The inauguration for Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s second term is set for later this month.

The Republican’s office says he will take the oath of office Jan. 21 at Legislative Plaza in Nashville in a joint convention of the House and Senate.

The inaugural weekend will be themed “Tennessee: Leading the Nation” and will include other events.

There will be a reception on the evening of Jan. 20 at the Wildhorse Saloon, followed Jan. 21 by a morning worship service at the Ryman Auditorium and the inaugural ceremony later that morning. Those events are free and open to the public, with registration required.

The first couple’s inaugural dinner at the Grand Hyatt and the inaugural ball at The Fisher Center will follow the inauguration. They require paid tickets.

Registrations, event details and tickets

First ’23 bills target transgender health care

After a midterm election and record flow of anti-transgender legislation last year, Republican state lawmakers this year are zeroing in on questions of bodily autonomy with new proposals to limit gender-affirming health care and abortion access.

More than two dozen bills seeking to restrict transgender health care access have been introduced across 11 states – Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia – for the legislative sessions beginning in early 2023.

Bills targeting other facets of trans livelihood have been filed in many of the same states and are expected in several others with GOP majorities.

Gender-affirming health care providers and parents of trans youths are the primary targets of these bills, many of which seek to criminalize helping a trans child obtain what doctors and psychologists widely consider “medically necessary care.”

Erin Reed, a researcher who tracks transgender legislation, said statehouses where Republicans expanded their margins in the midterms will likely double down on anti-trans legislation this year and reintroduce some of the more drastic measures that didn’t pass in previous sessions.

In Tennessee, the GOP-controlled legislature announced after Election Day that its first priority would be to ban medical providers from altering a child’s hormones or performing surgeries that enable them to present as a gender different from their sex. The pre-filed bill would replace present law with more stringent restrictions.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health said last year that teens experiencing gender dysphoria can start taking hormones at age 14 and can have certain surgeries at ages 15 or 17. The group acknowledged potential risks but said it was unethical to withhold early treatments, which can improve psychological well-being and reduce suicide risk.

Fathom, NPT team for new Minnie Pearl doc

Fathom Events and Nashville Public Television have announced the one-day-only movie theater release of a new documentary looking at the life and career of country music and comedy icon, Minnie Pearl, scheduled for Feb. 6.

“Facing the Laughter: Minnie Pearl” delves into the life of groundbreaking female comedian Sarah Cannon and her humorous alter ego – Minnie Pearl. With her signature “How-deee” greeting and price tag dangling from her straw hat, Minnie Pearl became a country culture icon who was actually far different from the serious and well-educated woman who created her.

Born Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon, Minnie Pearl rose to fame as a comedic performer on the Grand Ole Opry, where she became known for her hilarious sketches, self-deprecating wit and trademark catchphrase. Despite her success, Pearl faced many challenges throughout her life, including personal tragedy and the changing tides of the entertainment industry.

Exclusive to the Fathom Events’ presentation are country stars Kathy Mattea, Rodney Crowell and Ketch Secor, gathering in an intimate setting, to swap stories about their personal experiences with Minnie Pearl – and with Sarah Cannon.

Tickets are on sale now at Fathom Events or at participating theater box offices. Theater locations

Holland & Knight absorbs Waller firm

Holland & Knight and Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis have agreed to a combination to be completed during the first quarter of 2023. The combined law firm will operate under the Holland & Knight name and will have nearly 2,000 attorneys in 35 offices across the U.S. and internationally.

Waller, an AmLaw 200 firm, has more than 280 attorneys with offices in Nashville, Chattanooga, Birmingham and Austin, Texas. It is listed as one of the top firms in Chambers USA’s “The Elite” rankings of national health care law firms. Waller has also been ranked as a Top 20 health care law firm by Modern Healthcare for nearly two decades. In addition, Waller is ranked by Chambers USA as a Band 1 firm in Tennessee in nine other practice areas.

In addition to health care, the combination will strengthen Holland & Knight’s capabilities in private equity, financial services, real estate and litigation.

