Top residential real estate sales, February 2019, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

2. Top Middle Tennessee commercial sales for January 2019 - Friday, February 22, 2019

Top commercial real estate sales, January 2019, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

3. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for January 2019 - Friday, February 15, 2019

Top residential real estate sales, January 2019, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

4. Trump to call for unity, face skepticism in State of Union - Friday, February 1, 2019

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Donald Trump will call for optimism and unity in his State of the Union address, using the moment to attempt a reset after two years of bitter partisanship and deeply personal attacks.

5. Lee gives some pay raises to cabinet members - Friday, February 1, 2019

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's top paid Cabinet members won't be getting a pay bump under the Republican's administration, but a majority of the new agency heads will see slight salary increases.

6. Polly is chair of 2019 Campaign for Equal Justice - Friday, January 25, 2019

Erin Palmer Polly, an attorney at Butler Snow LLP in Nashville and immediate past president of the Nashville Bar Association, will serve as the chair for its 2019 Campaign for Equal Justice, an annual initiative that raises funds for the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands.

7. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for December 2018 - Friday, January 18, 2019

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

8. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for 2018 - Friday, January 18, 2019

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

9. Democrats map plan to stay relevent in new session - Friday, January 4, 2019

With new leadership in both the House and Senate, Tennessee Democrats are trying to stay relevant in the face of supermajorities in both houses of the General Assembly.

Karen Camper has been elected as the first African-American leader of the House Democrats, taking over from Craig Fitzhugh, who became minority leader in 2011 and left for an unsuccessful bid for governor. The Senate has elected Jeff Yarbro as the minority leader. Yarbro takes over for Lee Harris, who is now mayor of Shelby County.

10. Top Middle Tennessee commercial sales for November 2018 - Friday, December 21, 2018

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

11. Tennessee Senate Democrats pick Yarbro as minority leader - Friday, November 30, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Senate Democrats have picked Jeff Yarbro as their new minority leader.

The former caucus chairman from Nashville received the promotion during leadership elections Tuesday among the five Democratic senators. Republicans hold legislative supermajorities in both the House and Senate.

12. Governor-elect Lee names 9 administration picks - Friday, November 23, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov.-elect Bill Lee has named three Cabinet members and six senior staffers.

The Republican's transition team says his finance commissioner will be investment company chairman Stuart McWhorter, who was Lee's campaign finance chairman.

13. Shelby county to pay workers at least $15 an hour - Friday, November 23, 2018

MEMPHIS (AP) — Tennessee's largest county will pay its workers at least $15 an hour next year.

The Commercial Appeal reports the Shelby County Commission approved a resolution Monday night proposed by County Mayor Lee Harris that will raise the minimum wage on Jan. 1. The newspaper reports 340 current county employees will see their pay increase.

14. Top Middle Tennessee commercial sales for October 2018 - Friday, November 23, 2018

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

15. 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.

16. Lee announces transition team - Friday, November 9, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov.-elect Bill Lee has tapped Nashville businessman Butch Eley to run his transition team.

Eley served on Lee's business advisory campaign coalition. Prior to that, he was the chief growth officer of DBI Services and founder of Infrastructure Corporation of America. He also served in former Nashville Mayor Bill Boner's administration as director of economic and community development.

17. Lee is now member-in-charge at Frost Brown Todd - Friday, November 2, 2018

Frost Brown Todd has named Thomas H. Lee member-in-charge of the firm’s Nashville office. Lee succeeds Mekesha Montgomery, who led FBT’s Nashville team of attorneys for the past seven years and will now become chair of the firm’s Manufacturing Industry Team while continuing to chair the Member Personnel Committee.

18. Ricky Skaggs, Dottie West enter Country Music Hall of Fame - Friday, October 19, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Bluegrass and country star Ricky Skaggs, singer Dottie West and fiddler Johnny Gimble are the newest members of the Country Music Hall of Fame.

19. Top Middle Tennessee commercial sales for September 2018 - Friday, October 19, 2018

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

20. Tennessee Supreme Court hears reporter defamation case - Friday, October 5, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's Supreme Court took up the question Thursday of whether a reporter can be sued for defamation when reporting fairly and accurately on a public proceeding.

Davidson County District Attorney Glenn Funk is suing a Nashville investigative reporter over 2016 stories on a lawsuit Funk claims accused him of soliciting a bribe, extortion and blackmail.

21. 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.

