This article is from Tennessee/Lookout More than 100,000 veterans in Tennessee may have been exposed to toxic substances during their military service and could be eligible for newly expanded healthcare benefits, according to the state’s department of veteran’s services. In August, President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act into law, expanding Veterans Administration benefits for men […]
Legislation Introduced January 16-20 in the Tennessee Legislature
This article was written by Holly McCall and is from Tennessee/Lookout. Each week during the legislative session, the Tennessee Lookout will provide a rundown of bills filed during the prior week. Hundreds of bills are filed each session and our list won’t include every bill but rather is intended to provide an overview of legislation […]
House Leader Pushes Resolution to Move County Elections to November
This article is from Tennessee/Lookout Some worry about long ballots and effort to consolidate power A move is afoot for a constitutional amendment shifting Tennessee’s judicial and county elections to November from August, a situation that some fear is an effort to further consolidate power and could confuse voters. House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, is […]
Know Better, Do Better: A Civil Rights Reading List
This article by Holly McCall is from Tennessee/Lookout. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated two months before my fourth birthday in 1968 and Robert Kennedy, former U.S. attorney general and Democratic presidential candidate, was assassinated the day after I turned four. I remember Kennedy’s death, although not King’s, despite that King’s occurred in Memphis, […]
Hamilton County Schools Voucher Bill Likely to Hit Stumbling Block
This article is from Tennessee/Lookout. House Speaker Sexton says he’s ‘not a proponent’ Legislation enabling the state’s private school vouchers to spread to Hamilton County Schools could run into trouble this session, at least in the House of Representatives. House Speaker Cameron Sexton isn’t expected to be a strong supporter of the legislation after voting against […]
John Cole’s Tennessee: In the Belly of the Beast
This editorial cartoon is from Tennessee/Lookout
Tennessee Advisory Group Recommends Task Force for Waterway Conflicts
This article is from Tennessee/Lookout. A state advisory group is recommending Tennessee establish a task force to address recreational uses of rivers, lakes and streams — and the increasing number of conflicts between anglers, boaters, paddlers and swimmers competing to enjoy the state’s waterways. The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) was tasked by the state […]
Jone Cole’s Tennessee Presents: TVA’s ‘Frozen’
This editorial cartoon is from Tennessee/Lookout
Pork and Green: Beacon Center Report Lists Examples of Government Waste
This article is from Tennessee/Lookout. Government tax subsidies to build new professional sports facilities topped the annual Pork Report, a list of the most egregious examples of government money considered wasteful in Tennessee during the last year. “From pickleball courts in Bristol to unused homeless pods in Nashville, there continues to be plenty of material for […]
The Angry Grandmother’s ‘Twelve Banned Books of Christmas’
This article is from Tennessee/Lookout. All y’all know I love to read, I always have and one of the joys of owning a bookstore was recommending books to customers of all ages. Once someone discovers the pleasure of escaping mentally with a great book, that wanting to read never goes away. This grandmother is stunned to […]
Sen. Gardenhire Wants Private School Vouchers Extended to Hamilton County
This article is from Tennessee/Lookout. State Sen. Todd Gardenhire, assured that the state’s education savings account program cleared legal hurdles, has filed legislation to expand private school vouchers to the Hamilton County school district. Senate Bill 12 would enable the state program to include qualifying students in districts with at least five schools in the bottom 10% […]
Tennessee DCS Situation Represents Abject Failure of Government, Lawmakers
This article is from Tennessee/Lookout When Tennessee Lookout reporter Anita Wadhwani first reported in August 2021 that children in custody of the state were left sleeping on the floors of state office buildings, some surrounded by mounds of clothing and dirty diapers, readers were outraged. One might think that Gov. Bill Lee, who frequently touts his […]
State Voter Registration Numbers for Midterm Show Little to No Uptick
This article is from Tennessee/Lookout Interviews with Tennessee election administrators show that people are registering to vote at roughly the same pace or slightly lower levels than previous years, a hint that voter turnout in this year’s midterm elections will be low. And there’s little sign that the June 24 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court […]
Lee Ignores Gubernatorial Debate Challenge
This article is from Tennessee/Lookout. Republican Gov. Bill Lee barely responded Tuesday when asked if he would debate Democratic candidate Dr. Jason Martin before the Nov. 8 election. Questioned about whether he would go head to head with Martin to give Tennessee voters a chance to see them on stage together, Lee said, “I’m most focused on […]
Know Your Tennessee Constitutional Amendments
This article is from Tennessee/Lookout November’s midterm elections approach, and for Tennesseans, that means only a handful of major hot-ticket races. Gov. Bill Lee has opposition for his second term from Dr. Jason Martin of Nashville. Martin entered the race as a reaction to Lee’s oft-criticized — from all political segments — handling of the COVID-19 […]