Memphis homicides broke a record in 2023, Lee talks vouchers and more
Memphis’ homicide rate, school vouchers and passenger rail were among the topics discussed on this week’s “Behind The Headlines.”
Topic: Gov. Bill Lee
RSSThere are 335 article(s) tagged Gov. Bill Lee:
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December 2023
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Gov. Bill Lee grants clemency to 23
The Tennessee governor has granted one commutation and 22 pardons, including a Sevier County woman convicted of first-degree murder. Two of those receiving pardons are from Shelby County.
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Lakeland Schools join chorus of opposition to vouchers
The list of government entities opposing a school voucher program continues to grow as the Lakeland School Board passes a resolution against Gov. Bill Lee’s plan.
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Governor calls school voucher plan ‘freedom,’ while opponents call it ‘a scam’
The General Assembly approved private school vouchers by a one-vote margin in 2019, with some supporting the program because it applied only to Memphis and Nashville. Now, Lee wants anyone, regardless of income, to have access to discounted private school tuition.
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November 2023
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Gov. Lee sends more THP troopers to Memphis — again
More than 50 troopers will contribute to an ongoing “surge” over the next few weeks, after state Sen. Brent Taylor pleaded for more help fighting crime in Memphis.
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September 2023
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Memphis breaks ground on $34 million mental health crisis center
Dignitaries including Gov. Bill Lee were present as Alliance Healthcare Services celebrated a facility being built in Binghampton that will cover behavioral health, addiction, and walk-in help for children and families.
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August 2023
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Tennessee Highway Patrol recruitment triples
Tennessee Highway Patrol has recruited 1,000 applicants in its newest cadet class, and of those, between 110 and 115 are from Shelby County, Gov. Bill Lee told reporters during a press conference Wednesday, Aug. 9.
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Gov. Lee says public safety is a ‘matter of emergency’
“We should not wait for others to solve the challenges that this nation is facing of trafficking, human trafficking, drug trafficking, violent crime,” Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said.
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July 2023
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State’s largest teachers’ union sues over ‘prohibited concepts’ law
The Tennessee Education Association and five state educators including two affiliated with MSCS filed a lawsuit against the 2021 ‘prohibited concepts’ law, banning certain discussion surrounding race and gender in public and charter schools.
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Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds starts as Tennessee’s new education commissioner
“Tennessee is one of those states that has always prioritized education as number one so that’s why I’m so excited to be here,” said new Department of Education Commissioner Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds.
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July 1, beginning of state’s fiscal year, brings avalanche of new laws
A huge number of new state laws take effect July 1, with the start of the 2024 fiscal year. But lawsuits and inaction by lawmakers make the absence of some laws as notable as the presence of others.
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Judges block state law banning teacher group from automatically deducting member dues
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June 2023
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TBI: Local police, courts slow to submit criminal information for background checks
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says staffing, grants and tech upgrades would help it enter backlogged criminal information into the background-check system.
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May 2023
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Judge to rule on Tennessee ‘drag ban’ by June 2
“This is an effort of a reactionary group of lawmakers to push LGBT people back into the closet,” said attorney Brice Timmons. “We’re talking about pushing people back four decades.”
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Bill Lee urges Whitehaven grads’ pride in their achievements and city
Memphis “has its unique challenges, but it also has a unique future because of the leaders that are being created today in this stadium,” the governor said in his commencement address.
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Gov. Lee signs executive order creating nuclear energy advisory council
But opponents of nuclear energy say harm to the environment and public health — including from mining and nuclear waste — outweigh the benefits of it being a low-carbon energy source.
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Special legislative session on gun safety scheduled for August
The announcement comes more than two weeks after lawmakers concluded their annual session without passing significant gun-safety legislation.
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Gov. Lee, other TN leaders hope for gun safety laws in summer special session
During a visit to Memphis, Gov. Bill Lee said a special legislative session, likely this summer, will consider several options from him and legislators of both parties.
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April 2023
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Lawmakers end session before Lee files red-flag bill
The General Assembly chose to end this year’s legislative session before Gov. Bill Lee could find someone to sponsor — or even file — his “temporary mental health order of protection” bill.
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Tennessee General Assembly approves $350M in Memphis stadium funding
The funding, which is part of Gov. Bill Lee’s budget for the coming year, was approved with an amendment to allow the cash to be used for all city-owned stadiums.
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Lee proposes millions in school security investments in light of Nashville shooting
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has proposed $140 million to establish a school resource officer (SRO) grant fund that would place a trained, armed security guard at every public school in the state, among other measures.
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March 2023
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Coalition formed to support local HIV efforts in wake of Lee’s rejection of federal funds
In May, Tennessee will stop accepting HIV prevention funding from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, stripping local nonprofits of dollars they rely on to serve high-risk populations.
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A ‘sustainable presence’ of state troopers to help battle speeding
As Tennessee again promises an increased number of state troopers, municipalities around the country are trying to find ways to curb the influence of lead-footed drivers, Memphis included.
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Memphis seeing more state troopers not just on highways but on ‘our city streets’
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‘Not in the best condition': Tennessee looks to replace youth detention center
As part of our “Minor Offenders, Major Offenses” series, The Daily Memphian takes a look at Tennessee’s only state-run, hardware-secure juvenile detention facility currently in use. Wilder Youth Development Center opened in 1971, and various officials say it needs to either be replaced or expanded.
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Memphis, national advocates rally for transgender youth rights
The rally was hosted by OUTMemphis and the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization. Other participating organizations included Choices Memphis and My Sistah’s House Memphis.
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February 2023
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Tennessee National Guard helicopter crashes in Alabama, killing 2
Two members of the Tennessee National Guard were killed during a flight-training mission. The helicopter crashed around 3 p.m. local time and caught fire.
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