22. 2003 email reveals different tone on abortion by Kavanaugh - Friday, September 7, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — A newly disclosed email shows Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has questioned whether the 1973 Roe v. Wade case on abortion access is settled law. The email was obtained by The Associated Press as senators were launching a final round of questioning Thursday of President Donald Trump's nominee.

23. Legislators work all the angles for leadership posts - Friday, September 7, 2018

With apologies to Robert Zimmerman, “the times they are a-changing.” Unlike Bob Dylan’s 1964 song of rebellion, Capitol Hill isn’t turning into a hotbed of liberals, although someday the first could be last. In fact, it could turn more conservative this fall before things take a different direction.

24. AP-NORC Poll: Few Democrats favor liberal cry to abolish ICE - Friday, August 24, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — The rallying cry from some liberals to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement isn't a likely winner this election year, as a new poll finds only a quarter of Democrats support eliminating the agency that carried out the Trump administration's policy of separating immigrant children from their parents.

25. Nashville attorneys included in 2019 Best lawyers list - Friday, August 24, 2018

The Best Lawyers in America, a nationally recognized referral guide to the legal profession that has been published since 1983, has selected several Nashville attorneys for inclusion on its 2019 list. Attorneys selected for the publication are reviewed by professional peers through an extensive survey.

26. Blackburn unanimously elected presiding judge - Friday, August 17, 2018

Davidson County General Sessions judges have unanimously elected Judge Melissa Blackburn to serve as presiding judge through Sept. 2019.

Blackburn has been serving as presiding judge since Dec. 2017 when Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton was elevated to the 20th District Criminal Court by Gov. Bill Haslam. She was elected to serve as judge of the Division II General Sessions Court in 2014.

27. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for July 2018 - Friday, August 17, 2018

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

28. State Sen. Tate goes a step too far in dance with GOP - Friday, August 10, 2018

Sen. Reginald Tate ran a campaign ad in the waning days of the Democratic primary race bragging about his service to the city of Memphis.

But voters, apparently tired of Tate’s shenanigans, finally decided he was more concerned about serving himself and opted for political newcomer Katrina Robinson instead.

29. New faces in Tennessee legislative primaries as dozens leave - Friday, July 27, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — An exodus of more than two dozen state lawmakers means new faces are running for the Republican-led Tennessee General Assembly, setting up primary fights that could have early implications on the jockeying to become the House's new leader.

30. Top Middle Tennessee commercial sales for June 2018 - Friday, July 27, 2018

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

31. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for June 2018 - Friday, July 20, 2018

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

32. Top Middle Tennessee commercial sales for May 2018 - Friday, June 29, 2018

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

33. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for May 2018 - Friday, June 15, 2018

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

34. Entrepreneurs’ Organization adds 15 new members - Friday, June 15, 2018

The Nashville chapter of The Entrepreneurs’ Organization recently added 15 members to its group of Middle Tennessee business owners, retaining its standing as the largest EO chapter in the United States and the third largest in the world, behind only Tokyo and Mumbai.

35. Top Middle Tennessee commercial sales for April 2018 - Friday, May 25, 2018

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

36. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for April 2018 - Friday, May 11, 2018

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

37. 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.

38. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for March 2018 - Friday, April 20, 2018

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

39. 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.

40. 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.

41. 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.

42. Lots of noise but few results in Legislature - Friday, April 13, 2018

Just when you think the Tennessee Legislature is going off the deep end, someone will throw them a bungee cord. Maybe a rope made out of hemp would work better because a bungee cord leaves people bouncing, never quite reeling them in.

43. 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.

44. Bump stock ban proposal fails in Tennessee - Friday, March 30, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — An effort by Democratic lawmakers to ban bump stocks in Tennessee has failed.

Bump stocks are devices that allow semi-automatic rifles to mimic the rapid fire of machine guns. Some Tennessee Senate leaders had come out in support of President Donald Trump's push to ban bump stocks after a gunman used the devices to kill 58 people and injure more than 500 others in Las Vegas in October.

45. Top Middle Tennessee commercial sales for February 2018 - Friday, March 30, 2018

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

46. 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.

47. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for February 2018 - Friday, March 16, 2018

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

48. House panel won't let Las Vegas shooting survivors speak - Friday, March 2, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee legislative panel refused to let two Las Vegas concert shooting survivors testify Wednesday after Republicans delayed action on a Democratic bill to ban the device used by that gunman in October.

