MEMPHIS (AP) — A Tennessee judge ruled Wednesday that three gun control questions can go on the November ballot in Memphis, even as top Republican state leaders have threatened to withhold tens of millions of dollars in state funding should city leaders put the initiative before voters.

2. Orano USA to build a multibillion-dollar uranium enrichment facility in Oak Ridge - Friday, September 6, 2024

OAK RIDGE (AP) — A France-based company that specializes in nuclear power and renewable energy has selected a site in Oak Ridge to build a multibillion-dollar centrifuge uranium enrichment facility, Gov. Bill Lee announced.

3. Memphis City Council sues to reinstate gun control measures on November ballot - Friday, August 30, 2024

MEMPHIS (AP) — The Memphis City Council on Friday sued the commission that oversees the Tennessee city's elections for removing three gun control questions from the November ballot after top Republican state leaders threatened to withhold tens of millions of dollars in state funding.

4. Gun control initiatives to be left off Memphis ballot after GOP threat to withhold funds - Friday, August 23, 2024

MEMPHIS (AP) — Election officials in Memphis decided Tuesday to leave three gun control questions off the November ballot after top Republican state leaders threatened to withhold tens of millions of dollars in state funding.

5. Tennessee Republican leaders threaten to withhold funds as Memphis preps to put guns on the ballot - Friday, August 23, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's top Republican leaders on Monday threatened to withhold tens of millions of dollars in state funding from left-leaning Memphis should leaders continue with plans to place three local gun control initiatives on the November ballot.

6. Tennessee GOP-led Senate spikes bill seeking to ban LGBTQ+ Pride flags in schools - Friday, April 19, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — A bill designed to ban LGBTQ+ Pride flags in Tennessee public school classrooms was spiked Tuesday after it failed to attract enough support in the GOP-controlled Senate.

The proposal had easily cleared the Republican-dominant House nearly two months prior after the bill's sponsor said he had parents complain about "political flags" in classrooms.

7. Gov. Lee admits defeat in school voucher push - Friday, April 19, 2024

GALLATIN (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee conceded defeat Monday in his push to enact universal school vouchers this year, acknowledging there was not a "path forward" after months of Republican infighting.

8. 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.

9. Tennessee bill untangling gun and voting rights restoration advances, but faces uncertain odds - Friday, April 5, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee residents convicted of felonies can apply to vote again without restoring their gun rights under a bipartisan bill that faces some GOP skepticism as it advances late this session.

10. 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.

11. Tennessee House advances bill to ban reappointing lawmakers booted for behavior - Friday, February 23, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republicans in the Tennessee House voted Monday to advance a bill that would prevent local governments from reappointing state lawmakers who were expelled due to behavior.

The proposal is one of several restrictions being considered after the GOP's high-profile expulsion proceedings last April against Democratic state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson. It would bar what happened after: Jones and Pearson were reappointed and quickly went back to work.

12. Tennessee GOP could change law to prevent Democrat's simultaneous bids for Senate and statehouse - Friday, February 9, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Less than a year after Tennessee Republicans attempted to expel her from the state House, Democrat Gloria Johnson is seeking another term there while simultaneously waging an uphill campaign for U.S. Senate.

13. Tennessee's strict abortion ban is under pressure, but change is unlikely under GOP control - Friday, February 2, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — After begrudgingly agreeing to tweak Tennessee's strict abortion ban last year, the Republican-dominant Legislature is once again facing pressure to reconsider when doctors can legally offer the procedure to pregnant patients.

14. State GOP leaders see no issue with state's voting-rights restoration system - Friday, January 26, 2024

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's top Republican lawmakers say they have no issue with the state's strict policy on restoring voting rights for those convicted of a felony, arguing that people shouldn't have violated the law if they wanted to continue casting ballots.

15. Felons must get gun rights back if they want voting rights restored, Tennessee officials say - Friday, January 19, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — The state's toughened voting rights restoration policy requires people convicted of a felony to get their gun rights restored before they can become eligible to cast a ballot again, Tennessee's elections office said Tuesday, confirming a mandate that officials had been debating internally.

16. Tennessee lawmakers kick off session to mull voucher expansion, changes after school shooting - Friday, January 5, 2024

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers returned Tuesday for months of election-year work, anchored by the debate over whether taxpayer money to help students attend private schools should be available statewide for families of any income level.

