Mercurial Republican Rep. Gerald McCormick went from kicking ass to kicking back. Only three days after saying his now-former Democratic opponent, David Jones, would realize how little he has in common with District 26 in Chattanooga “when he gets his ass beat in November,” McCormick abruptly announced he would not seek re-election this year and would be leaving the House effective Oct. 1.

2. Tennessee House Speaker Contender Won't Seek Re-Election - Tuesday, June 19, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A longtime Tennessee lawmaker who had expressed interest in running for House speaker says he won't seek re-election.

Republican Rep. Gerald McCormick of Chattanooga tells the Chattanooga Times Free Press he will withdraw from his House race Monday and will resign Oct. 1 to take a full-time job with Asa Engineering and Consulting in Nashville.

3. State Voters Have More to Fear Than Russian Meddling - Thursday, January 25, 2018

About 30 years ago, my wife and I were hanging out with another couple and decided to make a big night of it. We’d go out for Mexican food and then rent a movie.

After we had some Mexican grub, we went to Kroger to find a flick. As we perused the selections, my friend said, “What about a Russian spy movie?” To which his girlfriend (future wife, now ex-wife) whined, “John, you know I don’t speak Russian.” (His name is changed to protect the innocent.)

4. Election Commission Goes To Court In RCV Controversy - Thursday, December 14, 2017

The Shelby County Election Commission is going to court to settle a conflict over ranked-choice voting. The five-member commission voted unanimously Tuesday, Dec. 12, to file suit against the state election coordinator and the city of Memphis in Davidson County Chancery Court.

5. Election Commission Goes to Court in RCV Controversy - Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Shelby County Election Commissioners are going to court to settle a conflict over ranked-choice voting.

The five-member commission voted unanimously Tuesday, Dec. 12, to file suit against the state election coordinator and the city of Memphis in Davidson County Chancery Court.

6. WA - Monday, December 11, 2017

Good morning, Memphis! Dust off your robes and lightsabers, because the latest “Star Wars” movie hits theaters this week. Of course, there’s plenty more to keep you busy in the coming days. Here’s what you need to know about in The Week Ahead – no Jedi powers required.

7. Week Ahead - Monday, December 11, 2017

Good morning, Memphis! Dust off your robes and lightsabers, because the latest “Star Wars” movie hits theaters this week. Of course, there’s plenty more to keep you busy in the coming days. Here’s what you need to know about in The Week Ahead – no Jedi powers required.

8. The Week Ahead: Dec. 11-17 - Monday, December 11, 2017

Good morning, Memphis! Dust off your robes and lightsabers, because the latest "Star Wars" movie hits theaters this week. Of course, there's plenty more to keep you busy in the coming days. Here's what you need to know about in The Week Ahead - no Jedi powers required.

9. Ranked-Choice Voting Not Likely, Given State’s Opinion - Monday, November 20, 2017

A move to ranked-choice voting in the 2019 Memphis elections is still being explored by the Shelby County Election Commission.

But it isn’t likely to happen, based on a September letter to local elections administrator Linda Phillips from state election coordinator Mark Goins that his office says is the final word on the matter.

10. State Elections Coordinator Says Ranked-Choice Voting Not Permissible - Wednesday, November 15, 2017

The Tennessee elections coordinator has told Shelby County election officials that it is illegal to use ranked-choice voting in an election because there are no state guidelines and procedures in place for counting second- and third-preference votes.

11. Tennessee Elections Coordinator Says Ranked-Choice Voting Not Permissible - Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Tennessee elections coordinator told Shelby County’s administrator of elections in September that it is illegal to use ranked-choice voting anywhere in the state because there are no state guidelines and procedures for counting the second and third preferences of voters to avoid a runoff election.

12. Tennessee Bill Outlawing Sanctuary Cities Dead for Year - Friday, April 7, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A Tennessee bill that would outlaw and block funding for immigrant-protecting sanctuary cities is dead for the year.

On Wednesday, Republican Rep. Tilman Goins of Morristown delayed consideration of the bill until 2018.

