State Sen. Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) surrendered his passport and pleaded not guilty to five counts of campaign violations and fraud in federal District Court in Nashville.

Tennessee Republicans are firmly anti-mandate today. But in 2013, they supported a requirement that college students get vaccinated against meningitis.

Legislators voted to allow, but not require, partisan school board elections. The legislature also reviewed a number of bills related COVID-19 measures.

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Legislators approve bill limiting Health Department autonomy

Tennessee has been under a governor-issued emergency declaration since pandemic began.

The bill amending the Health Department’s power is headed to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk.

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Partisan school board elections approved among COVID-19 bills

The bill would give the Tennessee health commissioner the authority to determine uniform quarantine guidelines for the state and appoint county health directors.

Earlier this month, a federal grand jury in Nashville handed down a five-count indictment against Republican Sen. Brian Kelsey and a Nashville social club owner.

In requesting his move from the chairmanship, Kelsey continued to maintain his innocence.

Seeking to stop local governments and businesses from enacting COVID-related rules, the Tennessee General Assembly is convening Wednesday evening for another special session. Dozens of bills were introduced Tuesday afternoon and evening.

The ruling mirrors those by federal judges in Memphis and Knoxville, where Lee’s order is also blocked. As a result, school districts in Shelby, Williamson and Knox counties can continue enforcing mask policies. 

The Tennessee Department of Education is hosting a series of town halls, including one at the National Civil Rights Museum next week, to invite the public to give input for their review of the public education funding strategy. 

Additional bill considered during special legislative session for Ford incentives.

Rep. Antonio Parkinson tweeted: “The passing of Secretary Powell is a huge loss to Black America... He was a hero at every turn.”

As part of its plan to overhaul the state education funding model, the Tennessee Department of Education announced 18 subcommittees of education leaders and stakeholders.

Lawmakers are considering reforms to the registry law following a judge’s decision earlier this year that the state applied the law unconstitutionally.

In a statement released Tuesday, Oct. 12, by Smiley’s campaign, Cohen touted Smiley’s connection to the state’s major cities.

Attorneys for state Sen. Katrina Robinson have filed a motion asking for a new trial or acquittal after she was found guilty last month of four wire fraud charges. 

More low-income people have government healthcare now that TennCare has been effectively prohibited from taking away coverage. It’s a big shift from before the pandemic when the agency frequently took people off the rolls.

Lee and Schwinn gave few details about whether or how much the state would increase funding for schools. But Lee said he suspects the state will increase funding, and will have the proposal ready for the state legislature when it meets in January.

Last month, more than 300,000 Tennesseans chose from four new license plates designed by Memphis-based digital marketing agency Speak Creative. We now know the winning selection.

Two Memphis organizations providing meals to children in the summer of 2020 billed the state for meals they didn’t serve. Federally funded food programs have been susceptible to fraud for years.

Three federal judges have said the mask opt-out order is unlawful, but analysts say it doesn’t matter. Lee can still say he tried.