This article is from Tennessee Lookout The Tennessee Senate approved a private-school voucher bill Thursday expanding the program to 35,000 students, despite concerns it could drain the state budget and force school districts to collect students’ Social Security numbers. Checking children’s Social Security cards when they register for classes could lead to a legal challenge for […]

This article is from Tennessee Lookout A federal judge has given Immigration and Customs Enforcement a deadline of noon Monday to file a written justification for the arrest and continued detention of a Nashville journalist. Estefany Maria Rodríguez Florez, whose job with the Spanish-language outlet Nashville Noticias has included critical reporting of ICE activities, was detained Wednesday by […]

Tennessee Lookout As a deadline looms for states to opt into a federal program to feed low-income kids during the summer, Gov. Bill Lee has yet to announce whether Tennessee will participate. States have until Jan. 1 to decide whether they will give families with children the opportunity to draw on the federal nutrition program […]

This article is from Tennessee Lookout A Davidson County chancellor on Monday temporarily blocked Gov. Bill Lee from continuing to deploy the Tennessee National Guard in Memphis. Members of the Guard have been patrolling the streets of Memphis since October under a directive from Lee, as part of a task force convened by the Trump administration in September. […]

This article is from Tennessee Lookout Tennessee officials will begin distributing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, giving recipients 65% of their expected November payment. The Tennessee Department of Human Services said in a news release that SNAP recipients who were expected to receive their payment during the first 12 days of November would receive that […]

This article is from Tennessee Lookout Days after thousands of Tennessee families lost monthly federal food benefits, Gov. Bill Lee announced he would direct $5 million in state funding to food banks. Lee said Tuesday that funding will come from savings accrued in TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program for the poor, disabled and elderly, and be […]

This article is from Tennessee Lookout Advocates for low-income and disabled Tennesseans sounded the alarm Tuesday over federal legislation that could slash an estimated $1.1 trillion over the next decade from federal safety net programs that provide food and healthcare to millions of Americans.  The package includes a $600 billion reduction in federal Medicaid spending over […]