Melissa Brown

1 month ago | tennessean.com | Melissa Brown

HB 527/SB 455 moved through the legislature quietly this year. The legislation would have given the state parole board more discretion to deny parole to state prisoners. The House passed the bill 75-16 on April 16 and the Senate passed it 22-4 on March 27. Gov. Bill Lee vetoed the legislation May 5. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee vetoed the first bill of his administration, knocking back a piece of legislation that would have given the state parole board more discretion to deny parole to state prisoners.

1 month ago | tennessean.com | Melissa Brown

Former Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, is a star witness for federal prosecutors. Her testimony continued on April 30 and she faced cross-examination from the lawyers for Casada and Cothren. Former Tennessee Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, continued to testify for a third day in the federal corruption trial against former House Speaker Glen Casada, R-Franklin, and his one-time top aide. Defense lawyers for Casada and Cade Cothren, who once served as Casada's chief of staff, cross-examined Smith on April 30.

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Melissa Brown

The federal corruption case of a former Tennessee House speaker and his one-time top aide continued into its fifth day, beset by repeated defense objections and lengthy private conferences between attorneys at the judge. The trial inched forward on April 28 with the appearance of former Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, who resigned from the General Assembly in 2022 before quickly striking a plea deal with prosecutors.

1 month ago | tennessean.com | Melissa Brown |Austin Hornbostel

Nashville lost millions in previously guaranteed grant funds after federal authorities slashed $11 billion in public health funding. Nashville's lawsuit argues the funds were authorized by Congress, and the abrupt and unilateral cuts illegally circumvented the congressional process. Nashville has sued Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services over recent "devastating" public health funding cuts the city argues are unconstitutional.

1 month ago | tennessean.com | Melissa Brown |Vivian Jones

Tennessee lawmakers adjourned for the year on April 22, concluding a session shaped by controversy over education for undocumented students, diversity programs, taxes on vape producs and legal protections for birth control and in-vitro fertilization. At times, the session was full of contrasts for Republicans, who hold a supermajority in the Tennessee General Assembly.