49. Ketron drops name from bump stock ban bill - Friday, March 2, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — A few days after signing on, a Republican Tennessee Senate leader has dropped his name from a Democratic proposal to ban bump stock devices that allow guns to fire like automatic weapons.

50. ‘Neon Angel’ still clinging to Nashville dream - Friday, March 2, 2018

She’s adjusted her dreams of stardom a bit as calendar pages fly by, but this woman with the young heart and thick, red hair holds onto her Gretsch guitar and proclaims: “I am the Neon Angel.”

51. Legislators likely to put cork in Sunday wine sales for pre-k - Friday, February 23, 2018

Legislation sending revenue from Sunday wine sales to prekindergarten expansion faces a battle on several fronts when it reaches a committee in early March.

The bill sponsored by state Sen. Lee Harris is designed to take the state tax dollars from the sale of wine on Sundays, if that separate bill passes this session, and divert it to a fund designed to increase access for low-income children to prekindergarten classrooms in Tennessee. The bill is set to be heard March 6 in the Senate State and Local Government Committee.

52. Bass, Berry & Sims names new practice leadership - Friday, February 23, 2018

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC has appointed Kevin H. Douglas to serve as chair of the firm’s Corporate & Securities Practice Group.

In this role, Douglas will work closely with firm management and with the more than 100 corporate attorneys and staff across the firm’s four offices to develop goals and implement initiatives for the department that are in line with the firm’s overall strategy.

53. Top Middle Tennessee commercial sales for January 2018 - Friday, February 23, 2018

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

54. Consensus on gun legislation? Not on your life - Friday, February 23, 2018

That burning smell emanating from the General Assembly isn’t coming from the flame of bipartisanship. More likely it’s the result of scorched-earth politics.

Even though a weapons measure called the “carry-like-a-cop” bill died recently in a House committee, the gap between Republicans and Democrats on gun legislation is, for the most part, about as wide as the range of a Barrett .50-caliber rifle, more than 2.5 miles.

55. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for January 2018 - Friday, February 16, 2018

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

56. Tennessee bill would limit licensing denials of ex-offenders - Friday, February 9, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — A bill in Tennessee would limit the ability of state licensing boards to deny occupational licenses based on the criminal history of applicants.

Republican Sen. Kerry Roberts of Springfield, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Lee Harris of Memphis and Republican Rep. Jeremy Faison of Cosby announced the "fresh start" legislation Monday.

57. Tennessee bill would exempt gun safes from state sales tax - Friday, February 2, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Tennessee are pushing legislation to exempt gun safes from the state's sales tax.

At a news conference Monday, Republican Sen. Kerry Roberts of Springfield said the bill shows how the state Senate can find common ground and work in a bipartisan manner.

58. Tennessee Democrats take aim at net neutrality on state level - Friday, January 26, 2018

Legislation designed to reverse a federal decision repealing net neutrality regulations is surfacing in the General Assembly, an effort to maintain Tennesseans’ open access to the internet.

Sponsored by Rep. John Ray Clemmons and Sen. Lee Harris, both Democrats, the legislation would enable the state and individual consumers to take legal action against internet providers if they create levels of service by charging consumers more for certain websites, service speeds or information.

59. Middle Tennessee's $1M-plus residential transactions for 2017 - Friday, January 26, 2018

There were 690 commercial real estate transactions worth $1 million or more in Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Sumner and Wilson counties in 2017, according to Chandler Reports.

Davidson County had the most with 333, followed by Williamson (152), Rutherford (104), Sumner (51) and Wilson (50).

60. Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for December 2017 - Friday, January 19, 2018

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

61. Top Middle Tennessee commercial sales for November 2017 - Friday, December 22, 2017

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

62. Is there room for common-sense gun legislation? - Friday, December 1, 2017

The Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action picks its battles judiciously. Once labeled as a bunch of anti-gun extremists, the group is anything but, spokeswoman Kat McRitchie says.

“We seek common ground. We work with legislators on both sides of the aisle. We’re nonpartisan,” McRitchie explains. “We’re simply looking for common-sense gun solutions, which the majority of Americans support.”

63. Top Middle Tennessee commercial transactions for October 2017 - Friday, November 24, 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.

64. Top Middle Tennessee residential transactions for October 2017 - Friday, November 17, 2017

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

65. 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.

66. Vols not worried about Bama? Just wait until kickoff - Friday, October 20, 2017

Tennessee’s football team will make history Saturday against No. 1-ranked Alabama (7-0, 4-0 SEC), no matter what happens with the game.

