Daniel Culbreath, a government strategist and policy expert who previously worked for the Tennessee General Assembly’s senior leadership, has been named assistant vice chancellor for state government relations at Vanderbilt University.

2. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for October 2018 - Friday, November 16, 2018

Top residential real estate sales, October 2018, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

3. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for August 2018 - Friday, September 21, 2018

Top residential real estate sales, August 2018, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

4. Hamilton election commission signs off on new GOP candidate - Friday, June 29, 2018

CHATTANOOGA (AP) — Hamilton County election commissioners have signed off on a Republican candidate to replace state Rep. Gerald McCormick, who recently withdrew from the August primary for his seat.

5. McCormick: No scandal, at least no evidence of any - Friday, June 29, 2018

Mercurial Republican Rep. Gerald McCormick went from kicking ass to kicking back. Only three days after saying his now-former Democratic opponent, David Jones, would realize how little he has in common with District 26 in Chattanooga “when he gets his ass beat in November,” McCormick abruptly announced he would not seek re-election this year and would be leaving the House effective Oct. 1.

6. After 300-vote loss last year, Carfi goes after Pody again - Friday, June 22, 2018

On the heels of a near upset in December, 2017, Mary Alice Carfi isn’t banking on a blue wave to defeat Republican Sen. Mark Pody in the race for state Senate District 14 just east of Davidson County.

7. Blue wave? State Democrats more likely up a creek - Friday, June 22, 2018

Tennessee Democrats are hoping a “blue wave” will wash across the Volunteer State this fall and help them regain a number of seats lost over the last decade. Republicans are banking on red voters to crush any wave by capitalizing on the popularity of President Donald Trump when November arrives.

8. Tennessee House speaker contender won't seek re-election - Friday, June 15, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — A longtime Tennessee lawmaker who had expressed interest in running for House speaker says he won't seek re-election.

Republican Rep. Gerald McCormick of Chattanooga tells the Chattanooga Times Free Press he will withdraw from his House race Monday and will resign Oct. 1 to take a full-time job with Asa Engineering and Consulting in Nashville.

9. East meets west as 2 legislators run out of time - Friday, May 4, 2018

It wasn’t quite a constitutional crisis, but when Reps. Micah Van Huss and Joe Towns start teaming up, something is amiss.

Van Huss, a Republican from East Tennessee near Johnson City, and Towns, a Democrat from Memphis, are typically like water and oil. But on the final day of the 110th General Assembly, when they felt the Senate slow-walked and spiked their constitutional amendments, they suddenly became bosom buddies, forgetting they were on opposite sides of the argument over Memphis and removal of Confederate monuments.

10. GoFundMe campaign aims to replace $250K for Memphis - Friday, April 13, 2018

A GoFundMe page has been started on Facebook to raise funds to make up a $250,000 budget cut the Tennessee Legislature levied against the city of Memphis for removing Confederate monuments from two city parks late last year.

11. House spanks Memphis for statue removal, pulls $250K for celebration - Friday, April 13, 2018

Amid contentious debate Tuesday, the House of Representatives pulled $250,000 for Memphis’ bicentennial celebration from the state’s $37.5 billion budget plan as retribution for the removal of Confederate monuments from city parks.

12. Bible provides political cover for 7-day liquor sales passage - Friday, April 13, 2018

Buoyed by Bible verses and compromise giving liquor stores a head start on Sunday sales, legislation allowing grocery stores to sell wine on Sundays has passed the Senate on a 17-11 vote.

The Wednesday decision comes in the wake of a 55-35 House vote earlier in the week and sends the measure to Gov. Bill Haslam for his signature. The only days stores won’t be allowed to sell alcohol under the legislation will be Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

13. Bible provides political cover for 7-day liquor sales passage - Friday, April 6, 2018

Buoyed by Bible verses and compromise giving liquor stores a head start on Sunday sales, legislation allowing grocery stores to sell wine on Sundays has passed the Senate on a 17-11 vote.

The Wednesday decision comes in the wake of a 55-35 House vote earlier in the week and sends the measure to Gov. Bill Haslam for his signature. The only days stores won’t be allowed to sell alcohol under the legislation will be Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

14. Sunday liquor sales passes in Tennessee House - Friday, April 6, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — A bill that would allow liquor sales on Sunday in Tennessee has passed the House after an impassioned debate from lawmakers, several of them citing scripture.

