State officials will officially take the reins of metropolitan and regional airports across Tennessee this week. According to the Tennessean, by July, the boards running Tennessee's top four airports will be replaced with a majority of state-selected commissioners. During the legislative session, lawmakers argued they should have more oversight since the state contributes to airport operations. The bill passed on April 23, and automatically will become law on May 21, unless Gov. Bill Lee vetoes it. The law gives the governor, the speaker of the House of Representatives and the speaker of the Senate two appointees each. Local officials have opposed the law. The Metro Nashville Council recently passed a resolution opposing the measure, and Chattanooga airport officials are considering legal action.

State legislators sent Gov. Bill Lee two prison reform measures aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in Tennessee correctional facilities, the Nashville Scene reports. HB2531/SB2111, which is awaiting the governor's signature, would create a statewide family advisory board made up of relatives of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals to improve communication with the Tennessee Department of Correction, support family reunification and provide feedback to lawmakers on prison conditions and operations. A second measure, HB1718/SB1820, was signed into law by the governor. It establishes a one-year body camera pilot program at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, a CoreCivic-operated private prison that has faced reports of violence and is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. Supporters of the bills say they are intended to improve safety, transparency and accountability within Tennessee prisons.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, announced Friday that he will not seek reelection in the newly redrawn 9th Congressional District or any other Tennessee congressional district, the Daily Memphian reports. Cohen made the announcement in Washington, D.C., two hours before the noon filing deadline for the new districts. He will leave the U.S. House in January after serving 10 terms over 20 years. Cohen was first elected to Congress in 2006 after an unsuccessful bid for the seat in 1996. Before joining Congress, he served 24 years in the Tennessee Senate following his election in 1982. Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, announced Tuesday that he will continue his campaign in the 9th District alongside Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus Chair London Lamar of Memphis and activist DeVante Hill of Bartlett. The Commercial Appeal also reports on the developments.

The Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) Board granted the district’s attorney Justin Bailey an early contract extension during a special-called meeting on May 12. The move comes as the board is preparing a legal challenge of the state’s takeover of the school district. Bailey’s contract was set to expire in December 2026. The extension ensures his involvement through February 2029, with an option to extend for one year after that. “I’m grateful to the board and superintendent for their continued trust and confidence in me and my team, and I look forward to continuing to serve the district in partnership with them,” Bailey said in a statement to The Daily Memphian.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the ACLU of Tennessee last week filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of three individual Memphis voters, as well as the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, the Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute and the Equity Alliance. The suit challenges Tennessee’s new congressional redistricting map and seeks to block the map from taking effect before the August primary election. Read more in a press release from the ACLU. Two other lawsuits — one from the Tennessee NAACP and one from voters and Democratic Congressional candidates — also have been filed. The Tennessee Supreme Court on May 11 appointed a special three-judge panel to consider the NAACP's case. According to States Newsroom, they are Chancellor Anne Martin, Chancellor Tony Childress and Judge James Gass. In the candidates' suit, U.S. District Court Judge William Campbell of the Middle District of Tennessee set a May 20 court date, WSMV reports.

Four registered voters and four candidates — including current U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen and state Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, who is running to challenge Cohen — in the Districts 5, 6 and 9 races on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, suing the state over the newly drawn congressional map. WKRN reports that the plaintiffs argue the new districts violate the First and 14th Amendments by placing an undue burden on voting rights and political association, and are seeking a permanent injunction to block the maps from taking effect in the 2026 election cycle. This lawsuit is in addition to the NAACP's emergency petition filed in Davidson County Chancery Court. The Tennessee Journal also reports on the developments. The new maps are available for download on the state comptroller's website, showing a detailed street-by-street breakdown of the new districts. The Nashville Banner analyzes 2020 census data and 2024 election results to show changes in racial makeup, density, political makeup and compactness between the previous Congressional map and the new map.

Tennessee lawmakers passed a new congressional map today, the Daily Memphian reports. The House approved the new map on a 65-24 vote with three present and not voting. The Senate passed the proposal 25-5. The governor signed HB7003/SB7004 today as well. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, said the new map “was drawn based on population and politics,” according to the Nashville Banner. Multiple individuals and entities have indicated they will sue, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP of Tennessee — which did file an emergency petition today — and current District 9 Rep. Steve Cohen. The Daily Memphian and Commercial Appeal report on those efforts.

