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.”
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 -
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 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 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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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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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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State Government 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.
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Shelby County Tennessee has $61.9 billion in infrastructure needs, $6.5 billion in Shelby County
Republican state senators question whether everything on the list is truly needed.
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State Government Tennessee project would honor lynching victims
Almost 82 years after the last documented lynching in Tennessee, a Republican and a Democrat want to commemorate all 154 victims statewide with Community Remembrance Project.
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February 2022
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State Government Lee announces more education funding in State of the State address
A boost to education funding was the most notable item on Lee’s proposed $52.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2023.
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State Government Governor’s choice for state Supreme Court nominee moves forward
Republican lawmakers say Sarah Campbell shouldn’t recuse on the voucher case, one of Lee’s signature accomplishments.
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Metro Katrina Robinson expelled from state Senate
Robinson was expelled following her two wire fraud convictions but before her sentencing, which is scheduled for March 3. Robinson said GOP lawmakers discriminated against her on the basis of her race, gender and party.
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State Government Sometimes a colorful necktie can make a difference
For young interns beginning their careers, even a necktie can put a knot in the budget. So donors come to the rescue.
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Premium
State GovernmentHow did Memphis’ Democratic congressional district survive redistricting?
A brief history of the Voting Rights Act in Tennessee, and Shelby County’s protected congressional district.
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State Government Young Dolph could be commemorated with state Senate proclamation
“Young Dolph was an inspiration to so many and taught me that whatever you do, just make sure you get paid for your hard work,” state Rep. Torrey Harris (D-Memphis) told The Daily Memphian, referencing the rapper’s song Get Paid.
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Elections Could an independent commission help with redistricting?
Unfair maps can result in expensive lawsuits, poor representation for the political minority, foregone-conclusion elections and safe seats for incumbents. Partisan redistricting also causes voters to lose faith in the system and disengage from civic life.
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Education Kelsey calls UT bid to drop standardized tests Ivy League ‘wokeism’
The Germantown Republican is sponsoring a bill requiring the ACT or SAT test for admission to any of Tennessee’s public, four-year universities. The bill would not require a minimum score for admission.
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Elections State lawmakers ban voting method Memphians wanted to implement
Memphians have voted twice to use ranked-choice voting, also known as instant-runoff voting, although it hasn’t yet been implemented.
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City of Memphis House panel passes ban on residency requirements for police, firefighters
Memphis Democrats objected, primarily because most of the bill’s sponsors are not Memphians.
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State Government Bill seeks to treat gun violence as a public health issue
A bill by state Rep. London Lamar would require data sharing between police departments and the state health department, and would require TDH to produce an annual report on the public health impacts of gun violence.
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Education Variety of education initiatives, some controversial, working through General Assembly
“This bill does not ban any book,” state Sen. Jack Johnson said about the controversial Age-Appropriate Materials Act of 2022.
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State Government Lee’s state Supreme Court appointee recuses in school voucher case
In her recusal, Sarah Campbell cited a rule that says, “A judge shall disqualify himself or herself in any proceeding in which the judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”
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Update
State GovernmentJuneteenth won’t be a state holiday — for now — after bill stalls in General Assembly
The bill would have upgraded June 19 from a day of special observance to an official state holiday, giving state government workers the day off.
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Public Safety Family of gun violence victim speaks to legislators in support of two bills
The grandmother and aunts of Artemis Rayford, a Memphis boy killed at home by a stray bullet on Christmas day, woke up at 3:30 a.m. yesterday to drive to Nashville.
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State Government Voucher law that applies only to Shelby County and Nashville returns to TN Supreme Court
“We are primarily arguing that this is an infringement on the counties’ sovereignty,” former Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper said on behalf of MSCS and MNPS.
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