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. Last Word: End of Term, After The Testimony and John McCain - Monday, August 27, 2018

Shelby County commissioners meet Monday for what is the last regularly scheduled meeting of their four-year term of office. Eight of the 13 commissioners are leaving the body of 13 at the end of this month as is Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell.

3. Bredesen Seeks Rural Broadband Access Through TVA - Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen is calling for congressional action enabling the Tennessee Valley Authority to deliver broadband internet access to rural parts of the state, a plan his opponent, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, says would be “anti-competitive.”

4. Morris' Secret Helped Pass Civil Rights Cold Case Laws - Friday, June 15, 2018

Charlie Morris was known for decades as a political operative who defined a brand of grassroots-style campaigning and political involvement in North Memphis. He and his late wife, Alma, operating out of a barber shop in a Quonset hut off Chelsea Avenue, endorsed candidates and worked for them at the polls – going door-to-door in their neighborhood in what was the most basic kind of political organizing.

5. Last Word: Being Fourth, Barbecue and Davos on the Delta and Steamboat Exit - Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Not. Top. Three. The Grizz got the fourth pick of the NBA draft in Tuesday’s draft lottery in Chicago. Grizz president of business operations Jason Wexler had probably the best reaction on Twitter: “So for the next 5 weeks we are in a window where everyone can be wrong and everyone can be right at the same time.” The memory of Hasheem Thabeet’s arrival in Memphis looms large in this uncertainty and draft day is the only thing that can make that memory fade. At least for now, that image just got a bit sharper. And it becomes more vivid every time between now and the draft in June that you start a sentence with “The Grizz could still…”

6. Local Schools Awarded Grants For Educational Food Gardens - Friday, May 4, 2018

Tennessee Sen. Mark Norris joined United Health Foundation and Whole Kids Foundation at a kickoff event Wednesday, May 2, at Nexus STEM Academy in Memphis to announce grants totaling $81,000 to 39 Tennessee schools and youth organizations to build or expand existing vegetable gardens, salad bars or beehives, and provide educational resources about agriculture, caring for the environment and maintaining healthy lifestyles.

7. 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.

8. Sex Week Seems Tame Compared to Session Antics - Thursday, April 19, 2018

Why should UT Knoxville be limited to its annual Sex Week when Tennessee legislators are celebrating year-round?

Based on the scurrilous reports published in these parts over the last couple of years, state legislators are doing more than collecting per diems in Nashville, and there’s plenty of evidence to prove it.

9. Civil Rights Cold Case Bill Nears Passage - Thursday, April 19, 2018

Years of work behind her, state Rep. Johnnie Turner is making the final push for creation of a state body designed to initiate investigations into civil rights cold cases, potentially solving decades-old murders or giving people the opportunity to put a heinous act behind them.

10. UT Board of Trustees Appointees Go Awry - Friday, April 13, 2018

NASHVILLE – One of Gov. Bill Haslam’s main legislative pushes ran afoul of a Legislature angry about everything from Sex Week at the University of Tennessee to the handling of the football coach hiring at the Knoxville campus.

11. UT Board of Trustees Appointees Go Awry - Friday, April 13, 2018

NASHVILLE – One of Gov. Bill Haslam’s main legislative pushes ran afoul of a Legislature angry about everything from Sex Week at the University of Tennessee to the handling of the football coach hiring at the Knoxville campus.

12. 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.

13. Akbari’s Expungement Bill Moves Toward Passage - Saturday, March 31, 2018

NASHVILLE – Buoyed by the support of Gov. Bill Haslam, legislation making it less expensive for non-violent felons to clear their records is rolling through the General Assembly.

House bill 1862, sponsored by Rep. Raumesh Akbari, is set to be heard April 2 in the full House after clearing the Finance, Ways & Means Committee this week with no debate or opposition.

14. Last Word: Second Snow Day, The Post-King Generation and Cohen's Cadillac - Wednesday, January 17, 2018

A second snow day awaits Wednesday on this short week for many but not all of us. And there is some grumbling about the approach to treating roads off the main thoroughfares that may, in this city where a cut-through detour is a real thing and the reason for speed humps, still see a lot of traffic.

