Tennessee

Tennessee Senate passes bill allowing teachers to carry guns amid vocal protests

Published

2 years ago

April 11, 2024

Tennessee Senate passes bill allowing teachers to carry guns amid vocal protests

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Senate Republicans passed legislation Tuesday that would allow public K-12 teachers and school staff to carry concealed handguns on school grounds — despite vocal protests from Covenant School families and others seeking stricter gun-control measures.

Senate Bill 1325 allows Tennessee school faculty or staff to carry a concealed handgun on the grounds of their school. Tennessee law already allows school resource officers, assigned through an agreement between local school districts and law enforcement, to carry firearms on campus.

The measure passed in a 26-5 vote that fell along party lines. Discussion over the bill halted as a group of around 200 gun-reform advocates voiced their opposition in the Senate gallery, holding signs and snapping their fingers in support or hissing in dissent as Senators debated the bill.

The school district’s director of schools, the school principal and the chief of the “appropriate” law enforcement agency must sign off on a staff member’s authority to carry a concealed handgun.

Tennessee state Sen. Paul Bailey sponsored the legislation and said Tuesday that a school principal could make a blanket decision not to participate and notify a director of schools they don’t want to allow any teachers to carry. But the legislation itself does not directly outline this opt-out mechanism that Bailey referred to and rather directs school administrators to consider each certification individually.

What are lawmakers saying about the bill

The measure isn’t yet law.

The House companion bill, HB 1202, technically only needs a final vote in the lower chamber after passing through committees last year. The bill is currently being “held on the desk,” a procedural term that means the bill is in a holding pattern unless someone moves to remove it from the table.

Republicans have overwhelmingly supported the bill, which was initially filed in January 2023 but has been cited as a potential school security measure in the wake of The Covenant School shooting last March. Democrats oppose the measure, which has also attracted hundreds of gun-reform protestors who oppose a GOP supermajority-led trend of expanding access to firearms in Tennessee.

Republicans argue it’s a needed security option for schools that have been unable to hire a school resource officer or more rural schools where law enforcement response might be delayed during a security crisis.

Shortly after the Covenant School shooting last year, state officials approved new funding to place a school resource officer at every public school in the state. But personnel shortages have slowed the placement, and hundreds of Tennessee schools still lack an SRO.

“We are not trying to shoot a student but protect a student from an active shooter whose sole purpose is to get in that school and kill people,” sponsor Tennessee state Sen. Ken Yager said Tuesday. “In counties like I serve, rural counties, where they may only have two deputies on a shift, it might take 20 or 30 minutes to get to that school. What havoc can be wreaked in that 30-minute period? This bill tries to fix that problem and protect children.”

Tennessee Democrats sharply criticized the bill, arguing it was “irresponsible” and could put students at risk to have guns in the classroom, open to be stolen or misused in a panicked crisis situation.

“The level of irresponsibility here is befuddling,” Tennessee state Sen. Jeff Yarbro said. “We’re sending people to a 40-hour — one week, less time than kids spend in summer camp — to learn how to handle a combat situation that veteran law enforcement officers have trouble dealing with. It is complicated, to say the least, for someone to handle a firearm accurately, responsibly, effectively with an active shooter and literally hundreds of innocent children in the area. And we’re letting people do that with a week’s training.”

Covenant mom calls Senate’s actions ‘appalling’

After repeated warnings about disruptions, Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally called for state troopers to clear the gallery. He permitted a group of mothers of Covenant School students to stay, saying they had not caused a disruption.

Beth Gebhard, whose son and daughter attend the Covenant School in Nashville, said her children were there last spring as a shooter killed three 9-year-olds and three adult staff members. She watched the Senate proceedings Tuesday with tears in her eyes, alongside several other mothers of students at the school.

She staunchly opposes the bill. She said her children, 9-year-old Ava and 12-year-old Hudson, survived the shooting because of well-trained teachers and police officers doing their job. She can’t imagine a teacher having to also deal with confronting a shooter, especially one armed with an assault-style rifle.

“A handgun will do nothing against that,” she said. “If what had happened on March 27 had gone down the way that it did with a teacher armed with a handgun attempting to put the perpetrator out, my children would likely be dead.”

She called the lawmakers “cowardly” for clearing the gallery.

“If they are supposed to be representative of our voice and they are dismissing these people … they are not for us and it is appalling,” she said, holding back tears. “It’s so upsetting. It makes me want to move.”

Melissa Alexander and Mary Joyce, both mothers of students who attend Covenant, huddled with Gebhard after the vote. A Capitol building staff member who spotted the trio brought by a box of tissues, earning grateful smiles.

“As mothers of survivors, all we can do is continue to show up and keep sharing our stories and hope that eventually they will listen to them and take our advice,” Alexander said. “We have real experiences in these tragedies. We are the ones who have been there, experienced this and lived through the aftermath of it.”

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Tennessee

TN Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for July 8, 2026

Published

5 hours ago

July 9, 2026

Press Room

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

Here’s a look at July 8, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from July 8 drawing

12-29-37-43-55, Powerball: 18, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from July 8 drawing

17-26-31-32-37, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from July 8 drawing

Morning: 5-0-7, Wild: 6

Midday: 9-0-5, Wild: 8

Evening: 4-7-3, Wild: 3

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from July 8 drawing

Morning: 1-9-3-7, Wild: 4

Midday: 0-0-0-8, Wild: 3

Evening: 8-0-5-3, Wild: 1

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Daily Tennessee Jackpot numbers from July 8 drawing

07-14-15-18-29

Check Daily Tennessee Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Tennessee Cash numbers from July 8 drawing

01-02-06-13-27, Bonus: 03

Check Tennessee Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from July 8 drawing

06-27-33-44-69, Powerball: 23

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 8 drawing

16-18-43-48-50, 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.