17. Nashville sues over Tennessee law letting state pick 6 of 13 on local pro sports facility board - Friday, October 13, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville officials filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging a new Tennessee law that reconfigures the panel overseeing professional sports facilities in the city by letting state leaders pick six of its 13 board members.

18. Legislature needs to look elsewhere for spokesperson - Friday, October 6, 2023

I usually spike the emailed job suggestions from LinkedIn, along with everything else it sends, but this one was different: “You may be a fit,” the email advised, “for Tennessee General Assembly’s deputy press secretary.”

19. Breaking impasse, Tennessee lawmakers adjourn tumultuous session spurred by school shooting - Friday, August 25, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers on Tuesday abruptly ended a special session initially touted to improve public safety in the wake of a deadly elementary school shooting, but it quickly unraveled into chaos over the past week as the GOP-dominant Statehouse refused to take up gun control measures and instead spent most of the time ensnared in political infighting.

20. Gun control already ruled out, Tennessee GOP lawmakers hit impasse in session after school shooting - Friday, August 25, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Republican lawmakers hit an impasse Thursday just a few days into a special session sparked by a deadly school shooting in March, leaving little certainty about what they might ultimately pass, yet all but guaranteeing it won't be any significant gun control change.

21. Lawsuit says Tennessee's US House, state Senate maps discriminate against communities of color - Friday, August 11, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee is facing its first court challenge over a congressional redistricting map that carved up Democratic-leaning Nashville to help Republicans flip a seat in last year's elections, a move that the plaintiffs say has unconstitutionally diluted the power of Black voters and other communities of color.

22. 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.

23. 911 calls reveal terror at Nashville school during attack - Friday, March 31, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Authorities released 911 recordings on Thursday that capture the terror inside a Nashville elementary school during a mass shooting this week, as callers pleaded for help in hushed voices while sirens, crying and gunfire could be heard in the background.

24. McNally passes confidence vote after social media uproar - Friday, March 17, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally's Republican colleagues in the Senate have voted 19-7 that he should keep his leadership post in the wake of revelations that he repeatedly commented on posts of nearly nude photos of a young gay model and other LGBTQ personalities.

25. Tennessee House OKs narrow abortion exemption bill - Friday, March 17, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's GOP-dominant House on Monday advanced legislation that would add a narrow exemption to the state's strict abortion ban, despite concerns raised by Democrats and medical experts that the bill does not go far enough to protect doctors and pregnant patients.

26. GOP leader 'pausing' social media after liking LGBTQ posts - Friday, March 10, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally announced Monday that he is "pausing" all social media activity after revelations that he repeatedly commented on posts of nearly nude photos of a young gay model and other LGBTQ personalities.

27. GOP leader's LGBTQ social media activity called hypocrisy - Friday, March 10, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's Republican lieutenant governor has apologized after revelations that he interacted on social media to nearly nude photos of a young gay model as well as other posts by the man and other LGBTQ personalities, even as the lawmaker has led a Senate that has passed bills targeting the LGBTQ community.

28. Lawmakers: Tennessee AG has legal concerns over abortion ban - Friday, February 24, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Lawmakers say Tennessee's top legal chief has voiced concerns about the legality of the state's abortion law, adding an extra layer of urgency among some Republicans to insert exemptions into one of the strictest bans in the country.

29. Tennessee senators OK school voucher expansion bill - Friday, February 17, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Senate lawmakers on Thursday approved the expansion of an education voucher program that allows public tax dollars to be given to families to pay for private schooling.

The Republican-dominant chamber voted 19-6 to approve the legislation to expand the voucher program to Hamilton County, with only Democrats voting against. Four Republican lawmakers declined to cast a vote. The bill must still clear the House chamber.

30. War of words: GOP better at framing debate - Friday, February 17, 2023

As I’ve noted before, conservatives are much better than progressives at framing the language of a debate, time and again seizing the upper rhetorical hand on matters of policy.

See? I can say positive things about conservatives. They routinely win the battle of words because they play the game better than progressives. As someone who made a career on the use of words, I have to respect that – while lamenting it.

31. Tennessee advances bill to narrowly loosen abortion ban - Friday, February 10, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's GOP-dominant Statehouse on Tuesday took a first step toward loosening one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, advancing a narrow exemption bill over threats from anti-abortion advocates that doing so would come with political retribution.

