Memphis City Council members announced a legal maneuver last week that they equated to standing up to a bully. In this case, and in their estimation, that bully is the state’s Republican legislative leadership. The City Council is suing the Shelby County Election Commission over its decision to not include a three-part, gun-control ballot question on city voters’ November ballots. Memphis Mayor Paul Young said the referendum was “futile” and quickly cast the council’s move as not worth “escalating tensions” in the city’s relationship with state lawmakers. Most recently, the lawsuit is in the hands of Chancellor Melanie Taylor Jefferson who is set to hear the case Sept. 16.

Also, The Daily Memphian reported on the rising tide of enhanced cell-phone restrictions at local middle and high schools; Wanda Halbert’s attorneys invoking a Florida federal court decision that threw charges against former President Donald Trump as part of their argument to dismiss ouster proceedings against her; and Frederick Agee, district attorney general for Tennessee’s 28th judicial district, calling for a criminal investigation into state Sen. Brent Taylor for documents Taylor posted online last month.

— Metro editor Jane Donahoe

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The Memphis City Council’s lawsuit to vote for citywide gun-control measures in November pushes on as the September deadline for the ballot approaches. 

Mayor Young calls gun control referendum futile By Samuel Hardiman, Bill Dries

Wanda Halbert uses Donald Trump case as defense By Bill Dries

Two alleged nightclub shooters, two vastly different bonds By Aarron Fleming

Calkins: Jermaine 'FunnyMaine' Johnson is a Memphian to take seriously By Geoff Calkins

Election Commission won't add gun-control referendum in November By Bill Dries

Memphis City Council sues Election Commission over gun-control vote By Bill Dries, Samuel Hardiman

Some schools are pulling the plug on student phones By Jody Callahan

Tennessee DA Agee takes page from Brent Taylor's playbook By Aarron Fleming

Environmentalists urge health department to take action on xAI By Samuel Hardiman

MATA to eliminate routes and lay off about half of staff By Jody Callahan

Secretary of State won't let Memphians vote on local gun control By Bill Dries, Samuel Hardiman

Fewer firsts: Female judges talk diminishing gender gap By Julia Baker

Memphis v. Tennessee: A Republican majority meets a Democratic one By Bill Dries

Sentencing board formed after Eliza Fletcher's death begins review By Julia Baker

Elevators at 201 Poplar keep going down By Julia Baker

Carol Coletta leaving Memphis River Parks Partnership helm By Bill Dries

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