The measure would allow grocery stores to sell wine on Sundays and liquor stores to be open for business that day from the hours of 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

15. Lawmakers see conspiracy in UT Board alterations, approve anyway - Friday, April 6, 2018

It’s not that hard to light a fire under some state lawmakers, but the University of Tennessee FOCUS Act raised blood pressure considerably in the House of Representatives before barely passing with 51 votes.

16. Davy Crockett’s fine, but let’s not get carried away - Friday, March 30, 2018

The Tennessee General Assembly is making some monumental decisions these days – literally. Not only is the Legislature prepared to put a statue of Tennessee folk hero Davy Crockett in front of the State Capitol, replacing obscure Nashville politician Edward Carmack, it’s also likely to erect a monument, or memorial, to unborn children in the ongoing battle against abortion.

17. Despite massive turnover, GOP owns legislature - Friday, November 17, 2017

2018 will be a year of change for the Tennessee General Assembly, and 2019 will bring even more, especially in leadership – much depending on the popularity of President Donald Trump.

Not only is the Legislature moving to the Cordell Hull Building, vacating the Legislative Plaza after 45 years or so, a number of legislative faces are changing, too, even before next year’s election.

18. Top Middle Tennessee residential transactions for September 2017 - Friday, October 20, 2017

Top residential real estate sales, September 2017, for Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports. Due to technical issues, Davidson County sales are unavailable for September.

19. Top Middle Tennessee commercial transactions for July 2017 - Friday, August 25, 2017

Top commercial real estate sales, July 2017, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

20. Top Middle Tennessee commercial transactions for June 2017 - Friday, July 21, 2017

Top commercial real estate sales, June 2017, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

21. Top Middle Tennessee residential transactions for May 2017 - Friday, June 16, 2017

Top residential real estate sales, May 2017, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

22. Legislature wraps up session without increasing contribution limit - Friday, May 5, 2017

The Legislature wrapped up its business for the year, adjourning Wednesday after taking up a spate of last-minute bills, including postponing a bill increasing the amount of campaign contributions lawmakers could accept.

23. Gas tax rancor lingers as session coasts to close - Friday, May 12, 2017

Remnants of rancor over Republican leadership roiled the House, a reminder of outrage over roguish behavior as representatives reached the finish line.

Alliteration is probably better suited for poetry. But in a case of what could be considered poetic justice, at least for some, this literary device – goofiness maybe – is suitable for legislative action requiring a score card to keep up with the characters and a bit of history to put it all together.

24. Bill requiring one hour of PE for TN students fails after dropped ball - Friday, May 5, 2017

Legislation requiring one hour of physical education per week for elementary students stumbled and fell Monday when it hit a procedural hurdle.

The bill sponsored by Rep. Roger Kane went down in the House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee after a recount of sorts, one in which a member didn’t vote and then was allowed to cast a “no” vote killing the bill.

25. Thursday's acrimony is Friday lovefest: House passes $37B budget - Friday, May 5, 2017

Putting a day of acrimony behind it, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a $37 billion budget plan, stripping away nearly $320 million in amendments placed on it the previous day.

Compared to the previous day of arguments and overspending, Friday’s debate was a veritable lovefest.

26. Tennessee House adjourns amid budget chaos - Friday, May 5, 2017

The House of Representatives adjourned in apparent disarray today after arguing over amendments to $37 billion budget plan, some saying discord stemmed from votes on the governor’s IMPROVE Act.

27. Fitzhugh's $250M education fund faces long odds - Friday, April 21, 2017

Legislation by House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh seeking to create a $250 million education fund may have to fit through the eye of a needle to get into the governor’s $37 billion budget plan.

28. IMPROVE Act fight an insight into testy election ahead - Friday, April 28, 2017

In case anyone’s keeping stats, Senate leadership soundly defeated House leadership this session in the gas tax/tax cut battle.

Whether this is a forerunner to a Republican gubernatorial primary remains to be seen as Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris and House Speaker Beth Harwell weigh decisions. It’s not as if they’d be facing off against each other, though, since businessman Bill Lee and former Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd are definitely in the race and not hurting for money.