13. Flurry of Bills Affecting LGBT Community Filed in State Legislature Before Deadline - Wednesday, February 15, 2017

NASHVILLE – Tennessee lawmakers met last Thursday’s legislation-filing deadline with a host of social measures one Memphis representative describes as “wedge bills” because they drive people apart.

14. Bills Affecting LGBT Community Filed Before Deadline - Tuesday, February 14, 2017

NASHVILLE – Tennessee lawmakers met last Thursday’s legislation-filing deadline with a host of social measures one Memphis representative describes as “wedge bills” because they drive people apart.

15. Tennessee Electors Unanimously Vote for Trump for President - Tuesday, December 20, 2016

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee's 11 presidential electors on Monday cast their ballots for Republican Donald Trump amid protesters demanding they stray from their legal obligation to support the candidate who carried the state.

16. Early Voting Opens with Raw Election Appeals - Wednesday, October 19, 2016

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen’s choice of cap usually has some logo related to the University of Memphis or the Grizzlies and, occasionally, to baseball legend and childhood inspiration Minnie Minoso.

17. Did ‘People Back Home’ Really Sway No Votes on Bible? - Thursday, April 28, 2016

I thought about skipping church Sunday and playing golf. After listening to the House of Representatives’ debate on the Bible bill, I could probably skip church for a month and still be in good standing.

18. State Rolls Out New Election App - Thursday, October 16, 2014

Just in time for early voting, the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office is out with a Smartphone app that can answer common questions from voters in every election about where they can vote early, the polling place for their election day precinct and directions to it and some of the districts they live in.

19. 'I Voted' Stickers Feature GOP Name in Tennessee - Monday, October 13, 2014

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – No matter how Tennessee voters cast their ballots, they'll be offered "I Voted" stickers featuring the name of a key Republican who's not running for office – yet.

20. Polls Open Under Eye of Federal Monitors - Thursday, August 7, 2014

Memphis Democrats declared victory two days before the Thursday, Aug. 7, election day in Shelby County.

It wasn’t anything they saw in the early voting turnout numbers. The turnout there was less than it was four years ago in the set of county general election and state and federal primary races.

21. End in Sight - Friday, August 1, 2014

One more weekend of early voting and then it’s the four-day sprint to election day for candidates, their campaigns and the voters who didn’t vote during the early voting period.

Because of the length of the ballot – the longest of any election cycle in Shelby County political history – state election officials are encouraging voters who have made their decisions to vote early.

22. Residency Scratches Moore From Commission Ballot - Friday, March 21, 2014

Less than a month before early voting opens for the Shelby County primary elections, former Shelby County Commissioner Edith Ann Moore is off the ballot in the Democratic primary for commission District 6.

23. Moore Scratched From May Ballot On Second Look - Thursday, March 20, 2014

Scratch former Shelby County Commission Edith Ann Moore from the May 6 Democratic primary for commission District 6.

24. Official: FBI to Interview Election Administrator - Friday, January 17, 2014

MEMPHIS (AP) – The FBI has told Shelby County Election Administrator Richard Holden it wants to speak with him and six other election workers about how they complete their job responsibilities, an official said Thursday.

25. Akbari Takes District 91 Democratic Primary - Thursday, October 10, 2013

As fewer than 2,000 voters participated in the latest of 11 elections in Shelby County in a three-month span, the independent candidate in the Nov. 21 special general election for state House District 91 filed suit against state election officials in U.S. Federal Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

26. Akbari Wins Democratic State House Primary - Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Raumesh Akbari, an attorney making her first bid for elected office, won the Democratic primary State House special election Tuesday, Oct. 8 in a low turnout contest featuring seven contenders and an unofficial voter turnout of 5.4 percent.

27. Dwight DeBerry Dropped From Ballot - Monday, September 16, 2013

Dwight DeBerry is off the Democratic primary ballot for State Representative District 91.

The Shelby County Election Commission removed DeBerry’s name last week from the list of candidates it certified earlier this month for the Oct. 8 special election primary.

