Just as one invading species – state legislators – has departed Nashville, we’re steeling ourselves for the imminent arrival of another: Brood XIX cicadas. Of the two, which is more irksome?

2. Tennessee lawmakers adjourn after finalizing $1.9B tax cut, refund for businesses - Friday, April 26, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's GOP-controlled General Assembly on Thursday adjourned for the year, concluding months of tense political infighting that doomed Republican Gov. Bill Lee's universal school voucher push. But a bill allowing some teachers to carry firearms in public schools and one adding a nearly $2 billion tax cut and refund for businesses received last-minute approval.

3. Tennessee GOP senators OK criminalizing helping minors get transgender care, mimicking abortion bill - Friday, April 12, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers are considering criminalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care without parental consent, a proposal advancing in one of the most eager states to enact policies aimed at the LGBTQ+ community.

4. Tennessee GOP senators OK criminalizing helping minors get transgender care, mimicking abortion bill - Friday, April 12, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers are considering criminalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care without parental consent, a proposal advancing in one of the most eager states to enact policies aimed at the LGBTQ+ community.

5. Tennessee Senate advances bill to arm teachers a year after deadly Nashville school shooting - Friday, April 5, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Tennessee advanced a proposal Tuesday to allow some teachers to carry handguns on public school grounds, a move that would mark one of the state's biggest expansions of gun access since a deadly shooting at a private elementary school last year.

6. Logic goes for a spin in debate over guns in cars - Friday, April 5, 2024

The General Assembly ought to come with a warning label: Watching legislators in action may lead to eye-rolls, head-shakes and muttered oaths of exasperation.

Case in point, last week, when Sen. Jeff Yarbro spoke in support of his bill that would have encouraged the safe storage of guns in vehicles. Not mandated, mind you. Encouraged.

7. Tennessee Senate advances nearly $2B business tax cut, refund to prevent lawsuit - Friday, March 22, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Senate on Thursday approved a nearly $2 billion tax and refund for businesses, a proposal designed to prevent threats of a potential lawsuit even as critics warned the so-called solution was rushed without being properly vetted and shrouded in mystery.

8. Tennessee lawmakers propose changes to how books get removed from school libraries - Friday, March 8, 2024

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's Republican-controlled Statehouse is once again looking to tweak how books can be removed from school library shelves despite concerns that the latest proposal could result in the Bible being possibly banned.

9. Democratic lawmakers ask Justice Department to probe Tennessee's voting rights restoration changes - Friday, March 1, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — A group of Democratic Tennessee lawmakers is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate how the state has further restricted the process for people with felony records to get their voting rights back.

10. Double-dip bill does right thing for wrong reason - Friday, February 16, 2024

Graciousness is not a quality of aggrieved Republican legislators; payback is their stock in trade. Like their pachyderm symbol, they never forget. And in the partisan street fight that Tennessee politics has become, they’re the ones with brass knuckles and switchblades.

11. ‘The people’ need other ways to be heard in Tennessee - Friday, February 2, 2024

Abraham Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg of a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Do we have that in Tennessee?

“Of the people,” I guess maybe so. There’s no proof that the legislative pool includes any species other than human, though a few occasionally demonstrate the mental acuity of livestock.

12. Judges rule state takeover of Nashville airport's board violates Tennessee Constitution - Friday, October 27, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — A panel of judges ruled Tuesday that it was unconstitutional for Tennessee lawmakers to pass a state takeover of Nashville International Airport's board without approval from city officials or voters, delivering the latest blow in court to state Republicans' series of attempts to rein in the autonomy of Democratic-leaning Nashville.

13. O’Connell, Rolli advance to runoff in Nashville mayor’s race - Friday, August 4, 2023

Two-term Metro Council member Freddie O’Connell took 27% of the vote Thursday in a 12-candidate field to grab one of two runoff spots in the Nashville mayoral race. Alice Rolli, the lone conservative contender, received 20% of ballots cast.

