Tennessee Politics & News
The Daily Signal covers Tennessee politics with reporting on state leadership, education policy, economic growth, and conservative values shaping the Volunteer State.
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- News
Illegal Alien Sought in Tennessee Hit-and-Run That Left 21-Year-Old With ‘Severe Injuries’
An illegal alien is the lead suspect in a hit-and-run accident in Tennessee, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Tony Gebian Lopez Infante, an illegal alien from Venezuela, is wanted for allegedly striking a 21-year-old American, Zach Carach, in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 18 before fleeing the scene driving a silver Mitsubishi Mirage….Virginia Allen -
- News
Tennessee Judge Blocks Law Requiring Age Verification for Porn Sites
Does protecting kids from being exposed to pornography suppress the free speech rights of adults? According to U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman of Memphis, Tennessee, the answer is yes. But her opinion may be in the minority. In recent months, at least 19 states have passed laws that require age verification on porn sites to help decrease…Sarah Holliday -
- News
Biden-Harris Admin Tried to Dump Illegal Aliens in Tennessee, AG Says
DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Tennessee’s top prosecutor said Wednesday that his office uncovered a scheme by the Biden-Harris administration to release a massive number of illegal aliens into the state, but the plan ultimately was derailed. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, attempted to release illegal aliens into Tennessee, but those plans were scrapped…Jason Hopkins -
- Opinion
‘You Need to Make Your Products Safe for Kids,’ Tennessee AG Demands of Social Media Giants
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, knew the harm the platform was inflicting on minors and did nothing to mitigate it, according to a lawsuit filed against the social media giant. In 2023, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms Inc., calling on the company to prioritize the protection of minors. “Over about…Virginia Allen -
- News
‘2 Things That Can’t Both Be True’: Tennessee AG Sues BlackRock Over ESG Deception
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Monday sued the investment company BlackRock for deceptive practices. “BlackRock has said two things that can’t both be true,” Skrmetti, a Republican, told The Daily Signal in an interview Monday. “The first is that they’re taking investors’ money and investing it purely for the purpose…Tyler O’Neil -
- News
‘ABSOLUTELY’: Tennessee AG Promises Legal Action If Biden Admin Finalizes Transgender Foster Care Rule
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti says he "absolutely" will sue President Joe Biden's administration if the Department of Health and Human Services finalizes a rule imposing gender ideology on foster parents. "I'll absolutely sue here if they go forward with this rule," Skrmetti, a Republican, told The Daily Signal in an…Tyler O’Neil -
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Tennessee Governor Calls for Expanded School Choice Programs
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee was set to announce new legislation Tuesday to expand school choice in his state to 20,000 more students next year—with plans to make a pilot program’s scholarships available statewide in 2025. In a statement to The Daily Signal before making his scheduled announcement at 3 p.m. EST about offering more education…Tony Kinnett -
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Tennessee Mayor’s ‘Hate’ Council Strategized With Far-Left Group Demonizing Moms for Liberty
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL — Tennessee's third-largest city launched a council to oppose "hate" and "extremism" in 2018, and that council has repeatedly collaborated with the far-left Southern Poverty Law Center, which is notorious for branding mainstream conservative and Christian nonprofits "hate groups," putting them on a "hate map" alongside the Ku Klux Klan….Tyler O’Neil -
- Opinion
Biden Admin Illegally Yanks Tennessee’s Title X Funding for Being Pro-Life
June 24 marked the first anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v. Wade, and while the court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was a monumental victory for life, it was not the end of the fight. In some ways, it was just the beginning. Today, we have the chance to make…Rep. Mark Green -
- News
Tennessee to Send 100 National Guard Troops to Southern Border
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is sending 100 National Guard troops to Texas to help secure the southern border. Lee made the announcement late Wednesday night, two days after he and eight other Republican governors met with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in Austin, Texas, to discuss how states can support Operation Lone Star and work together…Virginia Allen -
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Biden-Garland Lawsuit Against Tennessee Ban on Transgender Procedures for Kids Is Baseless, Legal Scholars Say
The Justice Department filed suit on Wednesday against a new Tennessee law prohibiting doctors from performing irreversible transgender procedures on minors. The federal lawsuit asserts the law violates the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause by denying what it calls “medically necessary care” to minors. The complaint asks the court to issue an immediate stay to prevent the law…Elizabeth Troutman Mitchell -
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Biden, Harris Meet With ‘Tennessee 3’ to Push Gun Control
President Joe Biden met Monday with three Tennessee state legislators at the White House, two of whom were temporarily expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives after staging a raucous protest in the chamber. Their colleagues expelled state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson after they interrupted a legislative session by shouting through a bullhorn….Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Lesson From Tennessee: School Spending Should Be More Transparent, Help Children With Special Needs
Two Anderson County, Tennessee, school employees were indicted in February on charges of stealing $10,000 from a local school. Just weeks after that, the office of the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury announced that the head of the Parent Teacher Association at Kingston Elementary School had misappropriated nearly $20,000, and investigators are reviewing an additional…Jonathan Butcher -
- Opinion
Sold! Tennessee Auctioneers Score Win in Occupational Licensing Case
Opponents of occupational licensing secured a victory this week in their battle against excessive state regulations that erect barriers to competition in various fields. One of those opponents, who knows full well the burdensome effects of occupational licensing, is Will McLemore. In 2006, he started McLemore Auction Co. as one of the first online auction…Sarah Parshall Perry -
- News
Tennessee Becomes Second State to Ban Trans Hormone Treatments Before Puberty
Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation Tuesday that bans hormone treatments for prepubescent minors. SB 0126 goes into effect immediately, making Tennessee the second state to ban trans procedures for minors, NBC reported. The Arkansas Legislature overrode Republican Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s veto of a bill banning transgender surgeries and procedures for minors in April. Arkansas’ Save Adolescents…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
Going Once, Going Twice … Judge Not Sold on Tennessee Online Auctioneer Licensing Law
In a win for free markets and consumer choice, U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson issued a preliminary injunction on July 23 barring the state of Tennessee from enforcing a new law that would have made online auctioneering a licensed profession. The law, which was passed unanimously and signed by Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, was set to take…Jason Snead -
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This 29-Year-Old ‘Hero’ Saved Several Lives During Tennessee Waffle House Shooting, Police Say
A 29-year-old man saved numerous lives after he took down the shooter who opened fire at a Waffle House in Nashville, Tennessee, Sunday morning, according to police. James Shaw Jr. saw a chance to take down the shooter and did not hesitate, he said. The gunman entered naked except for a green jacket, which he later took…Henry Rodgers -
- News
Tennessee Stops Sending Tax Dollars to Abortion Providers
The governor of Tennessee has signed a bill that ends state taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers in the state. “The governor … deferred to the will of the legislature on this bill as amended, and after reviewing the bill in its final form decided to sign the bill into law,” Jennifer…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
Due Process Rights Could Make a Comeback in Tennessee Thanks to This Bill
Americans pride themselves on a commitment to due process rights. We hold criminal defendants “innocent until proven guilty,” and believe that everyone should have his day in court. Yet, thanks to civil forfeiture laws, many innocent people have had their cash and property seized without ever being charged with a crime, and with few legal…Jason Snead -
- Opinion
How Tennessee Criminalized Compassion for Animals
Giving physical therapy to animals usually isn’t too controversial, but apparently in Tennessee, it is. A Tennessee licensing board has threatened to criminally prosecute two women for nothing more than helping horses through massage therapy. Their case shows just how asinine state occupational licensing laws can be: While the applicable regulatory scheme forbids their current…David Rosenthal