Sam Stockard
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 :
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October 2018
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State Government Tennessee’s two main gubernatorial candidates disagree with the Legislature’s move to strip funding from Memphis this year and punish the city for its role in removing Confederate monuments from parks. -
State Government Memphis legislator criticizes Hopson’s endorsement of Lee
A Memphis legislator is castigating Shelby County Schools Superintendent Dorsey Hopson’s decision to endorse Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee, saying it “confuses” a tough situation. -
State Government Lieutenant governor’s PAC spending $300,000 to bolster Kelsey against Democrat Salinas
Lt. Gov. Randy McNally’s PAC is pouring $300,000 into an ad campaign against Democratic Senate candidate Gabby Salinas, signaling a tight race for incumbent Republican Sen. Brian Kelsey in Memphis’ District 31. -
State Government Bredesen’s quandary gives points to Blackburn
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Congressman Marsha Blackburn must have been sitting back laughing as she pounded former Gov. Phil Bredesen for postponing his stance on the Kavanaugh nomination. -
State Government Even in East Tennessee, gubernatorial candidates keep Memphis on the mind
Memphis is about a nine-hour drive from Kingsport, but the city’s major topics were still on the minds of Tennessee’s two top gubernatorial candidates in the second gubernatorial debate, an East Tennessee event in which they sparred a bit for the first time. -
State Government Democrats say Shelby County Schools covering for McCormick
The Tennessee House Democratic Caucus is challenging Shelby County Schools, accusing the system of stonewalling on an open records request to keep it from finding out how many meetings Republican board member Scott McCormick failed to attend. -
State Government Blackburn claims women’s voices ‘shredded’ during Bredesen administration
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn kept up her relentless attack on former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen in their final debate Wednesday night, accusing him of running a governor’s office soft on sexual harassment. -
State Government Shelby Democrats respond to lieutenant governor’s attack on Salinas
The Shelby County Democratic Party is defending District 31 Senate candidate Gabby Salinas against an attack ad by the lieutenant governor’s PAC, calling it “false” and a “mischaracterization.” -
State Government Lee holds financial edge on Dean heading into final debate tonight
Set for their final gubernatorial debate Friday night in Nashville, Republican candidate Bill Lee and Democratic candidate Karl Dean released fundraising figures showing Lee with a major edge going into the final three weeks of the campaign. -
State Government Blackburn would spend $70B on border wall; Bredesen says he’d put money into technology
Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn committed to spending tens of billions of dollars on constructing a wall at the Southern border, while former governor Phil Bredesen called such an idea antiquated Wednesday night. -
State Government Dean rolls the dice on sports betting; Lee says no way
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Karl Dean says he would support legislation to legalize sports betting in Tennessee, but Republican candidate Bill Lee doesn’t want to gamble on it. -
State Government Blackburn pierces Bredesen with partisan politics
Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn’s partisan attacks appear to be trumping former governor Phil Bredesen’s moderate politics as early voting approaches for the Nov. 6 election for an open U.S. Senate seat. -
State Government Shelby elections administrator promises Cohen she’ll process new voter registrations
Shelby County’s elections administrator is guaranteeing her office will process some 33,000 new voter-registration applications before early voting starts Wednesday, after being queried by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen. -
State Government Memo: Outside groups spending heavily as Bredesen, Blackburn deadlocked
The U.S. Senate race between former Gov. Phil Bredesen and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn is deadlocked, according to an internal Bredesen poll, even though outside groups are spending heavily against the former Tennessee governor. -
State Government Lee dislikes lottery but offers no alternative for funding scholarships
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee didn’t exactly shock anyone by saying he would fight legislative efforts to legalize sports gambling in Tennessee. -
State Government Norris won’t step down from Senate before Nov. 6; special election likely
Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, newly appointed to a U.S. District Court judgeship, confirmed Tuesday he won’t be able to resign his legislative seat before the Nov. 6 election, a situation that will lead to a special election for the District 32 seat and potential temporary replacement. -
State Government Bredesen would work with Trump to cut drug costs
Former governor Phil Bredesen, finding common ground with Trump Republicans, is proposing a method for reducing pharmaceutical prices by using the president’s negotiating skills to cut a deal with drug companies. -
State Government Court orders state to stop suspending licenses of people too poor to pay debt
Tens of thousands of Tennesseans whose licenses were suspended because they were too poor to pay court debt won a major victory this week when a judge ruled in their favor against the state. -
State Government ACLU to honor Rep. Johnnie Turner with Lifetime Achievement Award
The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee is set to honor state Rep. Johnnie Turner of Memphis with its Lifetime Achievement Award at the organization’s 50th anniversary fundraiser, The Constitution Uncorked. -
State Government Memphis lawmakers question secretary of state about voter registration ‘ALERT’
Three Memphis legislators are questioning the secretary of state about voter registration results, the number of people whose applications have been denied and alleged scams reported by the state office amid a wave of voting interest for the 2018 elections. -
State Government Norris anticipates shift from lawmaker to enforcer
Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, after 15 months of waiting for confirmation to a U.S. District Court judgeship, is finding the move to a new position simultaneously “inspirational and motivational.” -
State Government Blackburn, Bredesen careers take contrasting directions
The race for an open U.S. Senate seat pits a self-declared moderate against a fire-brand conservative, and the legislative careers of former Gov. Phil Bredesen and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn back up those definitions in a big-money battle that could swing Senate control. -
State Government Tennessee Black Voter Project contends Shelby County violating state, federal laws
The Tennessee Black Voter Project – reviewing voter registration applications in Memphis – believes the Shelby County Election Commission is violating state and federal law and demands changes be made before Election Day Nov. 6. -
Shelby County State elections coordinator reports ‘large number’ of duplicate voter registrations, other problems
Tennessee Elections Coordinator Mark Goins, responding to questions from Memphis state lawmakers, says county election offices are encountering duplicate voter registrations and other problem applications amid record numbers of voter sign-ups for the mid-term election Nov. 6. -
Shelby County Black Voter Project, NAACP ask court to intervene in alleged Shelby County Election Commission violations
The Tennessee Black Voter Project and NAACP Memphis branch are seeking a Chancery Court order directing the Shelby County Election Commission to resolve problems with thousands of voter registrations after the groups’ representatives say they witnessed violations of state law at the county’s voting operations center.
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