State Government
These gun-safety bills have failed or stalled in the Tennessee Legislature
The 2024 session is nearing its end, and most of those post-Covenant gun-safety bills still have not been debated.
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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April 2024
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State Government
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March 2024
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State GovernmentPride flag ban bill moves ahead
“We kind of have a volume problem,” OUTMemphis executive director Molly Quinn said of the at least 18 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly this year.
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State Government Shelby County would lose two judgeships under state bill
The bill comes amid heightened scrutiny of Shelby County’s criminal justice system by Republican lawmakers and the Board of Judicial Conduct.
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Shelby County State calls for Memphis judge’s removal
The vote comes as Boyd, who was elected in August 2022, faces felony charges of coercion and harassment, in addition to professional discipline for an ethical lapse and addiction to drugs and alcohol.
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State GovernmentNew Shelby County judicial district won’t be coming anytime soon
No one at the state level has endorsed the concept of separating the court system in Memphis from the suburbs and unincorporated areas. It would be complicated, with issues both political and constitutional.
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State GovernmentStatewide private school voucher program debate begins
The haggling over Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act has begun, with three different — and expensive — versions of the bill.
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February 2024
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State Government Committee appointed to consider removing Judge Melissa Boyd
The committee could meet as soon as Thursday, March 7. The process for her removal is not the same as a formal impeachment, which would stop her from running for office again.
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State Government Nonprofits working with DAs will disclose donors if TN bill becomes law
The bill seeks transparency from progressive criminal-justice reform groups like the Vera Institute of Justice, Justice Innovation Lab and Memphis-based Just City, which local Republican lawmakers blame in part for crime in Memphis.
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State Government Charters could buy schools below-market under proposed bill
The bill doesn’t force districts to sell buildings when they don’t want to. But when they do want to sell, it would force them to sell for less then the property is worth.
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State GovernmentLegislative roundup: Bills on bail, police reform advance in Nashville
Bills advancing through the Tennessee General Assembly this week included one aimed at reversing police reforms passed in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ 2023 death in Memphis.
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State Government Tennessee bill would stop counties from reappointing expelled lawmakers
The bill is sponsored by state Rep. Johnny Garrett, one of the central figures who led the expulsion proceedings against state Reps. Justin Pearson, Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson last April.
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State Government Law aimed at protesters would increase penalty for blocking traffic to felony
A bill moving through the Tennessee General Assembly would make it a felony to block a roadway, a penalty enhancement intended to prevent another protest like the one that blocked the Hernando DeSoto bridge for hours earlier this month.
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Public SafetyWill gun-reform donations flip legislative seats in Tennessee?
The gun-reform movement in Tennessee has something it’s never had before: money.
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State Government Bill creating ‘abortion trafficking of a minor’ felony advances
The bill would prevent adults who are not a child’s parent or guardian — including siblings and grandparents – from helping them access abortions.
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State Government Lawmakers advance legislation limiting defendants’ right to bail
State lawmakers advanced two bills limiting criminal defendants’ right to bail on Tuesday, Feb. 13, amid objections that the legislation would cause more people to be detained before trial because of their inability to pay.
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EducationTop Tennessee lawmakers want to end Achievement School District
A 2023 study found the turnaround district’s effectiveness to be “indistinguishable from zero.” It could be closed as part of the legislation establishing a universal private school voucher program — but what would replace it is still unclear.
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State Government House act requires ‘safety of the community’ first in setting bail
Some Democrats said it was unnecessary because public safety is already part of the bail determination; they also said it would chip away at defendants’ liberty by expanding pretrial detention.
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State Government Gov. Lee proposes 2025 budget in sixth State of the State address
“The state of our state is strong, resilient and ready for the future,” Gov. Bill Lee told the audience of state lawmakers and other officials within the House chamber at the Tennessee State Capitol in Downtown Nashville.
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Gov. Lee proposes $1.2 billion in business tax refunds, $410 million annual cut
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State Government Gov. Lee proposes $1.2 billion in business tax refunds, $410 million annual cut
The tax cut is among the biggest expenses in the governor’s budget, and comes as state revenues are stagnating. Lee argues the state can afford it because revenue is stabilizing at a level significantly above where it was a few years ago.
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State Government Memphis Judge Mary Wagner appointed to Tennessee Supreme Court
Gov. Bill Lee has now appointed a majority of the Tennessee Supreme Court’s justices.
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State Government Sexton files state constitutional amendment tightening bail rules
The proposed amendment, which would be on the 2026 ballot, would limit financial consideration in bail for the mostly violent crimes covered by the 2022 “truth in sentencing” law.
Related story:
Slate of bills by state Sen. Brent Taylor target bail, juvenile crime
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January 2024
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State Government Bill seeking to ban pride flags, among others, is delayed by a week
State Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, said the bill targets the pride flag, even though it could prohibit others, such as the Confederate, Thin Blue Line and Black Lives Matter flags.
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State Government Bill would eliminate tax on diapers, wipes and formula for one year
“We are a pro-life state,” Martin told the House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee Wednesday, Jan. 31. “We want to be people that care about the unborn — and the born.”
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Education Draft of Gov. Lee’s school-voucher plan accidentally released, then withdrawn
The details of the Education Freedom Scholarship Act draft — which was filed and quickly withdrawn on Monday — conform to those Gov. Bill Lee laid out when he announced the proposal in late November.
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State Government TN House members don’t recommend cutting federal education funds — yet
The House members of the committee examining federal education funds released their report Thursday, Jan. 25, and recommended greater legislative oversight of federal rules. But they are not, at least yet, proposing any cuts.
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