29. Tennessee Senate committee passes abortion bill - Friday, April 14, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — A bill that would ban some abortions at 20 weeks passed in a Senate committee Wednesday, despite Tennessee's attorney general previously calling the measure "constitutionally suspect."

30. House count finds 37-30 GOP margin against Haslam gas tax plan - Friday, April 7, 2017

House Speaker Beth Harwell says she believes it’s important to have a transportation funding plan counter to Gov. Bill Haslam’s gas tax/tax cut act after House Republican Caucus members voted to oppose the governor’s idea.

31. Divisive bid to strip gas tax hike from road funding fizzles in House - Friday, April 7, 2017

Gov. Bill Haslam’s transportation funding/tax cut bill raced ahead of a measure backed by House Speaker Beth Harwell in the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday. But the battle isn’t done.

32. Norris turns to safety to rally GOP support for IMPROVE Act - Friday, April 7, 2017

Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris gets revved up when he talks about the IMPROVE Act as a tax-cutting and bridge-safety measure. It’s a message he’s been sending for weeks, yet other lawmakers aren’t catching on.

33. House speaker working on 11th-hour bid to halt gas tax hike - Friday, March 31, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — House Speaker Beth Harwell is working on an 11th-hour effort to make sweeping changes to the funding mechanism of Gov. Bill Haslam's transportation plan in order to eliminate any increases in Tennessee's tax on gasoline.

34. Haslam road funding plan sent to final House committee - Friday, March 31, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam's road funding proposal that would include the state's first gas tax hike since 1989 is advancing to its final standing committee in the House before a full floor vote.

35. Tempers flare in Tennessee House over gas tax proposal - Friday, March 31, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tempers are flaring in the Tennessee House over Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to boost transportation funding through the state's first fuel tax hike in decades.

An emotional debate erupted over an unrelated bill on the House floor on Thursday that would redirect sales taxes collected at a proposed Major League Soccer stadium in Nashville to be directed to city's sports authority.

36. Limits on Tennessee campaign investments headed to governor - Friday, March 24, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — A bill to prevent campaign funds from being invested in private companies is headed for Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's desk.

The legislation was introduced following reports that expelled Rep. Jeremy Durham heavily invested campaign funds in a company owned by prominent GOP donor Andy Miller Jr.

37. Senate passes bill limiting Tennessee campaign investments - Friday, February 24, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — The state Senate has passed a bill seeking to prevent campaign funds from being invested in private companies.

The legislation follows the release of a Tennessee Registry of Campaign Fiance audit that found that former Rep. Jeremy Durham loaned $120,000 to a company run by prominent GOP donor Andrew Miller Jr.

38. Some in GOP chafe new building named after Cordell Hull - Friday, February 24, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers are nearing a move into freshly overhauled offices at the state Capitol complex, but some Republicans are chafing at the building being named after Democrat Cordell Hull.

39. Lawmakers disagree with suggestion to cut business taxes - Friday, February 17, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — State lawmakers on Thursday disagreed with a Reagan-era economist who urged them to cut more business taxes instead of the sales tax on groceries to offset a gas tax hike aimed at funding a massive road-building package.

40. Haslam to unveil Tennessee transportation plan Wednesday - Friday, January 13, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) - Republican Gov. Bill Haslam is scheduled to unveil his top legislative priority on Wednesday as state lawmakers await details on his plan to boost transportation funding in Tennessee.

41. New year, new resolutions for legislators - Friday, December 30, 2016

Some Tennesseans recall the days when the state Legislature met every other year and wonder if it should revert to that schedule. Considering the General Assembly pushes most of its work into three and a-half months, it might be worth a try.

42. Top Middle Tennessee commercial transactions for Nov. 2016 - Friday, December 23, 2016

Top commercial real estate sales, November 2016, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

43. Bradley hires intellectual property attorney - Friday, October 28, 2016

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has hired Timothy L. Capria as an associate on the Intellectual Property team in Nashville. He previously was with Patterson Intellectual Property Law.

Capria focuses on acquiring intellectual property, patent opinion practice and enforcing intellectual property rights. He primarily prosecutes patents in the life sciences and medical device fields, and provides trademark counsel for clients operating in diverse sectors.

