Bill Lee

11 Stories

Tennessee Could Soon Have Armed Teachers
Governor Signs Bill
Allowing Armed Teachers
UPDATED
Apr 27, 2024 7:00 AM CDT

Governor Signs Bill Allowing Armed Teachers

Tennessee's Bill Lee OKed controversial legislation, which goes into effect immediately

(Newser) - As expected, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed off on a new law permitting teachers and staff to carry handguns on campus in public schools. "What's important is that we give districts tools and the option to use a tool that will keep their children safe," Lee...

Tennessee Is First State to Protect People's Voice Rights

Gov. Bill Lee signs ELVIS Act into law

(Newser) - Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday made the state the first to protect people's voice rights when he signed the ELVIS Act into law. Supported by a large number of musical artists and music industry groups, the law will protect residents' voices, images, and likenesses from being replicated using...

Trans Teen, Family 'Run Out of Town on a Rail'
Trans Teen, Family
'Run Out of Town on a Rail'
LONGFORM
Oct 22, 2023 9:30 AM CDT

Trans Teen, Family 'Run Out of Town on a Rail'

'New Yorker' piece dives into how laws in Tennessee, and in South in general, have affected LGBTQ youth

(Newser) - Tennessee has passed nearly 20 anti-LGBTQ+ laws since 2015, among the highest in the nation, per the Human Rights Campaign. For Kristen Chapman, that number is more than just a statistic—it proved to be the death knell for her family's future in the Volunteer State, as her 17-year-daughter,...

Tennessee Governor Takes Big Step on Gun Control

He urges lawmakers to pass 'red flag law'

(Newser) - Tennessee's Republican governor has taken some firm steps on gun control in the wake of the Nashville mass shooting that killed six people, including one of his wife's closest friends. Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order Tuesday that will strengthen background checks for gun buyers, the Tennessean...

Governor Who Wants Anti-Drag Law Queried on High School Pic
Tennessee Governor Signs
'Anti-Drag' Bill
UPDATED
Mar 3, 2023 12:30 AM CST

Tennessee Governor Signs 'Anti-Drag' Bill

Bill Lee has his own drag controversy

(Newser) - As promised, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday signed what's being referred to as an "anti-drag" bill, though the word "drag" does not actually appear in the legislation, the AP reports. The new law categorizes "male or female impersonators" as "adult" performers, meaning they cannot...

Governor Slams 'Wrong Approach' on Masks, Issues Exec Order

Tennessee's Bill Lee signs executive order allowing parents to opt out of mask mandates in schools

(Newser) - Tennessee's governor calls it "frustrating" and "disheartening" that this school year is starting once more mired in talk of COVID—but he's relying on the "character" of Tennesseans to carry the state through. What Bill Lee isn't relying on: face masks in schools, signing...

Investigators Search Home Near Nashville

Tissue found at explosion site is human remains, report says

(Newser) - Federal investigators have identified a person of interest in connection with the explosion that rocked downtown Nashville on Christmas Day and were searching a home associated with that person, law enforcement officials said Saturday. Investigators from multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies were at a home Saturday afternoon in...

Police Chief Axed Over Trayvon Case

Bill Lee dismissed for 'losing community confidence'

(Newser) - The police chief whose officers failed to arrest George Zimmerman after the Trayvon Martin shooting has been fired. Bill Lee, who stepped down temporarily three months ago amid fierce criticism of his handling of the case, was dismissed by Sanford's city manager, reports the Orlando Sentinel . "I have...

Zimmerman and the Cops: From Critical to 'Cozy'

Trayvon Martin suspect had an evolving relationship with Sanford police

(Newser) - In January 2011, George Zimmerman called the behavior of the Sanford Police Department "disgusting." Just eight months later, he was lauding the department's "professionalism." The two recently revealed exchanges demonstrate a relationship that evolved over time, culminating in Zimmerman being allowed to walk unescorted through...

Sanford to Trayvon Police Chief: You're Not Quitting

Bill Lee had tendered resignation

(Newser) - Sanford refused to accept its police chief's resignation today despite his handling of the George Zimmerman case, CBS News reports. The Florida city's commissioners voted 3-2 to reject Bll Lee's resignation, and most of them blamed tumult surrounding the Trayvon Martin shooting on outsiders. "The city...

Police Chief in Trayvon Martin Case Steps Aside

Bill Lee says his move is temporary as criticism increases

(Newser) - Major fallout today in the Trayvon Martin shooting : The police chief of Sanford, Florida, has temporarily stepped down amid mounting criticism of how his department has handled the case, reports the Orlando Sentinel . "My role as the leader of this agency has become a distraction from the investigation,"...

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