State Sen. Raumesh Akbari will give a keynote speech Tuesday, Aug. 18, with 16 other “rising stars” at the Democratic National Convention.

While some Republicans shied away from the notion they were targeting protesters with legislation toughening penalties for rowdiness, Democrats said the GOP-controlled Legislature put a "knee on their neck" during the 111th General Assembly second extraordinary special session.

Feeling heat from state lawmakers, parents and school districts, the Lee Administration is reversing a massive plan for school districts to conduct “welfare checks” on every child in the state because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Democratic candidate Torrey Harris fired a shot at state Rep. John DeBerry in the state House District 90 race, criticizing his support of legislation designed to crack down on protesters statewide and around the Capitol.

Legislation making camping on restricted state property a felony is “ludicrous,” state Sen. Raumesh Akbari said as the Legislature wrapped up a special session designed, in part, to stop “lawless” activity and send protesters packing.

Gov. Bill Lee’s press briefing is scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services is reminding parents the deadline is approaching to apply for a program to help provide food for their children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tennessee lawmakers passed legislation Wednesday, Aug. 12, setting a "higher bar" for people to sue businesses, schools and healthcare facilities accused of making them sick through negligence.

Legislation to toughen penalties for protesters around the Capitol passed the Legislature Wednesday, including a provision making illegal camping on state property a felony offense.

Democratic lawmaker called the House’s Republican leader a “liar” for saying those who voted against a legislative crackdown on protesters support spitting on law enforcements officers.

Senate committees are set to consider competing legislation Tuesday dealing with COVID-19 liability immunity and the punishment of protesters in the Legislature’s special session.

The state attorney general would have authority to file criminal charges against protesters under legislation introduced for a special session of the General Assembly, overstepping local district attorneys general.

Indicted for allegedly taking more than $600,000 from her federally-funded business for personal expenses, state Sen. Katrina Robinson traveled extensively with taxpayer money to legislative conferences in her first year as a state lawmaker.

The ACLU is claiming victory in a Supreme Court decision, but Gov. Bill Lee thinks the state took the right step in fighting universal absentee balloting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the eve of election day, the state's highest court rules the expanded access to absentee ballots for the August elections means all of those votes will be counted. But for November, absentee ballots will not be open to all who have general concerns for their health if they vote in person instead of by mail. There was a dissenting opinion on the court.

Robert Cooper used a line from the Eagles song “Hotel California” to argue that Metro Nashville and Shelby County will be hurt financially by the state’s Education Savings Account program.

Gov. Bill Lee, faced with opening schools in the midst of a pandemic, promised more “transparency” Tuesday, Aug. 4, on reporting COVID-19 cases in schools but declined to say the public will be given case numbers for every school statewide.

Gov. Bill Lee is scheduled to speak today at a 3 p.m. press briefing. 

Gov. Bill Lee's decision to allow high school contact sports such as football and girls' soccer is drawing incredulity and support as the season nears.

Gov. Bill Lee Monday, Aug. 3, called a special legislative session for Aug. 10 at which legislators will focus on adopting COVID-19 liability immunity legislation designed to protect small businesses and schools from an outbreak of coronavirus lawsuits.

The recent indictment of state Sen. Katrina Robinson isn't a first for local members of the state legislative delegation, though it is different in that the charges are not connected to her duties as a state senator.

A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against state Sen. Katrina Robinson on charges of theft and embezzlement involving government programs and wire fraud.

The FBI searched state Sen. Katrina Robinson's home Tuesday for a second time. Authorities provided no details about why they were searching the home. 

Gov. Bill Lee outlined the contingency plan the day after Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray said a safe reopening of in-person classes was "largely a myth" with the number of COVID-19 virus cases growing. The Memphis and Nashville school systems are the only two in the state starting the school year with online classes only.

Despite calls from a White House task force leader for Tennessee to take stronger steps to curb the coronavirus spread, Gov. Bill Lee reiterated he doesn't plan to close down the state economy again and resisted the call for a statewide mask mandate.