14. Tennessee gun-control push at crossroads as proposal stalls - Friday, April 21, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Chances are shrinking fast for a key gun-control proposal to make it through the Tennessee Legislature in the wake of a deadly school shooting, as GOP lawmakers push back against the Republican governor's proposal to keep firearms away from people who could harm themselves or others.

15. Tennessee moves to shield gun firms after school shooting - Friday, April 14, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — In the wake of a deadly school shooting last month, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee awarded final passage Tuesday to a proposal that would further protect gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers against lawsuits.

16. Tennessee staff fret as contentious charter school denied - Friday, September 9, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — When local school officials voted down a Tennessee charter school linked to Hillsdale College this summer, staffers at the state commission that would soon have to decide whether to let the controversial school open anyway reacted with shock at how things unfolded.

17. Court clears path for long-blocked Tennessee school vouchers - Friday, May 13, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's highest court ruled Wednesday that Republican Gov. Bill Lee's school voucher program does not violate the state's constitution, clearing the path for families to soon use taxpayer dollars on private schools.

18. Tennessee lawmakers pass K-12 library oversight, end session - Friday, April 29, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers closed out their annual legislative session Thursday, striking a deal that would let a politically appointed panel remove books from public school libraries statewide through a new veto power over local school board decisions.

19. Amid false 2020 claims, GOP states eye voting system upgrade - Friday, April 15, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — For years, Tennessee Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro's call to require the state's voting infrastructure to include a paper record of each ballot cast has been batted down in the Republican-dominated Legislature.

20. Transgender athlete penalty bill heads to Gov. Lee's desk - Friday, April 8, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will soon decide whether to sign off on adding harsh penalties against public schools in his state that allow transgender athletes to participate in girls' sports.

21. Tenn. 'divisive concept' bill targeting colleges advances - Friday, March 18, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Tennessee are nearing final passage of legislation that would allow students and staffers to sue public colleges and universities if they feel they've been unfairly punished for not accepting "divisive concepts."

22. Gun ammo salesman confirmed to Tennessee education board - Friday, March 18, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers have confirmed the governor's appointment of a businessman to the State Board of Education despite lawsuits over his company's sale of ammunition online, including the bullets used in a mass shooting at a Texas high school.

23. Tennessee GOP leaders shy from attacks on librarians - Friday, March 4, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — GOP legislative leaders on Thursday maintained that parents need more transparency on what students are being exposed to inside Tennessee's public schools, but a handful conceded the arguments recently used to condemn teachers and libraries had crossed a line.

24. New K-12 funding formula proposal to be revealed next week - Friday, February 18, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — After months of gathering input from across the state on how Tennessee should fund its multibillion-dollar K-12 education system, Gov. Bill Lee and Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn say they are close to finally revealing their plan for how the formula should be rewritten.

25. Tennessee lawmakers pass ban on instant runoff voting - Friday, February 11, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers passed a ban Monday against instant runoff voting in elections, a move that seeks to end a long-running legal dispute between state election officials and the city of Memphis.

26. Tennessee lawmakers confirm AG's office lawyer to high court - Friday, February 11, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday confirmed one of the top lawyers from the attorney general's office to the state Supreme Court, solidifying what will likely be a shift even further right for the court.

27. US House map splitting Nashville advances in state Senate - Friday, January 14, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — A proposed U.S. House map that carves up fast-growing, Democratic-leaning Nashville into three different congressional districts advanced another step Thursday over strenuous objections from Democrats that it unfairly dilutes Black representation in Tennessee.

28. Gov. Lee's aide warned legislators new COVID law is illegal - Friday, November 19, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's office warned lawmakers that their sprawling bill limiting COVID-19 restrictions would violate federal law that protects people with disabilities and put the state at risk of losing federal funds, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.

29. Remember when government intrusion was a bad thing? - Friday, November 12, 2021

Tennessee legislators have shown they don’t need a monthslong session to commit mayhem. When they put their hive mind to it, they can muck things up in just three days.

Three days and change, actually, since the recent special session ran from Wednesday into the wee hours of Saturday morning.