28. Campfield Defiant, Unapologetic in Deposition - Wednesday, April 10, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – State Sen. Stacey Campfield has given a deposition in which he is unapologetic for posting false information about a Democratic candidate on his blog, dismissive of the possibility of paying damages for that and belittling of the technological skills of fellow lawmakers.

29. Bill to Ban Cameras in Polling Places Withdrawn - Wednesday, April 10, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – A bill seeking to ban cameras in polling places has died for the year amid concerns that voters wouldn't be able to document problems.

Republican Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver of Lancaster withdrew the bill Tuesday after lengthy debate spanning several meetings of the House State Government Committee.

30. State Coordinator Says Photo Identification Law Effect Minimal - Wednesday, November 14, 2012

There were few complaints of people being turned away from the polls in Tennessee’s general election because they did not have an acceptable photo ID. Yet, opponents of the statute say any disenfranchisement is unacceptable.

31. County’s Early Vote Total: 38.9 Percent - Monday, November 5, 2012

Nearly 40 percent of Shelby County’s 598,803 voters cast ballots during the early voting period that ended Thursday, Nov. 1.

But the 232,690 early voters – which accounts for 38.9 percent of the total number of registered voters – is fewer than four years ago when 254,362 early votes were cast.

32. High Court: Library Cards Valid at Polls - Friday, November 2, 2012

Photo library cards issued by the city of Memphis are valid identification for voting and must be accepted by the Shelby County Election Commission.

The Tennessee Supreme Court Thursday, Nov. 1, lifted a stay on an earlier Tennessee Appeals Court ruling and ordered state election officials to tell the Shelby County Election Commission to accept the library cards at the polls.

33. Supreme Court Orders Photo Library Cards Accepted At Polls - Thursday, November 1, 2012

Photo library cards issued by the city of Memphis are valid identification for voting and must be accepted by the Shelby County Election Commission.

The Tennessee Supreme Court Thursday, Nov. 1, lifted a stay on an earlier Tennessee Appeals Court ruling and ordered state election officials to tell the Shelby County Election Commission to accept the library cards at the polls.

34. Early Voting Coming to Close in Tennessee - Thursday, November 1, 2012

Tennessee election officials are hoping to break another record when the early voting period ends on Thursday, but they acknowledge remnants of superstorm Sandy could affect voter turnout in the northeastern part of the state.

35. City Responds in Photo Voter Identification Case - Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Attorneys for the city of Memphis said they would file a motion with the Tennessee Supreme Court by noon Monday, Oct. 29, in the state’s photo voter ID court case.

Tennessee state government Friday, Oct. 26, filed an appeal with the Tennessee Supreme Court of Thursday’s Tennessee Appeals Court ruling that orders the Shelby County Election Commission to allow voters to use photo library cards as a valid form of voter identification.

36. City Responds To State Appeal In Photo Voter ID Case - Monday, October 29, 2012

Attorneys for the city of Memphis will file a motion with the Tennessee Supreme Court by noon Monday, Oct. 29, in the photo voter ID court case.

Tennessee state government Friday, Oct. 26, filed an appeal with the Tennessee Supreme Court of Thursday’s Tennessee Appeals Court ruling that orders the Shelby County Election Commission to allow voters to use photo library cards as a valid form of voter identification.

37. Appeals Court Rules Photo Library Cards Are Voter ID - Friday, October 26, 2012

Photo library cards the city of Memphis began issuing this summer can be used as valid identification for the Nov. 6 elections.

The Tennessee Appeals Court ruled Thursday, Oct. 25, that city of Memphis photo library cards are a valid form of state issued identification for voting under terms of a 2011 Tennessee that requires photo identification in order to vote.

38. Appeals Court Rules Photo Library Cards Are Voter ID - Thursday, October 25, 2012

Photo library cards the city of Memphis began issuing this summer can be used as valid identification for the Nov. 6 elections.

The Tennessee Appeals Court ruled Thursday, Oct. 25, that city of Memphis photo library cards are a valid form of state issued identification for voting under terms of a 2011 Tennessee that requires photo identification in order to vote.

