There are 49 article(s) tagged John DeBerry:

• December 2019

  • Harris’ legislative agenda includes driver’s license reinstatement

    Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris wants to help the state reinstate driver’s licenses, a huge criminal justice issue for about 100,000 county residents.

    By Linda A. Moore December 23, 2019

• November 2019

  • Legislators blast state commissioner over spending plan for needy

    State House members criticized Department of Human Services Commissioner Danielle Barnes this week for letting a reserve fund for needy services build up to $732 million and for putting out a plan to spend it without asking permission.

    By Sam Stockard November 22, 2019

  • House shifting budget hearings to pre-session schedule

    New House Speaker Cameron Sexton is moving the House Finance, Ways & Means Committee's department budget hearings to a November-December schedule, away from the long practice of holding them during the regular session.

    By Sam Stockard November 01, 2019

• October 2019

  • DeBerry puts his record on the line for Harris challenge

    State Rep. John DeBerry's stances in favor of restricting abortion and in support of education vouchers are well-known, and he won't change his mind even though 2020 election challenger Torrey Harris is highlighting the incumbent's voting record.

    By Sam Stockard October 15, 2019

  • Shelby legislators hope for successful TNReady testing in 2020

    The Department of Education will spend $25 million this year and hire a new vendor to give the TNReady test, but lawmakers can only hope it will run without errors when the state test goes completely online in 2021.

    By Sam Stockard October 10, 2019

  • Six from Memphis to serve on health care task force

    Memphis will have strong representation on Tennessee’s Health Care Modernization Task Force, charged with forming policies to improve one of the unhealthiest states in the nation and Shelby County, which ranks in Tennessee’s bottom fourth.

    By Sam Stockard October 09, 2019

  • Torrey Harris challenging DeBerry for House District 90 seat

    Torrey Harris is making another run at unseating Democratic state Rep. John DeBerry in House District 90, highlighting his opponent’s vote in favor of voucher legislation affecting Shelby County Schools and anti-abortion bills.

    By Sam Stockard October 07, 2019

  • DeBerry targets teachers’ union in defense of voucher legislation

    State Rep. John DeBerry took shots at teachers and their union – but said it’s also important to bring them into the fold – in an American Enterprise Institute event in Washington focusing on federal “education freedom scholarship” legislation.

    By Sam Stockard October 07, 2019

• September 2019

  • DeBerry to renew push in 2020 for red flag law on firearms

    State Rep. John DeBerry is preparing to renew legislation in 2020 for a red flag law, but it could run into trouble since the General Assembly enacted a “compromise” bill this year.

    By Sam Stockard September 19, 2019

  • DeBerry, White straddle line in Medicaid expansion vs. block grant debate

    Memphis state Reps. John DeBerry and Mark White, a Democrat and Republican, are staying in the middle of Tennessee’s argument over expanding healthcare services, whether to expand Medicaid or take a federal block grant.

    By Sam Stockard September 10, 2019

• June 2019

  • State Rep. DeBerry deals with turmoil in 2019 session

    Memphis Democrat calls criticism “hog wash” from fellow Democrats for voting with Republicans on education and abortion legislation. 

    By Sam Stockard June 24, 2019

  • Planned Parenthood targets DeBerry for votes restricting abortion

    Planned Parenthood is bashing state Rep. John DeBerry with billboards across Memphis highlighting his votes for legislation restricting and outlawing abortion. DeBerry says new attitudes are needed against the procedure.

    By Sam Stockard June 17, 2019

• May 2019

  • DeBerry toughening talk on Casada; Vaughan, Coley holding out for Republican meeting

    Democratic state Rep. John DeBerry of Memphis is not contradicting a move by the Tennessee Black Caucus calling for House Speaker Glen Casada's resignation. But along with Republican state Reps. Kevin Vaughan and Jim Coley, he's not ready to say Casada should step down.

    By Sam Stockard May 15, 2019

  • House minority leader says Casada apology not enough

    NASHVILLE –House Minority Leader Karen Camper is maintaining the Democratic Caucus' stance for House Speaker Glen Casada to resign while Democratic state Rep. John DeBerry of Memphis says it is "premature."

    By Sam Stockard May 10, 2019

• April 2019

  • House passes $38.6 billion budget as session winds down

    The state House of Representatives approved a nearly $38.6 billion budget Wednesday, including $27.3 million to fund a TennCare program for severely disabled children and $18 million in pork barrel money, which could be a hurdle in Senate budget talks.

    By Sam Stockard April 25, 2019

  • Democrats appear to be putting DeBerry on hot seat

    For the second week in a row, a Democratic legislative group apparently discussed state Rep. John DeBerry’s voting record in line with supermajority Republicans.

    By Sam Stockard April 04, 2019

• March 2019

  • House Education Committee passes savings account plan

    The House Education Committee passed Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account initiative Wednesday, with Shelby County legislators splitting votes on potentially the most contentious bill of the 2019 session.

    By Sam Stockard March 29, 2019

  • Black Caucus could be at odds with DeBerry over voucher vote

    Democratic state Rep. John DeBerry of Memphis could be in conflict with the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators over his vote in favor of Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account plan this week.

    By Sam Stockard March 28, 2019

  • Past terrorism concerns less prevalent among legislators in voucher legislation debate

    Once roiled by concerns about the spread of Islam, the Tennessee Legislature is considering legislation enabling state dollars to be used to send students to Islamic schools across the state.

    By Sam Stockard March 26, 2019

  • Governor’s education savings account bill advances

    Gov. Bill Lee’s signature piece of legislation allowing students to use public dollars to enroll in private schools cleared its first hurdle Tuesday.

    By Sam Stockard March 19, 2019

• February 2019

  • Memphis lawmakers leading Early Education Caucus

    Rep. Mark White of Memphis is chairing a group of legislators who will concentrate on finding new ways to improve education for students in prekindergarten through third grade.

    By Sam Stockard February 07, 2019

• January 2019

  • House passes MLK resolution year after pulling Memphis celebration money

    A year after the state House of Representatives pulled $250,000 from Memphis' bicentennial celebration as retribution for the removal of Confederate monuments, local legislators are hoping the body is moving in a new direction.

    By Sam Stockard January 27, 2019

  • Governor won’t commit to increasing K-12 spending

    Lee says every department being asked to prepare budgets as if they're putting a 2 percent cut into place.

    By Sam Stockard January 24, 2019

  • House selects Republican Casada as speaker with Democrat DeBerry’s backing

    The House of Representatives elected Glen Casada as speaker on the first day of the 111th General Assembly with Democratic Rep. John DeBerry of Memphis backing the Franklin Republican instead of Memphis Rep. Karen Camper, leader of the Democratic Caucus.

    By Sam Stockard January 08, 2019