Two Republican Shelby County legislators seeking re-election received “gun sense candidate” ratings this year from the weapons safety group Moms Demand Action while also netting good marks from the National Rifle Association, a distinction their Democratic opponents are questioning.

2. Gun Sense Ratings for Republicans Raise Questions for Challengers - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Gun Sense Ratings for Republicans Raise Questions for Challengers

Tennessee Legislature

By Sam Stockard

Special to The Daily News

Two Republican Shelby County legislators seeking re-election received “gun sense candidate” ratings this year from the weapons safety group Moms Demand Action while also netting good marks from the National Rifle Association, a distinction their Democratic opponents are questioning.

3. Gun Sense Ratings for Republicans Raise Questions for Challengers - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Two Republican Shelby County legislators seeking re-election received “gun sense candidate” ratings this year from the weapons safety group Moms Demand Action while also netting good marks from the National Rifle Association, a distinction their Democratic opponents are questioning.

4. Harris Claims County Mayor, Democrats Sweep Other Countywide Offices - Monday, August 6, 2018

State Sen. Lee Harris easily beat County Trustee David Lenoir to become the next Shelby County mayor in the Thursday, Aug. 2, county general election, leading a Democratic resurgence in county politics.

5. Harris Elected County Mayor, Bonner as Sheriff - Friday, August 3, 2018

State Sen. Lee Harris easily beat County Trustee David Lenoir to become the next Shelby County mayor in the Thursday, Aug. 2, county general election, leading a Democratic resurgence in county politics.

6. The Fuse - Saturday, July 21, 2018

Where and when to hold early voting has been such a low-grade political tug of war in the scheme of low-turnout Memphis elections that it hasn’t caused much of a ripple in the city’s deep political waters.

7. Strickland Moves to De-Annex Southwind, Rocky Point - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland says his administration is set to begin the process of de-annexing the Southwind/Windyke area and the Rocky Point area, both in eastern Memphis.

8. Strickland Moves to De-Annex Southwind/Windyke, Rocky Point - Monday, July 9, 2018

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland says his administration is set to begin the process of de-annexing the Southwind/Windyke area and the Rocky Point area, both in eastern Memphis.

9. Election Commission Reviews Democrats’ Complaints About Early-Voting Sites - Friday, June 29, 2018

The Shelby County Election Commission meets Friday, June 29, to hear complaints from local Democrats about the locations and hours of early-voting sites in advance of the Aug. 2 Election Day.

Corey Strong, chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party, said Wednesday the election commission should apologize for having Agricenter International as the only site for early voting the first four days of the early-voting period.

10. Democrats Cry Foul on Early Voting Sites - Wednesday, June 27, 2018

The chairman of the Shelby County Democratic party says the Shelby County Election Commission should apologize for having Agricenter International as the only site for early voting the first four days of the early voting period in advance of the Aug. 2 election day.

11. Last Word: TNReady Blinks Again, Gov. Debate Thoughts and Mud Island's Museum - Friday, April 20, 2018

There was a point Thursday morning during the troubled TNReady testing at some Tennessee school districts when there was a “brief” slow down in the online testing, according to the Tennessee Education commissioner’s office. By noon that had been resolved and more than 250,000 completed tests had been submitted since testing began Monday. One can only imagine what some of the thoughts were in the office during the slow down and the gap between how long the slow down seemed and how long it actually was.

12. Lots of Noise, But Few Results in Legislature - Thursday, April 12, 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.

13. Bump Stock Ban Proposal Fails in Tennessee - Saturday, April 7, 2018

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.

14. Bump Stock Ban Proposal Fails in Tennessee - Thursday, April 5, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (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.

15. Florida’s Epiphany On Guns Means Little in Tennessee - Thursday, March 15, 2018

Memphis resident Stevie Moore has been waging a war to take illegal guns off the streets since someone shot his son in the head with an AK-47 15 years ago.

“It’s my mission to fight these guns whatever way I can,” says Moore, who founded the organization Freedom From Unnecessary Negatives in an effort to steer youth away from violence.

16. August State and Federal Primary Ballot Taking Shape - Thursday, March 15, 2018

With less than a month to file for the August state and federal primary elections, there are still a few decisions to be made by would-be candidates working in the shadows of those running in the May 1 county primary elections.