With the addition of Waller, Holland & Knight expands its U.S. geographic presence and becomes one of the largest law firms in the fast-growing, business-friendly state of Tennessee. In Nashville, home to many of the country’s most significant health care companies and a destination of choice for corporate relocations, Holland & Knight would add an office of more than 235 lawyers.

TDEC grants $125M for water infrastructure

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation announced 24 grants totaling $125,954,007 – including more than $63.4 million for Metro Nashville – from the state’s American Rescue Plan fund, part of which TDEC is administering in the form of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure grants.

The grants announced follow the announcement of 18 grants totaling $72,496,030 from the ARP fund in August and October, bringing the total awarded by TDEC year-to-date to $198,450,037. The grants announced include two collaborative grants and 22 noncollaborative grants to execute drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure planning, design and construction projects.

Tennessee received $3.725 billion from the ARP, and the state’s Financial Stimulus Accountability Group dedicated $1.35 billion of those funds to TDEC to support water projects in communities throughout Tennessee. Of the $1.35 billion, approximately $1 billion was designated for noncompetitive formula-based grants offered to counties and eligible cities. The remaining funds will go to state-initiated projects and competitive grants.

VUMC group partners for gene sequencing

Illumina Inc., a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, and Nashville Biosciences LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, announced an agreement with Amgen, a global biopharmaceutical company, to whole-genome sequence approximately 35,000 DNA samples.

The sample cohort is primarily made up of DNA from African Americans, who are currently underrepresented in research for the clinical applications of genomics, including drug target discovery. This cohort will be the largest data set of genomes of its kind to date.

It’s widely recognized that most genomic data sets are drawn from people of European ancestry. This lack of diversity in genomic data has created a gap in the scientific understanding of the underlying genetic causes of disease and inhibits equitable access to precision health therapies.

Sequencing this set of samples is the first in Illumina and Nashville Biosciences’ Alliance for Genomic Discovery, a multiyear agreement to accelerate therapeutic development through large-scale genomics and establish a preeminent clinico-genomic data set.

Launched in 2022, the AGD aims to whole-genome sequence at least 250,000 de-identified human DNA samples from VUMC’s BioVU biobank over two and a half years in collaboration with multiple biopharmaceutical companies. The BioVU samples were extracted from blood collected during routine clinical testing. The patients who provided them consented to research use, and the samples are linked to extensive de-identified clinical data derived from VUMC’s electronic medical records.

Pharma and biotech collaborators that plan to participate in the AGD and in further sequencing may soon be announced. Researchers will analyze the data for drug discovery and therapy development. The data will also be returned to BioVU to be made available for academic research within the Vanderbilt community.

Belmont, Arkansas partner for engineering program

Belmont University has announced a new program with the University of Arkansas in which Belmont engineering physics graduates are guaranteed placement and funding for a postgraduate degree.

The University of Arkansas’ partnership with Belmont’s College of Science and Mathematics guarantees admission to graduate school, tuition funding and stipend for Belmont engineering students who meet the requirements.

“Belmont doesn’t offer undergraduate or graduate engineering degrees, but many of our prospective or current students want to pursue engineering in graduate school or as a career,” Dr. Thom Spence, Dean, College of Sciences & Mathematics at Belmont, said.

Belmont students who want to pursue engineering at the graduate level or as a career can now consider Arkansas, which offers biomedical, chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering degrees at the graduate level (MS/Ph.D.). Students earning a GPA of 3.5 within the program, and scoring sufficiently high on the GRE, will receive automatic admission with funding for some programs. Other students would also be considered for admission and funding on a case-by-case basis.

Arkansas is partnering with Belmont for skilled people to enter their programs, especially women who are underrepresented in these fields. In addition to being geographically close by, benefits for Belmont students include guaranteed admission and funding into their programs with preferences for undergraduate research opportunities.

“This is an amazing opportunity for any Belmont engineering physics major because it means that our students have more options after graduation,” Spence said. “Our Engineering Physics Major program is built to provide students with technical skills desirable for success in applied physics and engineering fields. It’s an interdisciplinary program designed to give our students a solid foundation for them to pursue their goals.”