30. Gov. Lee allows opt-out of student mask requirements - Friday, August 13, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order Monday letting parents opt their children out of coronavirus-related mask mandates in K-12 schools, after a few school districts issued mask requirements for students and others.

31. Tennessee to end federal pandemic unemployment aid in July - Friday, May 7, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee announced Tuesday that the extra federal unemployment aid offered amid the COVID-19 pandemic won't be available in Tennessee starting July 3, including the end of $300 weekly additional payments.

32. The good, the bad and the ugly of 2020 legislative session - Friday, May 14, 2021

Legislators have again decamped, signaling halftime of the 112th General Assembly, so it’s time to assess the damage they did before leaving. And, sure, the good.

Which I’ll start with: The bill calling for a statue of David Crockett on the Capitol grounds passed and was signed by the governor. I suggested in a column last year that Crockett might well have been the greatest Tennessean ever, so: Go, Davy!

33. Gov Lee: Race shouldn't be taught in 'divisive' way - Friday, May 7, 2021

FAIRVIEW (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Friday echoed arguments in favor of a bill that would restrict what concepts on institutional racism can be taught in school, saying students should learn "the exceptionalism of our nation," not things that "inherently divide" people.

34. Tennessee lawmakers pass new transgender 'bathroom bill' - Friday, April 16, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers have passed a bill that would put public schools and districts at risk of civil lawsuits if they let transgender students or employees use multi-person bathrooms or locker rooms that do not reflect their gender at birth.

35. Legislative plan: Stoke fear, offer bill to soothe fear - Friday, April 9, 2021

If people could fight COVID-19 with a gun, Tennessee legislators would be health care champions. As it happens, though, the best weapons against COVID are masks, physical distancing and vaccines – none of which most legislators are keen on promoting. Instead, they’re keen on blocking them.

36. Tennessee Senate OKs anti-trans athlete bill - Friday, February 26, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's GOP-dominant Senate advanced legislation Monday that would ban transgender athletes from participating in girls' sports.

The bill has been heavily criticized by Democrats and civil rights advocates, who have warned that Tennessee will likely face costly legal challenges if signed into law, pointing to a similar measure in Idaho that's currently blocked from being enacted as opponents argue it's unconstitutional in court.

37. Tennessee lawmakers OK education bills in special session - Friday, January 22, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers on Friday finished tackling education issues that have surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Republicans fumed that some districts still are not back in classrooms but declined to act on their proposal to withhold state funding for staying virtual.

38. Tennessee OKs Medicaid block grant; fate unclear under Biden - Friday, January 15, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's GOP-dominant Legislature on Friday approved a contentious decision that would drastically overhaul the state's Medicaid program, casting quick votes this week in hopes of making it difficult for incoming President-elect Joe Biden's administration from overturning the deal.

39. Gerrymandering makes TN look redder than it is - Friday, June 26, 2020

Campaign signs popping up in neighborhood yards were a clear reminder: There’s an election coming.

No, I don’t mean the presidential election. Pretty much aware of that one.

Legislative contests are my topic. All state House seats are involved, and half the Senate seats. Each body has a Republican supermajority; the Senate has a Republican super-duper majority.

40. Tennessee lawmakers advance 6-week abortion ban - Friday, June 19, 2020

NASHVILLE (AP) — Amid nationwide unrest and a global pandemic that wrecked the state budget, Tennessee lawmakers wrapped up a legislative session early Friday by advancing an anti-abortion proposal that includes some of the strictest restrictions in the country.

41. Mail-in ballots have costs in counting, reporting - Friday, April 24, 2020

Tennessee’s August and November elections will be governed by a combination of state and federal law.

In general, states have authority to conduct elections, which in practice are handled county by county within parameters the states set, says Steven Mulroy, law professor in constitutional law, criminal law and election law at the University of Memphis.

42. Tennessee audit finds fraud in low-income kid's meal program - Friday, April 3, 2020

NASHVILLE (AP) — Several organizations tasked with feeding low-income children in Tennessee billed the state for meals they did not serve, a state audit found.

