State Rep. Todd Warner Following Vote Against School Choice Bill
Michael Patrick Leahy, editor-in-chief and CEO of The Tennessee Star, vowed to help “lead the charge” to retire Tennessee State Representative Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill) in response to the lawmaker’s vote against Governor Bill Lee’s proposed school voucher program.
Read the full storyTennessee House Majority Whip Johnny Garrett Reveals Major Division Among Democrats in the General Assembly
Tennessee House Majority Whip Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville) said the Democrats in the Tennessee General Assembly are “frustrated” and “divided” by the actions and conduct of a select few of its own members.
Read the full storyTennessee State Senator Brent Taylor Sponsors Several Crime-Related Bills in Effort to ‘Make Memphis Matter’
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) announced he is sponsoring several crime-related bills this legislative session in an effort to fight crime and “Make Memphis Matter.”
In a letter to his colleagues in the Tennessee State Senate, Taylor detailed 13 pieces of legislation he is sponsoring and asked his colleagues to consider sponsoring the bills as well.
Read the full storyCo-Founder of AbleChild Sheila Matthews Details Work on Tennessee Bill to Help Determine Link Between Psychotropic Drugs and Mass Shooters
Sheila Matthews, co-founder of the national non-profit parent organization AbleChild, detailed her work on crafting an “outstanding” bill recently filed in the Tennessee General Assembly that is focused on reforming the process medical examiner’s offices must follow in terms of testing for psychotropic drugs when performing autopsies on the bodies of mass shooters.
HB 2933, if enacted, would require a medical examiner’s office or regional forensic center to determine and document current both psychotropic and prescription drug use from the past 10 years by a deceased individual who died under “suspicious, unusual, or unnatural circumstances.”
Read the full storyAaron Gulbransen Analyzes the Tennessee General Assembly’s Current Session
Aaron Gulbransen, executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, said the current session of the Tennessee General Assembly is “pretty normal” despite state lawmakers still reeling from last year’s events by the “Tennessee Three” Democrats and the special session.
“It’s kind of normal, to be honest with you. Now, I will say, I think everybody has a little bit of PTSD after last year with all the shenanigans that Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson pulled and then the contentiousness of the special session and the lead up to that and right after that. But it’s relatively normal,” Gulbransen explained on Tuesday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy.
Read the full storyNew Study Shows Tennessee Republican Voters Support Repealing State’s Certificate of Need Laws
A new study released by the Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF) shows a majority of Republican voters in Tennessee oppose Certificate of Need (CON) laws.
Read the full storyTennessee State Rep. Susan Lynn Awaits Final Version of Universal School Choice Bill, Notes Funding of Budget Is Issue This Year
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.
Read the full storyGovernor Bill Lee Set to Deliver his Sixth State of the State Address on February 5
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee will deliver his sixth State of the State Address to members of the General Assembly and Tennesseans on Monday, February 5, his office announced this week.
Read the full storyState Senator Mark Pody Shares Insights on Franchise Excise Tax Issue and Legislative Timelines
State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) told listeners on Tuesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy that legislative timelines could be impacted after lawmakers were sent home for the week due to severe winter weather. Pody added that the new bill filing deadline could be extended, but it currently stands on February 1.
The Wilson County-area state senator also offered an update on his newly introduced school safety measure and noted that its funding would be included in the current budget.
Pody also confirmed that the possible constitutional issue concerning out-of-state companies threatening legal action over the franchise excise tax is being studied and added that the fiscal fallout may cause some programs to be delayed by a year.
Read the full storyTN House Majority Whip Johnny Garrett: There Is Discussion About the Constitutionality of Our Franchise Excise Tax Law
Majority Whip Johnny Garrett joined the newsmaker line on Monday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to share his insights on the new legislative session as it begins its second week at home as snow continues to blanket the region.
Garrett expressed optimism about Governor Bill Lee’s proposed education freedom scholarships, though he said he does anticipate some opposition to the proposal.
The conversation then turned to the potential constitutional issue regarding the franchise excise tax law that could leave taxpayers on the hook for as much as $1.2 billion. Garrett noted Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is evaluating the claims to see if tax relief for the companies in question would address constitutional concerns.
Read the full storyTennessee General Assembly to Resume Next Week Due to Severe Weather
The Tennessee General Assembly will resume business next week as a winter storm warning and wind chill advisory remains in effect for Davidson County.
Read the full storyDemocrat Lawmaker Files Tennessee ‘Right to Die’ Bill
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.
Read the full storyState Rep. Jody Barrett Takes on Red Flag Laws, Education Freedom
As the Tennessee General Assembly prepares to gavel back into session next week, State Representative Jody Barrett appeared on Tuesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to reflect on the lessons learned during his first term in the Tennessee General Assembly and discuss his key legislative matters including red lag laws and school choice reform.
