New Democratic policing reform bill echoes earlier bill by Cohen
The “Justice in Policing Act” was introduced in the House Monday. Hearings before the House Judiciary Committee, including U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, begin Wednesday.
Bill Dries
Reporter
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler.
There are 4301 articles by Bill Dries :
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June 2020
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Public Safety -
Shelby County County Commission’s path to balancing budget goes off the rails
The plan to balance the county budget came apart when the commission put too much weight on the idea that federal reimbursements for county dollars spent on the pandemic freed up about $4.8 million. It didn't. Then a move to cut the sheriff's department budget brought two weeks of protest over the George Floyd incident into the discussion.
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Public Safety Civic memorial for George Floyd includes police and mothers
The chief of staff to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris talks about her son's coming transition as a young black man and worries about what will happen when he encounters police. The city's police director says his officers are not the enemy.
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City of Memphis Strickland lifts curfew
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland has lifted the citywide curfew.
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Metro Protest blog, Day 12: Individuals’ stories add meaning to rally
A grieving mother's account, and a man who says he participated in the 1968 I Am A Man march add poignancy to Sunday evening demonstrations.
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Podcast
On the RecordBeyond protest and within leadership: next steps from the George Floyd protests in Memphis
Bobby White, a native Memphian with experience behind the scenes in local government and politics, talks about what more than a week of daily protests in the city means for future decisions on how the police do their jobs.
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City of Memphis ‘It’s not enough': The move to change oversight of police actions
Bobby White says oversight of police by the police director isn't enough, no matter how good or well-intentioned the director is.
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Metro Memphis curfew extended
The curfew, renewed on a daily basis by executive order, has been in effect since Monday.
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City of Memphis Questions, comments reflect complexity of MLGW cutting ties with TVA
The leader of the consulting team that drafted a plan for MLGW potentially getting power from providers other than TVA said even the “worst outcome” in the report shows savings for MLGW.
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Metro Floyd protests Day 9: Spontaneous demonstration breaks out
No protest was planned for the evening of Thursday, June 4, 2020, but one occurred anyway after a civil disobedience class at the National Civil Rights Museum. The Daily Memphian followed events with photos, videos and stories.
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Metro COVID-19 Task Force: ‘Being older than 55 is a risk factor in itself’
Epidemiology chief David Sweat said the "vast majority" of deaths are patients age 55 and older.
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City of Memphis Protests and pandemic may be something Memphis COVID rates can weather
The dean of clinical affairs at UTHSC says the local pandemic is "under reasonable control" and a week of protests gathering hundreds of Memphians together was important enough to risk what might lead to a rise in confirmed cases.
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Metro Floyd protest Day 8 blog: Protest begins at I Am A Man Plaza, Civil Rights Museum
Our coverage includes stories, videos and photos.
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Shelby County County Commission goes long again on complex budget fix
Shelby County commissioners got within $11 million of rebuilding County Mayor Lee Harris’s consolidated county budget proposal before calling it a day and leaving the rest for a Monday commission meeting.
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City curfew, state of emergency remain active
The state of emergency Strickland also issued with the curfew runs through Monday, June 8.
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Analysis
City of Memphis‘Crashing Down': Two states of emergency in one city
The "last seven days" mark long-standing issues in Memphis and a renewed public interest in them as a global pandemic and nationwide protests intertwine.
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Metro Floyd protest Day 6 blog: Night of protests ends quietly
Protest groups moved around, as did police. But it all ended peacefully as everyone went home before the 10 p.m. curfew.
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City of Memphis Council ends budget season with core services intact
Passing the $707.8 million city budget saw $1.8 million from a dozen line items moved around to items council members wanted and the use of city reserves that leaves the rainy day fund at a low level of 7% of the budget that starts July 1.
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City of Memphis State comptroller: Memphis faces ‘Catch-22’ with federal CARES money
Tennessee Comptroller Justin Wilson said a lack of federal regulations on the use of $113.6 million that came to Memphis is "crazy," but warrants careful use of the money.
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City of Memphis Final vote on Memphis mask requirement delayed
Councilman says consensus from local officials could come soon if a recent uptick in coronavirus cases continues.
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City of Memphis City Council could wrap ‘difficult’ budget season Tuesday
The council also takes a final vote on a mask ordinance and talks about rules to better regulate lobbyists at City Hall.
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City of Memphis City curfew follows night of 31 arrests, property damage Downtown
The imposition of the late night curfew by Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, announced Monday, also marks another chapter in the relationship between the city and activists who led the splinter group that tried to occupy the city's two interstate bridges Sunday night.
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Rallings, mayor respond to protests with curfew, Guard
Mayor Jim Strickland and Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings held a special press conference Monday, June 1, to address recent protests. -
City of Memphis Memphis Branch NAACP coordinating legal assistance for arrested protesters
The number of those arrested this past week in a series of five demonstrations in the city is estimated at several dozen with an exact number from last night expected later today.
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