15. Norris Acknowledges Stall in Federal Judicial Nomination - Wednesday, January 17, 2018

State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville says he will continue with his legislative duties unless or until the U.S. Senate confirms his appointment to the federal judiciary.

16. Nichols Appointed, Parker Confirmed in Judicial Decisions - Friday, January 12, 2018

Deputy District Attorney General Jennifer Nichols is the newest Shelby County Criminal Court judge.

17. Legislature Moving on Civil Rights Cold Cases - Friday, January 12, 2018

Charlie Morris may be nearing 100 years of age, but he’s never given up on his quest for Tennessee to delve into decades-old civil rights crimes.

18. Last Word: Mural Madness, Madison Plans and New Judges - Thursday, January 11, 2018

Maybe this discussion was bound to happen in a city where murals have been going up at a pretty good clip for several years now. At first, it was a rather startling form of civic witness in a new kind of Memphis boosterism that was a reaction to years of downing Memphis as the dominant civic monologue. And it rapidly became about how much the murals could speak to the real Memphis – in other words pro-Memphis but with an edge and more than a nod to the city’s reality. That’s a lot for a mural to pull off.

19. Nichols Appointed, Parker Confirmed in Judicial Decisions - Thursday, January 11, 2018

Deputy District Attorney General Jennifer Nichols is the newest Shelby County Criminal Court Judge.

20. State Senate GOP Eyes 'Tennessee Agenda' Amid Trump Divide - Thursday, January 11, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Election-minded Tennessee Senate Republicans say they want to tout their accomplishments more effectively amid their party's potential to divide over national politics.

21. Tennessee Lawmakers Head Into Session With Elections Looming - Tuesday, January 9, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee lawmakers return Tuesday for a session colored by upcoming elections and Gov. Bill Haslam's final lap before he hits his term limits.

This year, the Republican-led General Assembly likely won't face a monthslong fight over one topic, like the roads-funding package with gas tax hikes and other tax breaks that Haslam ushered into law in 2017.

22. 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.

23. Democrats Look to Cooperate on Key Issues - Thursday, December 28, 2017

With the state’s budget projected to be tight and lawmakers lining up to run for re-election in 2018, the coming legislative session isn’t expected to yield many surprises.

But the 110th General Assembly still has a long row to hoe as the session starts Jan. 9 with new legislative offices and committee rooms in the renovated Cordell Hull Building in downtown Nashville.

24. Panel Finds Juvenile Court Standards Lacking - Thursday, December 28, 2017

There is a lack of guidance from the state to juvenile courts across the state and a lack of consistency among those courts in how they deal with juveniles, according to a 25-page report issued this month by a joint ad hoc Tennessee Blue Ribbon Task Force of the Tennessee Legislature.

25. Last Word: Bredesen's Return, Ford's Exit and Otis Redding 50 Years On - Friday, December 8, 2017

Former Tennessee Gov. and Nashville mayor Phil Bredesen formally entered the 2018 race for the U.S. Senate Thursday via a YouTube video. AP on Bredesen’s entry and his background. Republican partisans are already assuming Bredesen is the Democratic nominee and Democratic partisans are already assuming U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn is the Republican nominee. And the expectation of such a match up automatically went on the list of midterm races that those on both sides and pundits inbetween will be watching to get a read on national trends.

26. Last Word: Change at the Top, Real Estate Action on Bellevue and Produce History - Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Welcome back to the work week and however much this is a grind, you are probably having a better work week than David Fizdale who suddenly got the ax from the Grizz front office Monday afternoon. This was not altogether unexpected following a vocal post-game dissent from Marc Gasol after Big Spain came out of what wound up being a Sunday loss to Brooklyn in the fourth quarter – the latest in a string of losses after a strong start to the season by the Grizz.

