New Dashboard Will Assist Counties with Redistricting
The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has produced a new online dashboard that gives county government officials and citizens a better understanding of how county commission districts must change in response to the 2020 U.S. Census. The dashboard uses GIS technology to display population information for each of the state’s 849 county commission districts. The dashboard includes […]
Tennessee Secretary of State Celebrates National Voter Registration Month
In celebration of National Voter Registration Month in September, the Secretary of State’s office is leading voter registration efforts in Tennessee with college voter registration tailgates, the launch of the Ann Dallas Dudley Award for high schools and by working with businesses and organizations across the state. “More Tennesseans are registered to vote now than […]
VITAL POLICY – Tennesseans Will Vote on State Constitutional Amendment in November 2022
Tennessee is one of the most financially responsible states in the nation, has a fully funded retirement system for teachers and other civil service employees, no income tax, low unemployment, very low debt, and a healthy economy that has weathered many financial storms. Tennessee ended its 2020-2021 fiscal year with a budget surplus of over […]
AG Slatery Co-Leads Bipartisan Coalition Calling on FDA to Regulate E-Cigarettes and Oral Nicotine Products
Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III is co-leading a group of thirty-one states, U.S. territories, and jurisdictions urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to halt the surge of youth nicotine addiction. Specifically, the bipartisan coalition is calling on the FDA to use its regulatory power to eliminate youth-appealing flavors, limit nicotine levels […]
State Landmarks Lit Green for Child Support Awareness Month
The State Capitol Cupola and other well-known landmarks across Tennessee will be lit green tonight in recognition of Child Support Awareness Month. Each August the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) works to light up recognizable locations in green as a shining reminder of the important role its Child Support Program plays in the health […]
AG Slatery Responds to Sixth Circuit Decision Upholding 48 Hour Waiting Period for Abortions
The full Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals held that Tennessee’s 48-hour waiting period for abortions is constitutional. The Court’s ruling reverses the district court’s decision in Bristol Regional Women’s Center v. Slatery. In its opinion, the Court recognized that, “before making life’s big decisions, it is often wise to take time to reflect. The people […]
Tennessee Department of Health Offering Third Dose of mRNA Vaccine
The Tennessee Department of Health is acting upon recent guidance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding an additional dose of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine for moderately and severely immunocompromised individuals. On August 13, the CDC accepted ACIP recommendations for an additional dose of the […]
Gov. Lee Signs Executive Order Giving Parents Ability to Opt Out of School Mask Mandates
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed Executive Order 84 to give parents the ability to opt their child out of a local mask mandate enacted by a school or health board. Gov. Lee’s remarks as prepared for delivery are below: Thanks for joining today. Before we cover an important COVID-19 announcement, I want to express a heavy heart […]
Comptroller’s Office Examines the Cost of Online College Courses
The Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has released a new report examining the cost of online courses in Tennessee’s public colleges and universities. Tennessee’s public higher education institutions have offered online courses for more than two decades, and the prevalence of online courses has increased during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The report found that more than half […]
Vital Policy – Tennessee Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in School Voucher (ESA) Case
When the Tennessee legislature enacted a school voucher pilot program in 2019, a lawsuit was immediately filed by Shelby County, the Nashville Metropolitan Government of Davidson County, and Metropolitan Nashville Board of Public Education asking the Chancery Court of Davidson County to declare ESAs unconstitutional, essentially an effort to stop the voucher program. The trial […]
Comptroller Encourages Counties to Be Prepared for 2021 Redistricting
Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury Jason E. Mumpower is making sure Tennessee’s 95 counties are ready to take action on the required 2021 redistricting and reapportionment process. Every ten years, following the U.S. Census, Tennessee counties must redistrict and reapportion their legislative bodies to ensure they are meeting the one person, one vote principle of […]
State to Intervene in Federal Lawsuit Challenging TennCare Block Grant
Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III has filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit designed to challenge Tennessee’s Medicaid Block Grant waiver amendment. The Block Grant is the result of more than a year of discussions and negotiations with the federal government, input experts, providers, and stakeholders, and extensive planning by TennCare Officials. TennCare […]
April Unemployment Rate Highlights State’s Economic Recovery
Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate for April 2021 decreased by double digits when compared to data from the previous year. In April 2020, the state’s jobless rate reached a record high during the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Tennessee’s preliminary, seasonally adjusted rate for April is 5%, according to data released from the Department […]
Gov. Lee Pushes Return to Work, Economic Recovery – Ends All Federal Pandemic Unemployment Funding
Tuesday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the end of all federally funded pandemic unemployment compensation programs in Tennessee, effective July 3. “We will no longer participate in federal pandemic unemployment programs because Tennesseans have access to more than 250,000 jobs in our state,” said Gov. Lee. “Families, businesses and our economy thrive when we focus […]
AG Slatery Leads Coalition Urging Facebook to Abandon Launch of Instagram Kids
Nashville- Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III is leading a coalition of 44 attorneys general urging Facebook to abandon its plans to launch a version of Instagram for children under the age of 13. “Facebook has a record of failing to protect the safety and privacy of children,” said General Slatery. “Let’s not take their […]
Mental Health Month Offers New Opportunity to be Open and Honest
Around the world and right here in Tennessee, we celebrate May as Mental Health Month. After the last year, the opportunity to pause, reflect, and evaluate our own mental health and that of the people in our lives has never been more important. “How are you doing today?” It’s a question we asked each other […]
