Justin J. Pearson appointed to House seat in 7-0 vote
The commission voted to return Pearson to the District 86 state House seat at a special meeting Wednesday, April 12.Related story:
Bill Dries
Reporter
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler.
There are 4215 articles by Bill Dries :
-
April 2023
-
State Government -
Shelby County Adviser says more locations, temporary workers can end County Clerk’s problems
The new special adviser to Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert says she has some “concrete ideas” about how to end lines outside the office locations.
-
State Government Several hundred march to Shelby County Commission
The march from the National Civil Rights Museum to the county building comes ahead of the Wednesday, April 12, county commission vote to appoint Justin J. Pearson to his District 86 seat in the state House of Representatives.
-
City of Memphis City council approves ‘Driver Equality Act,’ concluding police reform votes
The council vote was chaotic as activists pushing for the passage of the measure complained about the council banning those who spoke at previous council sessions for using profanity.
-
City of Memphis Liberty Park ground lease draws Cooper-Young business concerns
City Council members got their first look Tuesday, April 11, at the city’s ground lease with Capstone for the commercial and multi-family frontage along Central Avenue. The council votes on the 30-year lease in two weeks.
-
City of Memphis Solid waste fee hike possible for Memphis
City solid waste services are projected to be about $7 million in the red for the fiscal year that ends June 30.
-
City of Memphis Renovated Cossitt Library reopens Tuesday
The long wait ends with more than 10,000 books, an upstairs performance space, digital studios for podcasts and a cafe.
-
City of Memphis Police reform ordinances reach critical final votes at the Memphis City Council
Under an amendment, the consolidated police reform ordinance on the Tuesday, April 11, agenda would stand alongside separate ordinances on the same general reforms.
-
Shelby County County Commission to weigh reinstating Pearson to state House
“I have heard from my constituents, people across the county, and state as well as Republicans and Democrats, so I will be voting to reappoint Justin Pearson,” said one member of the County Commission.
-
City of Memphis May 1 hearing date set for city mayor residency legal dispute
Attorneys for the Shelby County Election Commission also renewed a motion to dismiss the residency lawsuit. And a notice that the commission would enforce a five-year residency requirement has been removed from its website.
-
Premium
State GovernmentWhat happens now that Justin Pearson has been expelled from his House seat
The Shelby County Commission has filled two vacant seats in the Tennessee General Assembly from Shelby County in the past year — one following an expulsion and the other resulting from the death of a legislator. Here is how the process works.
-
City of Memphis Memphis City Council delays first redistricting vote despite deadline
The Shelby County Election commission has set a hard April 15 deadline for any new district lines to be submitted to it. The council now plans to take its final vote on new district lines in May.
-
State Government White House: Tennessee Republicans ‘want to play politics’ with school shootings
The White House reaction to the threatened expulsion of three Democratic state Representatives by the majority Republican leadership of the Tennessee House includes calls for an assault weapons ban among other measures.
Related stories:
Rep. Justin Pearson says move to expel is ‘persecution'
General Assembly introduces resolutions to expel Justin Pearson, two other Democrats
-
Shelby County Shelby County Commission appoints Wanda Halbert’s special adviser
The Shelby County Commission chose former city council member Janet Hooks to be Wanda Halbert’s special adviser.
-
State Government Rep. Justin Pearson says move to expel is ‘persecution’
Rep. Justin Pearson spoke at the Tuesday, April 4, ceremony at the National Civil Rights Museum marking the 55th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
-
City of Memphis Memphis City Council reaches now-or-never moment on redistricting
The city council meets Wednesday, April 5, in special session to take the first of three votes on changes to its district lines for the October elections.
-
Shelby County Future of Metro Plaza redevelopment up in the air
The Shelby County Commission postponed indefinitely a plan to buy the Metro Shopping Plaza, which is on the northwest corner of E.H. Crump Boulevard and Danny Thomas Boulevard.
-
City of Memphis Memphis mayoral residency lawsuits combined, city remains out of lawsuit for now
Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins denied a motion to make the city of Memphis part of the lawsuit. But he consolidated two legal challenges to the City of Memphis’ five-year mayoral residency requirement Friday.
-
Shelby County County commission looking at votes on DA’s office, among other agenda items
Also on the commission’s Monday, April 3, agenda is funding for more prosecutors and a return to a plan to buy the old Metro Plaza Shopping Center in South Memphis for up to $3.5 million.
-
Shelby County Lexie Carter elected local Democratic Party chairwoman
Carter claimed the chairmanship in the most Democratic county in the state Saturday, April 1, by three votes over rival Jesse Huseth.
-
Behind The Headlines MLK anniversary offers broader view of Civil Rights Movement and present
Two history professors, looking at the city’s Civil Rights Movement since Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination 55 years ago, talk about Tyre Nichols, police reform and where today’s movement is headed on “Behind The Headlines.”
-
-
March 2023
-
City of Memphis Memphis Democrats to elect new leader Saturday
The race for chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party is set against the backdrop of turmoil this week in the state House. Two of the three contenders say Democrats in the House aren’t being vocal enough.
-
City of Memphis City council redistricting path conflicts with rules, attorney says
Council attorney Allan Wade says council rules forbid special meetings to vote on ordinances, like the redistricting plan an ad hoc group is sending to the council for a vote in special meetings April 5 and April 12.
-
Shelby County Halbert: ‘I’m not going anywhere ... Nobody asked anybody else to quit’
Wanda Halbert met March 29 with county commissioners who pressed for specifics on a lease at Poplar Plaza and an opening date for the Riverdale Road office. One commissioner pushed his call for her to resign.
-
Elections Political Roundup: Elections warm up with residency challenge, People’s Convention, council races
The lawsuits over the five-year residency rule in the mayor’s race get their first court hearing Friday. Meanwhile, four of the mayoral contenders show up for a People’s Convention gathering at LeMoyne-Owen College and council candidates Meggan Kiel and Pearl Walker kick off their bids.
-