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.

Gov. Bill Lee worked with the state attorney general and comptroller on an executive order to put electronic government meetings rules in place after legislation failed Thursday in the final hours of the General Assembly session

Facing the biggest state and national emergency in decades, the Tennessee Legislature adopted a $39.8 billion budget Thursday night, March 19, and vacated the State Capitol as COVID-19 continued to spread.

With COVID-19 spreading statewide, the governor signed an executive order Thursday to expand the state’s health care capacity and give people more time to renew driver’s licenses and car tags. It even allows the Parole Board to hold closed meetings.

House Republicans met secretly Thursday and agreed to cut nearly $1 billion from the state budget but leave education voucher funding in place. Teacher pay raises would be cut by half. 

Gov. Bill Lee issued a disaster declaration Wednesday, enabling small businesses to seek federal loans as coronavirus cases are expected to rise amid increased testing.

Gov. Bill Lee introduced a “no-growth” budget for the next fiscal year, reducing a 3.1% revenue growth projection to zero and eliminating dozens of spending proposals while spending hundreds of millions to respond to the COVID-19 emergency.

Reacting to the national coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Bill Lee will present an “adjusted” budget by Wednesday containing funds to respond to the COVID-19 crisis and mid-state tornado victims as lawmakers hoped to take a recess of at least two months.

Speculation spreads about the Legislature possibly wrapping up by the end of this week. But Lt. Gov. Randy McNally said it will likely take two to three weeks for the General Assembly to finish its work.

Memphis is home to one of Tennessee's safety net hospitals, which will serve low-income residents in need of health care should they contract the COVID-19 virus.

Tennessee’s political leaders are speeding up work on Gov. Bill Lee’s $40.9 billion budget proposal, which is expected to contain extra funding to deal with COVID-19 and tornadoes that struck the state amid a state of emergency.

With Gov. Bill Lee declaring a state of emergency, Republican legislative leaders are calling for limited visits to the Capitol complex in an effort to stem to spread of the coronavirus, though Democrats say more extensive steps should be taken.

The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance cut state Rep. Joe Towns some slack Wednesday, March 11, even though he was 166 penalty days late on mid-year supplemental filing for 2019.

Lawmakers made a move Tuesday toward pay for student-athletes, an effort designed to avert situations like the James Wiseman case at the University of Memphis.

With Democrats criticizing the state’s response to the coronavirus, Republican Gov. Bill Lee is considering declaring a state of emergency after Tennessee confirmed its fourth case, Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey said Monday.

A bill filed Monday authorized the governor to start negotiating immediately with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and President Donald Trump to provide primary care “relative to the prevention and treatment of coronavirus” to all Tennesseans.

Medical cannabis legislation could reach a House floor vote this year for the first time, leaders say. But running a gauntlet in the Senate is likely to prove more difficult.