A question about a census tract has left hundreds of homes in limbo with questions of whether they sit in Arlington or Fayette County.

The Senate made significant revisions to a bill affecting the ownership and operations of four Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

Lawmakers debated the Second Amendment and liberty, the value of training and permitting, and the maturity of teenagers, even though a Senate committee stalled the bill earlier this month.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton invoked the names of Memphis rapper Young Dolph and Rhodes College student Drew Rainier, both of whom were shot and killed last year, in a speech arguing against early release for a handful of crimes.

Senate and House finance committees are expected to take up the proposed Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) funding formula this week. A final vote in both legislative bodies could come soon.

“I’ve heard a lot that Tennessee just isn’t the place for us,” said state Rep. Torrey Harris, one of two openly gay members of the General Assembly. “And I’m trying not to get to the place where I believe the same thing.”

Sectarian prayers at a government meeting notwithstanding, the General Assembly’s daunting task this session to allocate an additional $1 billion to education is more than a math problem.

Teachers would be required to provide lessons on Black history and the “virtues of capitalism” under a handful of bills passed Tuesday, April 12 by the state Senate related to civics and history.

A bill adopted by the state Senate regarding four schools in Shelby County suburbs must return to the House for review after a flurry of amendments before Senate passage Tuesday.

A bill potentially impacting the ownership and operation of four Memphis-Shelby County Schools received new amendments on the state Senate floor.

The County Commission Monday approved the agreement with Grizzlies to keep the team in Memphis through at least 2029.

Related story:

Calkins: Grizzlies aren’t leaving Memphis — now or in 2029

The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Kevin Vaughan (R-Collierville), amends last year’s name, image and likeness law, which allowed college athletes to get paid while still prohibiting their schools from paying them directly.

Two bills expanding permitless gun carry stalled Wednesday, April 6 in the General Assembly.

Lucy Elementary lies in Millington. It’s one of four Memphis-Shelby County Schools campuses affected by pending legislation.

The budget amendment also includes $10 million for the National Civil Rights Museum, $2.5 million each for the Brooks Museum of Art and the Leftwich Tennis Center and $100,000 for the Southern Heritage Classic.

The economic effect of lack of access to child care is enormous, according to a Tennesseans for Quality Early Education report. In Memphis, the impact is $259 million annually in lost earnings and revenue.

Amid an FBI investigation coming to a head, lawmakers found time to advance Gov. Bill Lee’s school funding overhaul.

Rep. Kevin Vaughan (R-Collierville) proposed the bill, which has been approved the State Senate, to prevent moves such as Memphis City Council’s efforts to keep the Byhalia Connection Pipeline away from the city’s aquifer. 

Strickland’s backing of Brent Taylor in the state Senate District 31 primary follows endorsements by Tennessee Republican U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty.

“I might say this sounds like a five star bill to me,” state Rep. Kevin Vaughan (R-Collierville) said of a bill that seeks to ban “factually false” reviews on sites like Yelp.

State Sen. Richard Briggs, the only Republican who voted against the measure, said legislators are “trying to overprotect students” and that the bill is “a solution looking for a problem.”

Tennessee senators will vote on legislation affecting Germantown’s namesake schools next week. If the legislation becomes law, there is still much work on the local level.

A criminal defense lawyer told lawmakers he crafted a law similar to “truth in sentencing” decades ago — and regretted it.

Katrina Robinson was convicted for two wire fraud counts. She was granted the acquittal of two other wire fraud counts in January. A federal judge ruled Friday afternoon that she will not serve prison time.