27. Wiping Slate Clean: Now Less About Who Can Afford It - Wednesday, November 22, 2017

The scales of justice in Tennessee are slowly tipping back toward the poor – and not so poor – helping them regain traction lost to often-minor transgressions.

Change is taking place in court battles and in the Republican-controlled Legislature, believe it or not.

28. The Next Four Years - Saturday, November 18, 2017

A week before candidates for the 2018 Shelby County elections could pull qualifying petitions to run, Shelby County Commissioner David Reaves was thinking out loud on Facebook.

“Next four years,” was how it began.

29. Political Opening - Friday, November 17, 2017

The Shelby County Election Commission is moving its Downtown office Friday, Nov. 17, the same day that candidates can begin pulling qualifying petitions there and at its Shelby Farms offices to run in the 2018 county primaries.

30. Despite Massive Turnover, GOP Owns Legislature - Thursday, November 16, 2017

2018 will be a year of change for the Tennessee General Assembly, and 2019 will bring even more, especially in leadership – much depending on the popularity of President Donald Trump.

Not only is the Legislature moving to the Cordell Hull Building, vacating the Legislative Plaza after 45 years or so, a number of legislative faces are changing, too, even before next year’s election.

31. Republican Contenders for Governor Acknowledge Memphis Differences - Monday, October 23, 2017

The red Farmall tractor that Republican contender for governor Bill Lee drove through 30 counties in a 758-mile journey from Mountain City to Memphis at 24 mph was pretty comfortable as tractors with cabs go.

32. Arlington Election Decided, Other Political Milestones on Horizon - Monday, September 25, 2017

With the Arlington vote count in and awaiting certification from the Shelby County Election Commission, it would seem a light election year in Shelby County is over.

The municipal elections were the only regularly scheduled elections in local politics this year.

33. Senate Confirms Dunavant As U.S. Attorney - Monday, September 18, 2017

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Tipton County prosecutor Mike Dunavant as the new U.S. attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, based in Memphis with offices in Jackson, Tennessee.

34. Dunavant Confirmed As U.S. Attorney - Friday, September 15, 2017

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Tipton County prosecutor Mike Dunavant as the new U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, based in Memphis with offices in Jackson, Tennessee.

35. Last Word: School Days, MLGW Moves Off Beale and Room For Peter Pan To Fly - Monday, August 7, 2017

The K-12 school year begins Monday for most of Shelby County including the state’s largest public school system right here. Some schools have started earlier and some start later. So remember that in your daily travels going forward even if you don’t have school age children.

36. Seeing the Light - Saturday, August 5, 2017

Four years ago, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell was in Knoxville for a college football game. But with several hours before kickoff, he took a side trip to view the green initiatives at the Knox County Jail.

37. TCAT Students See the Future, Get Prepared - Thursday, August 3, 2017

Bryan Rippy, 38, chuckles when he says he’s in the prime of his life. But sharpening his skills is no laughing matter, and he understands the importance of raising his value in the job market.

38. ‘Fed Up’ Campaign Warns Of Tougher Gun Penalties - Saturday, July 29, 2017

The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission and the city of Memphis have launched a marketing campaign to warn would-be offenders about tougher state penalties and possible federal prosecution for violent criminals in possession of a gun.

39. Boyd Says Luttrell Endorsement is ‘Partnership’ - Friday, July 28, 2017

Republican contender for Tennessee governor Randy Boyd says his endorsement this week by Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell is more like a partnership.

40. Luttrell to Join Boyd At Campaign Appearance - Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell makes a campaign appearance Wednesday, July 26, with Republican candidate for Tennessee governor Randy Boyd.

41. ‘Fed Up’ Campaign Warns Of Tougher Gun Penalties - Tuesday, July 25, 2017

The Memphis Shelby Crime Commission and the city of Memphis have launched a marketing campaign to warn would-be offenders about tougher state penalties and possible federal prosecution for violent criminals possessing a gun.