Read the full storyDrug Overdose, Sex Offense, Victims Rights Bills to Be Debated in Tennessee General Assembly in 2024
Legislation to tackle drug overdoses, sex offenses, and victims rights have already been put forth for the 2024 session of the Tennessee General Assembly.
State Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) wants to update an old statute that he said he thinks does not do enough to protect victims of potential violent crimes.
Read the full storyTennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy Radio Show Moves to 760 AM, Nashville’s Only ‘America First’ Newstalk Station
The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, the radio show produced by the state’s leading conservative media company, begins broadcasting Monday, December 11 on Nashville’s newest conservative talk station 760 AM WENO “The Flame,” Nashville’s only America First newstalk station.
The Tennessee Star Report moves to its new home after a five-year run on TalkRadio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC. The show is produced by Star News Digital Media, the parent company of The Tennessee Star conservative news website.
Read the full storyTennessee Juvenile Judges Announce ‘Full Support’ of Supreme Court’s Effort to Raise Compensation for Court-Appointed Attorneys
On behalf of the juvenile court judges and magistrates of Tennessee’s 98 juvenile courts, the executive committee of the Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges announced this week its “full support” of the current efforts to increase the state’s judicial system’s budget for it to increase the compensation rate for court-appointed attorneys.
“Juvenile court is where the many problems facing our state’s children are addressed… Private attorneys are crucial for abused or unwanted children. Unfortunately, many attorneys do not accept appointments in juvenile court due to the inadequacy of the reimbursement,” the council said in a statement. “Simply stated, many court-appointed attorneys lose money taking these cases. They are hard cases and often last for years. There is absolutely no financial incentive for lawyers to take these cases.”
Read the full storyTennessee Far-Left Gun Control Activist Announces Race Against GOP Whip
A far-left gun control activist announced earlier this week that she will run against Tennessee House Majority Whip Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville) in the state’s 45h House District.
“I’m a mom, former teacher, and gun violence prevention advocate who is ready to fight for our kids. Join the movement today,” said Alison Beale Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter, imploring followers to visit her website to donate to her campaign.
Read the full storyState Lawmaker Plans to Introduce Bill to Help Math Retention Rates for Tennessee Students
State House Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka) told The Tennessee Star that he plans to introduce a new bill that closely resembles Temnnessee’s existing third-grade retention bill for literacy.
Tennessee implemented new policies last year to address low literacy rates among third-graders. This coming year, Tennessee lawmakers intend to turn their focus to mathematics.
Read the full storyTennessee Supreme Court Calls on the General Assembly to Increase its Budget to Raise Compensation for Court-Appointed Attorneys
The Tennessee Supreme Court is urging the Tennessee General Assembly to increase the state’s judicial system’s budget in order for it to increase the compensation rate for court-appointed attorneys.
Read the full storyTennessee Governor Bill Lee Announces Judicial Appointments for New State Courts
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced this week that he named three key judicial appointments for newly created state courts.
He appointed Shawn Fry to the 13th Judicial District Criminal Court, Ashleigh Travis to the 19th Judicial District Circuit Court, and Julie Heffington to the 22nd Judicial District Circuit Court.
Read the full storyRepublicans Praise Bold Proposal Which Could Lead to State of Tennessee Rejecting All Federal Money from U.S. Department of Education, Democrats Whine Plan is ‘Misguided’
The creation of a new joint working group by Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) to study the impact federal funds have on education in the Volunteer State is eliciting a mixed response.
State Senator Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol) and State Representative Debra Moody (R-Covington) will lead the new group. The state senator welcomes the opportunity to discuss using federal money in education.
Read the full storyTennessee GOP State Legislators Blast Fringe Theory Lobbyist
Tennessee General Assembly members reacted strongly to a bizarre tweet from an organization headed by a former political candidate on Monday.
“Like the plandemic, 9/11 was probably just a coincidental opportunity for the elites to continue their take down of our Constitution. Probably not,” nonprofit organization Tennessee Stands tweeted on Monday morning.
Read the full storyGulbransen: The First Step to Stopping Modern Day Slavery in Tennessee Is to Pass This Bill
Attorney and newest all-star panelist Braden Boucek joined host Michael Patrick Leahy on Monday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report to discuss to administrative overreach and bizarre secrecy surrounding the Covenant Killer Manifesto and how lawmakers convening in the special session could obtain and review those materials today.
Read the full storyTennessee Democrats Criticize Rules for Special Session
The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a set of rules put forth by the Select Committee on Rules for the special session by a 73-23 vote on Monday.