According to the report released Monday by Tennessee Comptroller Justin P. Wilson, four Tennessee operators participating in a food subsidy program "displayed a clear pattern of not following the rules" but the state "allowed the sponsors to return to the program year after year and continue to claim high-dollar reimbursements."

43. Lee cites 'legal challenges' surrounding COVID-19 death info - Friday, March 27, 2020

NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee says "legal challenges" are preventing Tennessee's top health officials from releasing location information on where coronavirus deaths have occurred in the state.

44. Lee working to tweak open meeting rules amid virus outbreak - Friday, March 20, 2020

NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee announced Friday that his administration is working on allowing local officials to meet electronically, rather than in person, to mitigate the risk of spreading the new coronavirus.

45. Tennessee lawmakers pass budget, recess amid virus outbreak - Friday, March 20, 2020

NASHVILLE (AP) — Working in the close quarters health officials advised against, Tennessee lawmakers cut short their 2020 session and won't return until June 1 after passing a dramatically reduced spending plan for the upcoming year in reaction to widespread coronavirus-related disruptions.

46. Tennessee lawmakers eye quick finish amid virus restrictions - Friday, March 13, 2020

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers acknowledged they were shirking federal health recommendations on the coronavirus by sitting in close quarters as they conducted business Tuesday.

They also drew questions about whether they were staying focused on only the most necessary legislation, as promised, during their sprint toward a recess by the end of the week.

47. Tennessee COVID-19 location omission sparks questions - Friday, March 6, 2020

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee is limiting what information it releases about coronavirus cases, becoming an outlier compared to most other states and sparking alarm among some officials worried the move will only stir public mistrust.

48. Proposal would overhaul blocked Tennessee voter signup law - Friday, February 14, 2020

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a new proposal to amend the state's legally contentious voter-registration restrictions that are currently blocked from being enforced during the 2020 elections.

49. Lee proposes $117M for teacher pay raises - Friday, January 31, 2020

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Lee declared Monday that his proposal to funnel an additional $117 million to K-12 teacher salaries would be the largest investment in teacher pay in Tennessee history.

50. Lee taps 38 to serve on census panel - Friday, October 18, 2019

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has appointed 38 people to a panel that will work with the U.S. Census Bureau on the 2020 Census.

Lee's office announced a wide variety of appointees to the Tennessee Complete Count Committee on Wednesday.

51. Lee taps 38 to serve on census panel - Friday, October 11, 2019

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has appointed 38 people to a panel that will work with the U.S. Census Bureau on the 2020 Census.

Lee's office announced a wide variety of appointees to the Tennessee Complete Count Committee on Wednesday.

52. Tennessee lawmakers pass gun permit bill, wrap up session - Friday, May 3, 2019

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers passed a bill Thursday that would offer new concealed carry-only handgun permits that don't require training that involves actually firing a weapon, highlighting the final decisions of a frenzied last day of a monthslong legislative session.

53. Governor to mull gun permits without live training - Friday, May 3, 2019

NASHVILLE (AP) — It will be up to Republican Gov. Bill Lee to decide whether Tennessee will start offering a concealed carry-only handgun permit that doesn't require training that includes actually firing a weapon.

54. Tennessee Senate OKs bill to punish voter signup missteps - Friday, April 26, 2019

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee could penalize paid voter registration groups with fines for too many incomplete signup forms and criminal penalties for submitting registration forms too late, under legislation passed Thursday by the state Senate.

55. Tennessee bill would double Senate campaign donation limits - Friday, April 19, 2019

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee senators have voted to double several campaign contribution limits.

The Senate voted Thursday for Republican Sen. Brian Kelsey's bill. It still needs House approval.

56. Bill to nix 1 court death penalty review goes to Lee - Friday, March 22, 2019

NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee appears ready to sign into law a measure that could speed up the implementation of a death sentence.

The change would come at a point when Tennessee has resumed putting inmates to death after a nearly decade-long hiatus, even though U.S. executions are hovering near historically low levels.

