U.S. House, state senate redistricting maps head to governor’s desk
Several organizations have said the maps are a textbook example of gerrymandering and will lead to diminished voting power for people of color.
Ian Round
Ian Round is The Daily Memphian’s state government reporter based in Nashville. He came to Tennessee from Maryland, where he reported on local politics for Baltimore Brew. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Maryland in December 2019.
There are 432 articles by Ian Round :
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January 2022
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State Government -
crime crisis
Public SafetyNew offense of aggravated reckless driving aims to stop drag racing
State Rep. John Gillespie, a Memphis Republican, intends to make it easier to prosecute drag racers with an offense more severe than mere reckless driving.
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Education New voucher proposal targets districts that hold virtual learning
The debate over whether to use tax dollars to send children to private schools has reared its head.
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State Government Senate committee recommends expulsion of Katrina Robinson
Robinson said the process was unfair since the Senate Ethics Committee comprises four white Republican men and one Black woman.
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State Government Latest redistricting proposal gives Cohen more of Shelby County
The latest map would split Tipton County along U.S. 51, and about 30,000 Shelby County residents would be drawn out of Republican Rep. David Kustoff’s district.
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State Government Protesters gather at state Capitol over GOP redistricting plan
“This is a racist power grab for Republicans to try to cheat their way to more power,” said Charlane Oliver, cofounder and co-executive director of The Equity Alliance. “We will obstruct, we will disrupt any chance we get.”
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State Government Nashville Conviction Review Unit could be a model for Shelby County
Sunny Eaton, who runs Nashville’s Conviction Review Unit, said, “These wins are the kind that are absolutely changing lives for people who never deserved to be in that position.”
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Metro Strickland says ‘manpower, not funding’ is the issue with patrolling highways
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland says it’s a lack of manpower and not a lack of money that is hampering traffic enforcement efforts on interstates.
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State Government GOP redistricting proposal adds Tipton County to Cohen’s seat
The map will likely allow Republicans to win another seat in Congress.
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Public Safety Highway Patrol plans fast-track training as highway problems grow
Tennessee Highway Patrol Colonel Matt Perry: “We’re gonna hire a whole lot of troopers in a short period.”
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Education State releases draft of education funding framework
The Tennessee Department of Education released a draft of its new education funding framework Tuesday, Jan. 11, the same day lawmakers began this year’s regular legislative session.
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State Government Lawmakers are back in Nashville for start of legislative session
State lawmakers have descended on Nashville for three months of committee hearings, debates and vote-wrangling over how to spend taxpayer dollars.
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State Government Shelby County lawmakers set priorities for the 2022 session
Residency requirements, reckless driving and Germantown’s namesake schools are among the issues lawmakers plan to address at the upcoming General Assembly session. School funding reform might have to wait until next year.
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Premium
City of MemphisMemphis asked for help with speeders; state reminds MPD of overlooked — and unused — money
With local motorists driving ‘as if they are in video games,’ city and state law enforcement are at odds over who bears more responsibility for enforcing highway speeding laws.
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Ford Megasite Megasite infrastructure budget is holding, leaders say
“Overall budget is holding in spite of market conditions but we have a long way to go,” Megasite CEO Clay Bright said.
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December 2021
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State Government Megasite infrastructure costs top $274 million
Before lawmakers approved $138 million in October, costs had already risen from $60 million to $136 million. On Dec. 20, with no discussion, the State Building Commission approved a budget revision to $274 million.
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State Government Kelsey trial delayed until after 2022 election
State Sen. Brian Kelsey’s trial for campaign finance charges has been delayed by more than a year, until after the 2022 elections.
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Coronavirus Tennessee COVID deaths top 20,000 after data dump
Nearly three out of every 1,000 Tennessee residents have died of COVID-19, new data from the state health department shows.
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Education After public engagement tour, a big boost to school funding appears unlikely
“(The BEP) needs to change,” Gov. Bill Lee said. “We are due for a strategy that is money well-spent, not just more money.”
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State Government Shelby County loses one seat in State House GOP redistricting plan
The proposed political map, which was unveiled Friday, Dec., 17, takes one seat away from Shelby County, while adding three to Middle Tennessee.
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State Government Doctors urge Legislature to keep COVID disinformation policy
“Licensure of liars should not be allowed,” one Nashville physician told the state legislature’s Joint Government Operations Committee.
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State Government Lee announces raise for corrections officers
Gov. Bill Lee bumped up the starting annual salary for corrections officers from $32,500 to $44,500.
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State Government GOP redistricting proposal pits two Black Memphis Democrats against each other
State Rep. Torrey Harris said the boundaries of state Rep. London Lamar’s district were extended by several blocks, just enough to include his home at South McLean Boulevard and Union Avenue, according to a tentative map House Republicans allowed him to see.
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Education GOP proposal would ban state funding for undocumented students
The Tennessee Department of Education would be prohibited from providing funding for undocumented students under a new Republican proposal, the legality of which was immediately questioned by immigrant advocates.
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Education Judge rules schools can enforce mask mandates
The decision doesn’t declare a statewide mask mandate, nor does it force school districts to require universal masking. But it does prevent students from opting out of mask mandates if their schools have them.
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