After serving 26 years as a Memphis Democrat in the Tennessee General Assembly, state Rep. John DeBerry is being removed from that party’s August 2020 primary ballot.

State Sen. Raumesh Akbari will serve on a panel overseeing spending billions of dollars in federal funds coming to Tennessee as part of the COVID-19 crisis response.

Gov. Bill Lee pushed a federal paycheck protection program Tuesday, April 7, for small businesses as well as relief for independent contractors who can qualify for unemployment during the COVID-19 pandemic, appearing to reverse or clarify his stance the previous day.

A Tennessee Registry of Election Finance member is raising questions about the validity of an email vote the board took amid the COVID-19 pandemic when it approved a settlement for civil penalties against state Rep. Joe Towns of Memphis.

Tennessee is expecting a much smaller surge in COVID-19 hospital patients than projected a week ago as people stay home and the number of new cases begins to dwindle, Gov. Bill Lee said Monday.

Memphis resident Nick Kenney is getting in more miles than ever during a “shelter at home” order with few people or cars on the streets. Jogging and many other outdoor activities are allowed, as long as people keep their distance.

The Registry of Election Finance held an email vote just before the April 2 qualifying deadline and cut a civil penalty against state Rep. Joe Towns by $44,100, enabling him to run for re-election.

Voter registration advocates are applauding the repeal of “onerous” restrictions and potential criminal penalties for large drives with the signing into law of new legislation passed in March.

Gov. Bill Lee issued a “shelter at home” order Thursday, April 2, but said it was based on traffic data rather than the urging of physicians who asked him more than a week ago to take extra steps to restrict the transmission of COVID-19 with a surge approaching.

State lawmakers say schools likely won't reopen this year amid the COVID-19 threat, and some are questioning the state Department of Education for rolling out applications for education savings accounts during an emergency.

Projecting an April 19-20 COVID-19 peak, Gov. Bill Lee predicts the state will need 7,000 more hospital beds to handle the worst scenario of patient demand.

Gov. Bill Lee warned lawmakers Wednesday the COVID-19 crisis is expected to “surge” in two to four weeks, putting a heavy burden on the state’s health care system.

Gov. Bill Lee hasn’t asked Mississippi and Arkansas governors to declare “safer at home” guidelines even though their residents could carry COVID-19 back and forth into Shelby County, which has more than 400 cases.

State Reps. Antonio Parkinson and Jim Coley say Gov. Bill Lee needs to take more "decisive" action to stop the spread of COVID-19.

As COVID-19 cases hit nearly 400 in Shelby County and reached into 77 of 95 counties, Gov. Bill Lee ordered all nonessential businesses to close Monday, March 30, and introduced a statewide “safer at home” measure.

Gov. Bill Lee's second year in office morphs into crisis mode, forcing him to make decisions on the fly, many of which he is reversing in a matter of days to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tennessee could sidestep a days-long lag time for COVID-19 through new testing equipment expected to be introduced during the coming week, enabling results to be shown in an hour or less.

Lee commented as he moved the state's daily briefing on the pandemic to Memphis and met with local leaders. State officials announced the death toll from the virus in the state has now risen to six.

Gov. Bill Lee is seeking help from Vanderbilt University Medical Center on a “unique” model to project the COVID-19 spread in Tennessee that will enable the state to determine its effect on hospital capacity and personal protective equipment as well as the next hot spots.

As COVID-19 cases escalate, Gov. Bill Lee reminded Tennesseans Wednesday he is negotiating with the federal government for Medicaid funding to cover uninsured residents who contract the virus.

As COVID-19 cases pass the 660 mark, Gov. Bill Lee is asking every school system in the state to stay closed until April 24, three weeks longer than expected, while hoping students can get some form of instruction by watching lessons on PBS.

With July early voting four months away, state Rep. London Lamar is questioning whether the Secretary of State’s Office is prepared to deal with a pandemic, saying universal absentee voting is needed to avoid risking people's lives.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally calls it the “black swan,” an unforeseen event capable of shaking Tennessee’s foundation, yet one the state must be prepared to handle, this time using a military approach on a worldwide scale.

Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order Sunday, March 22, calling for businesses across the state to use "alternative business models" beginning Monday. Like local orders already in place, it bans dine-in services at restaurants statewide.

Delayed by the COVID-19 crisis, legislation such as the “constitutional carry” bill allowing people to carry handguns without a permit is expected to revive when lawmakers return to Nashville this summer after a long recess.