39. Audit Details Election Commission Faults - Wednesday, October 3, 2012

The Tennessee Comptroller’s audit division has concluded the Shelby County Election Commission has “demonstrated an inability to conduct elections without significant inaccuracies, including those identified in the 2012 elections.”

40. Co. Election Commission to Certify Aug. 2 Results - Monday, August 20, 2012

Shelby County Election Commissioners won’t completely close the books Monday, Aug. 20, on the troubled Aug. 2 elections.

But they will certify the elections results, which is the point when results in specific races could be challenged in Shelby County Chancery Court.

41. Court: Party Names to Appear on November Ballot - Monday, August 13, 2012

Tennessee voters will be able to see the party affiliations of candidates listed on the November general election ballot after a federal appeals on Friday cleared the way for the change.

The ruling means that candidates running under the flags of the Green Party and the Constitution Party, as well as Democrats and Republicans, will be identified.

42. Election Chief: No Time for New Dem. Primary - Wednesday, August 8, 2012

There isn’t enough time to hold another primary following the state Democratic Party’s disavowal of its U.S. Senate nominee, State Election Coordinator Mark Goins said Tuesday, Aug. 7.

43. Hargett: Shelby Election Problems Erode Public Confidence - Monday, July 30, 2012

The election driven by ballot questions and one-time-only races looks to become an election that goes into overtime as well.

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett formally asked State Comptroller Justin Wilson Friday, July 27, to audit the administration of the Shelby County Election Commission and investigate election procedures and returns.

44. Election Commission Admits Ballot Problems - Thursday, July 26, 2012

Challenges to the conduct of the Aug. 2 election may have reached a peak Tuesday, July 24.

The Shelby County Election Commission admitted a “limited number” of voters in some precincts got early voting ballots that included the wrong district races.

45. City Voter ID Suit Alleges Voter Turned Away Twice - Wednesday, July 25, 2012

The city of Memphis wants a Nashville federal judge to order the state to accept photo library cards issued by the city since last month as a valid form of voting identification.

The lawsuit filed Tuesday, July 24, was expected.

46. GOP Leaders Brace for Possible Voter Problems - Friday, July 13, 2012

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican leaders say they expect some problems may arise from recent changes in electoral procedures when early voting starts Friday in Tennessee, but they hope to have the wrinkles ironed out by the general election in November.

47. Polls Set to Open for Early Voting - Friday, July 13, 2012

Shelby County voters start deciding Friday, July 13, general election countywide races for assessor of property, General Sessions Court clerk, district attorney general and a race for a Shelby County Commission seat. The ballot also includes seven races for district seats on the countywide school board.

48. Library Cards at Root of Voter ID Challenge - Tuesday, July 10, 2012

New Memphis library cards that include a photo have become a challenge to the new state law requiring certain state-issued photo identification in order to vote.

The Memphis library system unveiled the move to the photo library cards last week with Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. saying the new library cards could be used to vote starting with the upcoming Aug. 2 elections. Early voting begins Friday, July 13.

49. City Says Library Photo Cards Should Stand For Election ID - Monday, July 9, 2012

New Memphis library cards that include a photo have become a challenge to the new state law requiring certain state-issued photo identification in order to vote.

The Memphis library system unveiled the move to the photo library cards last week with Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. saying the new library cards could be used to vote starting with the upcoming Aug. 2 elections. Early voting begins Friday, July 13.

50. Effort to Repeal Voter ID Law Fails in Tenn. Senate - Wednesday, March 28, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – A proposal to repeal Tennessee's new voter ID law has stalled in the Legislature after being killed by a Senate panel on Tuesday.

Members of the Senate State and Local Government Committee voted 3-6 against the measure sponsored by Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman Lowe Finney of Jackson. The companion bill was to be heard in a similar committee later in the House.

51. Election Commission Says No To Municipal Schools Referenda - Thursday, March 22, 2012

The Shelby County Election Commission says requests to put referenda on the ballot May 10 to create municipal school districts are “procedurally defective.”

The unanimous voice vote by the commission Wednesday, March 21, sets the stage for a possible legal challenge of the decision by suburban leaders in Chancery Court.