17. Tennessee Panel Won't Let Las Vegas Shooting Survivors Speak - Friday, March 9, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (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.

18. State Democrats Targeting Domestic Abuse With Bills - Thursday, February 15, 2018

Tennessee House Democrats are sponsoring legislation designed to bolster support for domestic violence victims amid a dismissive attitude toward abuse by President Donald Trump.

“We’re all familiar with the situation with Rob Porter and his former spouses showing pictures and reports about domestic violence, and the White House response has not been one that condemns the abuser but instead says we have to be careful with how we ruin someone’s reputation,” said state Rep. Raumesh Akbari during a Tuesday, Feb. 13, press conference. “So I think that shows a complete disregard for taking the complaints and the legitimate concerns of these abused women seriously.”

19. Thompson Wants Session Suspended for MLK Events - Saturday, January 20, 2018

Democratic state Rep. Dwayne Thompson of Cordova wants legislative leaders to suspend the current session of the legislature April 4 and 5 so lawmakers can attend events in Memphis marking the 50th anniversary of the sanitation workers strike and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

20. Thompson Asks for Suspension of Legislative Session for MLK Anniversary - Monday, January 15, 2018

Democratic state Rep. Dwayne Thompson of Cordova wants legislative leaders to suspend the current session of the legislature April 4 and 5 so lawmakers can attend events in Memphis marking the 50th anniversary of the sanitation workers strike and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

21. Last Word: A New Majority, A Plan After Kroger and Cold Cases - Friday, January 12, 2018

Shelby County elections administrator Linda Phillips has been watching the ebb and flow of petitions for the 2018 elections and has found what she believes is a link to the weather. “Apparently when the dreaded ‘snow’ word is mentioned in the forecast, not only do people go out and clear the shelves of milk, bread and eggs. They also decide to pick up a petition,” she wrote in an email with the list of who has pulled and who has filed in the last two days.

22. Last Word: Soccer Returns, Confederate Reprisals and Megasite Politics - Tuesday, January 9, 2018

So much going on off the field and on parts of the field in Atlanta Monday evening as Alabama beat Georgia – a clothesline, a punch thrown on the field and an attempt to throw another punch on the sidelines at an Alabama coach and all of that from a single Alabama player. So a lot of speculation after the College Football Playoff National Championship about how that will be resolved. Alabama over Georgia 26-23 in overtime.

23. Akbari Pulls Petition To Run for State Senate - Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Democratic state Rep. Raumesh Akbari has decided to run for the District 29 state Senate seat being vacated by Lee Harris in the Shelby County legislative delegation.

24. Candidates in August State and Federal Primaries Start Pulling Petitions Friday - Thursday, January 4, 2018

Contenders for the May Shelby County primaries are still coming out of the political woodwork. And starting Friday, Jan. 5, candidates in the August state and federal primaries can begin pulling qualifying petitions for the second of three elections in 2018.

25. Is There Room for Common-Sense Gun Legislation? - Thursday, November 30, 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.”

26. Vaughan Wins State House District 95 Seat - Friday, June 16, 2017

Collierville school board member Kevin Vaughan is the newest member of the Shelby County delegation to the Tennessee Legislature.

27. 2,700 Vote Early, 3 Election Day Polls Move in House District 95 - Tuesday, June 13, 2017

A total of 2,700 citizens cast early votes ahead Thursday’s special state House District 95 election in eastern Shelby County. And on election day, three of the 14 polling places – two in Collierville and one in Germantown – will move from their regular locations.

28. A New Life Made Possible by a $170 Discount - Thursday, June 8, 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.

29. 'Who is a Democrat?' - Friday, May 5, 2017

Through two meetings in less than a week, the leader of a reorganization of the Shelby County Democratic Party has heard one discussion more than any other issue raised in the gatherings.

“Who is a Democrat?” attorney and former local party chairman David Cocke said in defining the issue at the start of the second forum in Midtown Wednesday, May 3.

30. Lawmakers Still Seek Answers as Outsourcing Contract Gets Underway - Tuesday, May 2, 2017

A majority of Tennessee’s legislators, including several Shelby County lawmakers, 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.