57. Education savings account plan sparks concerns in Tennessee - Friday, March 1, 2019

NASHVILLE (AP) — Democratic lawmakers are criticizing Gov. Bill Lee's proposal to devote $25 million toward allowing parents to create savings accounts to pay for their children's education.

Lee announced the plan Monday during his first State of the State address. Legislation that would shine more light on the details of the proposal isn't expected to be released until later this week, but the plan is expected to allow parents of students in certain low-income districts to receive $7,300 from a government-authorized account to pay for approved expenses.

58. Sticking to the script - Friday, February 22, 2019

Bill Lee the governor sounds a lot like Bill Lee the candidate as he works to implement the policies he brought to Tennessee voters since the Republican businessman announced that he would seek the state’s top job.

59. Tennessee mulls 1 less court review before executions - Friday, February 8, 2019

NASHVILLE (AP) — As Tennessee ramps up for another round of executions, the Republican-led Legislature is considering eliminating one level of state court review of death sentences.

A bill named for fallen Dickson County Sheriff's Sgt. Daniel Baker would provide for automatic reviews of death penalty cases by the state Supreme Court, skipping over Tennessee's Court of Criminal Appeals. The same concept failed two years ago. This year, it has the support of the Senate and House speakers.

60. GOP leaders seek to limit local community oversight panels - Friday, February 1, 2019

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Republican lawmakers on Monday introduced legislation limiting the powers of community oversight boards just months after Democratic-leaning Nashville passed a referendum establishing such a group to investigate police misconduct claims.

61. Democrats map plan to stay relevent in new session - Friday, January 4, 2019

With new leadership in both the House and Senate, Tennessee Democrats are trying to stay relevant in the face of supermajorities in both houses of the General Assembly.

Karen Camper has been elected as the first African-American leader of the House Democrats, taking over from Craig Fitzhugh, who became minority leader in 2011 and left for an unsuccessful bid for governor. The Senate has elected Jeff Yarbro as the minority leader. Yarbro takes over for Lee Harris, who is now mayor of Shelby County.

62. Alexander won’t seek re-election in 2020 - Friday, December 14, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee announced Monday that he won't seek re-election in 2020, giving the red state its second open Senate contest in two years.

Alexander said in a news release that he was deeply grateful for being elected to more combined years as governor and senator than anyone else in Tennessee. But the 78-year-old politician said it's now time for someone else to have that privilege. He will serve out his final two years.

63. Tennessee Senate Democrats pick Yarbro as minority leader - Friday, November 30, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Senate Democrats have picked Jeff Yarbro as their new minority leader.

The former caucus chairman from Nashville received the promotion during leadership elections Tuesday among the five Democratic senators. Republicans hold legislative supermajorities in both the House and Senate.

64. TBI says keeping records private 'protects' innocent - Friday, October 5, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations says it's helping protect the innocent by not turning over documents to the public, a policy that's raised some eyebrows among state lawmakers and open government advocates.

65. Blue wave? State Democrats more likely up a creek - Friday, June 22, 2018

Tennessee Democrats are hoping a “blue wave” will wash across the Volunteer State this fall and help them regain a number of seats lost over the last decade. Republicans are banking on red voters to crush any wave by capitalizing on the popularity of President Donald Trump when November arrives.

66. If only legislators could focus on important issues - Friday, May 25, 2018

A year-old law enabling Tennessee colleges and universities to keep secret the “proprietary” fees they pay money managers for handling risky investments is likely to be reviewed this year.

67. Tennessee lawmakers wrap election-year legislative session - Friday, April 27, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers wrapped up an election-year legislative session late Wednesday, highlighting their last day by passing legislation that would require state and local law enforcement agencies to detain immigrants for deportation at the request of federal officials without requiring warrants or probable cause.

68. Tennessee lawmakers wrap election-year legislative session - Friday, April 20, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers wrapped up an election-year legislative session late Wednesday, highlighting their last day by passing legislation that would require state and local law enforcement agencies to detain immigrants for deportation at the request of federal officials without requiring warrants or probable cause.

