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 :
An East Tennessee lawmaker seeking the House Speaker’s post pushed legislative “kill lists” on committee chairmen – emanating from the Speaker’s Office – in an attempt to control which bills passed and failed in the 2019 session.
East Tennessee state Rep. Jeremy Faison is predicting House Speaker Glen Casada will leave the House when he resigns his speakership. But Casada said Wednesday he will "retain his seat."
NASHVILLE – Glen Casada announced Tuesday he will resign from his position as Speaker. The move comes a day after an overwhelming vote by the House Republican Caucus started an avalanche of demands for him to step down.
Gov. Bill Lee says the House Republican Caucus' no-confidence vote in House Speaker Glen Casada sends a "clear message" and he's ready to call a special session if Casada doesn't resign.
NASHVILLE –The House Republican Caucus chairman said Friday the House Ethics Committee needs to be revamped amid a lawmaker’s claims Speaker Glen Casada tried to rig an advisory opinion to exonerate himself in advance of a meeting on his speakership. The meeting is to be held at Museum Hotel in Nashville on Monday.
The state of Tennessee executed Donnie Johnson of Memphis Thursday, 35 years after he murdered his wife, Connie, by stuffing a 30-gallon garbage bag down her throat.
Gov. Bill Lee announced Tuesday evening he will not stop the execution of death row inmate Donnie Johnson, who is set to be put to death Thursday.
Democratic state Rep. John DeBerry of Memphis is not contradicting a move by the Tennessee Black Caucus calling for House Speaker Glen Casada's resignation. But along with Republican state Reps. Kevin Vaughan and Jim Coley, he's not ready to say Casada should step down.
The Tennessee House Republican Caucus could determine the fate of embattled House Speaker Glen Casada in a Monday meeting closed to the public.
State Rep. Jeremy Faison says embattled House Speaker Glen Casada has less than 20 votes of support from House Republicans, while Rep. Ron Gant of Haywood County is calling for a House Republican Caucus meeting on the scandal.
The Tennessee Black Caucus isn’t ready to accept a “painful” apology from House Speaker Glen Casada for his involvement in racist and sexist text messages.
Members of the House Ethics Committee are discussing an advisory report in private on the resignation of House Speaker Glen Casada’s chief of staff amid a scandal over racist and sexist text messages.
Two Shelby County Republican House members say their caucus needs to discuss solutions to the scandal swirling around House Speaker Glen Casada, but they’re not ready to call for his resignation.
The FBI is looking into the possibility of illicit favors in return for votes for the governor’s education savings account bill, a situation state Rep. Jim Coley calls "troubling."
The Tennessee Black Caucus is requesting a federal investigation into House Speaker Glen Casada's Office and the Nashville DA's Office as the lieutenant governor says Casada should resign.
NASHVILLE –House Minority Leader Karen Camper is maintaining the Democratic Caucus' stance for House Speaker Glen Casada to resign while Democratic state Rep. John DeBerry of Memphis says it is "premature."
Tennessee House Republicans are circulating a letter to hold a meeting that could decide the fate of embattled House Speaker Glen Casada, who is caught in a racist and sexist text scandal.
NASHVILLE –A second lawsuit against the state of Tennessee is challenging a new law that plaintiffs say will suppress the vote after a massive 2018 voter registration drive in Shelby County.
Embattled House Speaker Glen Casada issues statement as Tennessee House Republican Caucus appears on the verge of taking action against him. Democrats, meanwhile, are seeking a federal investigation into surveillance and Gov. Bill Lee is calling for "higher standard."
NASHVILLE – In his first year in office, Gov. Bill Lee says he has such a good working relationship with the state Legislature he sees no need to veto any legislation, including an online sports betting bill.
NASHVILLE – Tennessee Democrats and House Minority Leader Karen Camper are demanding the resignation of House Speaker Glen Casada from his leadership position.
Cade Cothren, the chief of staff for House Speaker Glen Casada, resigned Monday over charges that included racially derogatory language, drug use and falsifying evidence.
NASHVILLE – House Minority Leader Karen Camper was steaming at the end of the 2019 General Assembly session after House Speaker Glen Casada kept Democrats off a key conference committee dealing with Medicaid legislation.
NASHVILLE – Legislative leaders had to promise money for rural schools and remove Knox and Hamilton counties from Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account bill to push it to passage in the 2019 General Assembly.
Six groups, including a Memphis-based law firm, filed suit this week challenging Tennessee’s new third-party voter registration law, contending it violates “fundamental” constitutional rights with the threat of civil and criminal penalties.