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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November 2018
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Education Suburban school districts here finished at the top of Tennessee’s ACT scores, while Shelby County Schools came in near the bottom but is seeing improvement among its economically disadvantaged students and has four high schools above the state average of 20.2, its best score ever. -
State Government Blackburn leading Bredesen in three new polls for U.S. Senate seat
With less than a week left until the Nov. 6 election, Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn is leading former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen in three new polls released this week.
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October 2018
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State Government Kelsey leads Salinas in state employee union poll
Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey is leading Democratic challenger Gabby Salinas by a wide margin in a recent state employees union poll with a heavy dose of GOP voters. -
State Government Former Republican Sen. Leatherwood faces Democrat Cambron in District 99 House race
Upended by a blue wave in Shelby County’s Aug. 2 election, ex-Register of Deeds Tom Leatherwood is seeking a return to the Legislature, hoping to fill a void left by the late Ron Lollar. -
State Government Gubernatorial candidates holding out on laptops for all students
Tennessee’s gubernatorial candidates won’t commit to Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposal to buy laptops for Tennessee students - at an unspecified cost - in an effort to prepare them for the end-of-year test called TNReady. -
State Government Lee’s a political ‘outsider,’ but his company does plenty of government work
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee presents himself as a political “outsider.” He’s never run for public office, and he says he’s “never worked for the government.” -
Education Governor proposes TNReady changes, spending for student laptops
Gov. Bill Haslam, coming off a listening tour for the embattled TNReady test, is proposing a litany of changes for the assessment, including spending to put laptops in the hands of every Tennessee student. -
State Government Dean taking jab at Lee on vouchers
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Karl Dean is taking a jab at Republican frontrunner Bill Lee on vouchers, calling him an “extreme” candidate whose policies would hurt public education. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
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