69. Tennessee passes bill to impose work requirements - Friday, April 20, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Republican-led Tennessee Legislature on Thursday passed a controversial bill aimed at imposing work requirements on people receiving Medicaid benefits. In Tennessee, the Medicaid program is called TennCare.

70. Social media ad disclosure bill fails - Friday, April 13, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee bill that would require the disclosure of who paid for political ads on social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook is likely dead for the year after failing to get enough votes in the House on Monday.

71. Senate votes to override Metro Council on short-term rentals - Friday, April 6, 2018

The state Senate overwhelmingly passed a short-term rental bill Thursday pre-empting Nashville’s measure to clamp down on “party houses” and phase them out in less than three years.

72. Harper leaving Senate after nearly 40 years of public service - Friday, March 30, 2018

After nearly 40 years of public service, state Sen. Thelma Harper has announced she would is not seeking re-election to the 19th Senatorial District.

“Even though there is no greater honor than being able to serve and be your voice on the hill, I truly feel the time is right for me to pass the baton to the next generation of future leaders,” Sen. Harper said. “Even though I will no longer be an elected public servant, I will continue to serve and work in the community to help those in need.”

73. State Senate OKs changes to University of Tennessee board - Friday, March 23, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Republican-led state Senate has approved a bill that would reshape the University of Tennessee's board of trustees.

Senators cast a 27-3 vote Monday for Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal.

74. Democrats need viable candidates to catch blue wave - Friday, March 23, 2018

Republicans called it the “kickoff” to what they hope will be a great election season. Democrats are downplaying a lopsided loss in the 14th Senate District special election, saying it won’t represent results later this year in President Donald Trump’s midterm.

75. Tennessee Senate OKs social media political disclosure bill - Friday, March 16, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Senate has passed a bill that would spell out requirements to disclose who paid for sponsored political content on social media platforms.

The Republican-led Senate approved the legislation in a 17-8 vote Monday. It heads to the House.

76. Legislators pushing bill to enable next-generation cell network - Friday, March 16, 2018

Unable to get cell-phone service at a football game in Nashville or Knoxville? Can’t send a text from a Broadway honky tonk or Beale Street blues bar? Wondering how autonomous cars will ever work?

77. Tennessee lawmakers revive child marriage ban proposal - Friday, March 9, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Republican-led Tennessee House panel has revived legislation to ban child marriage.

A House subcommittee advanced the bill Wednesday after amending it to let 17-year-olds continue to marry, but only with judicial approval, parental permission, proof of maturity and high school completion, and other requirements.

78. Florida’s epiphany on guns means little in Tennessee - Friday, March 16, 2018

Memphis resident Stevie Moore has been waging a war to take illegal guns off the streets since someone shot his son in the head with an AK-47 15 years ago.

“It’s my mission to fight these guns whatever way I can,” says Moore, who founded the organization Freedom From Unnecessary Negatives in an effort to steer youth away from violence.

79. Barry pleads guilty to theft, 1st Nashville mayor to resign - Friday, March 2, 2018

Two and a-half years into a mercurial mayoral term, Megan Barry pleaded guilty to a felony theft charge and resigned Tuesday just a month after admitting to an affair with the chief of her security detail, former Metro Police Sgt. Rob Forrest.

80. Musicians want freelance, contractor harassment protections - Friday, March 2, 2018

Country music singer Katie Armiger re-emerged in the spotlight Monday to back legislation giving freelancers and contractors protection against sexual harassment.

Some two years after going public with accusations detailing country’s music’s untold story about how women are treated, one of sexual innuendoes, crude comments and unwanted touching by radio programmers and “influential professionals,” the 26-year-old Armiger remains caught up in a legal battle but hopes to keep other performers from falling into the same trap.

81. State lawmakers propose ban on child marriages in Tennessee - Friday, February 23, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Two Democratic lawmakers are proposing a ban on child marriages in Tennessee.