44. McCormick won't seek 4th term as House majority leader - Friday, September 16, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) - Gerald McCormick, the fiery majority leader of the Tennessee House, says he won't seek another term as the chamber's No. 2 Republican.

45. Top Middle Tennessee residential transactions for August 2016 - Friday, September 16, 2016

Top residential real estate sales, August 2016, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

46. Rising star Durham took steep fall after sex allegations - Friday, September 9, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee state Rep. Jeremy Durham was a vocal young conservative and a rising legislative star, unafraid to pick fights with fellow Republican legislators or the popular GOP governor. But his increasingly erratic behavior and mounting sexual harassment allegations finally caught up with him when the chamber voted 70-2 to expel him.

47. Special session kicks off with squabble over Durham ouster - Friday, September 9, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) — A special legislative session to fix a costly drunken driving law kicked off Monday with a squabble about how or whether Tennessee lawmakers should go about trying to expel one of their own.

48. Matlock the ‘truth,’ ‘justice’ candidate for House speaker - Friday, August 19, 2016

Republican state Rep. Jimmy Matlock insists his quest for the House Speaker’s post is not a challenge of Beth Harwell’s leadership.

But it’s clear he sees a need for change.

49. McCormick will seek another term as GOP leader, not speaker - Friday, August 12, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) — House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick says he will stand for another term in charge of the Republican supermajority in the lower chamber of the Tennessee General Assembly.

50. What would it take for Trump to lose Tennessee voters? - Friday, August 12, 2016

Murfreesboro Realtor Larry Sims almost closes his ears when Donald Trump speaks. “He gets out of bounds. Of course, the press, they love it because they get to exploit his sayings and doings,” says Sims, who traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, as a Trump delegate for the Republican National Convention.

51. Haslam drops $150K into PAC for Tennessee legislative races - Friday, July 29, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has opened his wallet for state legislative campaigns throughout the state.

According to the final campaign finance reports to be filed before the Aug. 4 primary, Haslam gave $150,000 to his political action committee, Jobs4TN. The committee then contributed all but $4,000 of that amount to the campaigns of 44 lawmakers.

52. Haslam drops $150K into PAC for Tennessee legislative races - Friday, July 22, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has opened his wallet for state legislative campaigns throughout the state.

According to the final campaign finance reports to be filed before the Aug. 4 primary, Haslam gave $150,000 to his political action committee, Jobs4TN. The committee then contributed all but $4,000 of that amount to the campaigns of 44 lawmakers.

53. Speaker now supports session to oust Durham - Friday, July 22, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's Republican House speaker says she now supports convening a special session to expel a state lawmaker accused of sexually harassing at least 22 women.

Democrats this week called for the special session in order to deny Republican Rep. Jeremy Durham a pension of more than $300 per month even if he's not re-elected this year.

54. Legislative losers: All who disagree with legislators - Friday, May 6, 2016

The 109th General Assembly is done – almost – for the year. Here’s a look at the winners and losers.

Winner: State budget

Buoyed by $400 million in surplus revenue from fiscal 2015 and $450 million in projected surpluses for the coming fiscal year, Gov. Bill Haslam spread the wealth in a $34.9 billion budget.

55. Durham, accused of harassment, is all alone with his M&Ms - Friday, April 29, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) — Amid the frenzied negotiations, flaring tempers and occasional frivolity marking the end of another Tennessee legislative session, one lawmaker stayed conspicuously alone and quiet.

56. Outspoken McCormick one of the ‘stars’ of the Legislature - Friday, April 29, 2016

Rep. Gerald McCormick holds plenty of authority in the General Assembly as majority leader of the Republican Caucus, and he’s not afraid to show it.

He wielded that power in the final week of the 2016 session by dropping jaws on the House floor with a verbal spanking of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce.

57. GOP leader vows retribution for transgender 'blackmail' - Friday, April 15, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) - The Republican leader in the Tennessee House vowed retribution Tuesday for companies that spoke out against a transgender bathroom bill, suggesting that lawmakers should consider limiting tax incentives and grants to them.

58. Legislature passes online voter registration bill - Friday, April 15, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) - The General Assembly passed legislation Tuesday that would allow Tennesseans to register to vote online.

