Legislation by state Sen. Brian Kelsey that could dramatically increase Senate candidate fundraising could be heard in a committee this week.

• Shelby County Opioid Summit comes to Memphis Thursday 
• Former U of M professor returns to Memphis to debut first novel
• Steve Mulroy to hold book signing at Novel

Constitutional questions and the likelihood of expensive litigation will likely cause the state Senate to slow-walk a fetal heartbeat bill passed by the House this week.

Almost half the signatures processed so far to put a city sales tax hike on the ballot this year have been judged invalid, according to the Shelby County Election Commission.

Gov. Bill Lee says this is the year to pass his “school choice” plan, putting $25.4 million in his budget plan to pay local systems if they lose students.

Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer appeared on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast to discuss her announcement seeking the Memphis mayor's office in October. 

With the support of a network of 49 organizations, United Way of the Mid-South is celebrating the first year of its collaborative attack on local poverty with a visit from the woman who inspired the agency's initiative.

• Text-to-911 service launching soon in Memphis
• Portion of Pleasant Ridge Road to close for about a month
• American Home Shield holding jobs fair

Local law enforcement applauds Gov. Bill Lee’s plan to shore up school safety with $30 million in grant funding.

Gov. Bill Lee said his proposed education savings accounts would not siphon money from public schools: “For every dollar that goes with a child that leaves a school or a district, that district will receive a fill-in-the-gap amount of equal amount.”

The Memphis mayor’s authority over public schools is limited, since the city school board voted in 2010 to dissolve the city district, which led to a merger of the city and county school systems. But the city mayor isn’t without power to steer conversation and dictate spending. 

An AmeriCorps team of eight is at Overton Park and Shelby Forest for a month to go after invasive plants just before spring arrives. Meanwhile, the Overton Park Conservancy has drawn some attention for some seasonal changes in the Old Forest after the recent rains.

• Text-to-911 service launching soon in Memphis
• Portion of Pleasant Ridge Road to close for about a month
• American Home Shield holding jobs fair

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's remarks at the University of Memphis Thursday went short on budget specifics for local projects and longer on his conservative philosophy for state government, but he stopped short of saying he would sign the "fetal heartbeat" abortion bill that cleared the state House earlier in the day.

Shelby representative says former Wayne County coach, principal should explain apology he made to woman who accused him of sexual misconduct.

The Mississippi River at Memphis is past its crest as of Monday, but the level is still over 40 feet on the river gauge.

The Tennessee House of Representatives overwhelmingly backed legislation Thursday prohibiting abortion procedures once a heartbeat is detected.

Supporters and opponents of Lee's proposal for education savings accounts are mobilizing for likely the biggest battle of the legislative session.

Six months after being sworn in as Shelby County Commissioner, Tami Sawyer announced Thursday she is launching a campaign to be the next Memphis mayor. 

Memphis and Shelby County elected officials and fitness center owners are urging state legislators to repeal the amusement tax or “gym tax,” a 10 percent hike on fitness centers across the state.

Legislation requiring Gov. Bill Lee’s administration to seek a federal block grant for funding TennCare advanced in the House this week in spite of Shelby County lawmakers’ efforts to attach guidelines.

The last day of early voting in state Senate District 32 is followed by the March 12 election day for the seat covering eastern Shelby County and all of Tipton County. Early voter turnout appears to be about where it was in the January special primary elections.

University of Memphis students can gain protection from tuition increases if they graduate within four years under a Guaranteed Tuition Rate plan approved by trustees Wednesday.

• Sticky problem 
• Home sales rise in February
• Nine Memphis women to be honored at Women of Achievement awards

The United Campus Workers put a strong Memphis presence to work Wednesday, rallying for higher wages for adjunct faculty, who teach a third of the courses at Tennessee colleges and universities.