32. Tennessee Senate speaker recovering after pacemaker inserted - Friday, February 10, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Lt. Gov. and Senate Speaker Randy McNally is recovering after having a pacemaker inserted.

33. Tennessee House speaker mulls rejecting US education money - Friday, February 10, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — One of Tennessee's most influential Republican lawmakers says the state should stop accepting the nearly $1.8 billion of federal K-12 education dollars that help provide support for low-income students, English learners and students with disabilities.

34. Tennessee House speaker mulls rejecting US education money - Friday, February 3, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — One of Tennessee's most influential Republican lawmakers says the state should stop accepting the nearly $1.8 billion of federal K-12 education dollars that help provide support for low-income students, English learners and students with disabilities.

35. State GOP split over abortion exceptions - Friday, January 20, 2023

For months, Tennessee’s Republican leaders have maintained that the state’s abortion ban – known as one of the strictest in the U.S. – allows doctors to perform the procedure, should they need to in order to save the patient’s life, even though the statute doesn’t explicitly say so.

36. Tennessee lawmakers reconvene, take up hot-button issues - Friday, January 6, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers kicked off their annual legislative session on Tuesday, where they'll spend the next few months finalizing the state's upcoming budget as well as debating issues from abortion ban exceptions to express toll lanes.

37. Abortion, roads, trans youth top Tennessee lawmaking session - Friday, January 6, 2023

NASHVILLE (AP) — As Tennessee lawmakers head into an annual legislative session on Tuesday, some fights are already underway — over whether the state's strict abortion ban needs exceptions, if express toll lanes and electric vehicle fee hikes can help solve roadwork needs, and how restrictive Republicans want the law to be regarding transgender youth health treatment.

38. Ex-Tennessee lawmaker Kelsey pleads guilty to campaign cash scheme - Friday, November 25, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — A former Tennessee state senator accused of violating federal campaign finance laws pleaded guilty to two charges on Tuesday after initially calling the case against him a political witch hunt.

39. Tennessee House GOP nominates Sexton for new speaker term - Friday, November 25, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee House Republicans have nominated Speaker Cameron Sexton to serve a third term in the chamber's top leadership position.

40. Tennessee Senate GOP nominates McNally for new speaker term - Friday, November 11, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Senate Republicans have nominated Speaker Randy McNally to serve another two-year term in the top leadership role in the chamber.

41. Tennessee Republican lawmakers hold onto majority - Friday, November 4, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Republican lawmakers will maintain a comfortable majority control inside the state's General Assembly.

All 99 House seats and 17 of the Senate's 33 seats were on the ballot.

42. Officials say 200-plus votes cast for wrong Nashville races - Friday, November 4, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — More than 200 votes have been cast in the wrong races in Nashville since early voting began in Tennessee, election officials confirmed Wednesday.

Davidson County election administrator Jeff Roberts said his office reviewed voter data throughout the night after The Associated Press alerted officials Tuesday that voters were receiving conflicting information on what race they could vote in for the midterm elections.

43. Memphis police ID body of abducted jogger Eliza Fletcher - Friday, September 2, 2022

MEMPHIS (AP) — Police in Tennessee said Tuesday they had found the body of a Memphis woman abducted during a pre-dawn run, confirming fears that Eliza Fletcher was killed after she was forced into an SUV on Friday morning.

44. Metro Council axes GOP convention bid; Milwaukee in line - Friday, July 29, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville's metro council has dealt a likely final blow to proponents of bringing the 2024 Republican National Convention to the city, leaving Milwaukee as the almost-certain winner to host the GOP's biggest party.

45. Lawmakers eye exemptions to Tennessee's trigger law - Friday, July 22, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's attorney general's office on Monday said it's still unknown when the state's anti-abortion "trigger ban" will go into effect, but some state lawmakers are raising alarm that the ban has no exceptions for victims of rape or incest.

46. Governor in hot seat after charter leader lambasts teachers - Friday, July 1, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee on Wednesday refused to rebut recently revealed remarks made by a charter school president who claimed that teachers "are trained in the dumbest parts of the dumbest colleges" during a reception the Republican attended.

47. Gov. Lee signs campaign finance and ethics bill - Friday, May 27, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed off on a new campaign finance and ethics face-lift, bucking objections from some of the state's most influential advocacy groups who opposed the measure.

