Our Cats Illustrated photo gallery puts you in the proverbial front row at Kroger Field for sights and scenes from Kentucky’s 33-27 loss to Tennessee on Saturday night. To view the entire gallery, with staff shots from both Brett Corman and Jeff Drummond, click on the center of the image below…
The first bill filed ahead of the start of the Tennessee legislative session reintroduces universal school vouchers, a topic that failed to find support last year.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tuesday marks the start of the 2025 Tennessee legislative session — an annual process that brings state lawmakers to Nashville to discuss and decide on proposals that can impact all of the state’s 7.2 million residents.
This will be the 114th General Assembly, meaning it will be the 114th group of lawmakers to gather in the capital — whether it be located in Nashville, Knoxville, Kingston or Murfreesboro — to pass laws. The first General Assembly was on March 28, 1796.
There is a Republican supermajority this legislative session, as there has been in the previous years. This means that Democratic lawmakers could effectively not show up and there would still be enough lawmakers to pass laws. There will be 27 Republicans in the Senate with six Democratic members. The House of Representatives has 75 Republicans and 24 Democratic members.
Effectively, nothing changed in the makeup of this session compared to the previous one. However, some previous Republican lawmakers had their seats taken by new Republican members. Some of those members, such as Republican Representative Rick Scarbrough, were voted into their seats after collecting donations from a PAC that supports universal school voucher proposals.
The first bill filed of this session reintroduces the program, which drew the ire of educators and community members across East Tennessee. Its mostly Republican supporters argue that the proposal increases school choice for Tennessee families. However, educators and advocates condemned it for using public money to fund private school expenses.
Last year, the proposal failed after three competing bills were introduced, each with different rules for the program. This year, there is a single bill to start the program. It includes a $2,000 bonus for teachers and requirements for private schools to be accredited. It also bases scholarships for families on the amount of money students generate for schools, according to the state’s TISA formula.
Democratic lawmakers and advocates contend that despite the changes, the core of the proposal remains the same — using public money to pay for private school expenses. They say that it effectively removes funding for public schools, which already face tight budgets. They also argue that the proposal leaves out rural families who may not have private school options, and said the funding will only subsidize private education costs instead of outright paying for them.
Abortion also promises to be a contentious topic, as it has been for several years. This year, Republican lawmakers proposed banning abortion care medication from being sent in the state’s mail system, further restricting abortion care access in a state already known for having one of the country’s most restrictive abortion care bans.
Democratic lawmakers proposed abolishing the state’s grocery tax as a way to help families save money while prices continue to rise nationally for most goods. Republican leaders said they hope to refine the proposal to keep the tax in place, in some form.
Proposals that expand police powers to detain undocumented immigrants and require different IDs to be given to immigrants have also been introduced, along with a proposal that could effectively expand the state’s anti-transgender bathroom rules.
This legislative session will also be held during the first term of President-elect Donald Trump, who many state lawmakers and leaders including Governor Bill Lee have met and expressed support for in the past. Lee signed onto a pledge with 25 other Republican governors in December to support Trump’s immigration policies, which he said include plans for mass deportations.
The legislative session will also begin with a lawsuit continuing to go through the courts that Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) filed against Lee. In it, he said his constitutional rights were violated when leaders tried to stop his dissent on issues like gun restrictions by expelling and silencing him.
Usually, legislative sessions last until late April or May of each year.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Tennessee Department of Human Services (DHS) is facing a legal battle with the handling of its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
The class action lawsuit accuses DHS of failing to process applications on time.
The lawsuit claims this caused hunger, malnutrition and financial hardship for applicants and participants.
The contributor joined the lawsuit filed by the Tennessee Justice Center.
Read the full lawsuit below:
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
After a season that ended unlike any other in program history, Tennessee will begin its 2025 season in an unfamiliar spot, too: defending national champions.
On the heels of their first-ever College World Series title, the Vols begin another campaign of high expectations in a little more than a month. They’ll also start ranked highly in the polls.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
Tennessee debuted at No. 4 in the D1 Baseball Preseason Top 25 on Monday–32 days before it opens the season with a three-game series against Hofstra on Feb. 14 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Vols’ home field is currently under-going its next phase of construction. New stands were added down the third base line prior to last season and stadium will have a couple of other noticeable changes by first pitch. It will also have a new national championship banner.
Tennessee and eighth-year head coach Tony Vitello will have their work cut out for it in its defense of that crown, though and it will have to do it without some of the key pieces that helped earn it, including sluggers Christian Moore and Blake Burke. Third baseman Billy Amick and outfielders Kavares Tears and Dylan Dreiling are gone, as well as some big arms, including Drew Beam and A.J. Causey.
The Vols have some notable returners that were also paramount in their CWS run last June. Hunter Ensley, one of the heroes of Tennessee’s championship final triumph of Texas A&M, headlines the outfield and Dean Curley is back after a standout freshman campaign at shortstop.
Right-handed pitcher Nate Snead is the leader among the pitching staff.
MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Tennessee 2025 baseball schedule released
Several of the Vols’ opponents were included in the poll, too. In fact, the SEC was heavily represented, to little surprise.
The league is poised to continue its long-standing dominance of college baseball with nine teams ranked, including six teams in the top 10.
Texas A&M leads the way at No. 1, followed by LSU (3), Arkansas (5), Georgia (8) and Florida (10).
Vanderbilt (16), Mississippi State (18) and Texas (19) made up for the rest of the league’s representation in the poll.
All of those teams reached the postseason a year ago, with Texas A&M and Florida joining Tennessee in the CWS field in Omaha and the Vols will have to play a three-game series against five of the teams ranked in the top 25.
Who Are the Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom?
Ozempic ‘microdosing’ is the new weight-loss trend: Should you try it?
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25822586/STK169_ZUCKERBERG_MAGA_STKS491_CVIRGINIA_A.jpg "Meta is highlighting a splintering global approach to online speech")
Meta is highlighting a splintering global approach to online speech
Metro will offer free rides in L.A. through Sunday due to fires
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25821992/videoframe_720397.png "Las Vegas police release ChatGPT logs from the suspect in the Cybertruck explosion")
Las Vegas police release ChatGPT logs from the suspect in the Cybertruck explosion
‘How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies’ Review: Thai Oscar Entry Is a Disarmingly Sentimental Tear-Jerker
Trump Has Reeled in More Than $200 Million Since Election Day
Movie Review: Millennials try to buy-in or opt-out of the “American Meltdown”