The House unanimously passed a bill that the Senate had earlier approved. The measure allows Tennesseans to go online to register to vote or update their registration records. Applicants would be directed to apply on paper if their name, date of birth or other identifying information could not be confirmed with the Department of Safety.

59. Top Middle Tennessee residential transactions for March 2016 - Friday, April 15, 2016

Top residential real estate sales, March 2016, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

60. Bill seeks to halt gun carry permits for ex-police with DUIs - Friday, April 8, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) - State Rep. Curry Todd, a retired Memphis police officer who has pleaded guilty to drunken driving and gun charges, is speaking out against Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to keep retired law enforcement officers with DUI convictions from being able to carry firearms in public.

61. Bill to cap liquor store ownership headed to Haslam's desk - Friday, March 25, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) - The House passed a bill Monday to impose a cap on liquor store ownership in Tennessee, sending the measure that some Republicans derided as contrary to free market principles to Gov. Bill Haslam's desk.

62. House passes Haslam's shakeup of Tennessee college boards - Friday, March 25, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) - Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to remove four-year public universities from the Board of Regents system and give them their own boards won approval Thursday in the Tennessee House.

63. ‘Fearless’ Stewart embraces battles with supermajority - Friday, March 11, 2016

Democratic state Rep. Mike Stewart lives on the front lines of the Tennessee General Assembly. As chairman of the House Democratic Caucus with 26 members, Stewart could employ a bunker mentality, but instead has chosen to take the fight to the other side of the aisle.

64. House panel reverses course on Tennessee liquor store cap - Friday, March 4, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) — A House committee that two weeks ago voted to reject a proposed cap on liquor store ownership in Tennessee reversed course on Tuesday and placed the limits back into the bill headed for a floor vote.

65. Segregation’s lessons helped shape Gilmore’s political career - Friday, February 19, 2016

State Rep. Brenda Gilmore’s passion for issues related to women, children and families – reaching out to those on society’s fringes – may well stem from her experience during desegregation.

66. School voucher bill stalls in House amid flagging support - Friday, February 12, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) — A proposal to create a school voucher program stalled in the House on Thursday despite efforts to drum up support among wary rural lawmakers by limiting the areas of Tennessee where parents could receive state money to pay for private school tuition.

67. Only so much Durham could blame on media - Friday, February 5, 2016

It’s little wonder state Rep. Jeremy Durham had to take a two-week break from the General Assembly. He was probably feeling faint from the evolution of his own devolution as a leader in the House Republican Caucus.

68. Durham removes self from House GOP caucus amid investigation - Friday, January 22, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) - State Rep. Jeremy Durham on Wednesday withdrew from the Tennessee House Republican Caucus amid an investigation into sexual harassment allegations.

The Franklin Republican previously resigned as House majority whip, though he has turned back demands from other GOP leaders that he step down from his House seat.

69. Dem chair: State House GOP leaders should resign over Durham - Friday, January 22, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) - The chairwoman of the Tennessee Democratic Party is calling on House Republican leaders to resign over their handling of Rep. Jeremy Durham and sexual harassment at the Tennessee General Assembly.

70. Durham goes back and forth on GOP leadership resignation - Friday, January 22, 2016

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee lawmaker whose questionable behavior nearly got him ousted from Republican leadership in the state House earlier this month announced Sunday that he was resigning as majority whip.

71. Lawmaker calls for GOP to reconsider Durham leadership post - Friday, December 11, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - A House Republican has made a formal request to hold a caucus meeting to reconsider the leadership position of embattled Rep. Jeremy Durham.

Rep. David Alexander wrote a letter to the House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick to ask for a vote on Durham's future as House whip. It takes five requests for the meeting to be called.

72. Judge praises Durham for 'moral courage' - Friday, December 11, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - While many GOP leaders in the Tennessee Legislature have distanced themselves from state Rep. Jeremy Durham for writing a character reference letter on behalf of a former youth minister who pleaded guilty to child porn possession, a judge in the Franklin Republican's home county is praising what he calls the lawmaker's "moral courage."

73. Robocalls urge resignation of Tennessee Rep. Jeremy Durham - Friday, December 11, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) — Voters in the home county of a top Republican in the state house are getting robocalls demanding his resignation over a prescription fraud investigation and a letter he wrote urging a lower sentence for a former youth pastor who pleaded guilty to child porn possession.