48. TN GOP leaders say they're not planning to ban contraception - Friday, May 13, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Top Republican leaders in Tennessee say they don't have plans to ban contraceptives as they await a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on whether the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case will be overturned.

49. 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.

50. Tennessee high court reinstates new state Senate districts - Friday, April 15, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Supreme Court on Wednesday reinstated the new state Senate map drawn up by Republicans this year in redistricting, ruling that a lower panel of judges didn't properly consider how blocking the map and extending the candidate filing deadline would harm elections officials and cause voter confusion.

51. Tennessee anti-LGBTQ marriage bill dead for this session - Friday, April 8, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee Republican lawmaker's push to create a new marriage contract specifically designed to exclude same-sex couples is dead for this year's annual legislative session amid concerns from both Republicans and Democrats.

52. Tennessee's anti-LGBTQ marriage bill sparks criticism - Friday, April 8, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Amid several bills introduced in Tennessee that have attracted national attention this year, none has sparked as much alarm among both Republicans and Democrats as a proposal that would create a new marriage contract specifically designed to exclude same-sex couples.

53. Senate redistricting map blocked by Tennessee court - Friday, April 8, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — A three-judge panel on Wednesday blocked a new redistricting map for the Tennessee Senate from going into effect, saying the GOP-controlled General Assembly violated the state's constitution by improperly numbering the new districts.

54. Tennessee House advances school book scrutiny bill - Friday, March 25, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee House on Monday passed a bill that lets school boards deem books "obscene" and threatens to withhold education funding and slap school librarians with criminal penalties if orders to remove them aren't followed.

55. Lee proposes suspension of state, local grocery sales tax - Friday, March 25, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has proposed a 30-day suspension of state and local grocery sales tax.

The move would provide some financial relief to state residents amid rising inflation nationwide, Lee said in a statement Thursday.

56. Senate GOP leader won't support Texas-styled abortion bill - Friday, March 18, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's Senate Speaker Randy McNally on Thursday said he does not support legislation that would ban abortions and allow almost anyone to file civil lawsuits against violators and collect damages.

57. 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.

58. Tennessee lawmakers throw support behind Ukraine - Friday, February 25, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee's office on Monday said Tennessee does not have state investments with Russian companies after previously asking treasurer officials to investigate.

Lee put in the request as governors and lawmakers across the U.S. are seeking to tighten the financial squeeze on Russia over its war against Ukraine.

59. Tennessee unveils new K-12 funding plan to lawmakers - Friday, February 25, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee and Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn unveiled a sweeping new rewrite of how the state funds its multibillion-dollar K-12 education system Thursday, saying it provides for more money per student and valuable services.

60. Tennessee sued over state House, Senate redistricting maps - Friday, February 25, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — A lawsuit backed by the Tennessee Democratic Party seeks to block new redistricting maps for the state House and Senate, arguing Republican lawmakers who drew the maps violated the state Constitution to keep a firm grip on their partisan advantages.

61. 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.

62. GOP-led Tennessee Senate expels Democrat convicted of fraud - Friday, January 28, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Republican-led Tennessee Senate voted Wednesday to remove Democratic Sen. Katrina Robinson from office because of her recent wire fraud conviction, the first time the chamber has removed a senator since at least the Civil War. She angrily denounced her expulsion as a "procedural lynching."

63. Tennessee ethics panel advances ouster of convicted senator - Friday, January 21, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Republican-led Tennessee Senate's ethics committee on Thursday recommended removing a Democratic senator from office because of her recent wire fraud conviction, pressing ahead over her objections that she had short notice of the hearing and is still awaiting sentencing.

64. 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.

65. Tennessee GOP release new US House map; Dems promise to sue - Friday, January 7, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Republicans on Wednesday released their plan to split fast-growing Nashville into multiple congressional seats, sparking alarm among Democratic leaders who warned that the new map unfairly affects Black voters and will face legal challenges.

66. Redistricting, schools cash formula anchor Tennessee session - Friday, January 7, 2022

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers kicked off their annual session Tuesday in Nashville with a focus on addressing how the state funds public schools, redrawing state legislative and congressional maps, and finalizing a new spending plan for the upcoming year.

