NASHVILLE (AP) – In the last few years, Tennessee hasn't shied away from contentious education initiatives as it seeks to remain at the forefront of education reform in the nation.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has even characterized the state's efforts as "courageous leadership."

2. Senate OKs Tennessee Animal Abuse Reporting Bill - Friday, April 19, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – A proposal that would require anyone recording images of animal abuse to submit unedited footage or photos to law enforcement within 48 hours has passed the Senate.

The measure sponsored by Republican Sen. Dolores Gresham of Somerville was approved 22-9 on Tuesday. The companion bill is awaiting a vote on the House floor.

3. House Barely Approves Animal Abuse Reporting Bill - Friday, April 19, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – A bill seeking to require anyone recording or taking photos of livestock abuse to turn images over to law enforcement within 48 hours was approved in the House on Wednesday with the bare vote minimum needed.

4. Charter School Authorizer Bill Advances - Friday, April 19, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – The sponsor of a proposal that seeks to change the way certain charter schools are authorized said Wednesday the measure is needed to continue education reform in Tennessee.

5. Animal Abuse Reporting Bill Hits Senate Snag - Tuesday, April 16, 2013

An effort to require whistleblowers to quickly submit damning evidence of animal abuse to law enforcement has hit a snag in the state Senate over questions about the true intentions of the bill.

The bill sponsored by Sen. Dolores Gresham of Somerville and fellow Republican Rep. Andy Holt of Dresden would require anyone recording images of animal abuse submit unedited footage or photos to law enforcement within 48 hours.

6. Charter Panel Bill Slowed in Senate - Thursday, April 11, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – Lawmakers questioned a proposal to create a special panel to authorize charter schools in several Tennessee counties during debate at the state Legislature Tuesday, while a nonprofit group criticized the governor's decision to withdraw his school voucher program.

7. Haslam School Voucher Bill Dead This Session - Friday, April 05, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – The Republican leader carrying Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to create school vouchers in Tennessee said he's decided to let it die this session because he's tired of the "gamesmanship."

8. Humane Society Hires Former State Rep. Swafford - Wednesday, April 03, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – Former state Rep. Eric Swafford has been hired by the Humane Society of the United States as an outreach director.

9. Competing School Voucher Bill Withdrawn - Friday, March 22, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – The sponsor of legislation that was competing with Gov. Bill Haslam's to create a school voucher program withdrew her bill on Wednesday after proponents of a broader program decided they want to focus on the governor's plan.

10. Competing Voucher Bills Gearing Up in Legislature - Saturday, March 16, 2013

The Republican sponsor of a measure competing with Gov. Bill Haslam’s to create a school voucher program in Tennessee says she’s convinced the initiative should be broader than what the governor is proposing.

11. Competing Voucher Bills Gearing up in Legislature - Friday, March 15, 2013

The Republican sponsor of a measure competing with Gov. Bill Haslam’s to create a school voucher program in Tennessee says she’s convinced the initiative should be broader than what the governor is proposing.

12. Senator's Traffic Stop Part of Vanderbilt Police Debate - Thursday, March 07, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – The effort to strip Vanderbilt University of its police force over a nondiscrimination policy for student groups has brought up a traffic stop involving the chairwoman of the Senate committee handling the bill, but the lawmaker says she doesn't know why the incident has become part of the debate.

13. Revised Tenn. Lottery Scholarship Bill Advances - Thursday, March 08, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – Democratic leaders say a revised proposal that would make cutting some students' lottery scholarships in half contingent on lottery revenues is unnecessary because the measure wouldn't be effective for at least another three years.

14. Berke Earning Respect on Both Sides of Aisle - Tuesday, December 13, 2011

State Sen. Andy Berke said he had no expectations of what public office would be like when he was elected in 2007.

In fact, he said somewhat sheepishly, he “literally had not been to the legislature since my fourth-grade field trip. … By the way, that’s a mistake. I now realize I should have been paying more attention all along.”

15. Bill to Change Method of Placing Teachers on Board - Thursday, March 10, 2011

A proposal that would prevent teacher organizations from voting members onto the state pension board has passed the Senate.

The measure sponsored by Sen. Dolores Gresham, a Somerville Republican and chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee, was approved 20-13 on a party-line vote Wednesday.

16. State Legislators Look for Education on Schools Standoff - Friday, February 04, 2011

Most members of the Tennessee Legislature are just now getting a crash course in the controversy that has dominated Memphis and Shelby County politics since Thanksgiving.

As the state House and Senate prepare for fast-tracked votes Monday evening in Nashville on schools consolidation legislation, they aren’t getting a lot of help from Democrats or Republicans in the Shelby County legislative delegation.

17. Regents Asked to Expand Search for Chancellor - Monday, August 09, 2010

The chairman of the Senate Education Committee has asked the Tennessee Board of Regents for an expanded search to find a chancellor for the board.

Dolores Gresham, R-Somerville, sent a letter Thursday to the 18 members of the board.

18. Bill Would Make Jailers Determine Immigrant Status - Tuesday, June 08, 2010

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A bill that would require Tennessee jailers to determine whether inmates are in the country illegally and deport them if they are would offer an easy way to fight illegal immigration in the state, the sponsors of the legislation say.

19. Lawmakers Differ on Education Funding Proposal - Tuesday, February 17, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Lawmakers from both parties agree that K-12 education in Tennessee should be a priority, but they disagree over legislation that would fund it out of an education budget separate from the rest of the state's spending plan.

20. Reports Show Final PAC Contributions in Tennessee - Friday, October 31, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The final campaign finance reports before Tuesday's election show a last minute flurry of contributions from political action committees to legislative candidates and causes in Tennessee.

21. House Thrown Into Chaos Over Abortion Amendment - Friday, May 02, 2008

NASHVILLE (AP) - The House was thrown into chaos on Thursday over a failed Republican maneuver to try to resurrect an anti-abortion amendment.

Rep. Bill Dunn, a Knoxville Republican, attached a measure to bring the anti-abortion amendment to the floor to an unrelated resolution on legislative meeting times.

22. Abortion Amendment Sponsor to Seek Full House Vote - Wednesday, April 30, 2008

NASHVILLE (AP) - The sponsor of a proposal to change the Tennessee Constitution to allow the state to impose greater limits on abortions has given notice that she plans to try to bring the measure up for a full House floor vote.

23. Black Caucus Upset Democrat Excluded From Anti-Abortion Bill - Friday, February 29, 2008

NASHVILLE (AP) - The Legislature's Black Caucus has lodged a complaint with House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh about a Republican member's exclusion of a Democratic lawmaker who wanted to co-sponsor an anti-abortion resolution.

24. Abortion Resolution Fails Again in House Subcommittee - Wednesday, February 27, 2008

NASHVILLE (AP) - A resolution that would change the state's constitution to allow more limits on abortion has failed again in a House subcommittee, but supporters say they aren't giving up hope this year.

25. Conservation Group Releases Ratings of State Lawmakers - Wednesday, October 24, 2007

NASHVILLE (AP) - Democratic Sens. Beverly Marrero and Rosalind Kurita tied for the top score in the Tennessee Conservation Voters' annual ratings of lawmakers released Monday.

Kurita, of Clarksville, and Marrero, of Memphis, each scored 11 points on the group's scale based on votes cast on selected legislation affecting the environment.

26. Legislator of the Year Award Honors 'Reluctant Candidate' - Friday, April 13, 2007

Rep. Dolores Gresham, R-Somerville, admits that when she began campaigning for the first time in 2000, she believed most voters were indifferent when it came to politics.

Now, seven years after she was elected to represent the 94th District in the Tennessee General Assembly, she could not disagree more.