The Vols (3-3, 0-3 SEC) were 34-point underdogs early in the week for the 3:30 EDT game (TV: CBS) in Tuscaloosa. The 34-point spread is the largest ever in the UT-Alabama series.

67. 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.

68. State Sen. Lee Harris running for Shelby County mayor - Friday, September 29, 2017

MEMPHIS (AP) — Tennessee state Sen. Lee Harris says he is running for Shelby County mayor.

The Commercial Appeal reports Harris announced Wednesday that he is entering the race for mayor in the county that includes Memphis. The position opens up in 2018 because current Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell is term-limited.

69. Top Middle Tennessee commercial transactions for August 2017 - Friday, September 29, 2017

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

70. Mississippi case offers hope for bust removal - Friday, September 8, 2017

State Sen. Lee Harris is encouraged by the U.S. Supreme Court’s request for the state of Mississippi to respond to a lawsuit seeking to remove the Confederate battle flag from its state flag.

71. Online voter registration being offered in Tennessee - Friday, August 25, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee secretary of state's office says it has begun offering online voter registration.

WPLN-FM reports the office has initiated a "soft launch" of the online system . In the past, residents who moved, had their registrations purged for inactivity or were never registered had to contact county election commissions directly or sign up in person through a state agency.

72. Outsourcing by any other name still not so sweet - Friday, September 1, 2017

Outsourcing is starting to become a four-letter word in state government. Gov. Bill Haslam’s administration told lawmakers during a summer study session it’s giving up on privatization of state parks, including a plan to hire a company to raze the inn at Fall Creek Falls and build a new one, at a cost of more than $22 million, then take over the keys and the profits.

73. 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.

74. Vanderbilt’s Shah to lead Deptartment of Cardiac Surgery - Friday, August 18, 2017

Ashish Shah, M.D., director of Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at Vanderbilt, has been named chair of the Department of Cardiac Surgery.

Shah, professor of Cardiac Surgery, succeeds Michael Petracek, M.D., who is stepping down from the post. The appointment became effective July 1.

75. Top Middle Tennessee residential transactions for July 2017 - Friday, August 18, 2017

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

76. Top Midstate commercial transactions for second quarter 2017 - Friday, July 28, 2017

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

77. Top Midstate residential transactions for second quarter 2017 - Friday, July 28, 2017

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

78. 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.

79. Top Middle Tennessee residential transactions for June 2017 - Friday, July 21, 2017

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

80. Mayor names Cole Metro’s first chief resilience officer - Friday, July 7, 2017

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has appointed Erik Cole as chief resilience officer in the new Office of Resilience.

The new position and office were created to lead citywide efforts to help Nashville prepare for, withstand and bounce back from catastrophic events including floods, tornadoes and fires and slow-moving disasters like unemployment, affordable housing and poverty and inequality.

81. Top Middle Tennessee commercial transactions for May 2017 - Friday, June 23, 2017

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

82. New law allowing immigration status in sentencing slammed - Friday, June 9, 2017

State Sen. Lee Harris is criticizing a new law sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris enabling state judges to consider a convict’s immigration status during sentencing.

Harris, a Memphis Democrat, expressed disappointment in Gov. Bill Haslam’s decision to sign Senate Bill 1260 into law, saying it would give judges authority to enhance prison sentences based on a defendant’s national origin.

83. A new life made possible by a $170 discount - Friday, June 9, 2017

A harassment conviction lingered on the record of Memphis resident Brenda A. for 10 years, the high cost of expungement making it difficult to erase the past.

Like many people convicted of misdemeanors and felonies, she paid her court fees and fines, along with probation costs, years ago, but had trouble cobbling together the money to expunge her record, making it hard to land a good job and make a fresh start.

84. Unwilling private sector gives park workers a victory - Friday, May 26, 2017

Two state parks are celebrating victories in an atmosphere of uncertainty created by the governor’s penchant for privatizing state functions.

Fall Creek Falls drew no bidders for a $20 million plan to hire a vendor who would tear down its inn, construct a new one and take over operations for 10 years. Henry Horton State Park, meanwhile, is set for $10 million in improvements this coming fiscal year, including upgrades to its hospitality facilities, plus a new visitors’ center, rather than a proposal to raze its inn and not rebuild.

85. Haslam signs bill creating 'In God We Trust' license plates - Friday, May 19, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has signed a bill creating a new Tennessee license plate design featuring the phrase "In God We Trust."