31. Vaughan Meets Byrd-Ashworth in District 95 General Election - Monday, May 1, 2017

Shelby County Republicans are warning against complacency in the coming State House District 95 special general election in June.

Collierville Schools board member Kevin Vaughan won the Republican primary election for the vacant state House seat Thursday, April 27, by 49 votes over former Germantown alderman Frank Uhlhorn.

32. Vaughan Claims Republican Nomination in State House District 95 - Friday, April 28, 2017

Collierville Schools board member Kevin Vaughan won the Republican primary election for state House District 95 Thursday, April 27, by 49 votes over former Germantown alderman Frank Uhlhorn.

33. University of Memphis, UTHSC May Soon Face Outsourcing Decisions - 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.

34. U of M Students, Faculty Do Social Work on the Hill - Saturday, April 8, 2017

The University of Memphis Department of Social Work recently participated in the annual Social Work Day on the Hill.

More than 50 students and six faculty members in bachelor’s and master’s programs traveled to Nashville to gain practical experience in speaking to legislators, building interdisciplinary professional relationships, and advocating for policies primarily related to mental health and child welfare.

35. U of M Students, Faculty Do Social Work on the Hill - Friday, April 7, 2017

The University of Memphis Department of Social Work recently participated in the annual Social Work Day on the Hill.

More than 50 students and six faculty members in bachelor’s and master’s programs traveled to Nashville to gain practical experience in speaking to legislators, building interdisciplinary professional relationships, and advocating for policies primarily related to mental health and child welfare.

36. Democrats Put Squeeze on Republicans To Defeat Outsourcing of State Assets - Wednesday, April 5, 2017

Legislative Democrats are calling on Republicans to join them in passing a slate of bills to combat Gov. Bill Haslam’s outsourcing plans for everything from state parks to facilities management at universities.

37. Democrats Put Squeeze on Republicans to Defeat Outsourcing - Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Legislative Democrats are calling on Republicans to join them in passing a slate of bills to combat Gov. Bill Haslam’s outsourcing plans for everything from state parks to facilities management at universities.

38. Bill That Helps Nonviolent Offenders Passes in Legislature - Monday, March 27, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A bill that helps nonviolent offenders find employment has passed in the Legislature with bipartisan support.

The primary sponsors of the bill were Shelby County-area lawmakers.

39. State Democrats Introduce Bill of Rights, Looking For Every Win They Can Get - Wednesday, March 1, 2017

NASHVILLE – House Democrats introduced a People’s Bill of Rights in the State Capitol Monday, Feb. 27, a comprehensive legislative package to ensure rights of Tennesseans affecting everything from jobs to criminal justice to education.

40. Local Democratic and Republican Partisans Already Looking To 2018 - Tuesday, February 28, 2017

U.S. Rep. David Kustoff says former Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey was right in describing his 8th Congressional District as the most Republican of the state’s nine congressional districts.

41. Democratic and Republican Partisans Prepare for Next Election - Monday, February 27, 2017

At least five potential Republican candidates for Governor in 2018 were among the crowd of 400 people at the Saturday, Feb. 25, Lincoln Day Gala of the Shelby County Republican Party.

Meanwhile, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry told a group of 150 Democrats at an “Obama Day” event Saturday that they and other Democrats across the state can elect one of their own as governor in 2018.

42. Local Democrats and Republicans Prepare for 2018 Governor's Race - Saturday, February 25, 2017

At least five potential Republican candidates for Tennessee governor in 2018 were among the crowd of 400 people at the Saturday, Feb. 25, Lincoln Day Gala of the Shelby County Republican Party.

Meanwhile, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry told a group of 150 Democrats at an “Obama Day” event Saturday that they and other Democrats across the state can elect one of their own as governor in 2018.

43. Thompson Proposes State Certificate of Employability - Saturday, February 18, 2017

The first bill proposed in the Tennessee Legislature by Democratic state Rep. Dwayne Thompson of Cordova would create an alternative to the $450 expungement fee now required by state law to clear the record of those convicted of nonviolent felonies who have not been in trouble for five years after serving their sentences.

44. Thompson Proposes State Certificate of Employability - Friday, February 17, 2017

The first bill proposed in the Tennessee Legislature by Democratic state Rep. Dwayne Thompson of Cordova would create an alternative to the $450 expungement fee now required by state law to clear the record of those convicted of nonviolent felonies who have not been in trouble for five years after serving their sentences.