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.

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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Tennessee

Data centers driving up Tennessee power bills, report finds

Published

15 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Data centers driving up Tennessee power bills, report finds

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Home power bills are feeling the impact of data centers opening across Tennessee communities, according to a new report from ThinkTennessee.

Researchers found electricity usage has increased by more than 7.2 times over the past five years as data centers opened in the Tennessee Valley region. Areas with data centers saw average power bills rise more than the state average, but the increase was not distributed evenly among customers in those areas.

“Tennessee’s data center growth is arriving faster than the rules designed to manage that growth,” research director Chris Candelaria said. “Our report isn’t saying whether data centers are good or bad. Instead, we’re trying to highlight the issues that communities and policymakers need to know about.”

Residential customers hit harder than businesses

Residential customers in communities with data centers saw their bills jump 3.2 percent, to an average of $149 a month, between 2023 and 2024, the report found.

During that same period, commercial customers, including data centers themselves, saw their bills slightly decrease. By comparison, the statewide average power bill over the same period increased 1.3 percent.

Candelaria said the findings are tied directly to where the data centers are located and signal what may be ahead for the rest of the state.

“Residents seeing these higher prices and that’s associated with where the data centers are located,” Candelaria said. “We know that the data centers are coming, and the report’s really just forecasting that this situation may play out in more places across the state. This is an issue that city and community leaders will need to address directly.”

He said the trend warrants close attention, but stopped short of drawing firm conclusions in their report based on the data analyzed.

Tennessee emerges as a data center hub

The report, titled “Powering the Boom,” describes Tennessee as an emerging data center market that has likely not yet seen the full scale of potential growth. For roughly 15 years, the state’s electricity consumption was essentially flat or declining before the current surge began around 2020.

Data center facilities planned, operating or under construction in Tennessee represent approximately 2,177 megawatts of demand capacity which is roughly equivalent to powering more than 1.3 million homes for a year. Those facilities are concentrated in and around Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville.

Grid strain, costly outages a concern

Candelaria said the study drew on data from across the country to examine how data centers are already affecting communities and what Middle Tennessee should plan for.

“As we get requests for more data centers, there’s an issue with how is that going to affect our current grid infrastructure? This is the key question,” Candelaria said. “We also provide in the report some studies from other states. If you over-strain the system, what does that mean? Well, it could lead to costly outages. We’re just trying to think strategically.”

Alex Kardokus is among the more than 500,000 people who signed a petition against a proposed data center near the Nashville Zoo. He said his concerns have since expanded to the broader impact data centers could have across the city after learning about this report.

“NES, we don’t want that (bill) to go higher because it’s already expensive in Nashville. Don’t want that to be a raising,” Kardokus said.

Policy seen as key to managing growth

Candelaria said policies, including data center zoning restrictions Metro Council is currently working on, will be key to protecting families from further cost increases. He said the decisions made now will shape whether the growth benefits or burdens Tennessee residents.

“The policy choices that we make now on pricing and grid planning will determine whether that growth is going to strengthen the state’s economy or whether that’s going to shift costs onto everyday households,” Candelaria said.

He added that the situation requires a balancing act, as data centers also bring jobs and economic opportunities to the communities where they operate.

ThinkTennessee said a second installment of the “Powering the Boom” series is expected to lay out policy options aimed at protecting ratepayers while the sector continues to grow.

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Tennessee

In-N-Out’s fifth Tennessee location is opening soon. Here’s how many stores are planned

Published

1 day ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

In-N-Out’s fifth Tennessee location is opening soon. Here’s how many stores are planned

In-N-Out Burger will soon open its fifth Tennessee location in Madison, near Nashville.
The California-based chain currently operates four stores in Tennessee and plans dozens more.

In-N-Out Burger will soon be opening its fifth Tennessee store.

The beloved burger chain lists six locations as “opening soon” on the Grand Openings page of its website, including a restaurant in Madison. The Madison location will open at 1900 Gallatin Pike North, about 13 miles northeast of Nashville.

The store also plans to open stores in Arizona, Utah, Idaho and two in California, USA TODAY reported.

Find your next meal on DoorDash

In-N-Out, which announced plans for a major expansion and a new headquarters in Tennessee in 2023, opened its first Tennessee restaurants in December 2025.

The chain, known for animal-style fries and double-double burgers, opened locations in Nashville’s Antioch neighborhood, Murfreesboro and Lebanon in early December. It then opened a fourth Tennessee restaurant in Franklin just a few months later.

Here’s what else to know about the West Coast-based company’s expansion into the Volunteer State.

Why is In-N-Out expanding to Tennessee?

In-N-Out is moving to Tennessee to establish a $125 million corporate hub in Franklin, on the Berry Farms site near Interstate 65. It’s estimated that In-N-Out’s expansion into Tennessee will create 275 jobs and a $125 million investment in the state.

Lynsi Snyder confirms relocation to Tennessee

In 2025, billionaire heiress Lynsi Snyder announced she would relocate her family to the Volunteer State as the company expands eastward.

In a podcast appearance with conservative host Allie Beth Stuckey, Snyder cited frustrations with California’s high costs and regulatory burdens on businesses and families.

“There’s a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here,” Snyder said. “The bulk of our stores are still going to be here in California, but it will be wonderful having an office out there, growing out there.”

After facing criticism for her comments, Snyder clarified that moving to Tennessee offers In-N-Out associates “wonderful opportunities” to buy homes, raise families, and participate in the company’s growth in a new region.

In a video posted to social media, she called the move “a very healthy plan for our growth,” highlighting opportunities for employees in Tennessee and potentially neighboring states.