Tennessee

Editor's notebook: Gushy Mother's Day posts from Tennessee lawmakers don't reflect reality • Tennessee Lookout

Published

2 years ago

May 14, 2024

Editor's notebook: Gushy Mother's Day posts from Tennessee lawmakers don't reflect reality • Tennessee Lookout

Perhaps no American holiday is more sacrosanct than Mother’s Day, a fest that provides politicians an occasion on which to shower platitudes about the noble calling of motherhood.

Tennessee lawmakers flooded social media Sunday posing with their mothers — Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, a Franklin Republican, posted a photo on X of him as a teen dancing with his mom, both beaming for the camera — and lauding their wives for being good mothers, as House Republican Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison did.

I have no doubt that the men of Tennessee’s government love their mothers. Who doesn’t? Even Adolf Hitler was known to have a mutually adoring relationship with his.

But the fulsome praise is a rich irony coming from Republican lawmakers who continually pass measures to make life harder for the state’s women and the children they bear.

The fondness vocalized by predominantly male legislators is prescient, given there’s the likelihood that Tennessee could experience a new baby boom in the next few years, as the 2023 enactment of the state’s ban on virtually all abortions: it’s a move that all but guarantees women with unwanted pregnancies will either be forced to leave the state in search of abortion care or bear a child they may not have the capability to properly care for.

And by ‘women,’ I include teen and pre-teen girls who become pregnant. A new law, sponsored by Rep. Jason Zachary, prohibits anyone but parents from taking pregnant girls out of the state for abortions, cutting grandparents and other relatives out of the equation.

Let’s assume you are a joyous pregnant mom, delighted with the thought of having a child. You better hope you have a textbook perfect pregnancy, because if your fetus has abnormalities that threaten your own life, the state’s abortion ban has put physicians in a tough place.

Meanwhile, even a medication abortion could become harder to come by, as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs the merits of mifepristone, part of a two-drug regimen approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for early-term abortions.

But let’s assume you are a joyous pregnant mom, delighted with the thought of having a child. You better hope your pregnancy is textbook, because God forbid your fetus has abnormalities that will cause your baby to die upon or shortly after birth, or worse still, has a condition that threatens your own life.

Tennessee law provides only the narrowest of exceptions to the abortion ban for the life of the mother, which means physicians face the dilemma of deciding just how close a pregnant woman is to dying, and weigh the odds against being arrested and charged criminally for performing what could be deemed by a layman a medically unnecessary procedure.

That, of course, assumes you can find an OBGYN to treat you. A 2023 report found that more than half of Tennessee’s rural hospitals no longer deliver babies, creating “maternity care deserts” across the state. In 2019, the March of Dimes reported Tennessee ranked 44th in the nation for access to prenatal care before the third trimester, along with higher than average rates of preterm births.

Report: More than half of all rural Tennessee hospitals no longer deliver babies

As if that weren’t bad enough, Jamie McGee reported for the Lookout in June 2023 that states with abortion bans like Tennessee’s experienced a 10.5% decrease in applications for OBGYN residencies.

The reason? Residents in obstetrics and gynecology perform an abortion as part of training; Tennessee’s criminal penalties are making medical students leery of practicing here.

“Everyone is worried about it,” Tennessee Medical Association CEO Russ Miller said at the time. “It’s definitely something all of us are keeping an eye on.”

Consider a different scenario: Let’s say a couple desperately wants to have children but has fertility problems. An Alabama Supreme Court ruling that classifies eggs fertilized through in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment similarly to children could have ramifications in Tennessee, as House members voted down a bill that would have made clear that the state’s abortion ban does not endanger fertility treatments or access to contraceptive care.

Sorry to be Debbie Downer. Like many moms, you may have had a healthy baby that was wanted and planned for: congratulations! Do you have a good job with a stable income? You should make sure of that, because relying on the Tennessee government for any kind of aid is a dicey proposition.

Tennessee’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a key anti-poverty program, is sitting on a whopping $717 million financial surplus rather than distributing the funds to the families for whom they are intended. If you are availing yourself of SNAP benefits, formerly called food stamps, be aware there have been habitual delays in distribution of those funds.

Just after the Tennessee Department of Human Services introduced a new computer management system in June, more than 73,000 Tennesseans — most of whom are children — enrolled in the SNAP program lost access to food benefits.

Tennessee food aid delays could continue for two more months, DHS Commissioner tells lawmakers

Thank God for public schools, where needy students can get a free lunch — or not. A measure introduced in Tennessee’s House and Senate by Rep. Kevin Raper of Cleveland and Sen. J. Adam Lowe of Calhoun, both Republicans, that would have provided free breakfasts and lunches to kids qualifying under the National School Lunch Act and Child Nutrition Act of 1966 failed in the House K-12 Subcommittee of Education Administration.

Maybe it’s just as well it failed so nobody counts on free meals. If Gov. Bill Lee has more success next legislative session than in this one with his bid to create universal school vouchers, funds will stream out of public education to private schools.

Cheer up, moms! Tennessee’s lawmakers appreciate you! That’s what they said on social media, after all. And as for those flowers you got? Well, you can’t eat them and they won’t help provide health care, but at least they’ll give you something pretty to look at while you figure out how to move to a state with more supportive policies.

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Tennessee

Former Tennessee Football Legend Accepts SEC Coaching Gig

Published

8 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Former Tennessee Football Legend Accepts SEC Coaching Gig

The Tennessee Volunteers have been one of the main teams when it comes to producing talent and sending talent to the NFL, which is something that has often been discovered as a standard for the football program. This is something that has been going on for quite some time and isn’t anything new to the news cycle, as the Vols have been able to produce plenty of talented prospects.

