Tennessee

Tennessee lawmakers send bill to ban first-cousin marriages to governor

Published

2 years ago

April 11, 2024

Tennessee lawmakers send bill to ban first-cousin marriages to governor

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Republican-led Tennessee Legislature has overwhelmingly voted to send GOP Gov. Bill Lee a proposal that would ban marriage between first cousins.

The House cast a 75-2 vote Thursday on the bill after the Senate previously approved it without any opposition.

But a particularly vocal opponent, Republican Rep. Gino Bulso, took up most of the debate time, as he argued for an amendment to allow first-cousin marriages if the couple first seeks counseling from a genetic counselor.

In a previous committee hearing on the bill, Bulso lightheartedly shared a story about how his grandparents were first cousins who came to the U.S. from Italy in the 1920s, then traveled from Ohio to Tennessee to get married. He and other lawmakers laughed, and Bulso voted for the bill in that committee.

Then during Thursday’s floor debate, the socially conservative attorney argued that the risk of married cousins having a child with birth defects does not exist for gay couples. He contended there is no compelling government interest to ban same-sex cousins from getting married, saying that would run afoul of the U.S. Supreme Court’s gay marriage decision.

He also couched his argument by saying that he thought the Supreme Court decision on gay marriage was “grievously wrong.” Bulso has supported legislation aimed at the LGBTQ community. That includes a bill he is sponsoring that would largely ban displaying pride flags in public school classrooms, which civil liberties advocates have contended runs afoul of the U.S. Constitution.

“The question is, is there a public health issue with a male marrying a male first cousin?” Bulso said. “And I think the answer is no.”

Ultimately, lawmakers voted down Bulso’s amendment and approved the ban proposed by Democratic Rep. Darren Jernigan.

“I hope it’s safe to say that in 2024, we can close this loophole,” Jernigan said.

Jernigan said a 1960 attorney general’s opinion determined that an 1820s Tennessee law restricting some marriages among relatives does not prevent first cousins from marrying. He responded to Bulso that there was no violation to the gay marriage ruling in his bill.

Republican Rep. Monty Fritts was the other lawmaker to vote against the bill.

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Tennessee

Tennessee football beats out Ohio State for a top transfer portal target

Published

4 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee football beats out Ohio State for a top transfer portal target

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Tennessee football beat out Ohio State for transfer edge rusher Chaz Coleman, giving the Vols one of the top players in the portal.

Coleman spent one season at Penn State. With the Nittany Lions, the former four-star prospect collected eight tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble in nine games.

Coleman is a native of Warren, Ohio. His offer sheet out of Harding High School included Ohio State, Missouri, Illinois, Ole Miss and Kentucky, among others.

In Coleman’s lone season at Penn State, the Nittany Lions saw a plethora of change.

Former head coach James Franklin was fired in mid-October after a 3-3 start. After finishing the season with an interim staff, Penn State hired Matt Campbell as its next head coach.

The change in staff also led to the departure of Jim Knowles — Penn State’s defensive coordinator who served in that role at Ohio State from 2022-24. He’s not at Tennessee.

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Tennessee

Tennessee lawmakers discuss priorities for upcoming session

Published

16 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Tennessee lawmakers discuss priorities for upcoming session

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – Tennessee lawmakers are preparing to discuss hundreds of bills as the state legislature convenes, with mental health funding emerging as a priority for two lawmakers.

State Rep. Sam McKenzie, D-Knoxville, and state Sen. Becky Massey, R-Knox County, said mental health care funding will be a focus of upcoming legislative conversations.

“It’s been a big topic,” McKenzie said.

“That’s going to be very top of my mind as far as working and advocating for that,” Massey said.

Massey, who chairs the Transportation Committee, said the state needs more money for road expansion. She expressed concerns about insufficient funding for billion of dollars worth of road projects.

“People are paying less to drive on our roads and the cost of building roads are going up. So your gas tax is going down, the cost of building roads is going up,” Massey said.

McKenzie stressed the need for more public education funding following the first year of families using state dollars for private school through the voucher program.

“In Knox County, our numbers are up. Actually, in Memphis, their numbers are up, so I think some of the changes we’ve made in regard to public education and putting a few more dollars in, I think we can continue that process,” McKenzie said.

State House Speaker Cameron Sexton has said he wants to at least double the voucher program to offer it to 40,000 to 50,000 families. Both Massey and McKenzie expressed skepticism about the expansion.

“This isn’t about those kids in failing schools, this is about their friends, the rich or almost rich, that are just wanting a check from the government,” McKenzie said.

Massey cited revenue concerns about the expansion.

“I’m not getting the vibes that there is going to be enough revenue to do that because we’ve got other funding needs also,” Massey said.

Massey added the state could expand the program this year, but perhaps to 5,000 more families.

The General Assembly will reconvene next Tuesday.

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Tennessee

Deputies perform ‘life-saving measures’ after 5-year-old falls into swimming pool in Tennessee

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Deputies perform ‘life-saving measures’ after 5-year-old falls into swimming pool in Tennessee

FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A Tennessee sheriff’s office is asking the community to pray for a family whose 5-year-old was hospitalized after falling into a swimming pool.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and family members were “administering life-saving measures” Thursday afternoon after pulling the child out of the water.

The child was then transferred to a hospital, where they are still being treated.

“The child was subsequently transported to the hospital, where they are currently receiving medical care‚” said a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office. “Out of respect for the family’s privacy, no further details will be released at this time.”

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