67. Public health v. freedom of choice - Friday, December 3, 2021

When the sun came up on the last Saturday in October, the Tennessee legislature had voted overwhelmingly along party lines to say that the state – not the federal government – will call the shots in dealing with COVID-19.

68. Two added to board overseeing Ford plant site - Friday, November 19, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally has selected two people for a new government panel that oversees the site where Ford plans to establish a massive electric vehicle and battery complex.

69. 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.

70. TN business groups want some COVID legislation reversed in '22 - Friday, November 5, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee business leaders unhappy with recent efforts by the Republican-led Legislature to unravel COVID-19 prevention requirements hope to convince lawmakers to revisit some changes when they reconvene in January.

71. Indicted senator steps aside as education chairman - Friday, October 29, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee senator who was recently indicted on charges that he violated federal campaign finance laws announced Wednesday that he will step aside as chairman of the Senate Education Committee.

72. DAs to school boards, Tennessee COVID session takes wide aim - Friday, October 22, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Tennessee are gearing up to take a broad swipe at officials who have had a role in maintaining COVID-19 pandemic protections, from school boards that passed mask mandates to a prosecutor who has pledged not to enforce the governor's order letting parents exempt their students from classroom mask wearing.

73. Tennessee senator indicted on campaign cash scheme charges - Friday, October 22, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee state senator and a Nashville social club owner were indicted on charges that they violated campaign finance laws by illegally concealing the transfer of $91,000 during the Republican lawmaker's 2016 failed congressional campaign, federal investigators announced Monday.

74. Tennessee considering $900M Ford incentive package - Friday, October 15, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee is poised to spend approximately $900 million of its tax revenues on incentives, infrastructure projects and more under an agreement with Ford Motor Co., which has announced plans to build an electric vehicle and battery plant near Memphis.

75. Legislative leaders want COVID addressed at special session - Friday, October 1, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — The top two leaders of Tennessee's General Assembly announced Friday that they are working to address legislation regarding COVID-19 topics during the upcoming legislative session that will be held later this month.

76. Tennessee state senator found guilty of 4 wire fraud counts - Friday, October 1, 2021

MEMPHIS (AP) — A jury on Thursday convicted a Tennessee state senator charged with using federal grant money awarded to a health care school she operated on her wedding, a political campaign event and other personal expenses.

77. Tennessee redistricting starts; focus on Nashville-area boom - Friday, September 10, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's Republican supermajority Legislature began work Wednesday on the once-a-decade task of carving up new legislative and congressional districts based on population shifts, a task that a Democratic congressman testified should not divide fast-growing Nashville into different U.S. House seats.

78. Nashville DA won't prosecute for governor's student mask opt-out order - Friday, August 13, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — An order by the Tennessee governor letting parents opt their children out of following mask rules at school has drawn defiance from officials in Memphis and Nashville, including a pledge Tuesday from Nashville's district attorney not to prosecute teachers and school officials for flouting the carveout during the COVID-19 pandemic.

79. 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.

80. Census: Tennessee sees big growth in, 20.9% in Nashville area - Friday, August 13, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Areas in and around Nashville saw a population boom over the last decade, while the greater Memphis region saw low or no growth, or lost people, according to detailed national population data from the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday that lawmakers in Tennessee will use to redraw state and congressional districts currently dominated by Republicans.

81. Tennessee House GOP urges session to curb local COVID powers - Friday, August 13, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — All 73 Tennessee House Republicans signaled their support on Wednesday for a special session to limit the authority of local officials to make rules aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19, as lawmakers fumed over mask requirements in a handful of school districts.

82. Nashville school officials agree to implement mask mandate - Friday, August 6, 2021

Nashville's top school officials on Thursday agreed to enforce an universal mask mandate for the upcoming school year as part of an effort to protect children too young to receive the COVID-19 vaccine while the pandemic resurges across the state.

83. Confederate bust to be removed from Tennessee Capitol - Friday, July 23, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — A decadeslong effort to remove a bust of a Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader from the Tennessee Capitol cleared its final hurdle Thursday, with state leaders approving the final vote needed to allow the statue to be relocated to a museum.

84. Tennessee's transgender bathroom sign law challenged again - Friday, July 2, 2021

Tennessee's first-of-its-kind law that requires businesses and government facilities to post signs if they let transgender people use multiperson public bathrooms of their choice has been hit with another legal challenge.