74. GOP: Lawmaker investigation highlights need for ethics - Friday, December 11, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican leaders in Tennessee aren't exactly rallying to the side of a state lawmaker prosecutors wanted to charge with prescription fraud.

A drug task force investigation into state House Majority Whip Jeremy Durham released to the public on Wednesday ended in a grand jury not indicting the Franklin Republican.

75. Kasich makes fundraising stops in Tennessee - Friday, November 27, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - Republican presidential candidate John Kasich said Tuesday that his visit to Tennessee is aimed at avoiding having to scramble for support in the state's March 1 primary if he emerges as a strong contender from the earliest contests.

76. 8 Tennessee lawmakers sign on as Marco Rubio delegates - Friday, November 27, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio's list of Tennessee delegates includes former U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, state House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick and state Sens. Brian Kelsey and Jack Johnson.

77. Haslam: Decide road priorities before talking funding - Friday, November 6, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam is calling on state lawmakers to decide on Tennessee's priorities on future road projects before resolving the politically tricky issue of finding a way to pay for them.

78. Haslam tries to jumpstart support for road funding increases - Friday, November 6, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - Armed with a new $5.3 billion wish list for statewide road projects, Gov. Bill Haslam embarked on another tour Monday seeking to jumpstart support among deeply skeptical lawmakers for boosting transportation funding in Tennessee.

79. Haslam opens door to gas tax delay but warns of backlog - Friday, September 25, 2015

MURFREESBORO (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam is opening the door to putting off a gas tax increase in an election year, but warns that officials need to stop "kidding ourselves" about Tennessee's growing list of unfunded road projects.

80. Raise gas tax or borrow? How to fund state's backlog of road projects - Friday, August 14, 2015

Tennessee has an $8 billion backlog of transportation projects and not enough funds to pay for them, largely because the state gas tax, which funds those projects, hasn’t been increased in 26 years.

81. With no real rival, state Republicans attack their own - Friday, July 24, 2015

Republicans are sitting in Tennessee’s political catbird seat, but that doesn’t keep them from flying off in different directions.

Elected political leaders of the same stripe found themselves at odds this year over the Bible as a state book, Common Core education standards and Insure Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Haslam’s plan to catch 280,000 people in a medical coverage gap.

82. Lawmaker slows effort to remove bust of Confederate general - Friday, July 3, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - A Tennessee lawmaker says he plans to slow the effort to remove a bust of a Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader from the halls of the Tennessee Capitol.

House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick told The Chattanooga Times Free Press (http://bit.ly/1fhJtnx) that he thinks a calmer discussion is needed before a final decision is made. He said there has been a wave of "hysteria" over Confederate symbols since the recent massacre of nine people at a black church in South Carolina. The white suspect, 21-year-old Dylann Storm Roof, posed in photos displaying Confederate flags.

83. Southern heritage defined differently across Tennessee - Friday, July 3, 2015

Tennessee’s loyalty was divided in the Civil War, and 150 years later, little is changed as the debate over Confederate symbols arises in the wake of the racist-fueled South Carolina church massacre.

84. Capitol Commission to review which historical figures should be honored - Friday, June 26, 2015

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and House Speaker Beth Harwell are encouraging the Tennessee Capitol Commission to evaluate the characteristics of Tennesseans honored in the Capitol Complex.

“From time to time, it is appropriate for the State of Tennessee to review which Tennesseans are honored and in what location and manner,” states a letter from Ramsey and Harwell, both Republicans, to the commission.

85. Capitol Commission to review which historical figures should be honored - Friday, June 19, 2015

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey and House Speaker Beth Harwell are encouraging the Tennessee Capitol Commission to evaluate the characteristics of Tennesseans honored in the Capitol Complex.

“From time to time, it is appropriate for the State of Tennessee to review which Tennesseans are honored and in what location and manner,” states a letter from Ramsey and Harwell, both Republicans, to the commission.

86. Top commercial real estate transactions for May 2015 - Friday, June 26, 2015

Top commercial real estate transactions, May 2015, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

87. Will Tennessee Republicans ever be truly happy? - Friday, May 1, 2015

Why aren’t Tennessee Republicans happier? With the GOP so dominant in the Tennessee General Assembly and losses so rare – on the Hill or in elections – the party’s lawmakers should be jubilant with this year’s session. But it’s never enough.