42. Revival of Ranked Choice Voting Marks Phillips’ Attention to Detail - Monday, July 24, 2017

The use of Ranked Choice Voting or instant-runoff voting in Memphis elections was a moot point even before Memphis voters approved it in 2008 in a city charter amendment.

The Shelby County Election Commission had concluded before the charter referendum that its voting systems couldn’t accommodate a method of voting that ranked candidates in a single race by a voter’s preference, instead of a voter picking one and only one candidate.

43. Dean Touts ‘Middle Of the Road’ Focus For Democrats - Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean is making exactly the same observation in his bid for the Democratic nomination for Tennessee governor that Republicans are making on their side of the 2018 race.

44. Last Word: Rachel Heck, Beale Street's Cover and The Old Peabody - Monday, July 17, 2017

The “fifth wave” of judicial appointments by President Donald Trump, as The White House termed them, are already causing some political ripples here primarily from state Senator Mark Norris’s appointment to the federal bench.

45. ‘Fifth Wave’ of Federal Judicial Appointments Comes with Political Undercurrents - Monday, July 17, 2017

The White House called it the “fifth wave” of federal judicial nominees. Among the 11 nominees announced by President Donald Trump Thursday, July 13, were two for the Memphis federal court bench. And the wave comes with a few political undercurrents.

46. Last Word: Fifth Wave, Hidden Gem in OB and the Freeze Filibuster - Friday, July 14, 2017

There is one less contender in the crowded field of potential and declared candidates for the Republican nomination for Governor in 2018. State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville was nominated for federal court judge Thursday by President Donald Trump who also nominated Memphis attorney and former federal prosecutor Tommy Parker to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee as well. Both are part of what The White House described as a “fifth wave” of judicial nominees.

47. Trump Nominates Norris, Parker to Memphis Federal Court Bench - Thursday, July 13, 2017

President Donald Trump has nominated state Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris and Memphis attorney Tommy Parker to be the two newest judges in Memphis federal court, according to U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.

48. Last Word: Overton Gateway Talks, Norris of the Governor's Race and Coach O - Thursday, July 13, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners have quite the disagreement going in several ways as they try to put another budget season in the books and let the ink dry. As we’ve reported, the commission approved a $1.2 billion county government budget Monday and there is no taking that back – at least as a budget. That now becomes an important detail because in committee sessions Wednesday in advance of next week’s meeting of the full commission, there were five votes to change the proposed county property tax rate from $4.10 to $4.13.

49. Legislature Losing Some Powerful, Familiar Members - Thursday, July 13, 2017

A shakeup in leadership is looming for the state Legislature, though it may portend more of a change in personalities than party strength.

In the House, longtime Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, the affable Democrat from Ripley in West Tennessee, is preparing for a 2018 gubernatorial run, a move that would knock him out of his House seat, at least temporarily, and the position as Democratic Caucus leader.

50. Morris Recalls Brother’s Violent Death and Rage - Thursday, July 6, 2017

“Actually, the truth has never been told,” Charlie Morris said this week as he talked about the violent death of his brother 78 years ago in Arlington. Morris, now 96 years old, had family and friends gathered around him at the Memphis Branch NAACP headquarters Monday, July 3, as he marked the new state law that could reopen the investigation into the death of Jessie Lee Bond and other cold cases from the long arc of the civil rights movement.

51. Haslam Scheduled to Sign Civil Rights Cold-Case Bill - Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is scheduled to sign into law Wednesday, June 21, a bill to investigate unsolved murders from the civil rights era. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Johnnie Turner, a Memphis Democrat, and will create a special joint legislative committee specifically to look into unsolved civil rights crimes and cold cases.

52. Harris: Norris Law On Immigration Status Sends Negative Signal - Wednesday, June 21, 2017

NASHVILLE – State Sen. Lee Harris is criticizing a new law sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris enabling state judges to consider a convict’s immigration status during sentencing.

53. Boyd Talks Gaps In Higher Ed During Whitehaven Stop - Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Republican contender for governor Randy Boyd says there is a gap in the state’s Tennessee Promise plan and its reality.