45. Last Word: Opening Day in Nashville, Parking Pass or Parking Space and Ell Persons - Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Lots of formalities Tuesday in Nashville where the 2017 session of the Tennessee Legislature begins. And that’s what this first week back will be about on the floors of the state House and the state Senate. Away from the floors, the real business of speculation and vote counting and drafting language is already well underway.

46. Presidential Election Tops Busy Year for Memphis Voters - Friday, December 30, 2016

2016 was an eventful election year in Shelby County, ending with the most popular voting cycle in Shelby County politics: the U.S. presidential general election in November. Slightly more than 60 percent of the county’s voters cast a ballot either during early voting in October or on the Nov. 8 Election Day.

47. Shelby County November Vote Certified as Commission Eyes New $12M Machines - Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Shelby County Election Commissioners certified the Nov. 8 elections results Monday, Nov. 28 at a session that included a call by local Elections Administrator Linda Phillips to seek funding to buy a new voting system for the 2022 elections.

48. Broke and Broken: Democrats Lose More Ground in State Legislature - Thursday, November 17, 2016

Tennessee House Democrats will have to start calling themselves the “Fighting 25,” down from the “Fighting 26,” after dropping a district in the battle to regain relevance statewide.

49. Kustoff, Cohen Win Seats in Congress And the Rest of Shelby County's Ballot - Saturday, November 12, 2016

Shelby County voters re-elected all but six incumbents seeking re-election on the Nov. 8 election ballot.

And the biggest upset on the local ballot gave Democrats a gain of one seat in the state House delegation from Shelby County.

50. County Has Lowest Voter Turnout in 12 Years - Thursday, November 10, 2016

Voter turnout in Shelby County for the 2016 presidential general election was 59.7 percent, according to unofficial returns posted by the Shelby County Election Commission early Wednesday, Nov. 9. That marks the lowest showing since the 2004 presidential general election, when turnout was 57 percent.

51. Last Word: About Last Night, The Long Vote Count and New Homeowner Numbers - Wednesday, November 9, 2016

If you followed John Podesta’s lead and called it a day sometime around midnight expecting this whole Presidential thing would get wrapped up later in the day Wednesday, you have some catching up to do.

52. Shelby County Vote Count Stalls For Third Presidential Contest - Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump won Tennessee’s 11 electoral votes Tuesday, Nov. 8, in unofficial statewide election returns while Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton carried Shelby County in the popular vote.

53. David Lusk Gallery Turns Page in New Space - Wednesday, February 24, 2016

More than most weeks, David Lusk is especially ready for Friday this week. Eight months after renovation work began, Lusk is ready to host a public celebration officially unveiling his longtime art gallery’s new home at 97 Tillman St. on Feb. 26.

54. Commission to Fill Carpenter’s Seat - Monday, October 17, 2011

The Shelby County Commission should be back at full strength by the end of the Monday, Oct. 17, meeting of the body.

Monday’s agenda includes the appointment of a new District 1 commissioner to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mike Carpenter.

55. Six Apply for Carpenter’s Commission Seat - Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Shelby County commissioners interview contenders Wednesday, Oct. 12, for the District 1 seat vacancy following the Oct. 1 resignation of Mike Carpenter, who left to become state director of StudentsFirst, an education reform nonprofit based in Nashville.

56. The Plot Thickens - Tuesday, December 5, 2006

Shortly after losing the Democratic primary for a seat on the Shelby County Commission this past summer, Memphis businessman Joe Cooper left town to unwind and visit family members.

It had been a grueling campaign for the seat vacated by former Republican commissioner Bruce Thompson. Cooper, a former car salesman and well-known associate of the late Memphis billboard baron William B. Tanner, nevertheless decided to combine his family trip after the campaign with a little business.

57. Archived Article: Newsmakers - Wednesday, August 11, 2004
e-photo) Rebecca DeRousse was named assistant administrator of Baptist Rehabilitation-Germantown

Kiwanis Club Names Luttrell Lawman of the Year

The Kiwanis Club named Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell Jr. as Lawman of the Year for the Lou...