Reporter
Sam Stockard is a Nashville-based reporter with more than 30 years of journalism experience as a writer, editor and columnist covering the state Legislature and Tennessee politics for The Daily Memphian.
There are 1058 articles by Sam Stockard :
State Rep. London Lamar is planning to revamp human sex trafficking legislation, potentially shifting from a bill creating a defense for victims to efforts to provide more help for those coerced into the trade.
Gov. Bill Lee is analyzing gun control legislation in the wake of two mass shootings nationally but appears most interested in cybersecurity to stop people who show signs of radicalism or mental “instability.”
A Knoxville House member filed legislation Monday to expel state Rep. David Byrd from the General Assembly over allegations of sexual misconduct with high school basketball girls 30 years ago.
A contested Republican primary is brewing in 2020 for the District 99 House seat in Shelby County with former Republican Party Chairman Lee Mills entering the race.
House Speaker nominee Cameron Sexton found common ground with the Tennessee Black Caucus on items such as criminal justice reform and the state’s new voucher law during a recent Memphis town hall, but he’s on a different wave length on the existence of “institutional racism” in the Legislature.
House Speaker nominee Cameron Sexton is opening the door for talks on removal of the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust from the State Capitol.
With Democrats from across the nation calling for stricter gun laws in the wake of two mass shootings, state Rep. London Lamar said President Donald Trump planted the seeds for the deadly incidents by fomenting hatred.
With a Blue Alert in effect, Gov. Bill Lee and Tennessee law enforcement officials are asking state residents to be on the lookout for Curtis Watson, a man accused of killing a West Tennessee State Penitentiary administrator and escaping from the prison grounds on a tractor.
The Lottery Corporation has no timeline for setting rules and structure, and the new gaming advisory council awaits five of nine appointments to get started.
Republican, Democratic senators take contrasting views on the Mississippi immigrant roundups and federal government action.
Memphis Democratic senators challenge presenters in Judiciary Committee hearing on legislation banning abortion at conception.
Cut off from speaking on legislation designed to restrict abortion, the Memphis founder of SisterReach refused to go quietly Tuesday, turning toward people in the audience and calling them "hypocrites."
State Rep. London Lamar, expecting a baby boy in late November, hopes her pregnancy will help lead to more accommodations for mothers at the Legislature while sounding a bell for the right to choose.
House Minority Leader Karen Camper is holding up on efforts to push a resolution to rescind the state's new voucher law during an Aug. 23 special session.
Rep. Joe Towns is preparing to sponsor legislation to rescind the state’s new education savings account law and said he notified House Speaker nominee Cameron Sexton about his plans.
State Rep. Mark White believes a Knoxville House member’s resolution to remove embattled Rep. David Byrd from the House could hit a wall in the Republican-controlled chamber during a special session.
The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance levied another $10,000 civil penalty against state Rep. Joe Towns Wednesday, raising his total to $55,000. But he is refusing to pay out of protest and could be planning legal action.
State Rep. Jim Coley of Bartlett is “calling off” a delegation trip to the Far East unless members want to pay expenses out of pocket.
Nashville representative plans to renew push for resolution denouncing hate groups across Tennessee, saying the state has played too big a role in allowing them to grow.
House Speaker nominee believes gun laws should be handled at the federal level for the sake of uniformity.
House Speaker nominee Cameron Sexton is asking the state attorney general whether the House can oust someone for actions that took place a quarter-century before election, apparently referring to embattled state Rep. David Byrd.
The Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators is set to request the TBI investigate potential “public corruption” in the former House Speaker’s Office and also look into a special prosecutor from Coffee County handling a black activist’s case.
University of Tennessee mascot Smokey X almost refused to look at Gov. Bill Lee, an Auburn graduate, Thursday before a bill-signing ceremony designating the bluetick coonhound as the official state dog.
The House Democratic Caucus is set to push legislation to expand Medicaid in Tennessee in Friday’s special session of the Legislature, saying the state has lost out on more than $5 billion by refusing to take federal funds under the Affordable Care Act.
The House Republican Caucus, one day before a special session, chose Rep. Jeremy Faison of East Tennessee as its chairman for the rest of the 111th General Assembly, marking a departure from the heavy-handed style of former Speaker Glen Casada.