54. Mark Norris to Co-Chair Juvenile Justice Task Force - Saturday, June 17, 2017

State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville will co-chair a state Juvenile Justice Task Force along with Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell.

55. Pardue, Benjamin Claim Seats at Arlington Filing Deadline - Friday, June 16, 2017

One of the four races for alderman in Arlington this September was decided at the Thursday, June 15, noon deadline for candidates to file, as was one of the three school board races.

The two sets of races in Arlington are the only regularly scheduled elections of an otherwise off-election year in Shelby County that has come to include two special elections elsewhere in the county.

56. Pardue, Benjamin Claim Seats at Arlington Filing Deadline - Friday, June 16, 2017

One of the four races for alderman in Arlington this September was decided at the Thursday, June 15, noon deadline for candidates to file, as was one of the three school board races.

The two sets of races in Arlington are the only regularly scheduled elections of an otherwise off-election year in Shelby County that has come to include two special elections elsewhere in the county.

57. Gov. Haslam Vows to Stay on Sidelines of Race to Succeed Him - Friday, June 16, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Gov. Bill Haslam won't endorse any of the Republicans seeking the nomination to succeed him, but said he has spoken to several potential candidates about the emotionally taxing nature of a running a statewide campaign in Tennessee.

58. Last Word: Disaster Paperwork, The Whitehaven Plan and Juvenile Justice - Thursday, June 15, 2017

On its way to Washington is the paperwork for a federal disaster declaration sent Wednesday by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. It includes Shelby County and 11 other Tennessee counties. This is essentially federal funding that will reimburse local government for money they spend up front for these kinds of disasters. The state’s request also includes a call for individual assistance to Shelby County homeowners and business owners whose property was damaged in the Memorial Day weekend storms.

59. Norris to Oversee Second Panel Reviewing Juvenile Justice - Thursday, June 15, 2017

Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris is set to oversee a comprehensive review of Tennessee’s juvenile justice system in an effort to reshape the lives of offenders.

60. Governor Confident Immigrant Sentencing Law Constitutional - Wednesday, June 14, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Gov. Bill Haslam says his administration's legal team is very confident about the constitutionality of a new law that lets judges toughen sentences for defendants in the country illegally at the time of their crimes.

61. Tipton County DA Dunavant Nominated as US Attorney - Wednesday, June 14, 2017

President Donald Trump has nominated District Attorney General Mike Dunavant of Tipton County as the new U.S. attorney for West Tennessee. And he could be close to nominating a new federal district judge for West Tennessee as well.

62. Last Word: After the Last Hole, Cutting County Property Taxes and A Recycled Gown - Tuesday, June 13, 2017

The story of how the Overton Park Conservancy raised $1 million in two months didn’t go according to the script. It wasn’t large donors, it was a lot of contributions of $250 or less it turns out, many from people who have never been to the park, the zoo or the greensward in particular whether it’s on foot or in a car. There were donations from Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and every state, except South Dakota.

63. Last Word: Double Berger, The CEO of Baptist and Storm Reflections - Monday, June 12, 2017

The Overton Park Conservancy raised $1 million by the Monday deadline to move ahead with the Overton Park-Memphis Zoo parking compromise. The conservancy announced Sunday afternoon that it met the goal with hours to spare with more details to come Monday on how this came together.

64. Tennessee Governor Signs Law Enhancing Immigrant Sentences - Monday, June 12, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee judges will have the authority to enhance sentences for defendants in the country illegally at the time of their crimes, under a bill the governor has signed into law.

65. Norris to Co-Chair Juvenile Justice Task Force - Monday, June 12, 2017

State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville will co-chair a state Juvenile Justice Task Force along with Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell.

66. Lee Campaigns in Collierville After Nashville Fundraiser - Friday, June 9, 2017

The night after he raised $1.3 million in Nashville at the first major fundraiser in his bid for Tennessee governor, Bill Lee was in Collierville for a local Republican Party gathering, along with a few hopefuls in countywide races on the ballot earlier in 2018.

