State Sen. Brent Taylor proposed a bill in March that would have created a state-level board to offer companies tax incentives for projects in Memphis.

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.

The Political Roundup also digs into the reaction at the National Civil Rights Museum’s April 4th commemoration to Donald Trump’s executive orders.

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.

“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. 

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.

Dr. Ralph Alvarado, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health, touched on everything from vaccines to fluoride to health disparities during a presentation at the University of Memphis on Friday, March 28.

State Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Eads, and Senate leaders are asking the Tennessee Supreme Court to appoint a panel outside the legislature to investigate Shelby County District Attorney General Steve Mulroy. 

The Senate proposal would expand Tennessee’s voucher program to some rural and poor school districts, whether state officials believe other takeover measures are necessary or not.

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.

When Gov. Bill Lee’s budget amendment was released Tuesday, $10 million for Germantown’s desired sports complex was not included.

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. 

Eads Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor brought the proposal, which targets Memphis by taking aim at Tennessee school districts with high concentrations of poverty.

The money to hire and pay an accounting firm to conduct the audit is part of Gov. Bill Lee’s amended budget proposal.

“If we do nothing then we are really leaving ourselves at the will of the state,” said Commissioner Shante Avant. 

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.

Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Valerie Smith has been confirmed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals.

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.

Amid a national measles outbreak, the Tennessee Department of Health says a Middle Tennessee resident is the state’s first confirmed measles case this year. 

U.S. Rep. John Rose announced Thursday his candidacy for Tennessee governor in 2026, putting him on a likely collision course with U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who also appears set on running.

The comptroller’s report calls for greater transparency regarding criminal justice data. 

A proposal in Tennessee that would require educational institutions that house students overnight to separate bathrooms “by immutable biological sex” is headed to Republican Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for his approval.

The proposal would transfer authority to a state-appointed board for at least four years.

Memphis Republican Rep. Mark White, the bill’s sponsor, has yet to file his proposal as a legislative amendment, meaning the concrete details aren’t yet available to review.