School takeover, immigration and access to contraceptives are set to dominate the 2026 Tennessee General Assembly. Here's what Memphians should know ahead of the gavel.

Former Memphis Police Association president Mike Williams picks a race. Also, a nonendorsement by U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, a new city policy director and a review of the Election Commission’s revamped website.

As the federal trial for Lindsey Whiteside is delayed by a month, a DeSoto County state senator is seeking legislation targeting officials who vouched for the former youth pastor charged with sexual battery with a minor.

THC products were a small fraction of one liquor wholesaler’s West Tennessee sales just a year ago, but they are now on track to rival traditional liquor, beer and wine sales.

Changes to immigration, cannabis regulation and changes to retirement are among the new laws beginning in 2026.

The state law banning religious charters has not yet been legally challenged, nor has any lawmaker proposed legislation to amend the current law.

About one in three local schools improved their letter grade, and one in five scored worse. 

The Tennessee Democratic Senate leader said the federal government is “moving in the right direction” regarding President Donald Trump's executive order reclassifying cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule III substance.

The matter is set for oral arguments on March 5, 2026.

Days after a coalition of Tennessee medical professionals urged Gov. Bill Lee to pause all state executions, Tennessee executed Harold Wayne Nichols by lethal injection.

A state law eliminating consideration of a defendant’s ability to pay when setting bail was challenged by a Memphis lawsuit. That lawsuit is now a class action.

There are only six states that require a foreign language to graduate, and Tennessee is one of them. 

A coalition of Tennessee medical professionals is urging Gov. Bill Lee to pause all state executions “to allow the courts to consider active litigation concerning the protocol.”

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the Tennessee Republican running for governor, is proposing bipartisan legislation that would give Memphis additional law enforcement resources and funding for technology to combat cargo theft.

The state argues that a judge was wrong when she ruled that Gov. Bill Lee sent the Tennessee National Guard to Memphis illegally.

“The whole world is watching Tennessee right now, and they’re watching your district,” the president said.

The Tennessee National Guard is likely to remain in Memphis until at least early December, as the state has yet to appeal an injunction blocking the deployment. 

The Tennessee House speaker, who attended U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s news conference Monday, Nov. 24, was asked what the state’s appetite was for funding a replacement to 201 Poplar. 

A Davidson County chancellor blocked the guard’s deployment in a Monday ruling.

State and local leaders who sued the state over the guard deployment gathered to celebrate what they called a historic victory and discuss next steps.

Also in the political roundup, one county mayoral contender calls out current Mayor Lee Harris’ administration for its funding shortfall and another calls for change in the government’s relationship to the school system.

Here’s how Memphis’ D.C. representatives voted on the measure to fund the government until January.

At Berclair Elementary School in Memphis, a class of 16 fifth graders were asked how many had seen a real gun. Nearly all raised their hands.

The Monday hearing was the Tennessee version of a legal fight that has played out in U.S. courts over the past few months as Trump has sought to use the military in U.S. cities run by members of the opposite political party.

According to a filing with a federal court on Monday, Nov. 3, emergency reserve funds will be used to cover “50% of eligible households’ current allotments.” These funds may be delayed.