Tennessee Lookout

The Tennessee Lookout serves as your vigilant observer, sharing important stories about politics and policies that impact the residents of the Volunteer State.

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Tennessee lawmakers send message to private prisons

3 days ago | tennesseelookout.com | Sam Stockard

Tennessee’s legislature put the state’s private-prison operator on notice to keep death rates down or face a reduction in inmates, a move that could cut its state payments. House members voted 93-0 Monday in favor of House Bill 1144 by Republican Rep. Clark Boyd of Lebanon, which would require the inmate population at each CoreCivic-run prison to be reduced 10% if the death rate there is twice as high as the rate at a comparable state-run prison.
Tennessee revives intensive probation program after statewide demand

6 days ago | tennesseelookout.com | Sam Stockard

by Sam Stockard, Tennessee Lookout April 7, 2025 Three years after curtailing an intensive probation program, the Department of Correction is reviving Community Corrections as part of a last-ditch effort to keep offenders out of prison. The state is taking bids from probation programs across Tennessee to resume supervision services to thousands of people on the brink of being sentenced to prison time. Requests for proposals are to be filed by April 14.
Stockard on the Stump: Tennessee immigrant student bill losing momentum

6 days ago | tennesseelookout.com | Sam Stockard

by Sam Stockard, Tennessee Lookout April 18, 2025 Tennessee’s bill restricting education for undocumented immigrant students could be dead for the year. The Lookout is hearing from key lawmakers that the measure won’t make it to the House floor for a vote this session.
Tennessee House passes measure to dissolve state human rights commission

1 week ago | tennesseelookout.com | J. Holly McCall |Holly McCall

Tennessee House Republicans voted overwhelmingly to transfer responsibilities for investigating discrimination complaints to the office of the Tennessee Attorney General, effectively dissolving the Tennessee Human Rights Commission. The measure passed 73-23 with less than 10 minutes of discussion. Democrats questioned Rep.
Bill to hold charities liable for providing housing to certain immigrants heads to governor’s desk

1 week ago | tennesseelookout.com | Anita Wadhwani

by Anita Wadhwani, Tennessee Lookout April 17, 2025 A bill to hold churches and charitable organizations liable for providing housing aid to immigrants without legal status — who then go on to commit a crime — is now headed to the governor’s desk. The Tennessee Senate Wednesday voted 70-23 in favor of the legislation (SB227/HB11) brought by Sen. Brent Taylor of Memphis and Rep. Rusty Grills of Newbern, both Republicans. The Republican majority in the House approved the measure earlier this month.
Tennessee legislature approves $59.8 billion budget

1 week ago | tennesseelookout.com | Sam Stockard

Tennessee lawmakers approved a $59.8 billion budget Wednesday for the next fiscal year, but House members got hung up on a last-minute move to insert several million dollars to fund county primary elections statewide. Two days after the House passed a separate measure to require primary elections, Republicans and Democrats challenged the addition of $8 million on the House floor to reimburse county election commissions for holding primaries.
Keep your (25-foot) distance. • Tennessee Lookout

1 week ago | tennesseelookout.com | John Cole

X 1 Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.
Two months after Trump’s funding cuts, a nonprofit struggles to support refugees and itself

1 week ago | tennesseelookout.com | Amy Yurkanin

A Trump administration freeze of funds designated to help new refugees is causing chaos for families and forcing nonprofits to cut promised services. Immigrants receiving less help from caseworkers are struggling to find work and navigate health care systems. Church members and other volunteers are filling some gaps, but they don’t have the same resources as the aid agencies that used to do this work. When Max Rykov started reading a Jan.
Tennessee lawmakers file Memphis Shelby Schools “hostile takeover” at last minute

1 week ago | tennesseelookout.com | Sam Stockard

by Sam Stockard, Tennessee Lookout April 16, 2025 With only days remaining in the 2025 Tennessee session, Shelby County lawmakers filed new legislation Tuesday that critics call a “hostile takeover” of Memphis Shelby County Schools by the state. The bills sponsored by Rep. Mark White of East Memphis and Sen.
Tennessee lawmakers in limbo over federal budget cuts

1 week ago | tennesseelookout.com | Sam Stockard

by Sam Stockard, Tennessee Lookout April 15, 2025 Scurrying to pass a budget this week as the Tennessee legislature prepares to adjourn, lawmakers are putting their own stamp on the state’s budget despite being hampered by federal cuts that eat into the spending plan. Republican chairs of the House and Senate finance committee remain uncertain about the impact of reductions in the $24.5 billion the state receives from the federal government. Similarly, Democrats are asking Gov.