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50 recent articles by Sam Stockard:
With a vote set for Monday, Shelby County Democratic lawmakers are castigating a bill from the Secretary of State’s Office penalizing paid voter registration drives for failing to undergo training and for turning in incomplete forms.
State Rep. G.A. Hardaway is set to meet with the state attorney general's office to discuss matters dealing with the constitutionality of Gov. Bill Lee's education savings account plan.
State Senate candidates would be able to collect nearly a half-million dollars from political action committees under legislation sponsored by state Sen. Brian Kelsey and approved Thursday in the Senate.
The state Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation Thursday carried by state Sen. Brian Kelsey establishing a charter commission with authority to overrule local school boards and run charter schools.
Senate and House pass subpoena guidelines for community oversight boards mirroring Memphis’ rules requiring its Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board to go through the city council.
Gov. Bill Lee is putting $10 million of his $66.8 million supplemental budget into a Memphis riverfront development grant, though the scope of the funding is unclear. Mayor Jim Strickland said the money is specifically for Tom Lee Park.
House Republicans amended Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account bill to move money into rural districts with Priority schools before it was approved Wednesday night by the Finance Committee, shifting a portion of it from urban districts such as Shelby County Schools that might lose students to private schools.
State Rep. Mark White pushed Gov. Bill Lee’s state charter commission through the House Wednesday, saying it will create a better system for overseeing charter schools in Tennessee.
The Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee approved legislation Tuesday setting up a charter school commission with authority to overrule local school boards, even though it could cost nearly $1 million next year and continue to tap the state budget.
Worried about the “threat of litigation,” Attorney General Herbert Slatery’s office is declining to issue a legal opinion to state Rep. G.A. Hardaway about the constitutionality of Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account bill.
Despite protests, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Monday for legislation penalizing voter registration drives that produce large numbers of “incomplete” forms.
A legislative conference committee adopted an amended community oversight board bill Monday mirroring Memphis’ guidelines, despite opposition from state Sen. Raumesh Akbari.
Less than a week after yanking House Speaker Glen Casada’s microphone, House Minority Leader Karen Camper issued a public apology and drew a standing ovation.
With the state Legislature on the brink of producing no meaningful abortion legislation this year, House leaders are bringing back a bill to outlaw abortion in Tennessee if the landmark case of Roe v. Wade is reversed.
Warned about the potential for “stigmatizing” veterans, the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed state Sen. Brian Kelsey’s Green Alert bill until 2020, saying the language needs work.
A Senate committee passed legislation Tuesday penalizing voter registration drives that turn in large numbers of “deficient” forms, a bill stemming from the 2018 Black Voter Project in Shelby County.
The House overwhelmingly approved legislation Thursday urging the governor to negotiate a Medicaid block grant with no strings attached, in spite of adamant arguments against it by Memphis Democrats.
House Minority Leader Karen Camper grabbed the wrong mic Thursday and at the wrong time, leading to a bit of a dressing down about House decorum.
State Rep. G.A. Hardaway of Memphis sent an official letter to Attorney General Herbert Slatery this week seeking a legal opinion on the legality of a parental ID provision in Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account bill.
Medical cannabis legislation designed to give the state’s sickest residents a chance to use THC rather than addictive opiates is withering on the vine, at least for 2019 in the General Assembly.
The Senate Education Committee approved Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account initiative Wednesday, paving the way for public dollars to follow students to private schools.
Legislation enabling wagering companies to start taking bets in Tennessee for mobile online gambling passed the House State Committee Tuesday.
Legislation allowing unlicensed “natural hair styling” passed the House of Representatives with ease Monday night despite opposition from three Memphis lawmakers.
The Senate version of Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account plan would raise the number of students to 30,000, doubling the House amount. It also adds homeschooling while keeping language requiring parental identification that could bar immigrant students.
A House rule-making body gave a “negative recommendation” Monday to legislation giving pregnant high school seniors an extra year to have children and hold on to Lottery scholarship funds.
Senate Health and Welfare Committee to consider medical cannabis legislation this week after conflicting testimony between supporters and TBI director.
Legislation deemed discriminatory by LGBT advocacy groups appears headed for a high hurdle in the state Senate, even after passage in the House.
For the second week in a row, a Democratic legislative group apparently discussed state Rep. John DeBerry’s voting record in line with supermajority Republicans.
State Sen. Dolores Gresham, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said Thursday she is worried about the constitutionality of amended House legislation that could affect whether immigrant students qualify for education savings accounts.
Students who get pregnant would get time to give birth and start raising child before using state scholarship funds for college.
Senate and House panels approve charter commission legislation with opposition from lawmakers who say charters aren't improving student performance.
Tennessee Black Voter Project and other groups could face fines for turning in hundreds of incomplete voter registration forms.
Lawmakers hoping to pass medical marijuana legislation are teaming up to bring an amendment before the Senate Health and Welfare Committee Wednesday.
With key votes looming this week on Gov. Bill Lee’s charter and voucher bills, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos visited Nashville to “cheer” his proposals.
Gov. Bill Lee defended the legality of his education savings account bill Tuesday but acknowledged for the first time it is set up to provide funds to “legal residents,” a matter being challenged by opponents of the legislation.
State Rep. G.A. Hardaway said Monday he will request a state attorney general’s opinion on the constitutionality of voucher legislation requiring parents to show identification proving U.S. citizenship.
Tennessee Federation for Children's Arizona counterpart urged Spanish-speaking parents to take advantage of education savings accounts without worrying about immigration status.
State Reps. Antonio Parkinson and Jim Coley say Gov. Bill Lee's education savings account plan will likely face legal challenges because of a provision making unlawfully present students ineligible for the state funds.
The House Education Committee passed Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account initiative Wednesday, with Shelby County legislators splitting votes on potentially the most contentious bill of the 2019 session.
A day after voting against voucher legislation, state Rep. David Byrd lost his chairmanship of a House Education subcommittee Thursday with House Speaker Glen Casada saying the chamber needs "orderly operations."
Democratic state Rep. John DeBerry of Memphis could be in conflict with the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators over his vote in favor of Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account plan this week.
Bill would prohibit abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned or U.S. Constitution is amended.
State Sen. Brian Kelsey is urging the Tennessee Valley Authority to be “expeditious” in removing toxic coal ash from containment ponds at Allen Fossil Plant on President’s Island in Memphis.
Once roiled by concerns about the spread of Islam, the Tennessee Legislature is considering legislation enabling state dollars to be used to send students to Islamic schools across the state.
As a key vote approaches this week, Gov. Bill Lee pushed his “school-choice” proposals Monday in a West Tennessee Economic Development Caucus gathering.
The House Government Operations Committee approved legislation Monday creating a state charter commission with the requirement it go through a “sunset” hearing to determine if it should remain in place after eight years.
House and Senate Republican leaders are on different wavelengths when it comes to passage of a fetal heartbeat bill restricting abortions.
The Senate Education Committee passed a heavily-amended charter schools bill this week marked by support from Democratic state Sen. Raumesh Akbari and the bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey, both of Shelby County.
The state Senate passed legislation Thursday removing an appellate court review from death penalty cases, despite efforts by Shelby County Democrats who opposed it.
Shelby County legislators split support Wednesday in a vote sending legislation creating a charter schools commission to the House floor.
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