Published by the The Tennessean, Reporters Kimberlee Kruesi and Jonathan Mattise – June 2, 2023 Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s administration accused the National Rifle Association of wanting to use involuntary commitment laws “to round up mentally ill people and deprive them of other liberties,” according to documents drafted by the Republican’s staffers as part of…
Published by the Tennessee Lookout, Reporter Sam Stockard – May 31, 2023 Tennessee plans to extend a private prison company’s contract with an $8 million raise annually to run a state penitentiary in spite of lawsuits alleging it caused inmate deaths. The pay increase also could come in spite of $17.74 million in state fines…
Published by the Tennessee Lookout, Reporter Sam Stockard – June 1, 2023 The governor’s proposal enabling law enforcement to confiscate weapons from unstable people is likely to go down in flames during a special session. Tennessee’s House and Senate speakers forecast a harsh reception for Gov. Bill Lee’s plan Wednesday in an interview with reporters….
Published by the Tennessee Lookout, Reporter Adam Friedman – May 31, 2023 Third-grade reading scores by school district show a slight improvement for most Tennessee schools in 2023 compared to the average of recent years. Last week Tennessee released its statewide testing scores, showing 60% of third graders weren’t proficient at reading. This is common…
Published by Rolling Stone, Commentator Representative Justin Pearson – May 17, 2023 Mary Joyce’s daughter witnessed the unspeakable. “The day after the children were murdered at the school, grief therapists passed out ‘Feelings Cards‘ with faces on them to help the children identify what they were feeling,” she recalled. “My nine-year-old daughter, Monroe, who saw…
Published by WSMV 4, Reporter Daniel Smithson – May 18, 2023 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Tennessee teachers could soon be getting a pay raise thanks to the newly signed Teacher Paycheck Protection Act. The bill raises the minimum teacher salary to $50,000 by 2026, an increase from $35,000 in 2019. Gov. Bill Lee signed the…
Published by WJHL, Reporter Chris O’Brien – May 18, 2023 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Recreational and medical cannabis are illegal in Tennessee, but people are still getting legally high. In the last few years, the THC market has expanded, with products containing Delta-8 and Delta-10 growing in popularity. They’re sometimes called “diet weed” or “weed lite.” “Delta-8 [is]…
Published by WJHL, Reporter Slater Teague – May 18, 2023 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill that protects school teachers who don’t use a student’s preferred pronouns. The Republican governor signed legislation Wednesday that prevents public school teachers from facing civil lawsuits or adverse employment action for not referring to a student…
Published by the Tennessee Lookout, Reporter Adam Friedman – May 16, 2023 Hillsdale College’s affiliated charter schools are asking for an exception in Tennessee law to teach a curriculum linked with Common Core, which state lawmakers banned twice. American Classical Education (ACE) — the Hillsdale-affiliated charter school group — asked in its five applications for an…
Published by WJHL, Reporter Slater Teague, May 18, 2023 BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Sullivan County Commission voted to officially recognize Juneteenth, but not before one commissioner called it a “woke holiday.” Commissioners voted 17–4 Thursday night to recognize the General Assembly’s designation of Juneteenth as an official holiday and to make it a paid…