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Bill backed by Tennessee Republicans would increase state control over tourism zones

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Bill backed by Tennessee Republicans would increase state control over tourism zones


A bill that would expand state oversight of Tennessee’s busiest tourism districts — including downtown Nashville — is now headed to the governor’s desk.

The legislation would shift more control over how these areas operate, setting up a broader debate over whether the move is about accountability or a state power grab.

“This is one of the most egregious interferences with local government that we’ve ever considered,” said Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville).

What are tourism development zones?

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Tennessee has eight tourism development zones (TDZs) across the state, including:

  • Nashville
  • Memphis (Graceland)
  • Memphis (Fairgrounds/Liberty Park)
  • Memphis (Downtown)
  • Knoxville
  • Chattanooga
  • Sevierville
  • Pigeon Forge

These areas are designed to boost tourism and economic development by allowing cities to keep certain tax revenues generated within the zone and reinvest that money into infrastructure, operations, and attractions.

What the bill would change

Under the bill, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development would be required to create a new set of rules for all TDZs statewide.

Those rules would cover:

  • Sanitation (trash, litter, street cleaning, odors, pest control)
  • Public behavior, including loitering and access to businesses
  • Use of public spaces and rights-of-way

The legislation would also:

  • Give the Tennessee Highway Patrol authority to enforce laws in these areas alongside local police
  • Limit when cities can block streets or restrict access, including in areas like Lower Broadway

And critically, those new state rules could override local ordinances already in place, shifting decision-making power away from city leaders.

Debate at the Capitol

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Supporters say the move is justified, pointing to the amount of state money tied to these districts.

“Those zones are keeping state dollars and therefore the state has an interest,” said Bo Watson (R-Hixson).

Republicans argue the state has invested billions of dollars into tourism development zones and should ensure those areas are clean, safe, and accessible to visitors.

“They are not being properly maintained, they are being closed off which affects local businesses, they are not safe and secure,” Watson said.

But critics argue the bill gives too much power to a state agency, including authority over issues typically handled at the local level.

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“We’re supposed to pass the laws. We’re not supposed to give the Department of Tourist Development of all places the right to create new standards,” Yarbro said.

Yarbro also warned the legislation hands broad authority to unelected officials.

“That is a wide range of power that we are giving to an executive branch agency that is going to then override the decisions of local governments,” Yarbro added.

What happens next

The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.

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He can either sign it into law, or allow it to become law without his signature after 10 days.



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Tennessee Republicans pass a map to break up the state’s lone Democratic House seat

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Tennessee Republicans pass a map to break up the state’s lone Democratic House seat


State troopers remove people from the Tennessee House gallery on Thursday during a special session of the state legislature to redraw congressional voting maps.

George Walker IV/AP


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George Walker IV/AP

Tennessee Republicans have passed a new congressional map that would crack Memphis’ Shelby County into three different districts, in an effort to eliminate the state’s lone remaining Democratic-held seat.

Currently, Tennessee is represented by eight Republicans and one Democrat.

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The district that includes Memphis is majority Black, and Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee called a special legislative session to consider a new congressional map after the U.S. Supreme Court last week weakened the Voting Rights Act’s protections against racial discrimination in redistricting.

Thursday’s legislative votes came amid protests at the state capitol, and after a walkout by Democrats.

State Rep. Justin Pearson, a Memphis Democrat, called the new district maps “racist tools of white supremacy” in House testimony.

Tennessee GOP lawmakers defended the new map, saying their goal is partisan, to send an all-Republican delegation to Washington, D.C.

President Trump has urged Tennessee and other GOP-led states to redraw their maps before this fall’s midterm elections, as part of his mid-decade redistricting push. Earlier Thursday, Tennessee Gov. Lee signed a bill that repealed a state law prohibiting mid-decade redistricting.

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Republican lawmakers in other southern states, including Louisiana and Alabama, are moving to eliminate other majority-Black, Democratic-held districts in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision.

Before last week’s ruling, Republicans likely held a narrow lead in mid-decade redistricting — creating districts they can more easily flip to their side — by a few seats over Democratic counter-efforts. Now that lead could double, to perhaps six or seven seats. And that’s if a pro-Democratic redistricting measure approved by voters in Virginia holds up in state court.