67. 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.

68. Green Drops Gubernatorial Bid After Failed Trump Nomination - Saturday, June 3, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Republican state Sen. Mark Green announced Friday that he will not resume his bid for Tennessee governor after withdrawing from consideration as President Donald Trump's pick for Army secretary.

69. Last Word: Foote Homes Falls, Kellogg Layoffs and The SCS Ask - Thursday, June 1, 2017

Once upon a time in South Memphis it could be difficult to tell where Foote Homes began and Cleaborn Homes ended or vice versa. The key to this was which side of Lauderdale you were looking at. The east side was Cleaborn and the west was Foote with Lauderdale as the dividing line.

70. View From the Hill: GOP Points True North on State’s Moral Compass - Thursday, June 1, 2017

It was billed as the start of the 2018 governor’s race, but the GOP’s Reagan Day Dinner in Murfreesboro last week often sounded more like a tent revival.

Vote for one of these candidates and you’re guaranteed a place in heaven, ran the subtext of the evening, because, after all, everyone knows only Republicans know the road to salvation.

71. Green Puts Off Public Announcement of Gubernatorial Plans - Wednesday, May 31, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Republican state Sen. Mark Green has made up his mind about whether to rejoin the governor's race in Tennessee, but he doesn't want to make his decision public until later this week.

72. Haslam Signs Bill Reducing Costs of Wiping Criminal Records - Wednesday, May 31, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Gov. Bill Haslam has signed a law that will make it easier for people convicted of mostly low-level offenses to get their criminal records wiped clean.

The law reduces the costs of expunging criminal record convictions from $450 to $270, making it more affordable.

73. Unwilling Private Sector Gives Park Workers a Victory - Thursday, May 25, 2017

Two state parks are celebrating victories in an atmosphere of uncertainty created by the governor’s penchant for privatizing state functions.

Fall Creek Falls drew no bidders for a $20 million plan to hire a vendor who would tear down its inn, construct a new one and take over operations for 10 years. Henry Horton State Park, meanwhile, is set for $10 million in improvements this coming fiscal year, including upgrades to its hospitality facilities, plus a new visitors center, rather than a proposal to raze its inn and not rebuild.

74. Small Fitness Centers Fight Tax Exemption for Larger Competitors - Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Jeff Rose and his wife Nancy sank their entire life savings, more than $500,000, into opening the Orangetheory Fitness center in Lakeland in 2015.

75. View From the Hill: Haslam Credits GOP ‘Experiment’ for Tennessee’s Success - Thursday, May 18, 2017

If you ask Gov. Bill Haslam, Republican government is the best thing since sliced bread.

Not only is GOP leadership responsible for a myriad of tax cuts leading to record surpluses and a $37 billion budget funding better K-12 and higher education, shoring up the rainy day and TennCare funds, shrinking state debt and building an economic environment for job creation, Haslam says. It’s even bringing us the cleanest air since before the industrial revolution.

76. Haslam Credits Republican Leadership for Budget, Economic Accomplishments - Monday, May 15, 2017

With the legislative session finished, Gov. Bill Haslam is touting budget accomplishments and a strong economy as the result of Republican leadership.

In a Capitol Hill press conference shortly after the General Assembly adjourned for the year, the governor called passage of a $37 billion budget, the second consecutive one with no new debt, as the Legislature’s most important act.

77. Lamar Avenue, Austin Peay Highway Projects on Tap for Fiscal 2018 - Monday, May 15, 2017

With a gas-tax increase approved as part of the governor’s IMPROVE Act, Shelby County will see several projects take off over the next three years, including the much-anticipated Lamar Avenue widening.

78. House Approves Education Fund Concept, But Senate Action Put on Hold - Thursday, May 11, 2017

House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh pushed his K-12 education fund to passage Tuesday, May 9, but the possibility of funding and Senate approval will have to wait until 2018.