52. AG's Opinion Familiar Front In Schools Discussion - Thursday, March 22, 2012

The schools consolidation saga is moving into déjà vu territory with a new legal opinion from the Tennessee attorney general on a schools ballot question and legislation affecting the process moving in Nashville.

53. Tenn. AG: No Referenda on Muni School Systems - Wednesday, March 21, 2012

The Tennessee Attorney General says the move to municipal school districts cannot move forward with May or August ballot questions because they would violate the schools consolidation law.

The legal opinion from Attorney General Robert Cooper, issued Tuesday, March 20, in response to questions from Memphis State Senator Beverly Marrero reads “Tennessee law currently prohibits a municipality in Shelby County from taking any action to establish a new school system.”

54. State Seeks Stay of Ruling on 3rd Parties in Tenn. - Tuesday, March 20, 2012

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) – Against the backdrop of the 2012 presidential election, a legal battle is under way that will determine how many roadblocks minor political party candidates face when trying to get on election ballots in Tennessee.

55. Tenn. Photo ID Law Could Face Challenge - Wednesday, January 4, 2012

A requirement that Tennessee voters show photographic identification could be challenged in a lawsuit.

Unless or until there is legislative or court action to change the statute that took effect Sunday, Jan. 1, it remains the law. Tennessee Election Coordinator Mark Goins said his office anticipates voters will be required to show a photo ID when they go to the polls for the March primary elections, according to The Tennessean.

56. Partisans Debate State Voter ID Law - Wednesday, November 2, 2011

If you voted early or on Election Day in the recent city of Memphis elections, you probably got a piece of paper from election officials about the next elections.

The new state law requiring Tennessee voters to have a valid state or federal government-issued photo ID goes into effect with the 2012 elections starting with the March primaries. And the poll handout was about the new state law and what the new ground rules will be.

57. Session Tuesday About New Photo ID Voting Law - Wednesday, October 19, 2011

KNOXVILLE (AP) – The first AARP question-and-answer session about a new law requiring photo identification to vote is Tuesday in Knoxville.

It is the first in a series of such gatherings around the state.

58. AARP to Help Raise Awareness About Voter ID Law - Tuesday, October 11, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – AARP Tennessee is collaborating with the state's coordinator of elections to help people meet the requirements of a new law requiring photo identification to vote.

The two will hold a series of question and answer sessions around the state starting in Knoxville on Oct. 18. Elections Coordinator Mark Goins says he's grateful to AARP for its help in raising awareness about the new law.

59. State to Purge Noncitizen Voters From its Rolls - Wednesday, October 5, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – A new law designed to curb illegal voting by noncitizen residents has gone largely unnoticed, overshadowed by Tennessee's new voter identification law.

But the state elections office will soon compare the names of more than 20,000 noncitizens who hold Tennessee driver's licenses with voter registration records. Anyone listed as a noncitizen and registered to vote will be given 30 days to present proof of citizenship or be purged from the rolls.

60. Voter Education Gears Up Ahead of Photo ID Law - Wednesday, September 7, 2011

KNOXVILLE (AP) – Tennessee’s new law to require nearly all voters to show a photo identification card at polling places beginning next year has led state officials and interest groups to plan education campaigns before the 2012 elections.

61. GOP, Dems Clash Over 3rd Parties on Tenn. Ballot - Tuesday, March 29, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – Republicans are balking at a Democratic senator's proposal to make it easier for minor parties to be listed on the Tennessee ballot.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle of Memphis wants to set a threshold of 10,000 signatures from eligible voters for a third party to be recognized in the state, down from a GOP proposal of about 40,000 signatures from registered voters.