Read the full storyBoucek: ‘Metastasized’ Bureaucracy Has Gone Too Far in Covenant Manifesto Secrecy
Attorney and newest all-star panelist Braden Boucek joined host Michael Patrick Leahy on Monday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report to discuss to administrative overreach and bizarre secrecy surrounding the Covenant Killer Manifesto and how lawmakers convening in the special session could obtain and review those materials today.
Read the full storyNashville Mayoral Candidate Alice Rolli ‘Disappointed’ in General Assembly for Not Considering Extreme Risk Order of Protection Laws During Special Session
Nashville Mayoral candidate Alice Rolli says she is “disappointed” in state lawmakers for “not yet considering an extreme risk option” when it comes to gun safety ahead of the General Assembly’s special session.
Read the full storyKnoxville Mayor Urges General Assembly to Pass Red Flag Laws During Special Session
Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon released a statement on Thursday in support of Governor Bill Lee’s call for a special session in the General Assembly, set to convene on Monday.
“As Mayor of Knoxville, public safety is my top priority. I support the Governor’s call for a Special Session to consider legislative measures to make our communities safer,” Kincannon’s statement said. “While there are many perspectives on how to accomplish these goals, the conversation must continue to include all parts of our state and all communities.”
Read the full storyMichael Patrick Leahy: Bill Lee’s ‘Laundry List Red Flag Law Special Session’ Is a Dramatic Break from the Modern Political Tradition of Tennessee
Host Michael Patrick Leahy lays out why Gov. Bill Lee’s “Laundry List Red Flag Law Special Session’ breaks with modern political tradition in Tennessee. He also explains the surprising reason his ‘Red Flag’ law is doomed to fail in court on Friday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report. TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: Well, we’re looking at this special session call Governor Bill Lee had – his ill-advised call [for a special session that will convene on Monday, August 21.]It’s going to be an opportunity for the Left wing to descend upon the capital on Monday and try to intimidate Tennessee General Assembly members to adopt gun control measures and a Red Flag law. We’ll get to those details here in just a minute, but let’s talk about the history of special sessions. It’s supposed to be on extraordinary occasions. The modern political tradition here in the state of Tennessee is to take care of the business of the state during the general session of the Tennessee General Assembly, which convenes in January and typically runs to April or May. And when you have an opportunity for committee hearings and for more deliberate consideration of a wide array of laws…
Read the full storyCrommentary: The Runaway Left Wields Power Through the Tyranny of the Minority
On Friday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report, original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael noted three seemingly unrelated stories in the news today to illustrate how the Left is effectively dominating critical sectors of life across across the country. TRANSCRIPT Crom Carmichael: Michael, like so many of my recent commentaries, it’s kind of a theme – pulling from a bunch of different stories on seemingly unrelated topics. But this is a headline from the Wall Street Journal, James Freeman, “Has the Bay Area Hit Bottom?” and what it goes on to point out is just how terrible things are in San Francisco and in Oakland. And there’s one there’s one quote in here. It’s by Mr. Chachas acquired Gump’s department stores following a chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018. And here’s what he wrote – and it was published in the local paper there. San Francisco now suffers from a tyranny of the minority behavior and actions of the few that jeopardize the livelihood of the many. The ramifications of COVID policies advising people to abandon their offices are only beginning to be understood. Equally devastating had been a litany of destructive San Francisco strategies, including allowing the homeless to occupy our…
Read the full storyHouse Majority Leader Lamberth Files Bill That Would Shield Autopsies of Minors from Public Review
Tennessee House Minority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) filed a bill for the upcoming special session of the General Assembly which would make the autopsies of “victims of violent crime who are minors” confidential.
Read the full storyOpen Government Expert: Any Tennessee General Assembly Committee Has the Legal Authority to Obtain the Covenant Killer Manifesto
Tennessee Coalition for Open Government’s Executive Director Deborah Fisher joined all-star panelist and author Carol Swain in-studio on Thursday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss the provisions in current law that would make the Covenant Killer Manifesto available for review by Tennessee lawmakers.
Read the full storyTennessee House GOP Responds to Governor Lee’s Official Special Session Call
The Tennessee House Republican Caucus responded to Governor Bill Lee’s official special session proclamation for the Tennessee General Assembly to convene at 4 p.m. on Monday, August 21.
Read the full storyTennessee Republican Party Executive Committee Passes Resolution Asking Governor Lee to Forgo Special Session
The Tennessee Republican State Executive Committee passed a resolution on Saturday that calls on Governor Bill Lee to forgo calling the Tennessee General Assembly for a special session addressing “public safety,” according to a report by the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Read the full storyTennessee Department of Education Releases Data on Third-Grade Retention Appeals
This week, the Tennessee Department of Education(TDOE) released final data on third-grade retention appeals.
