Memphis v. Tennessee: A Republican majority meets a Democratic one
Memphis City Council Chairman JB Smiley Jr. speaks at an Aug. 30 press conference at Memphis City Hall discussing the lawsuit the council is bringing against the Shelby County Election Commission. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
As five of the 13 Memphis City Council member gathered within City Hall Friday, Aug. 30, to announce their lawsuit against the Shelby County Election Commission, there was a party going on outside.
It featured live music and lots of Memphis-centric slogans on T-shirts and other souvenirs.
The early Downtown office worker observance of 901 Day was planned long before the legal dustup. And most of those going to and from the gathering were unaware of the critical stage the conflict between the council and the State of Tennessee had reached.
Topics
gun control referendum JB Smiley Jr. Pearl Walker Kermit Moore Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
Your subscription gives you unlimited access to all of The Daily Memphian’s news, written by nearly 40 local journalists and more than 20 regular freelancers. We work around the clock to cover the issues that impact your life and our community.
You can help us reach more Memphians.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we provide free news access at K-12 schools, public libraries and many community organizations. We also reach tens of thousands of people through our podcasts, and through our radio and television partnerships – all completely free to everyone who cares about Memphis.
When you subscribe, you get full access to our news. But when you donate, you help us reach all Memphians.
Pay it forward. Make a fully tax-deductible donation to The Daily Memphian today.
Thank you for reading the local news. Thank you for investing in our community.
Bill Dries on demand
Never miss an article. Sign up to receive Bill Dries' stories as they’re published.
Enter your e-mail address
Bill Dries
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler.
Want to comment on our stories or respond to others? Join the conversation by subscribing now. Only paid subscribers can add their thoughts or upvote/downvote comments. Our commenting policy can be viewed here.