The original version of the bill would have required the phrase to be printed on all license plates issued in the state. But after the state attorney general raised constitutional concerns, sponsors agreed to make the make the new design optional.

86. Top Middle Tennessee commercial transactions for April 2017 - Friday, May 19, 2017

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

87. 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.

88. Top Middle Tennessee residential transactions for April 2017 - Friday, May 12, 2017

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

89. Tennessee Senate passes $37B spending plan for next year - Friday, May 5, 2017

The state Senate approved a $37 billion budget Monday complete with the governor’s IMPROVE Act package of fuel tax increases and tax reductions.

Senators passed the measure 28-2 and sent it to the governor despite opposition led by Democratic Sen. Lee Harris of Memphis who argued the body would be breaking the Copeland cap, a law prohibiting the spending of revenue that exceeds the state’s economy’s growth rate.

90. Tennessee lawmakers approve optional 'In God We Trust' tags - Friday, May 5, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — The House has given final approval to a bill that would allow Tennessee drivers to choose license plates with the phrase "In God We Trust" on them.

The chamber voted 85-0 to approve the bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Bill Sanderson of Kenton on Thursday. The Senate earlier this week approved the measure on a 29-1 vote.

91. Bill to ban abortions at 20 weeks passes in Senate - Friday, April 28, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Senate on Monday voted to pass a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks if doctors determine the fetus is viable. The ban would not apply in medical emergencies or if the mother faces risks of death or serious damage to a major bodily function.

92. Most legislators urging slowdown in outsourcing state jobs - Friday, April 28, 2017

A majority of Tennessee’s legislators are asking the state to hold up on a facilities management outsourcing contract with Jones Lang LaSalle.

Seventy-five of the General Assembly’s 132 members, 17 in the Senate and 58 in the House, have signed a letter to Terry Cowles, director of the Office of Customer Focused Government, asking the office to slow down on outsourcing so it can “study and understand the effect” on public services, the economy and state employees.

93. Tennessee House OKs bill opening officer shooting records - Friday, April 21, 2017

The House overwhelmingly approved legislation Monday requiring records about officer-involved shooting deaths be open to the public.

Sponsored by Rep. G.A. Hardaway and Sen. Lee Harris, both Memphis Democrats, the move opens the curtain on Tennessee Bureau of Investigation records, which are exempt from the Tennessee Open Records Act and confidential. Generally they are disclosed to the public only through a court order.

94. Letter urges more legislative oversight of outsourcing - Friday, April 21, 2017

Forty-one state lawmakers signed a letter requesting the state put a hold on its outsourcing plans until the General Assembly can scrutinize its effect on state workers and services.

The state is set to sign a contract April 28 with Chicago-based JLL for facilities management work that could be used by universities and departments statewide. Even local government jobs could be doled out to the contractor.

95. Legislature curtails Metro's ability to fight gas compressor - Friday, April 14, 2017

Legislation putting a damper on Nashville’s efforts to stop natural gas pipeline compressor projects in Cane Ridge and Joelton is on its way to the governor’s desk.

The House approved a bill 69-23 Monday night prohibiting Metro Nashville from including land use and zoning requirements in its air pollution control regulations through an exemption certificate it holds with the State Air Pollution Control Board. The Senate previously passed the legislation 23-6.

96. Top Middle Tennessee residential transactions for March 2017 - Friday, April 14, 2017

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

97. Harris asks legislators to reconsider anti-immigrant stand - Friday, April 7, 2017

State Sen. Lee Harris is calling on the Legislature to rethink its stance on refugees amid legal action taken against the federal government after President Donald Trump ordered an air strike against Syria.

98. Tennessee Senate OKs gun background check exemption bill - Friday, April 7, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Senate has passed a bill eliminating background check requirements when gun dealers occasionally sell from their personal firearm collections.

Senators voted 24-3 Thursday on the legislation by Republican Sen. Mae Beavers of Mt. Juliet. The House passed it Monday. Gov. Bill Haslam will decide to sign or veto the bill.

99. Senate votes to double amount of money candidates can raise - Friday, March 31, 2017

Legislation enabling state lawmakers to raise campaign funds during even-year session recesses evolved into a markedly different sort of bill this week: one allowing significant contribution increases for Senate candidates.

100. Senate passes less speedy rural broadband bill - Friday, March 31, 2017

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Senate on Monday passed a bill that could make it easier for rural areas in Tennessee to get access to high-speed internet. However, a last-minute amendment tacked on to the bill would not require the internet to be so speedy.