State Senate passes bill aimed at immigrant students
Shelby County’s five state senators voted down party lines for a bill that would allow school districts to deny education to students based on immigration status.
Benjamin Smith
Benjamin Smith reports on state politics for The Daily Memphian. Ben studied journalism at The University of Alabama and wrote for magazines in Alexander City, Alabama. Ben currently lives in Nashville and enjoys music, basketball and reading.
There are 31 articles by Benjamin Smith :
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April 2025
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State Government -
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State GovernmentWhat’s happening in the waning hours of the 2025 state legislative session
As the current Tennessee General Assembly legislative session draws to a close, bills are facing do-or-die moments in committees.
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State GovernmentLawmakers inch toward sales-tax hike to pay for ‘ungodly problem’
“Humanitarian crisis.” “Big liability.” “Ungodly problem.” These are some of the terms Tennessee lawmakers used to describe the Shelby County Jail as they passed a bill to help fund construction of a new one.
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State Government Tenn. House advances its version of Memphis school takeover
The measure, narrowed to Memphis-Shelby County Schools, would strip elected school board members of their duties and assign oversight of the district to a board of state-appointed Shelby County residents.
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State Government Voting-rights bill passes Tennessee Senate committee
SB0336, sponsored by state Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, would remove the requirements for persons convicted of certain felonies to have fully paid all court costs associated with their crime to be eligible to vote.
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March 2025
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State Government Tempers flare between Pearson, Farmer during House committee hearing
A discussion about gun laws lead to Rep. Justin J. Pearson, confronting fellow Rep. Andrew Farmer during a House subcommittee Wednesday, March 26, temporarily suspending the session.
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State Government School districts could deny enrollment to immigrant children if bill passes
The bill passed narrowly in an 11-7 vote, with three Republicans, including Memphis Republican Mark White voting against it alongside all four of the committee’s Democrats.
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State Government New West Tenn. juvenile detention facility plan passes first hurdle
A fiscal note attached to the bill estimates a cost of more than $283 million, a figure that doesn’t include land, staffing or maintenance costs.
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State GovernmentUnlawful photography bills get widespread support in General Assembly
Bills targeting the taking and distribution of unauthorized intimate photos and expanding rights for such victims were not only passed but received a standing ovation in the Tennessee General Assembly.
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Education Tennessee takes first step toward MSCS takeover
A Tennessee subcommittee passed Rep. Mark White’s school takeover proposal. White suggested his proposal would have a new, narrowed focus on Memphis, likely allaying concerns from other school districts who could have become targets.
Related story:
At MSCS, anti-takeover protestors condemn ‘attack on democracy’
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State Government Proposed state tax on vaping products moves forward
The proposal, aimed at removing juvenile access to vaping products and decreasing the industry’s reliance on China, would also pull many vapes off Tennessee shelves.
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State Government Controversial immigrant education bill passes House committee
The bill gives local education agencies the ability to deny enrollment to students unlawfully present in the United States.
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Music State honors Priscilla Presley as she asks support for Rock ’n‘ Soul Museum
While in Nashville asking the Legislature for support for the Rock ’n‘ Soul Museum, Priscilla Presley was given the highest civilian award Tennessee can bestow.
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State Government Tennessee lawmakers consider cutting sales tax on groceries
A couple of bills that would completely eliminate the 4% sales tax on groceries were introduced to the 114th General Assembly — and they have bipartisan support.
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State Government Homeless camps could be cleared from state roads if bill becomes law
The bill requires TDOT to work with local communities to create a policy regarding the collection and disposal of personal property used for camping near or around state and interstate highways.
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Education Tennessee House approves bill restricting cellphones in schools
A bill requiring Tennessee school districts to adopt a policy prohibiting students from using cellphones and other “wireless communication devices” during instruction time passed in the state House of Representatives Monday.
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State Government Bills could eliminate hemp industry in Tennessee entirely
Two bills seeking to restrict the sale and manufacture of hemp-derived cannabinoids in Tennessee passed through the state House of Representatives Criminal Justice subcommittee last week.
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February 2025
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State Government‘A unified voice’: Memphis Chamber group makes itself heard in Nashville
Eighty-six members of the Greater Memphis Chamber traveled to Nashville to meet with state legislators, officers and cabinet heads to advocate for issues relevant to the local business community.
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State Government Memphis lawmakers propose bill to study need for third bridge to Arkansas
The bill comes as a separate bridge — America’s River Crossing — is slated to begin construction by the fall of 2026.
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Public SafetyMemphis-area legislators file bills to restructure juvenile courts, more
A large volume of court-reform bills filed by Shelby County legislators will appear in Tennessee House of Representatives and Senate committee hearings in coming weeks.
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State Government Judge denies Brian Kelsey’s latest attempt to avoid prison
The former state senator’s most recent attempt to stay out of prison alleged government misconduct and that his legal counsel was ineffective.
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State GovernmentTN House rules handcuff Democrats’ ability to introduce legislation
“All we have is our voice, and you’ve restricted that by saying, ... ‘We don’t want to hear your voice,’” state Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, said during a Jan. 14 rules committee hearing on bill limitations.
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State Government General Assembly hears two proposals to change Tennessee’s Constitution
The first resolution proposes an amendment to expand the rights of crime victims, and the second would remove a defendant’s right to bail for certain violent offenses.
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State Government TN lawmakers file bill challenging immigrants’ access to public education
The legislation would directly challenge a more than 40-year-old precedent that ensures all children access to a free public education regardless of immigration status.
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January 2025
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State Government Tennessee lawmakers pass Gov. Lee’s school-voucher bill
The House and the Senate passed the Education Freedom Act, legislation championed by Gov. Bill Lee.
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