88. Defeat of Insure Tennessee proposal set tone in 2015 session - Friday, April 24, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - The defeat of Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to extend health coverage to 280,000 low-income Tennesseans set the tone for the 2015 session of the state Legislature.

Lawmakers adjourned the first session of the 109th General Assembly on Wednesday night that also featured the defeat of a proposal to offer in-state tuition to non-citizens, the passage of a bill to remove local power to ban guns in parks and the latest rejection of a perennial effort to create a school voucher program in Tennessee.

89. Defeat of Insure Tennessee proposal set tone in 2015 session - Friday, April 17, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) — The defeat of Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to extend health coverage to 280,000 low-income Tennesseans set the tone for the 2015 session of the state Legislature.

Lawmakers adjourned the first session of the 109th General Assembly on Wednesday night that also featured the defeat of a proposal to offer in-state tuition to non-citizens, the passage of a bill to remove local power to ban guns in parks and the latest rejection of a perennial effort to create a school voucher program in Tennessee.

90. Tennessee House member seeks protection against Haslam vetoes - Friday, April 17, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) — A state House member is seeking to delay votes on Gov. Bill Haslam's legislative proposals to insure against vetoes of embattled measures such as allowing people with handgun carry permits to be armed in city parks.

91. Tennessee House votes to make Bible official state book - Friday, April 10, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee state House ignored serious constitutional concerns — and the wishes of Republican leaders in the Statehouse— in voting to make the holy Bible the official state book.

92. GOP leader: 1-time school use enough to ban guns in parks - Friday, April 3, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - A top Republican supporter of a bill to strip local governments of the power to bar handgun carry permit holders from being armed in parks, playgrounds and ball fields said Thursday that even if a school uses a park, playground or ball field for just one event per year, that would enable the school to ban guns there.

93. Bill would require citizenship test for Tennessee students - Friday, March 20, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee students would have to pass the U.S. citizenship and immigration services' civic test before getting a high school diploma under legislation advancing in the state House.

94. Secret 'pre-meetings' become commonplace in Tennessee House - Friday, March 13, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee House committees are increasingly gathering in cramped, tucked-away conference rooms in the legislative office complex to hold secret "pre-meetings" to discuss pending legislation. The public isn't informed or invited.

95. Tennessee Republican legislators hit each other on 'social hour,' expenses - Friday, March 13, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick drew hoots and hollers of agreement from his colleagues when he suggested that members of the Senate had met during recent winter storms in the interest of padding their expense accounts.

96. Tennessee lawmakers: Block FCC ruling on municipal broadband - Friday, February 27, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - The Federal Communication Commission ruled last week that cities like Chattanooga may expand their municipal broadband service, but Tennessee officials who oppose the decision are lining up to block the move.

97. House majority leader says Tennessee voucher plan has a shot - Friday, February 13, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - A top state House lawmaker says he believes a proposal to create a school voucher program in Tennessee may pass this year after failing in the past two legislative sessions.

Republican House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick of Chattanooga spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday, a day after legislation that gives parents the option to move a child from a failing public school to a private school passed the Senate Education Committee on a 5-1 vote. Two committee members were present but didn't vote.

98. House majority leader believes Tennessee voucher plan has a shot - Friday, February 6, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick says he believes a proposal to create a school voucher program in Tennessee may pass this legislative session.

The Chattanooga Republican spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday, a day after legislation that gives parents the option to move a child from a failing public school to a private school passed the Senate Education Committee on a 5-1 vote.

99. Haslam's plan to expand Medicaid fails in state Legislature - Friday, January 30, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to extend health coverage to 280,000 low-income Tennesseans has failed during a special legislative session after nearly two years of negotiating with federal officials.

100. Harwell will allow committee chairs to prepare alternate Medicaid plan - Friday, January 30, 2015

NASHVILLE (AP) — House Speaker Beth Harwell said Tuesday that she has offered to have her committee chairmen draw up an alternate proposal for Gov. Bill Haslam if his Insure Tennessee plan appears to be headed for defeat in the ongoing special legislative session.