62. Lighting the Fuse - Monday, February 21, 2011

Memphis voters have 22 words to weigh as they decide what is to become of Shelby County’s two public school systems.
“Shall the administration of the Memphis City School System, a special school district, be transferred to the Shelby County Board of Education?”
The words seem inadequate to cover what a “yes” or a “no” vote means after a state law and other factors changed the terms of a vote already scheduled for March 8.
Voters for schools consolidation may be against special schools district status but for letting some of the six suburban towns and cities try to go with their own municipal school system.
Voters may be against school consolidation and against special school district status if it includes taxing authority for the county school board, albeit with tax approval required by the Tennessee Legislature.
Some voters may see it as a way of ending reforms driven by MCS superintendent Dr. Kriner Cash. Others may see it as a way of ending Shelby County Schools board chairman David Pickler’s dominance of that school system.
School consolidation advocates are still urging citizens to vote “yes” and school consolidation opponents are still urging citizens to vote “no.”
“The lay of the land has changed, so will people consider the lay of the land or what? That statement stands. It’s on the ballot and everyone knows what it’s designed to do,” said Memphis City Council chairman Myron Lowery. “This occurred after the question was put on the ballot. If someone wants to make that stretch, they’re jumping over a lot of hurdles. This was not in place when this was put on the ballot.”
Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr., along with Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, sought a transition period even as political positions began to harden. He doesn’t see what’s in the law as a transition period.
“The way it’s structured, there’s every incentive not to reach an agreement. It looks to me like it falls off the face of the earth,” Wharton said. “There was nothing in there that states where do you go if at the end of this (the planning process) there is nothing resolved.”
State Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, disagrees.
“The state has a compelling interest in assuring that the administration of schools is properly discharged,” Norris wrote in an op-ed piece for The Memphis News last week. “To do otherwise defies common sense and common decency.”
Pickler said if voters approve the question, he will quickly move to assemble a team to work on the transition. It’s a transition that Pickler has always emphasized will be controlled by the county school system. That is one point on which the attorneys seem to agree.
“Clearly we understand that this issue is not about educational outcomes,” he said during a WKNO forum last week. “We still do not believe that creating a mega district … doesn’t do anything to improve education.”
MCS board member Tomeka Hart, at the same forum, countered “We do here as an economic issue,” a reference to the University of Memphis study showing special schools district status could cost MCS half of the county property tax base it relies on for funding. “It’s time to rewrite all of this,” Hart concluded.
Here is the timeline – to date – of the ongoing schools showdown:

63. Elected Leaders Meet Tuesday on Schools Legislation - Tuesday, February 1, 2011

There is some movement between political forces in Memphis and political forces representing the city and county in Nashville on the school consolidation question.

“I’m relatively certain there will be no effort to interfere with the right of the vote on March 8,” Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. said Monday afternoon, referring to the March citywide referendum on the surrender of the Memphis City Schools system charter.

64. New School Merger Option Emerges - Friday, January 21, 2011

A second quicker path to school consolidation opened this week, the same night the Memphis City Schools board made a bigger splash by voting down a compromise offer from the Shelby County Schools system.

65. March 8 Set for Schools Election - Thursday, January 20, 2011

With no discussion, the Shelby County Election Commission has set March 8 as the date for a special citywide election on the Memphis City Schools charter surrender.

The date is the same day as the general election in Raleigh and North Memphis for the state House district 98 seat.

66. School Election to be Held in 45 to 60 Days - Friday, January 14, 2011

The lawsuit is over and the election is on in the fast-moving, ever-changing schools standoff.

A day after a citizens group filed suit seeking a court order to put the Memphis City Schools (MCS) system charter surrender on the ballot, all sides in the lawsuit agreed there would be a referendum election sometime in March.

67. March Charter Surrender Referendum Agreement Made - Thursday, January 13, 2011

There will be a citywide referendum on a Memphis City Schools system charter surrender sometime no later than March 14 under terms of a consent order entered Thursday morning in Shelby County Chancery Court.

68. Lawsuit Filed as Norris Submits Legislation in Schools Standoff - Thursday, January 13, 2011

The Memphis City Schools (MCS) charter surrender controversy is in the courts.

The group Citizens for Better Education and two citizens filed suit in Chancery Court Wednesday afternoon seeking a court order directing the Shelby County Election Commission to put a charter surrender referendum on the ballot and set a date for the election.