In 2021, Tennessee lawmakers passed the Tennessee Learning Loss Remediation and Student Acceleration Act. It set forth key academic supports for third-grade students who did not score proficient on the English language arts (ELA) portion of their TCAP assessment. It further updated requirements for students to move to the next grade via multiple pathways for fourth-grade promotion.
Read the full storyNashville Convention & Visitors Corp Board of Directors Announce Support for Governor Lee’s Special Legislative Session
The Board of Directors of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) has released a statement in support of Governor Bill Lee’s decision to call a special legislative session next month.
Read the full storyNew Tennessee Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds Sworn Into Office
Tennessee officially has a new State Commissioner of Education. Lizzette Reynolds, a Texas native, was sworn in last week as the latest head of the Tennessee Department of Education. She replaces Penny Schwinn, who resigned effective June 1.
“I am excited and humbled by having the opportunity to serve Tennessee’s families to ensure they get the best possible education for their children,” said Commissioner Reynolds. “I look forward to meeting with educators, families, elected officials, and stakeholders throughout the state and continuing the great work already happening on behalf of kids in Tennessee.”
Read the full storyCommentary: The Left Fights Against Children, We Must Continue to Fight FOR Them
The Marxist Left, dedicated to undermining the liberties, traditions, and values that make America unique and exceptional, is waging a war on children – both born and unborn – in the United States and even right here in Tennessee.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Marxist Left fought to keep schools shuttered and to forcibly mask our kids, resulting in an anxious, confused, and undereducated generation.
Read the full storyTimothy Hill Wins Republican Nomination for House District 3
Timothy Hill won the Republican primary for House District 3 by a landslide in Thursday’s special primary election, according to official election results released by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office.
Read the full storyTennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition Meets with Lee Administration on Concerns Regarding August Special Session
Members of the Lee administration met with the Tennessee Faith & Freedom Coalition (TNFFC) Board of Directors on Wednesday after the group sent a letter urging Governor Bill Lee to cancel his proposed August 21 special session of the Tennessee General Assembly.
“In response to our letter asking Governor Lee to cancel plans for an August Special Session of the Tennessee General Assembly due to public safety concerns as well as constitutional concerns, Chief of Staff Joseph Williams emailed us and requested a meeting with our Board of Directors. We took him up on that offer and on Wednesday, had a meeting with Chief of Staff Williams and Lee Administration Special Advisor Michael Hendrix,” the TNFFC disclosed in a Friday statement emailed to The Tennessee Star.
Read the full storyTN Faith & Freedom Coalition Calls on Gov. Lee to Cancel Special Session on Gun Control ‘In the Interest of Public Safety’ Due to Danger from Far Left Activists
The Tennessee Faith & Freedom Coalition (TNFFC) called on Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) Monday to cancel his proposed August 21 special session of the Tennessee General Assembly.
“We are writing you because you have made it clear that you are planning to use your authority to officially call an ill-advised special session of the Tennessee General Assembly on August 21st to address gun issues in the aftermath of the Covenant School shooting tragedy, a heinous and despicable act committed by a mentally ill individual who claimed to be on the transgender spectrum,” the TNFFC said in a letter sent to the governor. A copy of the letter was also sent to all members of the Tennessee General Assembly.
Read the full storyMajority Whip Johnny Garrett: ‘Any Type of Red Flag Law Won’t Go Anywhere in This General Assembly’
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, guest host John Harris welcomed Majority Whip Johnny Garrett to the newsmaker line to talk about the probabilities and possibilities of passing pro-Second Amendment legislation.
Read the full storyDemocrat State Sen. Heidi Campbell Condemns GOP Legislators’ Call to Cancel Red Flag Special Session
Tennessee State Senator Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) is condemning a group of Republican state lawmakers for signing onto an open letter urging Governor Bill Lee to cancel the special legislative session that the governor called earlier this month.
Read the full storyState Freedom Caucus Network Expresses Support for Tennessee Legislators Rejecting Governor’s Special Called Session
Representatives from the State Freedom Caucus Network issued a statement of support Wednesday for the Tennessee House members who publicly rejected Governor Bill Lee’s call for a special session to pass gun control and red flag laws.
Earlier Wednesday, Tennessee State Representatives Bryan Richey (R-Maryville) issued an open letter to the governor, signed on to by Representatives Ed Butler (R-Rickman) and Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill), urging the abandonment of the special session scheduled for August 21.
Read the full storyJack Johnson: ‘I Want Tennessee to Be the Tip of the Spear in Terms of Fighting the Radical Left’
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, guest host Aaron Gulbransen welcomed Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) in studio to review the Tennessee General Assembly’s legislative victories and the outlook for 2024.
Read the full story