Tennessee is the home of many stars, including some of the best defensive players in SEC history. Guys like Eric Berry have found their way through the Tennessee program and onto the NFL, where they would have legendary careers. However, the defensive side of the football is the only side that has produced plenty of talent, as Tennessee has produced a lot of offensive talent as well. With the likes of Peyton Manning and company, the Vols have shown a great track record in getting talent drafted.

The Vols have produced someone who could be considered as one of the best players to play the Tide end position, as the Knoxville, Tennessee program is the home to Dallas Cowboys legend, Jason Witten. Witten is someone who made the most of his career and has been viewed as a top player at the Tide in position, and someone who is often referred to as a legend for the Cowboys, along with being a legend in the game of football as a whole.

Jason Witten Accepts TE Coach Position For Oklahoma

Oct 10, 2010; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten (82) on the phone in the bench area in the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Cowboys Stadium. The Titans beat the Cowboys 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images | Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Witten is now taking a new gig, which has him in a huge role inside the Southeastern Conference. The Vols legend is now the tight end coach for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners have had some success out of their tight ends in the past, but the sky is the limit with a guy like Witten coaching up the players. Witten has the opportunity to do really well, as coaching tight ends won’t be an issue, and you have to imagine that he will be able to recruit very well, considering he has a huge name around him, as this is something that we have seen from positional coaches as well as head coaches who have done great work in the league. You have to imagine that the Vols will now have stiff competition for his son, Cooper, who is a five-star recruit for the upcoming 2027 class at the linebacker position.

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Tennessee Football DB Transfer Boo Carter Visits the Vols Rival

Published

20 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee Football DB Transfer Boo Carter Visits the Vols Rival

The Tennessee Volunteers are looking to land many of the nation’s best players in the transfer portal to replace the players who have already announced they are transferring away from Tennessee. One of the players they lost very early on to the portal, and his plans of entering the portal is Boo Carter.

Carter is someone who has quickly made a name for himself, as he played for the Vols as a freshman. He also played for the Tennessee Vols this past season before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season. Carter entered the portal and left an announcement on his X page for those interested. Here is what was said.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank The University of Tennessee Coaches, administrators and fans for a wonderful 2 years. Unfortunately my season has been cut short due to injury. I have decided to enter the transfer portal and I am excited about the opportunities going forward!-Boo Carter”

Boo Carter Visits Vanderbilt

Tennessee defensive back Boo Carter (23) pulls on his jersey during Tennessee football preseason practice, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Aug. 6, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Now that the portal is here, he has started to hear from many teams, including a team many anticipated to be in the picture. The Vols DB heard from the Vanderbilt staff and is now reportedly visiting them. This is a school where many of his friends go currently, and a school that has been doing well, but it is no secret that this is one of the Vols’ biggest rivalries.

He is undecided on a possible commitment somewhere, but the reports have started to indicate that the Commodores are a team to watch moving forward. This will be one to watch for the Vols, as there is a good chance they may see Carter next season.

“Dynamic athlete who quickly made an impact on defense and special teams as a true freshman … Earned the starting STAR position and shined while becoming a dangerous weapon as a punt returner as a true freshman in 2024 … Saw action as a slot receiver as well during 2025 spring practices … Early enrollee in January 2024 who participated in Citrus Bowl practices and spring practice before his true freshman season … Has compiled 63 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, three forced fumbles, three pass breakups and one interception on defense in his career … Dynamic punt returner who averages 16.0 yards per return in his career … Played in 21 career games and made five starts,” the Tennessee Vols athletics website stated.

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Tennessee Football Misses on Major Transfer Portal Target

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee Football Misses on Major Transfer Portal Target

The Tennessee Volunteers have been looking to land the best of the best when it comes to the transfer portal, and they have been targeting the best, but as of recently, all it has been is a bunch of swings and misses.

The Vols have missed yet again, as they have failed to land one of their top targets on their board when it comes to the college football transfer portal at a position that they currently need more than any. That position is the cornerback position, which is one that they need very badly.

The player that they failed to land in this go-around is Troy cornerback Jaquez White. White is one of the better players that the portal has seen at the position, as he was easily named as a top portal target for many. He was seriously looking at Tennessee, and the Vols were ready to bring him in, but instead, he has opted to commit to the Virginia Tech Hokies. The Hokies have done a decent job in the portal thus far, but their portal class has definitely improved following the addition of White.

Whether this is a money thing or the Vols just couldn’t do enough convincing, the point is that they have missed on guys left and right recently. The vision isn’t clear, but fans are hopeful that it will be soon.

Here is what White did in his 2025 season according to the Troy website.

Jaquez White’s 2025 Season

Troy Trojans cornerback Jaquez White (8) tackles Clemson Tigers running back Adam Randall (8) Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025 during the NCAA football game at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Earned All-Sun Belt Second Team honors … Ranked third in the league (seventh nationally) with 14 total passes defended and fourth (15th nationally) with 11 pass break ups … Started 12 games and played in all 14 contests … Returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown in Troy’s victory over Louisiana; added interceptions against Nicholls and in Sun Belt Championship Game at James Madison … Finished season with 67 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack … Sack came in Troy’s win over South Alabama; added five tackles, a quarterback hurry and a pass break up in the game … Season-best seven tackles against Memphis … Broke up four passes in win at ULM and had a pair at Southern Miss … Troy’s top-rated defender per PFF with an 87.6 rating … Played 879 defensive snaps, second most on the team … Third-rated cornerback in the country (min. 700 snaps) per PFF and fourth-rated cover corner … Held opponents to a 54.5 reception percentage (36-of-66).”