Dubbed the “K-12 Block Grant Act,” the measure calls for setting aside $250 million in excess state revenue for interest-generating investment to provide grant money for school systems statewide. Each system could use the funds for state-approved programs such as reading coaches or dual enrollment, items not funded through Tennessee’s Basic Education Program.

79. Last Word: Council Day Issues, 'A Man Of Color' and East Memphis 'Novel' - Wednesday, May 10, 2017

A busy day at City Hall Tuesday by the City Council agenda and by at least one completely unplanned moment during council budget committee sessions. It was so busy that at the start of Tuesday’s council session, chairman Berlin Boyd couldn’t find his gavel and technical glitches prompted him to ask for a can of WD-40. Throw in a visit to City Hall by civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson and you have our comprehensive same night rundown of how it went and for whom it went.

80. Tennessee Senate Approves $37B Budget - Wednesday, May 10, 2017

The state Senate approved a $37 billion budget Monday complete with the governor’s IMPROVE Act package of fuel tax increases and tax reductions.

Senators passed the measure 28-2 and sent it to the governor despite opposition led by Democratic Sen. Lee Harris of Memphis, who argued the body would be breaking the Copeland cap, a law prohibiting the spending of revenue that exceeds the state economy’s growth rate.

81. House Leader Casada Backs Towns’ Slavery Amendment to State Constitution - Wednesday, May 3, 2017

NASHVILLE – Rep. Joe Towns’ legislation to remove slavery from the state Constitution is being postponed until 2018, but it picked up a key endorsement Monday from Republican House Majority Leader Glen Casada.

82. Towns’ Slavery Amendment Gets Backing From House Leader - Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Rep. Joe Towns’ legislation to remove slavery from the state Constitution is being postponed until 2018, but it picked up a key endorsement Monday from Republican House Majority Leader Glen Casada.

83. View From the Hill: IMPROVE Act an Insight Into Testy Election Ahead - Thursday, April 27, 2017

In case anyone’s keeping stats, Senate leadership soundly defeated House leadership this session in the gas tax/tax cut battle.

Whether this is a forerunner to a Republican gubernatorial primary remains to be seen as Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris and House Speaker Beth Harwell weigh decisions. It’s not as if they’d be facing off against each other, though, since businessman Bill Lee and former Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd are definitely in the race and not hurting for money.

84. Governor’s Supplemental Budget Includes More Transportation Funding - Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris calls the governor’s $125 million supplemental budget a “strong foundation” for completing work on the IMPROVE Act.

85. House Concurs on Gas Tax Senate Version, Sends to Haslam For Signature - Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Wrapping up wide-ranging legislation that dominated the opening year of the 110th General Assembly, the House concurred Monday with the Senate’s IMPROVE Act, inserting a $7 million measure to increase property tax breaks for veterans.

86. Last Word: Two Science Marches, Bill Lee Kicks Off and Andrew Young on Ben Hooks - Monday, April 24, 2017

Rainy Sunday in the city with ponchoed partisans of the Porter-Leath Ragin' Cajun gathering and Africa in April overlapping from the riverfront to Danny Thomas Boulevard. In Germantown, it was a soggy but colorful 5k for the Germantown Municipal School District with shades of blue, orange and of course pink, or was it red?, at different parts of the run.

87. Memphis, Nashville Mayors Praise Passage of Haslam’s Road Funding Bill - Thursday, April 20, 2017

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland lauded the Tennessee Legislature for passing the IMPROVE Act, including a combination of fuel tax and fee increases designed to improve transportation funding.

88. Last Word: Data Night at the Forum, Passing Gas and Graceland's Las Vegas Exit - Thursday, April 20, 2017

It’s a $30,000 fine, about $5k more than expected by most. And Grizz players say they will chip in to pay the fine the NBA levied on coach David Fizdale for his epic rant on the officiating in Game 2 of the playoff series between the Grizz and the Spurs.

89. 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.