With reporting by WPLN’s Marianna Bacallao



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TN Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for May 6, 2026

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The Tennessee Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 6, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from May 6 drawing

18-27-51-65-68, Powerball: 05, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Lotto America numbers from May 6 drawing

03-06-07-18-49, Star Ball: 10, ASB: 05

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from May 6 drawing

Morning: 5-2-1, Wild: 2

Midday: 7-4-9, Wild: 9

Evening: 3-4-6, Wild: 9

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Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from May 6 drawing

Morning: 2-3-3-2, Wild: 9

Midday: 4-8-8-6, Wild: 6

Evening: 9-7-9-6, Wild: 5

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Daily Tennessee Jackpot numbers from May 6 drawing

09-12-16-18-36

Check Daily Tennessee Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Tennessee Cash numbers from May 6 drawing

16-18-27-30-33, Bonus: 01

Check Tennessee Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 6 drawing

04-21-36-48-69, Powerball: 05

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Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 6 drawing

06-18-30-32-43, Bonus: 01

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Tennessee Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.

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For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Tennessee Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket, a copy of a government-issued ID and proof of social security number to P.O. Box 290636, Nashville, TN 37229. Prize claims less than $600 do not require a claim form. Please include contact information on prizes claimed by mail in the event we need to contact you.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID and proof of social security number to any of these locations:

Nashville Headquarters & Claim Center: 26 Century Blvd., Nashville, TN 37214, 615-254-4946 in the (615) and (629) area, 901-466-4946 in the (901) area, 865-512-4946 in the (865) area, 423-939-7529 in the (423) area or 1-877-786-7529 (all other areas in Tennessee). Outside Tennessee, dial 615-254-4946. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Knoxville District Office: Cedar Springs Shopping Center, 9298 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922, (865) 251-1900. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.

Chattanooga District Office: 2020 Gunbarrel Rd., Suite 106, Chattanooga, TN 37421, (423) 308-3610. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.

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Memphis District Office: Chiles Plaza, 7424 U.S. Highway 64, Suite 104, Memphis, TN 38133, (901) 322-8520. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://tnlottery.com/.

When are the Tennessee Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
  • Cash 3, 4: Daily at 9:28 a.m. (Morning) and 12:28 p.m. CT (Midday), except for Sunday. Evening game daily, seven days a week, at 6:28 p.m. CT.
  • Daily Tennessee Jackpot: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
  • Tennessee Cash: 10:34 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
  • Powerball Double Play: 10:30 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Tennessean editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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TJ Hardaway, son of late G.A. Hardaway, appointed to father’s TN house seat

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TJ Hardaway, son of late G.A. Hardaway, appointed to father’s TN house seat


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Tennessee House District 93 officially has someone in its briefly vacant seat.

Willis Lincoln TJ Hardaway III will hold the seat until the next general election in November. He has not made a decision as to if he will run officially for the seat yet, but will listen to the will of his constituents.

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The house seat was formerly held by his father, State Rep. G.A. Hardaway, a Democrat from Memphis. Hardaway died on April 24. His death left the Tennessee House District 93 seat, which encompasses South Memphis and Orange Mound and stretches to Shelby Farms, open.

Hardaway was nominated by acclamation by the board. After he was nominated to the position, he spoke to commissioners and thanked all of them by name. He said he spent the last year spending a lot of time with his father, wanted to get to know him.

“This could not have been better timing. Last year, I spent various moments one on one with my father, for no other reason other than wanting to know more about the man…turns out I already knew the man because I already know myself,” Hardaway said.

He will travel to Nashville the evening of May 6 and be sworn in to office.

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The Shelby County Commission moved swiftly to appoint someone to the seat due to the state legislature being called into a special session. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee called a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly to review the state’s congressional map on May 1, with the session beginning on May 5.

The push for redistricting Tennessee’s Congressional districts came from President Donald Trump, after the U.S. Supreme Court rolled back protections of the Voting Rights Act. The General Assembly was gaveled into the special session on May 5, which was also election day for many counties in Tennessee.

A map revealed the morning of May 6 splits the state’s 9th Congressional District and carves up Tennessee’s only majority-Black congressional seat, in Memphis. The new map shows three districts in Memphis, two of which stretch all the way to Williamson County outside Nashville.

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Brooke Muckerman is the education and children’s issues and politics reporter for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at brooke.muckerman@commercialappeal.com.



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