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Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for more than 40 years.
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The council will review Tuesday, Sept. 24, a camera system for police to respond to traffic tie-ups and crimes in real-time as well as a plan for a family shelter on the old Manassas High School site.
Also in this roundup: U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn writes op-ed for right-wing media outlet accused of conspiring with Russian state media and accused of making untrue statements; how Tennessee’s congressional delegation voted on the spending bill.
Shelby County Commissioners will also vote at their Monday, Sept. 23, meeting on a consulting contract to assist with the master plan for the city’s hip-hop museum.
“These ballot questions are a fraud on the voters of Memphis,” General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a statement his office released about its decision to not challenge a court’s ruling allowing the gun-control referendum to continue.
On “Behind the Headlines,” Memphis City Council Chairman JB Smiley Jr. said the body would likely sue if the Tennessee Legislature attempted to withhold sales-tax revenue from the city.
Mayor Young says he still thinks the referendum is not the best approach, but told The Daily Memphian he understands the sentiment. Gov. Lee says the referendum is about finding a way to “circumvent the law.”
Ritz’s resignation follows his confirmation by the U.S. Senate Monday, Sept. 16, as a federal appeals court judge.
Memphis Mayor Paul Young met with around 150 people at his latest town hall at the McWherter Senior Center in East Memphis.
Circuit Court Judge Felicia Corbin-Johnson plans to make a ruling in writing “in a week or so” on whether to dismiss or hear the ouster complaint filed last month against Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert.
U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz was confirmed as the newest judge on the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court Friday, Sept. 13, with both of Tennessee’s U.S. senators voting against him.
Tennessee’s abortion ban comes up in discussion of Memphis’ gun-control referendum; Sen. Blackburn uses old stats to talk crime, and remembering Jim Sasser, the former U.S. senator who was instrumental in bringing pandas to the zoo.
All sides are back in court Tuesday for a hearing on Halbert’s attorney’s motion to dismiss the case entirely.
The city’s Democratic elected officials thought nominee Kamala Harris successfully baited nominee Donald Trump. Republicans thought Harris was changing her tune on key issues.
As low water season begins, the Mississippi River is currently 4 feet higher than the record low of 2023.
The Memphis City Council voted down or delayed all but one proposal in a meeting dominated by planning and development items.
The transit authority’s latest check-in with City Council saw some skepticism that MATA’s financial troubles were a surprise to those running the city’s bus system.
Sheriff Floyd Bonner wants $15.5 million for jail repairs that’s already planned for a mental health diversion center. The County Commission is sending the problem to committee for a possible Sept. 28 vote.
The vote was along party lines with a discussion before the vote that mirrors past discussions about “building relationships” in Nashville versus “standing up to bullies.”
The parks committee also takes up funding for repairs to the Mud Island river museum building.
Shelby County commissioners will vote on a move to support the Memphis City Council’s lawsuit against the Shelby County Election Commission. The body also considers allocating millions in proposed emergency jail repairs.
Steve Cohen meets with diplomats from Middle East countries and said discussions could include the possibility of a peacekeeping force in Gaza. Meanwhile, local Republicans and Democrats hear about voting’s importance in a non-battleground state.
More than 630 jail doors as well as light fixtures, a walk-in freezer and access-control systems damaged in a power surge this past March are said to need to be repaired or replaced.
All sides in the ouster lawsuit are due in Circuit Court next week to sort out various motions including one seeking to declare Wanda Halbert in default for not responding directly to the complaint.
While Memphians might not vote on gun control, they will vote on runoffs for future mayor’s races, residency requirements for mayoral and City Council candidates and if the council can set its own pay.
The Memphis City Council’s lawsuit to vote for citywide gun-control measures in November pushes on as the September deadline for the ballot approaches.