85. Tennessee sued over new transgender bathroom sign law - Friday, June 25, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit Friday challenging Tennessee's first-of-its-kind law that requires businesses and government facilities to post signs if they let transgender people use multiperson public bathrooms of their choice, seeking to block the requirement from taking effect on July 1.

86. Tennessee lawmakers seek answers on shelter for migrant kids - Friday, June 18, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers are calling for more scrutiny of a Chattanooga shelter for immigrant children after state officials confirmed that an unaccompanied migrant child reported being abused there.

87. Teacher training bill enacted but gov won't sign; cost cited - Friday, May 28, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has let legislation expanding school district training program options for current teachers become law without his signature, saying it's only due to cost discrepancies.

88. 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!

89. Bill passes to stop executions of intellectually disabled - Friday, April 23, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers on Monday passed legislation designed to prevent death row inmates with an intellectual disability from being executed.

The action sends the bill to Republican Gov. Bill Lee's desk, with implications for the case of a current death row inmate. Pervis Payne's attorneys have argued he is intellectually disabled as they fight to prevent the state from executing him. He received a temporary reprieve from the governor last November due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but that relief has since expired.

90. "Transformative" Tennessee legislator Thelma Harper dies - Friday, April 23, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Former Tennessee Sen. Thelma Harper, who became the first African-American woman elected to the state Senate, died Thursday. She was 80.

91. Tennessee closer to banning executions of intellectually disabled - Friday, April 16, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers are inching closer to advancing legislation designed to prevent death row inmates with an intellectual disability from being executed.

The proposal has gained a groundswell of support from disability advocates, legal experts and death penalty critics who argue Tennessee is long overdue in addressing the matter.

92. New State Library and Archives hosts opening ceremony - Friday, April 9, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee State Library and Archives celebrated the opening of its new 165,000-square-foot building Monday in Nashville, with several Tennessee governors and other top figures in state government on hand for a ribbon cutting.

93. New State Library and Archives to host opening ceremony - Friday, April 9, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee State Library and Archives will host a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of its new 165,000 square foot building.

According to a news release, former U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, Gov. Bill Lee, former Gov. Bill Haslam, Senate Speaker Randy McNally, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, Secretary of State Tre Hargett, State Librarian and Archivist Chuck Sherrill and others will take part in the event Monday.

94. Tennessee panel votes to move Confederate bust from Capitol - Friday, March 5, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee panel on Tuesday overwhelming voted to remove the state Capitol's bust of a Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader.

However, while the decision marks a key win in a decades-long effort to oust the Nathan Bedford Bust from the second floor of the Capitol building, it remains unclear how soon that will actually happen.

95. Push to oust Nashville judge over absentee vote ruling sparks outcry - Friday, March 5, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Republican-dominated Tennessee House is sparking fears of an unprecedented breach of judicial independence by moving forward with a proposal to remove a judge for expanding absentee voting in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

96. 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.

97. Tennessee moves vote on Confederate bust in Capitol to March - Friday, February 12, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — Due to severe winter weather, a Tennessee panel won't vote until next month on whether to remove the bust of a Confederal general and early Ku Klux Klan leader from the state Capitol.

98. After Gov. Lee blasts trans athletes, Senate GOP tepid on ban - Friday, February 12, 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — A day after the governor said transgender athletes would "destroy women's sports," Tennessee's Senate GOP leaders on Thursday offered tepid support for legislation that would ban them from participating in girls' sports.

99. McNally announces Senate committee appointments - Friday, January 8, 2021

Lt. Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) today announced state Senate committee assignments for the 112th General Assembly. McNally was re-elected Speaker of the Senate on Tuesday.

"This Senate is made up of some of the smartest and strongest leaders with whom I have had the privilege to serve,” Lt. Governor McNally stated. “Each of our Senators could serve on any number of our committees and do well. I am grateful to have such a strong membership. I am confident we have assembled the best team to do the people’s business.”

100. Abelow named president of Nashville Bar Association - Friday, December 25, 2020

Mike Abelow, member at Sherrard Roe Voigt and Harbison, has been named 2021 president of the Nashville Bar Association.

Abelow litigates complex business disputes, with a focus on business disputes that involve either party threatening to or filing for bankruptcy. He was a litigator with the Federal Trade Commission before moving to Nashville in 2007.