TN House passes bill allowing armed teachers year after Nashville shooting
Some opponents of the bill hope liability concerns may make teachers and schools think twice before adopting the program.
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Some opponents of the bill hope liability concerns may make teachers and schools think twice before adopting the program.
The bill would prevent public and charter schools from flying any flags except those permitted under the measure. The bill’s sponsor said the measure is meant to prevent schools from flying the LGBTQ+ pride flag.
State GOP House lawmakers gave near-final passage to the bill on Monday, putting Tennessee close to joining states such as Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana and North Carolina with similar laws.
“This bill is not about safety; it is about perpetuating the myth that more guns in more places make us safer.”
The Tennessee House of Representatives cast a 75-2 vote Thursday on the bill after the Senate previously approved it without any opposition.
The bill says the video, produced by an anti-abortion group, must be shown as part of a school’s family life curriculum.Related story:
The bill comes amid heightened scrutiny of Shelby County’s criminal justice system by Republican lawmakers and the Board of Judicial Conduct.
A state House subcommittee has rejected a bill for this session that would have given Shelby County residents an opportunity to vote for a sales tax increase to fund a new jail.
It happened amid Tyre Nichols' family and local Democratic lawmakers accusing the bill’s sponsor of deceit.
Two state senators, both from the Memphis area and both members of Tennessee’s Senate Judiciary Committee, agree on many aspects of the city’s crime problem even though they see different paths for solving it.
Bills advancing through the Tennessee General Assembly this week included one aimed at reversing police reforms passed in the wake of Tyre Nichols’ 2023 death in Memphis.
A bill moving through the Tennessee General Assembly would make it a felony to block a roadway, a penalty enhancement intended to prevent another protest like the one that blocked the Hernando DeSoto bridge for hours earlier this month.
Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) cited prolonged frustration with the board’s locally elected leadership when explaining his plans to Chalkbeat on Tuesday.
A three-judge panel ruled that the state Senate map is unconstitutional because the districts in Nashville are not consecutively numbered. The state House map will remain unchanged, and the redrawn Senate map is unlikely to change the body’s partisan or racial composition.
“No other state has been successful in turning down federal education money, so Tennessee is plowing new ground with this wrong-headed, purely political sideshow.”
Sexton’s moves followed a subcommittee chairman’s move last week to clear the entire audience from a hearing room — including parents of survivors of the Covenant School shooting.
Republican Debra Maggart had worked to pass a number of gun bills, but she said the National Rifle Association decided to “annihilate” her in 2012 after she spoke against Tennesseans keeping weapons in their cars while at work.
Memphians rally two days before the Tennessee General Assembly will begin its Aug. 21 special session to consider gun safety legislation, mental health initiatives and other public safety measures.
Pearson easily beat independent candidate Jeff Johnston in the second special general election this year for the seat covering the western edge of Shelby County.
The Tennessee Education Association sued earlier this month over the two-pronged law, which also gradually raises the minimum teacher salary up to $50,000 for the 2026-27 school year.
Poll results show wide support for gun-safety legislation in Tennessee’s most populous county — which supplies more Republican votes than any other county — as Gov. Bill Lee attempts to convince state lawmakers of the need to pass gun-safety legislation during a special session.
“No matter your political stripe, society shouldn’t feel like it is teetering on the brink. That’s why we are gathering in Nashville for a special session at the end of the summer: We all know that there is more to be done.”
In the low-turnout contest, Justin J. Pearson got better than 94% of the vote across 19 precincts, compared to 5% for challenger David Page.
The new state law requiring elected judges to make decisions about releasing defendants accused of violent felonies takes effect July 1. The County Commission is asking General Sessions judges to start doing that immediately.
The commission voted to return Pearson to the District 86 state House seat at a special meeting Wednesday, April 12.Related story: