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 bed of liberals, although someday the first could be last. In fact, it could turn more conservative this fall before things take a different direction. But leadership down the line in both parties is due for a big turnover.

2. Tenn. Legislature Breaks TNReady Gridlock, Adjourns Session - Thursday, April 26, 2018

NASHVILLE – The House and Senate broke gridlock Wednesday night on problems stemming from the results of troubled TNReady testing by passing legislation saying no “adverse action” would be taken against teachers, students or schools for poor test scores.

3. TNReady Causes Gridlock in Tenn. Legislature - Thursday, April 26, 2018

NASHVILLE – The day after Republican House leaders called for a review of the state’s TNReady testing vendor, the House of Representatives and Senate got stuck on the impact of botched testing this spring and the potential for incorrect student scores affecting teacher evaluations.

4. TNReady Causes Gridlock in State Legislature - Thursday, April 26, 2018

NASHVILLE – The day after Republican House leaders called for a review of the state’s TNReady testing vendor, the House of Representatives and Senate got stuck on the impact of botched testing this spring and the potential for incorrect student scores affecting teacher evaluations.

5. GoFundMe Page Seeks to Reimburse Memphis for State Money Withdrawal - Wednesday, April 18, 2018

NASHVILLE – 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.

6. Medical Pot Bill Dies in Committee, But Senate Sponsor Promises Return - Saturday, April 7, 2018

Legislation decriminalizing medical marijuana in Tennessee is effectively dead for the year after its Senate sponsor, Nashville Republican Sen. Steve Dickerson, withdrew the bill from a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, April 3.

7. Lawmakers See Conspiracy In UT Board Alterations - Thursday, April 5, 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.

8. Don't Like Medical Marijuana Bill? Just Wait for Next Version - Monday, April 2, 2018

Legislation decriminalizing medical marijuana in Tennessee could return to its original form, setting up a state commission to oversee use of the drug to treat debilitating illnesses. Any such move also could bring lobbyists back into the fold after they dropped support of the bill when its sponsor, Rep. Jeremy Faison, abruptly changed the bill and left onlookers flabbergasted.

9. Digest - Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Memphis Grizzlies Suffer 15th Consecutive Loss

The Grizzlies lost their 15th straight game, 119-110 at Chicago, on Wednesday, March 7.

The team has not won since defeating the Phoenix Suns at FedExForum on Jan. 29.

10. Towns Sponsoring Gun Security Bills in a ‘Dangerous World’ - Thursday, February 1, 2018

NASHVILLE – State Rep. Joe Towns was like a lot of other legislators when he arrived at the renovated Cordell Hull Building for the start of the 2018 legislative session.

11. Anti-Abortion ‘Heartbeat Bill’ Revived Despite Like-Minded Opposition - Wednesday, January 24, 2018

An East Tennessee lawmaker is trying breathe life into his “heartbeat bill” this session of the General Assembly despite an odd mix of opposition from pro-life forces and Democrats.

State Rep. Micah Van Huss delayed the measure in a House committee until a Senate sponsor can be placed on it, but he confirmed he will present the bill as soon as the clerk’s office prepares it.

12. Game of Thrones? UT’s Cast Not That Smart - Friday, December 8, 2017

When he was president of the University of Tennessee in 1959-70, Andy Holt often referred to the Vols athletics program, and particularly its football program, as “the front porch of the university.”

13. Grab a Gun, Go See Your State Representative - Thursday, November 9, 2017

When legislative leaders started to allow guns in the Legislative Plaza nearly two years ago, the Sierra Club’s Scott Banbury had his daughter take pictures of him wearing his holstered Ruger and lobbyist ID card to put on lawmakers’ desks with the question: “Is this what you want?”

14. Paying Fulmer $100K A Deal for UT Athletics - Friday, June 30, 2017

What does Phillip Fulmer’s hiring as special adviser to University of Tennessee president Joe DiPietro have to do with Vols football coach Butch Jones?

15. View From the Hill: Gas Tax Rancor Lingers as Session Coasts to Close - Thursday, May 11, 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.

16. House, Senate Approve IMPROVE Act - Thursday, April 20, 2017

The House and Senate are nearly ready to send the IMPROVE Act to Gov. Bill Haslam, passing it with relatively wide voting margins after months of debate.

Only one adjustment is needed in a measure providing property tax relief for veterans, the disabled and elderly before the measure can be sent to Haslam.

17. Traffic Camera Confidentiality Bill Withdrawn in House - Thursday, April 13, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A bill that had sought to make the names of people who refused to pay traffic camera fines confidential has been withdrawn for the year.

WTVF-TV reported (http://bit.ly/2p7XWaW) that the bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Andy Holt of Dresden, had received 13 traffic camera tickets.

18. Lawmaker Takes Heat Over Bill That Would Hide His Tickets - Monday, March 27, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A Tennessee lawmaker is taking heat after being accused of sponsoring a bill that would hide his own unpaid speeding tickets from the public.

WTVF reports (http://bit.ly/2nJ9jbL) that Rep. Andy Holt is trying to phase out traffic camera speeding tickets and is pushing legislation that would keep the names of people with unpaid traffic tickets confidential.

19. View From the Hill: Haslam Facing Tough Sell on Tax Hikes, Cuts - Thursday, January 26, 2017

An interesting thing happened just a couple of hours before Gov. Bill Haslam unveiled his fuel-tax increase plan amid great fanfare at the State Capitol. 

As the governor started explaining the proposed IMPROVE Act to reporters during a short media briefing, he apparently realized more people were poring over a handout than paying attention. They were trying to get a jump on writing stories while digesting the numbers combined with an array of tax breaks designed to make tax increases more palatable.

20. House Leader Says Haslam’s IMPROVE Act Will Need More Votes for Passage - Monday, January 23, 2017

NASHVILLE – Gov. Bill Haslam made his pitch on a multi-faceted fuel-tax increase, softened by an array of tax breaks this week. Now, he has to seal the deal.

With some of Tennessee’s liberal lawmakers noting the IMPROVE Act comes with a “lot of moving parts,” Haslam will have to put a full-court press on the state’s most conservative legislators in order to pass the bill.

21. House Leader Says Haslam’s IMPROVE Act Will Need More Votes to Pass - Friday, January 20, 2017

NASHVILLE – Gov. Bill Haslam made his pitch on a multi-faceted fuel-tax increase, softened by an array of tax breaks this week. Now, he has to seal the deal.

With some of Tennessee’s liberal lawmakers noting the IMPROVE Act comes with a “lot of moving parts,” Haslam will have to put a full-court press on the state’s most conservative legislators in order to pass the bill.

22. View From the Hill: Cooperatives Ready to Fill Broadband Void - Thursday, January 19, 2017

Rural broadband backers such as Misty O’Beirne in Rutherford County can take heart. Legislation to spread high-speed internet into cyberspace deserts is making the right connections.

23. Reactionaries, Evidence Vie on Medicinal Pot - Thursday, January 5, 2017

Three-year-old Josie Mae Mathis of Greene County used to suffer hundreds of seizures daily from epilepsy and infantile spasms. Aden Vogus, a pre-teen from Brentwood, has seen his seizures all but disappear.

24. Brewer Named President Of Versant Supply Chain - Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Buck Brewer has been promoted to president of Memphis-based Versant Supply Chain Inc. A 20-year veteran of the supply chain industry, Brewer joined Versant six years ago and had served as its chief operating officer since January 2014.
Brewer, 40, assumes the president’s position from Richard J. Peters, who will continue to serve as Versant’s chairman.
Over the past several years, Versant has expanded from a small freight brokerage into a provider of specialized labor, freight and flexible space solutions supporting large global supply chain organizations.
The company currently has 130 full-time employees and employs 3,000 full-time-equivalent associates through its partnerships with customers.
Brewer says that while most people would say his job is to oversee the day-to-day operation and overall growth strategy of the company, he believes his job is “to support the incredibly talented individuals that truly drive the company and make it what it is today.”

25. At Least 7 Lawmakers Had Financial Ties to GOP Donor Miller - Monday, October 31, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – At least seven current and former Republican lawmakers in Tennessee had financial ties to a prominent GOP donor who recently settled a federal fraud case involving the military health care program.

26. Same Name, No Relation - Friday, June 24, 2016

THE NAME OF WHAT WE ONCE HOPED TO BE AND WHAT WE’VE ACTUALLY BECOME.

Andy Holt.

The late Andy Holt from Milan, a schoolteacher, a coach, and once the principal of what is now Campus School in Memphis, the national president of the National Education Association and president of the University of Tennessee. His Columbia doctoral dissertation was about the struggle for public support of education in Tennessee.

27. Traffic Ticket? State Lawmaker Says No Problem, Just Burn It - Monday, May 30, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A Republican Tennessee lawmaker says getting a traffic camera ticket isn't a problem – he just burns them.

State Rep. Andy Holt set such ticket ablaze last week and posted the video to Facebook. A news release issued in conjunction with the Facebook video urges others who are issued traffic camera tickets in Tennessee to ignore them.

28. Tennessee Campus Carry Becomes Law Without Haslam Signature - Wednesday, May 4, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A bill allowing staff and faculty at Tennessee's public colleges and universities to be armed on campus became law Monday without the Republican governor's signature.

29. Lawmakers Fail To Conclude Tennessee Legislative Session - Thursday, April 21, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A lengthy debate over a proposed veto override, partisan squabbling and a disagreement over a tax cut have delayed the planned conclusion of the legislative session.

30. Bill to Cap Liquor Store Ownership Headed to Haslam's Desk - Wednesday, March 30, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (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.

31. Bill to Allow Clergy to Refuse Gay Marriage Fails in House - Friday, March 25, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A bill seeking to underscore the right of Tennessee clergy to refuse to perform marriages based on religious convictions has failed in the House.

The House Civil Justice subcommittee on Wednesday defeated Rep. Andy Holt's bill on a voice vote. The Dresden Republican said he wanted to pass the legislation he had dubbed the "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" in light of the Supreme Court's gay marriage ruling of last year.

32. Bill Would Open Door for Utilities to Expand Broadband - Thursday, March 3, 2016

Legislation to expand broadband access across Tennessee is evolving – by necessity.

State Rep. Kevin Brooks’ bill HB1303 to allow public utilities to provide Internet service outside their footprint is alive, he says, but it is being “argued vehemently.”

33. Stanford Financial Doc Accepted to UK Festival - Saturday, February 6, 2016

A documentary about the rise and fall of a financier who had prominent ties to Memphis has been accepted to the UK Screen One Film Festival.

The film’s title is, “Where’s the Money? The Rise and Fall of Stanford Financial.” The downfall of Stanford was the second biggest financial scam in U.S. history after that of Bernie Madoff’s.

34. Stanford Financial Doc Accepted to UK Festival - Thursday, February 4, 2016

A documentary about the rise and fall of a financier who had prominent ties to Memphis has been accepted to the UK Screen One Film Festival.

The film’s title is, “Where’s the Money? The Rise and Fall of Stanford Financial.” The downfall of Stanford was the second biggest financial scam in U.S. history after that of Bernie Madoff’s.

35. Last Word: Groundhog Day's Long Shadow, Minority Percentage & The Value of Sports - Monday, February 1, 2016

After the January into February weekend we had with its outbreak of spring fever, you might wonder if groundhogs are allowed to change their minds or if shadows that are the result of television lights count as a prediction on the winter’s length.
Or maybe it would be appropriate to have a weather map that includes the Groundhog Day immunity zones – areas where the long shadow of the groundhog does not venture.
Note to television meteorologists: This would in no way interfere with your right to declare large parts of your viewing areas as places of "potentially severe weather" far into the future. But you will need a different color for the Groundhog Immunity Zones.

36. Posturing Against Supreme Court Is a Waste of Money - Thursday, October 15, 2015

Legislation rejecting the U.S. Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling faces major constitutional questions and, if passed, could put a financial burden on Tennessee taxpayers.

When the high court declared gay and lesbian couples have the right to be married across the United States, overturning state laws to the contrary, Tennessee’s Republican legislators started brainstorming for methods to work around the decision or to defy it. The Republican Caucus still hasn’t announced the outcome.

37. EPA Seeking Up to $177K In Fines Against Tenn. Lawmaker - Monday, August 31, 2015

A state lawmaker is facing up to $177,500 in fines from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for discharging waste from his northwestern Tennessee hog farm without a permit.

WTVF-TV in Nashville first reported that the EPA has filed the complaint against state Rep. Andy Holt, a Dresden Republican and vice chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. According to the filing, Holt’s farm discharged a total of more than 860,000 gallons from lagoons on the farm raising nearly 1,500 swine without proper authorization.

38. Special Action on Same-Sex Nuptials a Waste of Time - Thursday, July 9, 2015

With Republican lawmakers scrambling for a response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s gay-marriage ruling, Tennesseans on both sides of the issue say they are seeking "equality."

Immediately after the court’s decision on Obergefell v. Hodges, Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper of Nashville said, "Love and equality won. I’m glad the Supreme Court ruled on the right side of history."

39. Tenn. House Member Seeks Protection Against Haslam Vetoes - Wednesday, April 22, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (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.

40. Tennessee House Votes to Name Bible as Official Book - Wednesday, April 15, 2015