The House Education Committee passed Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account initiative Wednesday, with Shelby County legislators splitting votes on potentially the most contentious bill of the 2019 session.
Once roiled by concerns about the spread of Islam, the Tennessee Legislature is considering legislation enabling state dollars to be used to send students to Islamic schools across the state.
As a key vote approaches this week, Gov. Bill Lee pushed his “school-choice” proposals Monday in a West Tennessee Economic Development Caucus gathering.
The House Government Operations Committee approved legislation Monday creating a state charter commission with the requirement it go through a “sunset” hearing to determine if it should remain in place after eight years.
The Senate Education Committee passed a heavily-amended charter schools bill this week marked by support from Democratic state Sen. Raumesh Akbari and the bill’s sponsor, Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey, both of Shelby County.
House and Senate Republican leaders are on different wavelengths when it comes to passage of a fetal heartbeat bill restricting abortions.
The state Senate passed legislation Thursday removing an appellate court review from death penalty cases, despite efforts by Shelby County Democrats who opposed it.
In a largely symbolic gesture, Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi is taking back its endorsement of Democratic state Representative Joe Towns of Memphis in last year's primary and general elections because of Towns' recent vote in favor of the “fetal heartbeat” bill.
Shelby County legislators split support Wednesday in a vote sending legislation creating a charter schools commission to the House floor.
Gov. Bill Lee’s signature piece of legislation allowing students to use public dollars to enroll in private schools cleared its first hurdle Tuesday.
Memphis Democratic senators oppose bill even though it would allow oversight boards to have a private investigator seek subpoenas from a judge.
Education savings accounts would cost $75 million in first year with projected costs escalating to $125 million after three years.
Gov. Bill Lee’s charter school authorization bill is hitting a wall as legislators get pushback from local school districts and others.
Saying he wants to blot out “one of the worst parts of our history,” state Rep. Joe Towns is renewing legislation to eliminate slavery and involuntary servitude from the Tennessee Constitution.
Despite the objections of Davidson County lawmakers, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed legislation Thursday removing subpoena power from police oversight boards in Tennessee.
A key Senate committee chairman believes legislation barring nonprofit groups from using specialty tag proceeds to sue the state or cities is worth debating.
Calling for an end to the exploitation of college athletes, state Sen. Brian Kelsey says he is sponsoring legislation urging universities and conferences to pay athletes for their performance.
State Rep. Joe Towns’ civil penalties reached a total of $45,000 Wednesday after the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance fined him another $10,000 for failing to file campaign reports.
State Sen. Brian Kelsey is downplaying a National Rifle Association graphic criticizing him for posing with members of Moms Demand Action, a group advocating for gun law reforms.
Two Shelby County lawmakers are sponsoring legislation creating a state commission with authority to approve charter schools without the operators going through a local school board.
Voters in eastern Shelby County and Tipton County go to the polls Tuesday to decide who will take the state Senate District 32 seat formerly held by Mark Norris.
Legislation by state Sen. Brian Kelsey that could dramatically increase Senate candidate fundraising could be heard in a committee this week.
Constitutional questions and the likelihood of expensive litigation will likely cause the state Senate to slow-walk a fetal heartbeat bill passed by the House this week.
Gov. Bill Lee says this is the year to pass his “school choice” plan, putting $25.4 million in his budget plan to pay local systems if they lose students.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's remarks at the University of Memphis Thursday went short on budget specifics for local projects and longer on his conservative philosophy for state government, but he stopped short of saying he would sign the "fetal heartbeat" abortion bill that cleared the state House earlier in the day.