The legislature also passed HB7001/SB7001 with an amendment to set a new filing deadline of May 15 and giving political parties until May 17 to decide whether candidates are qualified to run. Candidates who already qualified under the March 10 deadline do not need to requalify if they run in the same numbered district even if that district has been redrawn. It also passed HB7002/SB7002 to repeal a 1972 state law that prohibited congressional redistricting in between decennial census cycles. The governor signed both of those bills today.

The new map will affect multiple districts, as summarized below.

• District 4, currently represented by Republican Rep. Scott Desjarlais of rural Marion County, would cover the area southeast of Nashville, including Rutherford County, but also pick up a slice of Antioch in Davidson County according to Axios.
• District 5 would no longer include Davidson County but would be reshaped into a sprawling district from the southwest corner of the state in Shelby County all the way to the Kentucky border in the north and then back down into suburban counties south of Nashville. The change means that the district’s incumbent Republican Rep. Andy Ogles no longer would face Democrat Chaz Molder, who would have to run for District 9 if he wants to continue representing his hometown of Columbia, according to the Tennessean. Other parts of Nashville would be divided between two districts, according to Axios.
• The 6th District, represented by Republican Rep. John Rose, would take in a portion of Davidson County and reach into small portions of Sumner County, while the 7th District, currently represented by Republican Rep. Matt Van Epps, would include the bulk of Davidson County.
• The 8th District, currently held by Republican Rep. David Kustoff, would take in the northeastern portion of Shelby County, including Memphis suburbs, and run across rural West Tennessee counties such as Haywood and Madison, ending in Perry County in Middle Tennessee, according to Memphis Flyer.
• The 9th District, which currently includes Memphis and part of Tipton County and is represented by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, would run across southern Shelby County along the state’s southern border, taking in the eastern part of Maury and Williamson counties, as well as Moore County, according to Memphis Flyer.

Committees in both the state House and Senate considered several bills today to advance the special session, called by Gov. Bill Lee to redraw the state’s congressional map. Committees in both chambers passed HB7003/SB7004, allowing the legislature to change congressional districts outside of the regular 10-year cycle, and HB7005/SB7005, which provides funding for the special session. Republican leaders released a proposed map this morning that would split the 9th Congressional District, which covers Shelby County, into three parts. One section would be added to the 5th District, one would be added to the 8th District. The remaining section would become the new 9th District. The Daily Memphian has more on the day’s proceedings and a breakdown of the changes. The current 9th District has the state’s highest concentration of Black voters and is represented by the state’s sole Democratic member of Congress.

The Shelby County Board of Commissioners today nominated by acclamation Willis Lincoln "TJ" Hardaway III to fill his father's seat in Tennessee House District 93. Democratic State Rep. G.A. Hardaway died on April 24. "This could not have been better timing. Last year, I spent various moments one on one with my father, for no other reason other than wanting to know more about the man ... turns out I already knew the man because I already know myself," Hardaway said. The Commercial Appeal reports that the commission moved quickly to fill the seat due to the specially-called legislative session focused on redrawing the state’s congressional map, including the state’s last Democrat-controlled district in Memphis. TJ Hardaway will travel to Nashville tonight to be sworn in.

Tennessee’s state legislature reconvened today for what likely will be a three-day special session, the Nashville Banner reports. The session — convened after the U.S. Supreme Court found that racial gerrymandering in Louisiana was unconstitutional — will focus on redrawing the state’s congressional map, including the state’s last Democrat-controlled district in Memphis. Gov. Bill Lee, who called the session, said, “We owe it to Tennesseans to ensure our congressional districts accurately reflect the will of Tennessee voters.”

Yesterday, six bills were filed. Most are placeholders that do not include full bill language. Details should emerge tomorrow during the committee process. One bill, HB7006/SB7006, introduced by House Minority Leader Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, does contain a specific redistricting plan. Today, the House and Senate set the stage for the session with floor action according to the Tennessean and WREG. At a press conference last night, Democrats said they plan to lay “the foundation for legal challenges” to delay or overturn any Republican changes, the Nashville Scene reports.

Tomorrow, the House will reconvene at 9 a.m. with action planned in three committees: the Congressional Redistricting Committee will meet at 11 a.m. followed immediately by the Finance, Ways & Means Committee and then the Calendar & Rules Committee. The Senate will reconvene at 8:30 a.m. Committee meetings scheduled in that chamber include the State & Local Government Committee at 9:30 a.m., Judiciary Committee at 11 a.m. and Finance, Ways & Means Committee at 2 p.m. All times central.