Metro
State GOP lawmakers backpedal on vaccination comments
Legislators seek to clarify stance on vaccinations in wake of national criticism following the firing of vaccine official Dr. Michelle Fiscus.
Ian Round
There are 52 articles by Ian Round :
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August 2021
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Update
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Metro With Delta spreading, Piercey urges vaccination
Because of the recent spike in Delta variant cases, Tennessee Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey said more vaccine-hesitant people have decided to get vaccinated.
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July 2021
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Metro Tennessee Republicans remain low-key on call for vaccination
While many Republican leaders nationwide are now calling more strongly for COVID vaccinations in light of the Delta variant, Tennessee’s leading Republicans have remained more muted.
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Metro Lee, criminal justice advocates differ on clemency
Some criminal justice advocates say Gov. Bill Lee has not lived up to a commitment to use his clemency power.
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Metro Battle over Forrest bust ends with removal from Capitol
The Nathan Bedford Forrest bust in the state Capitol will be moved to the Tennessee State Museum.
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Metro GOP lawmakers demand answers on immigration issues
Republican lawmakers discussing refugees demanded transparency Tuesday, July 13, from the federal government regarding unaccompanied minors.
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Metro Top vaccine official at state health department fired
Dr. Michelle Fiscus, the top vaccine official at the Tennessee Department of Health, confirmed in a statement Monday, July 12, that she has been fired.
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Metro Democrats blast state plan to buy plane tickets for tourists
Gov. Bill Lee announced the state would spend $2.5 million to buy plane tickets for tourists. The decision prompted criticism that buying plane tickets for tourists is not the best use of taxpayer dollars.
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June 2021
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Metro Four rookie lawmakers reflect on legislative session
First-term Tennessee legislators Heidi Campbell, John Gillespie, Torrey Harris and Eddie Mannis say they’ve learned to be tough but find friends across the aisle as well.
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Metro Lawmakers look to dissolve state Health Dept. over teen vaccines
Republican state lawmakers floated the idea of “dissolving and reconstituting” the Tennessee Department of Health Wednesday, June 16, because of vaccine messaging they said amounted to “coercion.”
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MetroGeneral Assembly committee leadership short on diversity
Since Bill Haslam was elected governor in 2010, Republicans have held control of Tennessee’s state government, with the party controlling the trifecta of the House, Senate and governor’s office. No Black politician has chaired a full, standing committee since then.
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MetroEducation commissioner skipping Shelby on 50-district summer tour
Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn won’t be making a Shelby County stop during a 50-district summer tour, but a spokesman said the omission isn’t personal or political.
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May 2021
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MetroState GOP aims to reform criminal justice system
Tennessee jails people at a higher rate than average, but hasn’t seen results in reducing crime or recidivism. Republicans have responded with reforms they argue will lead states to save money and keep people out of jail who don’t need to be there.
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Metro State concludes health department needs more training, better chain of command
A Tennessee Department of Health report on Shelby County vaccine distribution problems recommends more training and establishing a clear chain of command but concluded no one needs to get revaccinated.
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Business Arkansas confirms bridge may have been damaged since 2019
Drone footage shows the Hernando DeSoto Bridge may have been damaged since 2019.
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Metro Tennessee opts out of higher federal unemployment benefits
Tennesseans on unemployment insurance won’t get the extra $300 per week provided by the federal government as of July 3, Gov. Bill Lee announced Tuesday, May 11.
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Metro Legislative session ends with satisfied Republicans, disappointed Democrats
Lawmakers wrap up legislative session viewed differently by Democrats and Republicans.
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Metro Tennessee moves to ban no-knock warrants
Tennessee legislators moved in the final days of their just-completed session to ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, both changes sought by activists in the wake of the police-involved deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
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Metro West Tennessee lags in legislative leadership
The two urban areas of Memphis and Nashville control the minority Democratic leadership in state politics, but Memphis and West Tennessee are underrepresented among the Republican majority.
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Metro Controversial protest measure stalls in legislature
A bill that would give drivers immunity for hitting protesters in some instances is not moving forward this year.
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MetroHow did permitless carry become Tennessee law?
While neither side is completely happy, the law allowing Tennessee gun owners to carry openly with or without a permit sailed through the legislature — and with relatively little pushing from gun advocacy groups.
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Metro State sticking to its approach on opioid epidemic
In the war against opioid overdose deaths, Tennessee is winning one battle — doctors are prescribing pain pills at much lower rates — but still losing other battles.
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April 2021
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Update
MetroBill to let college athletes make money passes Legislature
A bill allowing student athletes in Tennessee to make money from their brand has passed both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly with little opposition, and it is now headed to Gov. Bill Lee.
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Elections Voting law changes moving slowly in Tennessee
Despite major voting law reforms in some states, such as Georgia, few major changes have been made so far in Tennessee.
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Metro Senate approves bill requiring police recordings of juvenile interrogations
Police would be required to record their interrogations of juveniles under a bill passed unanimously by the Tennessee Senate Wednesday, April 14.
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