90. View From the Hill: Tearful End for Non-Citizen Tuition Relief Bill - Thursday, April 20, 2017

State Rep. Raumesh Akbari grew so emotional she couldn’t speak. On the verge of tears, the Memphis Democrat started to talk about a high school from her Shelby County district with a large number of undocumented immigrant students.

91. Last Word: 'Take That For Data', Gas Tax Wednesday and Corker in Memphis - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

“Take That For Data” may be the rallying cry for the rest of the NBA playoffs around here. And look for an off-the-chart crowd reaction Thursday when Grizz coach David Fizdale takes his place courtside. The Grizz' loss to the Spurs in Game 2 Monday in San Antonio prompted a post-game statistics-laden tirade by Fizdale about officiating of the game that concluded with Fizdale saying “take that for data” –the closest thing to profanity in the entire rant.

92. Effort to Ban Open Alcohol Containers in Cars Dead for Year - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to ban open alcohol bottles or cans in vehicles traveling on Tennessee roads has failed for the year.

Tennessee currently bans drivers from drinking alcohol while at the wheel, but does not extend that prohibition to passengers. That conflicts with federal open container guidelines, which causes about $18 million in federal road money to be redirected toward drunken-driving enforcement.

93. Veterans Want Tax Relief Addressed Separately - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Members of the Legislature’s Veterans Caucus are renewing a call to increase property tax relief statewide for veterans and the elderly in a measure separate from the governor’s IMPROVE Act.

94. Fuel-Tax Bill Short of Votes in the House - Tuesday, April 18, 2017

NASHVILLE – Votes aren’t adding up in the House of Representatives for passage of the governor’s gas tax/tax cut legislation.

With floor debate scheduled Wednesday morning, not only is a Republican head count showing lack of support, Democrats aren’t exactly lining up behind the measure. The minority party says it wants concessions on other items from the governor before it can vote for the IMPROVE Act, and some Democrats say they won’t go for a combination of tax cuts for wealthy investors tied to a higher gas tax.

95. Tennessee Joins States Urging Court to Reinstate Travel Ban - Tuesday, April 18, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee is joining more than a dozen other states in urging an appeals court to reinstate President Donald Trump's revised travel ban.

State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, a Collierville Republican considering a bid for governor next year, lauded Attorney General Herbert Slatery's office for filing a brief with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

96. Gas Tax, Health Care Complicate Tennessee Governor's Race - Monday, April 17, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The repeal of former President Barack Obama's health care law was supposed to provide a springboard for U.S. Rep. Diane Black's entry into the Tennessee governor's race.

97. Mistreated GOP Legislators Only Want to Be Heard - Thursday, April 13, 2017

Word has it extra tissue will be placed on the desks of some House members in the coming weeks so they can dry their tears of pain.

It seems a faction of the Republican supermajority just hasn’t gotten a fair hearing – from their own party – on opposition to Gov. Bill Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, which contains a dreaded gas and diesel tax increase to rebuild the state’s roads and bridges. It’s the gas tax versus the surplus, which is pretty big at $1 billion in one-time money and another billion in extra recurring money.

98. Harwell Cites Need for Alternative Transportation Funding Plan - Thursday, April 13, 2017

House Speaker Beth Harwell says she believes it’s important to have a transportation funding plan counter to Gov. Bill Haslam’s gas tax/tax cut act after House Republican Caucus members voted to oppose the governor’s idea.

99. Harris: Syrian Air Strikes Should Change State’s Stance on Refugees - Wednesday, April 12, 2017

State Sen. Lee Harris is calling on the Legislature to rethink its stance on refugees amid legal action taken against the federal government after President Donald Trump ordered an air strike against Syria.

100. Last Word: Busy Council Day, County Property Tax Cut Call and Gas Tax Vote Nears - Tuesday, April 11, 2017

The Lawsons – K.J. and Dedric – are on their way to Kansas after leaving University of Memphis basketball they announced Monday. And Markell Crawford confirmed Monday that he will be transferring too. Crawford is the sixth Tiger player to head for the door since the season’s end. What will Tigers basketball look like by the next season?