Nov 02 Former Memphis officer pleads guilty to state and federal charges in Tyre Nichols’ death By Jonathan Mattise, Travis Loller, Associated Press The Shelby County District Attorney's office said Thursday that Desmond Mills Jr. agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of excessive force and obstruction of justice, as well as related state charges related to Nichols' death. Continue reading
Oct 25 Tennessee attorney general sues federal government for withholding funds amid abortion ban By Kimberlee Kruesi, Associated Press Tennessee's top legal chief says the federal government is wrongly withholding millions of dollars after the state refused to comply with federal rules requiring clinics to provide abortion referrals due to its current ban on the procedure. Continue reading
Oct 03 ‘Tennessee Three’ Rep. Justin Jones sues for expulsion and House rules restricting lawmakers’ speech By Jonathan Mattise, Associated Press Tennessee Democratic Rep. Justin Jones has filed a federal lawsuit challenging his expulsion and House rules restricting lawmakers' floor comments that Republicans applied to silence Jones for part of one day. Continue reading
Sep 27 Watch 11:00 Political theorist promotes ‘Our Common Purpose’ plan to reinvent American democracy By Judy Woodruff, Frank Carlson, Sarah Clune Hartman A new Pew Research Center study confirmed what you might already suspect: Americans feel intense dissatisfaction with the way our government currently works and a growing distaste for both political parties. One of the main voices calling for sweeping change… Continue watching
Sep 05 Rep. Gloria Johnson of ‘Tennessee Three’ officially launches 2024 Senate campaign By Kimberlee Kruesi, Jonathan Mattise, Associated Press As a member of the so-called "Tennessee Three," she participated in a prominent gun control protest. It angered Republicans and galvanized Democrats. Continue reading
Aug 29 Tennessee lawmakers abruptly end tumultuous session spurred by school shooting By Kimberlee Kruesi, Jonathan Mattise, Associated Press The GOP-dominant Statehouse refused to take up gun control measures over the past week and instead spent most of their time involved in political infighting. Continue reading
Aug 25 Statehouses employ various rules restricting acts of protest By Kimberlee Kruesi, Jeff Amy, Anthony Izaguirre, Associated Press In some cases, lawmakers have pursued policies that effectively limit acts of protest, leading to legal resistance and free speech criticisms. Continue reading
Aug 24 Tennessee GOP lawmakers rule out gun control, hit impasse in session after school shooting By Jonathan Mattise, Kimberlee Kruesi, Associated Press The Senate's decision Thursday to adjourn until Monday leaves little certainty about what lawmakers might ultimately pass. However, they have all but guaranteed it won't be any significant gun control change. Continue reading
Aug 22 GOP-led Tennessee legislature orders removal of public from gun control hearing By Jonathan Mattise, Kimberlee Kruesi, Associated Press On Tuesday, families close to a Nashville fatal school shooting broke down in tears after Republican leaders ordered state troopers to remove them and others from a legislative hearing room while they waited to testify in favor of gun control… Continue reading
Aug 09 Lawsuit says Tennessee’s US House and state Senate maps discriminate against communities of color By Jonathan Mattise, Associated Press In a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday, a variety of civil rights groups and voters say the redistricting tactic has violated the 14th and 15th amendments by diluting the power of Black voters and other communities of color. Continue reading