69. No Schools Lawsuit Yet, State Elections Coordinator Asks For Clarification - Wednesday, January 12, 2011

The Tennessee elections coordinator has asked for clarification about why the Memphis City Schools (MCS) board wants to hold a special election.

The attorney for MCS Tuesday sent a letter to elections coordinator Mark Goins that might lead to another Shelby County Election Commission look at putting the MCS charter surrender referendum to Memphis voters possibly in February or March.

70. AG Opinion Says Memphis-Only Vote On MCS Charter Surrender - Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Another day, another in a series of legal opinions that continue to better define the terms of the standoff between Shelby County’s two public school systems.

Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper has issued a legal opinion that confirms only Memphis voters would vote in a referendum on a Memphis City Schools (MCS) system charter surrender.

71. Snow Day For Schools Standoff - Monday, January 10, 2011

The first lawsuit in the standoff between Shelby County’s two public school systems was to be filed Monday in Chancery Court.

But several inches of snow have slowed for now what has been several weeks of a fast moving series of actions and reactions in the controversy.

72. Schools Dispute About To Move Into Court - Friday, January 7, 2011

The move to court has begun in the ongoing standoff between Shelby County’s two public school systems.

Attorneys for the group “Citizens for Better Education” were preparing a filing Friday afternoon to be filed in Chancery Court by the end of the business day.

73. Schools Merger Expert Urges Less Panic More Transition Planning - Friday, January 7, 2011

The Nashville attorney considered an expert on school system consolidations in the state told the Shelby County school board Thursday to get ready for an unprecedented transition to merging with Memphis City Schools (MCS), work with MCS officials and expect the transition to take at least a year and a half.

74. Schools Controversy Spotlight Moves From Election Prep - Friday, January 7, 2011

This may be where the dispute between Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools goes to court and drags in more political entities.

The dimmed prospect of a February referendum of Memphis voters on an MCS charter surrender has turned the spotlight from the preparations for an election to a race across the new year’s calendar between an election and special school district legislation in the Tennessee Legislature.

75. No Election Date Yet For MCS Charter Surrender - Thursday, January 6, 2011

The Shelby County Election Commission met Wednesday and adjourned minutes later without putting the Memphis City Schools (MCS) charter surrender on a special election ballot.

The five-member body refused based on a legal opinion from Tennessee Elections Coordinator Mark Goins delivered an hour before the meeting. The opinion says the Memphis City Council must approve having the referendum before the item can go on the ballot.

76. Davidson County Primary Election Flooded Out - Wednesday, May 5, 2010

NASHVILLE (AP) — Election officials in Nashville have delayed the city's local primary because of flooding.

The Davidson County primary election was to have taken place Tuesday, but local election commission members conducted an emergency meeting Monday and voted to delay it for two weeks.

77. State Finds 10K Dead Voters Remain on Registration Rolls - Monday, November 23, 2009

Almost 10,000 dead voters are still on the state’s registration rolls, the Tennessee Division of Elections has found.

Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins’ staff found what appeared to be at least 9,800 dead voters still on the rolls after comparing the state voter registration database to a national master list of deaths provided by the Social Security Administration.

78. Republicans to be Listed First on Tenn. Ballots - Friday, September 4, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State Election Coordinator Mark Goins says Tennessee Republicans will be listed first on all ballots, beginning with a special House election next month.

79. Democratic Rep. Cobb to Resign from Tenn. House - Thursday, July 2, 2009

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Democratic state Rep. Curt Cobb announced Wednesday that he is resigning from his seat in the Legislature to take a judicial position in Bedford County.

80. Senate to Vote On Delaying Paper Ballot Rules - Friday, May 22, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The state Senate is expected to vote soon on whether to delay starting a new Tennessee law that requires a paper trail from voting machines.

The Senate Finance Committee voted 7-3 on Wednesday to advance the measure sponsored by Republican Sen. Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro.

81. Tenn. Bill Would Require Photo ID to Vote - Wednesday, March 4, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The sponsor of legislation that would require Tennessee voters to show photo identification at the polls said Tuesday that doing so would add integrity to the process, but opponents were concerned the measure may discourage people from voting.