During a news conference Monday, Sen. Jeff Yarbro of Nashville and Rep. Darren Jernigan of Old Hickory discussed legislation to require people getting married to be at least 18.

82. Details slow plan to shrink UT’s Board of Trustees - Friday, February 16, 2018

Gov. Bill Haslam’s plan to restructure the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees appears to be a work in progress.

Timing is critical, too, with the 2018 session of the General Assembly moving at a snail’s pace and UT President Joe DiPietro’s contract set to run out in mid-2019.

83. Tennessee finds itself locked into a bad deal - Friday, February 2, 2018

State Rep. John Ray Clemmons makes no secret about his disdain for private prisons in Tennessee.

Not only is he concerned about a Comptroller’s Office audit showing CoreCivic’s Trousdale Turner Correctional Center skating by with fewer staff than required, especially for critical posts, he says the Department of Correction is violating the spirit of state law by contracting with four counties to run more than the one minimum-security or medium-security prison allowed in Tennessee.

84. In address, Haslam challenges Tennessee to 'be the best' - Friday, January 26, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam used his eighth and final annual address Monday to tout the state's achievements and challenge Tennessee to "be the best" in the nation in jobs, education and government efficiency.

85. State voters have more to fear than Russian meddling - Friday, January 26, 2018

About 30 years ago, my wife and I were hanging out with another couple and decided to make a big night of it. We’d go out for Mexican food and then rent a movie.

After we had some Mexican grub, we went to Kroger to find a flick. As we perused the selections, my friend said, “What about a Russian spy movie?” To which his girlfriend (future wife, now ex-wife) whined, “John, you know I don’t speak Russian.” (His name is changed to protect the innocent.)

86. Opioid crisis and juvenile justice - Friday, December 29, 2017

With the state’s budget projected to be tight and lawmakers lining up to run for re-election in 2018, the coming legislative session isn’t expected to yield many surprises.

But the 110th General Assembly still has a long row to hoe as the session starts Jan. 9 with new legislative offices and committee rooms in the renovated Cordell Hull Building in downtown Nashville.

87. Butler Snow’s Polly elected president of Nashville Bar - Friday, December 15, 2017

Erin Palmer Polly, a commercial litigation attorney at Butler Snow, LLP, will serve as the 2018 president of the Nashville Bar Association. In 2014, she was president of the NBA Young Lawyers Division, became a fellow of the Nashville Bar Foundation and received the Legal Aid Society Volunteer Lawyer’s Program Pro Bono Award.

88. Former Tennessee Gov. Bredesen running for Senate - Friday, December 1, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — Former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen has been calling potential donors to let them know he plans to join the race to succeed Republican Bob Corker in the U.S. Senate.

A prominent supporter confirmed he had spoken to Bredesen, the most recent Democrat to win a statewide race in Tennessee, about the decision Wednesday. He spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because an official announcement wasn't expected until Thursday.

89. Medical marijuana might finally get past objections - Friday, November 3, 2017

Medical marijuana legislation is evolving, not to ease people’s debilitating pain but to help it pass the General Assembly, where it’s giving some lawmakers heartburn.

State Rep. Jeremy Faison, an East Tennessee Republican ferrying the bill through the House, is offering several changes to a bill he is sponsoring with Sen. Steve Dickerson, a Nashville Republican, to soothe the nerves of state bureaucrats and lawmakers who get shaky when the word marijuana is mentioned.

90. Democrats look to Bredesen to run, reinvigorate party - Friday, October 27, 2017

Tennessee Democrats are canvassing the state to find candidates at every political level, but their next star is a well-known veteran who has people of all political stripes holding their breath.

Phil Bredesen, the former mayor of Nashville and a two-term governor, could alter the landscape of Tennessee politics if he enters the race for U.S. Senate to fill the void by departing Republican Sen. Bob Corker in 2018.

91. Haslam mulls bid to succeed Corker in Senate - Friday, September 29, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said Thursday that he had been holding out hope that his friend Bob Corker would run for a third term in the U.S. Senate. But now that Corker has decided to retire from Congress, the governor said he's been thrust into the position of having to give a Senate bid serious consideration.

