Tennessee State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) said he is “much happier” with the Senate’s version of Governor Bill Lee’s universal school choice bill compared to the House’s version, which includes additional incentives not particularly related to school choice.
Tennessee State Senator Joey Hensley Explains ‘Present’ Vote on School Choice Bill
Tennessee State Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) said he voted present on the State Senate’s version of Governor Bill Lee’s universal school choice bill this week in the education committee because he said he believed there needed to be “more discussion” on the bill before it advanced out of committee.
“I was present, not voting, because I felt like we needed more discussion in the education committee,” Hensley said on Thursday’s episode of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.
Michael Patrick Leahy Vows to Help Find, Support Challenger to State Rep. Todd Warner Following Vote Against School Choice Bill
Michael Patrick Leahy, editor-in-chief and CEO of The Tennessee Star, vowed to help “lead the charge” to retire Tennessee State Representative Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill) in response to the lawmaker’s vote against Governor Bill Lee’s proposed school voucher program.
Co-Founder of AbleChild Sheila Matthews Details Work on Tennessee Bill to Help Determine Link Between Psychotropic Drugs and Mass Shooters
Sheila Matthews, co-founder of the national non-profit parent organization AbleChild, detailed her work on crafting an “outstanding” bill recently filed in the Tennessee General Assembly that is focused on reforming the process medical examiner’s offices must follow in terms of testing for psychotropic drugs when performing autopsies on the bodies of mass shooters.
HB 2933, if enacted, would require a medical examiner’s office or regional forensic center to determine and document current both psychotropic and prescription drug use from the past 10 years by a deceased individual who died under “suspicious, unusual, or unnatural circumstances.”
Aaron Gulbransen Analyzes the Tennessee General Assembly’s Current Session
Aaron Gulbransen, executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, said the current session of the Tennessee General Assembly is “pretty normal” despite state lawmakers still reeling from last year’s events by the “Tennessee Three” Democrats and the special session.
“It’s kind of normal, to be honest with you. Now, I will say, I think everybody has a little bit of PTSD after last year with all the shenanigans that Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson pulled and then the contentiousness of the special session and the lead up to that and right after that. But it’s relatively normal,” Gulbransen explained on Tuesday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy.
Tennessee State Rep. Susan Lynn Awaits Final Version of Universal School Choice Bill, Notes Funding of Budget Is Issue This Year
Tennessee State Representative Susan Lynn (R-Mount Juliet) joined Monday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss the General Assembly’s legislative session this year, specifically concerning its approach to Governor Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act.
State Senator Mark Pody Shares Insights on Franchise Excise Tax Issue and Legislative Timelines
State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) told listeners on Tuesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy that legislative timelines could be impacted after lawmakers were sent home for the week due to severe winter weather. Pody added that the new bill filing deadline could be extended, but it currently stands on February 1.
The Wilson County-area state senator also offered an update on his newly introduced school safety measure and noted that its funding would be included in the current budget.
Pody also confirmed that the possible constitutional issue concerning out-of-state companies threatening legal action over the franchise excise tax is being studied and added that the fiscal fallout may cause some programs to be delayed by a year.
TN House Majority Whip Johnny Garrett: There Is Discussion About the Constitutionality of Our Franchise Excise Tax Law
Majority Whip Johnny Garrett joined the newsmaker line on Monday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to share his insights on the new legislative session as it begins its second week at home as snow continues to blanket the region.
Garrett expressed optimism about Governor Bill Lee’s proposed education freedom scholarships, though he said he does anticipate some opposition to the proposal.
The conversation then turned to the potential constitutional issue regarding the franchise excise tax law that could leave taxpayers on the hook for as much as $1.2 billion. Garrett noted Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is evaluating the claims to see if tax relief for the companies in question would address constitutional concerns.
State Rep. Jody Barrett Takes on Red Flag Laws, Education Freedom
As the Tennessee General Assembly prepares to gavel back into session next week, State Representative Jody Barrett appeared on Tuesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to reflect on the lessons learned during his first term in the Tennessee General Assembly and discuss his key legislative matters including red lag laws and school choice reform.
Gulbransen: The First Step to Stopping Modern Day Slavery in Tennessee Is to Pass This Bill
Attorney and newest all-star panelist Braden Boucek joined host Michael Patrick Leahy on Monday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report to discuss to administrative overreach and bizarre secrecy surrounding the Covenant Killer Manifesto and how lawmakers convening in the special session could obtain and review those materials today.
Boucek: ‘Metastasized’ Bureaucracy Has Gone Too Far in Covenant Manifesto Secrecy
Attorney and newest all-star panelist Braden Boucek joined host Michael Patrick Leahy on Monday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report to discuss to administrative overreach and bizarre secrecy surrounding the Covenant Killer Manifesto and how lawmakers convening in the special session could obtain and review those materials today.
Michael Patrick Leahy: Bill Lee’s ‘Laundry List Red Flag Law Special Session’ Is a Dramatic Break from the Modern Political Tradition of Tennessee
Host Michael Patrick Leahy lays out why Gov. Bill Lee’s “Laundry List Red Flag Law Special Session' breaks with modern political tradition in Tennessee. He also explains the surprising reason his ‘Red Flag’ law is doomed to fail in court on Friday’s episode of The...
Crommentary: The Runaway Left Wields Power Through the Tyranny of the Minority
On Friday's episode of The Tennessee Star Report, original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael noted three seemingly unrelated stories in the news today to illustrate how the Left is effectively dominating critical sectors of life across across the country. TRANSCRIPT...
Open Government Expert: Any Tennessee General Assembly Committee Has the Legal Authority to Obtain the Covenant Killer Manifesto
Tennessee Coalition for Open Government’s Executive Director Deborah Fisher joined all-star panelist and author Carol Swain in-studio on Thursday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss the provisions in current law that would make the Covenant Killer Manifesto available for review by Tennessee lawmakers.
Majority Whip Johnny Garrett: ‘Any Type of Red Flag Law Won’t Go Anywhere in This General Assembly’
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, guest host John Harris welcomed Majority Whip Johnny Garrett to the newsmaker line to talk about the probabilities and possibilities of passing pro-Second Amendment legislation.
Jack Johnson: ‘I Want Tennessee to Be the Tip of the Spear in Terms of Fighting the Radical Left’
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, guest host Aaron Gulbransen welcomed Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) in studio to review the Tennessee General Assembly’s legislative victories and the outlook for 2024.
Leahy and Simon Skeptical of MNPD Claim It Will Take Another 12 Months to Close Investigation of Covenant Killer
Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed all-star panelist Roger Simon in studio to discuss the timeline of the release of documents related to The Covenant School killer.
JC Bowman: Former Rep. Bill Dunn Was a Logical Choice for Tennessee’s Commissioner of Education
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed JC Bowman of Professional Educators of Tennessee in studio to discuss why Bill Dunn would have been a good choice for Tennessee’s new commissioner of education.
TFA’s John Harris: ‘The Governor’s Own Actions Are a Strong Red Flag That He’s Not Listening to the People or Truly a Conservative’
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed Tennessee Firearms Associations’ founder, John Harris to the newsmaker line to comment on Governor Bill Lee’s approach to holding a special session to advance red flag laws despite General Assembly’s cold shoulder.
John Harris: Governor Lee’s Decision to Propose Red Flag Law Legislation Like Scene from Animal House
Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed the Tennessee Firearms Association founder John Harris in studio to talk about Governor Bill Lee’s recent proposal on red flag laws in Tennessee.