by Kaitlin Housler | Jan 15, 2026 | News, Politics, Tennessee, The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, The South, TN LEAD
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, details how the opening days of the Tennessee General Assembly have revealed a focused Republican effort to set the legislative agenda quickly, contrasted with a Democratic caucus and activist base marked by internal...
by Zachery Schmidt | Dec 30, 2025 | Elections, News, Tennessee, The South
Two new Tennessee laws that help check voter eligibility will take effect at the beginning of 2026. During the Tennessee General Assembly this year, the State Legislature passed House Bill (HB) 69 and HB 1283. Governor Bill Lee signed these bills into law in May. HB...
by Kaitlin Housler | Dec 16, 2025 | News, Policy, Tennessee, The South
A new bill filed for next year’s session of the Tennessee General Assembly would expand the state’s definition of a “disabled driver” to include expectant mothers who are in their second or third trimester of pregnancy or who have a pregnancy certified as high-risk by...
by Zachery Schmidt | Oct 24, 2025 | Education, News, Tennessee, The South
A Tennessee school board unanimously passed a rule stating the American flag and the State of Tennessee flag can only be displayed in their school buildings and classrooms. The Tullahoma City Schools Board of Education voted this week to prohibit all “political,...
by Kaitlin Housler | Oct 17, 2025 | News, Politics, Tennessee, The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, The South
Aaron Gulbransen with the Tennessee Conservatives Coalition praised Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) as the “most effective and consequential” state lawmaker in Tennessee history amid Johnson being honored as “Legislator of the Year” by the physician...
by Kaitlin Housler | Apr 23, 2025 | News, Politics, Tennessee, The South
Tennessee state legislators moved to adjourn this year’s legislative session on Tuesday, marking the official end of the 2025 session of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly. Tuesday’s end of this year’s legislative session comes days after the General Assembly...
by Kaitlin Housler | Apr 21, 2025 | News, Politics, Tennessee, The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, The South
Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) described this legislative session of the Tennessee General Assembly as “very productive” in terms of legislation passed by lawmakers on key statewide topics, including immigration and education. On January...
by Kaitlin Housler | Apr 21, 2025 | Education, News, Tennessee, The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, The South
Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) said he hopes a bill making its way through the Tennessee General Assembly regarding illegal immigrant children who attend taxpayer-funded schools in the Volunteer State will be the test case for the U.S....
by Kaitlin Housler | Apr 14, 2025 | News, Policy, Tennessee, The South
The Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill last week that would invalidate out-of-state driver licenses issued exclusively to illegal aliens and make it a misdemeanor offense to operate motor vehicles in the state with such licenses. The bill, HB0749/SB1086, passed...
by Kaitlin Housler | Apr 3, 2025 | Justice, News, Tennessee, The South
An 80-year old retired nurse practitioner who specialized in psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center was arrested and charged on Monday after being carried out of a Tennessee Senate committee meeting by Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers. On Monday morning,...