92. Opioid committee on right track, obstacles remain - Friday, September 15, 2017

Smyrna Police Chief Kevin Arnold can remember the first time his detectives brought a heroin case to him three or four years ago.

“Of course, my reaction immediately was, ‘I thought that went away in the late 70s.’ But we’re seeing it. In fact, we are averaging approximately five heroin overdoses a month just in the town of Smyrna,” adds Arnold, whose city about 10 miles southeast of Nashville has a population of nearly 48,600.

93. Micromanaging Nashville is Job 1 for Legislature - Friday, July 7, 2017

Metro Nashville is used to getting hammered by the Legislature’s Republicans. Nearly every time the Metro Council tries to come up with a solution to growing problems, conservatives in the General Assembly swoop in and save the rest of the state from Music City’s attempts to better handle its success.

94. Medicaid cuts could hit rural children hardest - Friday, June 16, 2017

As Congress fiddles with an Obamacare replacement, one likely to cut billions in Medicaid spending, health care experts warn a decrease in funding could be hard on Tennessee.

During a recent forum in Jackson, Andy Schneider of the Georgetown Center on Children and Families reported that 50 percent of Tennessee’s children in small towns and rural areas are covered by Medicaid, a higher percentage than the rest of the nation, and more than in Tennessee’s urban areas where 39 percent have Medicaid.

95. A new life made possible by a $170 discount - Friday, June 9, 2017

A harassment conviction lingered on the record of Memphis resident Brenda A. for 10 years, the high cost of expungement making it difficult to erase the past.

Like many people convicted of misdemeanors and felonies, she paid her court fees and fines, along with probation costs, years ago, but had trouble cobbling together the money to expunge her record, making it hard to land a good job and make a fresh start.

96. Law could allow guns at Nashville bus hub used by schools - Friday, June 2, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — Police and security guards keep watch as thousands of children zigzag through Nashville's downtown bus hub each morning and afternoon, catching buses between home and school.

Barring some court challenge this month, the authorities likely won't be alone in carrying lethal firepower through the Music City Central station. A law signed by Gov. Bill Haslam that takes effect July 1st will force Nashville to let people carry loaded guns there and potentially even on the city buses thousands of students ride each day.

97. Haslam credits GOP ‘experiment’ for Tennessee’s success - Friday, May 19, 2017

If you ask Gov. Bill Haslam, Republican government is the best thing since sliced bread.

Not only is GOP leadership responsible for a myriad of tax cuts leading to record surpluses and a $37 billion budget funding better K-12 and higher education, shoring up the rainy day and TennCare funds, shrinking state debt and building an economic environment for job creation, Haslam says. It’s even bringing us the cleanest air since before the industrial revolution.

98. Fitzhugh's K-12 bill passes House will have to wait a year in Senate - Friday, May 5, 2017

House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh pushed his K-12 education fund to passage Tuesday, but the possibility of funding and Senate approval will have to wait until 2018.

Dubbed the “K-12 Block Grant Act,” the measure calls for setting aside $250 million in excess state revenue for interest-generating investment to provide grant money for school systems statewide. Each system could use the funds for state-approved programs such as reading coaches or dual enrollment, items not funded through Tennessee’s Basic Education Program.

99. Tennessee lawmakers make late session push on final bills - Friday, May 5, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers nearly checked off the last of their lingering legislative priorities Tuesday, as they moved to require metal detectors for gun-banning city facilities and pushed to let older adults without a college degree or certificate attend community college for free.

100. Senate punts on Nashville-only short-term rentals bill - Friday, May 5, 2017

A day after the House targeted Nashville with a tough bill on short-term rentals, the Senate deferred action on legislation blocking the Metro Council from enacting any prohibitions.

The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee postponed a bill by Sen. John Stevens until January 2018, ending the debate this year on a measure singling out Davidson County efforts to restrict short-term rentals such as Airbnb.