There are 211 article(s) tagged Tennessee General Assembly:
Roderick Richmond, the interim leader of Memphis-Shelby County Schools, pointed to failures of Tennessee’s state-run Achievement School District during a town hall meeting opposing takeover of the school system.
The move to put all nine MSCS board seats on the ballot in 2026 took a few turns last week in County Commission committee sessions.
In spite of the divisive legislation that may crop up in rows from January to April every year, Tennessee lawmakers actually agree on more than one may realize.
After four months of argument, compromise, bickering and squabble, the 2025 Tennessee General Assembly concluded April 22.
Disagreements about what kind of authority an appointed board should have over the Memphis school system stopped the bill from advancing before lawmakers adjourned for the year.
A special committee of state lawmakers is expected to hammer out the details of a proposed takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools in a final push toward passing the legislation before the Tennessee General Assembly adjourns in the coming days.
The state governing body for high school athletics is facing the possibility of a government takeover. Or outright dissolution.
The Tennessee General Assembly passed three possible amendments, including one that could allow judges to deny bail to defendants accused of certain crimes.
Rep. G.A. Hardaway, along with other Memphis lawmakers, expressed concern over the reductions and outright elimination of many Memphis organizations and programs.
Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, and Sen. Brent Taylor, R- Eads, don’t yet agree on the role of a new appointed board. Here’s what they’ve offered in new proposals aimed at a compromise.
“Special education preschool students throughout Tennessee do not get much funding. It’s almost a totally unfunded mandate,” Lakeland School System board member and legislative liaison Michelle Childs said.
Options for funding the project, widely agreed upon by state legislators as necessary despite disputes about priorities and timing, are becoming increasingly limited.
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.
As the current Tennessee General Assembly legislative session draws to a close, bills are facing do-or-die moments in committees.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Eads Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor brought the proposal, which targets Memphis by taking aim at Tennessee school districts with high concentrations of poverty.
State lawmakers are looking to eliminate the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, which looks into about 180 complaints about discrimination every month.
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.
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.
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. At MSCS, anti-takeover protestors condemn ‘attack on democracy’Related story:
A new state legislative proposal to take over Memphis-Shelby County Schools drew immediate opposition from some local community, church and elected leaders.