Memphis v. Tennessee: A Republican majority meets a Democratic one
Memphis City Council Chairman JB Smiley Jr. speaks at an Aug. 30 press conference at Memphis City Hall discussing the lawsuit the council is bringing against the Shelby County Election Commission. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
As five of the 13 Memphis City Council member gathered within City Hall Friday, Aug. 30, to announce their lawsuit against the Shelby County Election Commission, there was a party going on outside.
It featured live music and lots of Memphis-centric slogans on T-shirts and other souvenirs.
The early Downtown office worker observance of 901 Day was planned long before the legal dustup. And most of those going to and from the gathering were unaware of the critical stage the conflict between the council and the State of Tennessee had reached.
Topics
gun control referendum JB Smiley Jr. Pearl Walker Kermit Moore Subscriber OnlyThank you for being a subscriber to The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.
As a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization with a hybrid business model, we rely on a mix of revenue from subscriptions (50%), advertising, events and miscellaneous earned income (25%) and fundraising (25%).
Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian today.
👉 Your subscription pays for you to read all our journalism.
👉 Your donation powers the work we do to reach everyone else with the news.
We believe an informed Memphis is a better Memphis. If you agree, join our growing list of donors now.
Bill Dries on demand
Never miss an article. Sign up to receive Bill Dries' stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Bill Dries
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler.
Comments
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.