The Tri-star State

Rep. Tim Rudd, R-Murfreesboro, wants the legislature to remove a Nashville judge for doing her job — making a ruling. If successful, lawyers say it will create a chilling effect.

This week, the Tennessee General Assembly moved through a bill that would limit the participation of transgender students in sporting teams. Meanwhile, Republicans in the senate want to ban student-athletes' protests during the national anthem. We explain how these proposals could end up in the courts.   Also on this episode: House Education Administration Committee Chairman Mark White explains why he supports a bill that would allow the governor to force schools to reopen.

The Tennessee General Assembly is back this week after shutting down due to inclement weather. On the docket for their comeback: Gov. Bill Lee’s constitutional carry proposal. We break down what else to expect. Also in this episode: An interview with Joe Woolley, the CEO of the Nashville LGBT Chamber. He says corporations across the state will unite to fight the slate of anti-LGBT measures in the Tennessee General Assembly.

The Tennessee legislature is considering a bill that would limit the participation of transgender athlete’s in sports team. We break down why Republicans are pushing for it. Also on this episode: Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, explains why her caucus will fight the GOP-introduced bills.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton has been reelected to the position and, once again, he is in the middle of controversy.  The Crossville Republican now has to deal with members of his own party being investigated by the FBI. WPLN’s politics reporter Sergio Martínez-Beltrán sat down with him to chat about the latest developments.  Also on this episode: We break down some of the measures expected to be debated this year.

For the first time, the person in charge of the Tennessee Democratic Party will be a Black leader. Hendrell Remus was elected earlier this month. He will now be in charge of the party’s strategy to win more seats in the state legislature — a task that has not been easy in the last decade. Remus talks with WPLN’s Political Reporter Sergio Martínez-Beltrán about his approach to accomplish this. Also in this episode: We break down how Tennessee Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty have voted during the confirmations of President Biden’s cabinet picks. 

Underpinning the Jan. 6 insurrection was a slew of conspiracy theories about election fraud, even after the courts repeatedly struck down almost every attempt to call votes into question.   These false claims were shared extensively by former President Donald Trump and members of the GOP in Tennessee, as well as conservative local leaders. WPLN’s Ambriehl Crutchfield talked to some of them.  Also on this episode: a recap of the legislative special session on education. 

The first week of the 112th Tennessee General Assembly is on the books. Lawmakers debated and passed an agreement for TennCare’s block grant. But, what happens now?  Also on this episode: an interview with Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn. 

The Tennessee General Assembly goes back into session on Tuesday — just days after FBI agents raided the homes and offices of three House GOP members. Also on this episode: an interview with Senate Speaker Randy McNally. 

The clock is ticking — we are just hours away from Election Day. Over a million people in Tennessee has already voted early or by mail. But, many more are expected to cast their ballots this Tuesday. And as Tennesseans get ready to make this happen, WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán shares some information for your vote to count.

Early voting started last week, and thousands of Tennesseans have already voted in person.  But there are still WPLN listeners who want to vote absentee yet have concerns about it. So, WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been reading your questions regarding mail-in voting and has some new answers. 

During the last few months, Tennessee has been hit with a flurry of legal challenges over mail-in voting. This has caused some confusion during the final stretch of the November presidential election. So, to clarify any doubts, WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán breaks down the status of the lawsuits and the rulings. 

Recent court rulings have created a lot of confusion regarding who can request mail-in ballots and voting in general.   And, as a crucial election approaches, Tennesseans have reached out to WPLN News and Curious Nashville with their pressing questions.  WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been talking to sources AND state officials to clarify all of the doubts. And he’s going to attempt to answer a few of them. 

2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, including Gov. Bill Lee.  Crisis response from the pandemic to protests have given Lee the opportunity to show what he values and how he wants to lead Tennessee.   WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been keeping track of Lee’s decisions and says he has pushed for some of the most conservative policies in the country.

The special session for the Tennessee General Assembly has ended, but the controversy coming out of it is still going strong.  The state extended wide ranging protection for businesses and schools from COVID-19 lawsuits. And one measure essentially ended a months-long racial justice protest near the capitol steps. That bill caused splits even between members of the Republican supermajority.  WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán and Samantha Max have been covering the debates inside and the protests outside. They say the new legislation is already causing the demonstrators to rethink their approach. 

The August Primary Election is coming up this week and the Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate are in full attack mode.  Ads are blanketing TV and social media and high-profile surrogates have been flooding the state to help out Manny Sethi and Bill Hagerty. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been on the campaign trail lately. 

Tennesseans won’t know the full economic effects of the pandemic for a while but its impact on the state budget is becoming clearer.  Over the last week lawmakers have been figuring how to cut hundreds of millions of dollars across all departments. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been on Capitol Hill this week following the latest. 

The Tennessee General Assembly is facing one of its biggest budgetary challenges ever.  Sales tax revenue is down dramatically meaning more reductions to the state's spending plan. WPLN's Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been talking to lawmakers to get a better sense of what's likely to be cut. 

After two months of recess, the Tennessee General Assembly is getting back to business this week.  And there’s already disagreements and controversy. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán is also going back to the capitol. But, even in quarantine, he’s been keeping up with the latest legislative developments. 

Throughout the coronavirus crisis Gov. Bill Lee has been criticized for being slower than other governors in calling for a stay-at-home order. Many have said he has not taken the issue seriously.   But the governor is taking it very seriously personally, at least. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán traveled with Lee across the state late last week to have an exclusive look at the governor’s operation.