A legislative panel considering rejecting federal school funds for Tennessee concluded two weeks of meetings yesterday, the Tennessean reports. The Joint Working Group on Federal Education Funding heard testimony from representatives of conservative groups who highlighted the advantages of rejecting federal funds. Over the last two weeks, lawmakers also heard from state fiscal analysts and researchers, national education policy experts, representatives from schools and school districts, and officials from the Tennessee Department of Education. It will resume hearings after Thanksgiving and will prepare policy recommendations for the General Assembly when it convenes in January.

State Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, told a forum for Black journalists at Howard University on Tuesday that a “lack of democracy is what brought attention to Tennessee," according to the Commercial Appeal. Jones, known for his activism, highlighted his strategy behind demonstrating in the House chamber. “What we're not talking about is the movement to ban assault weapons that are terrorizing ... our schools” said Jones. The forum was sponsored by the Center for Journalism and Democracy.

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally is refuting criticism that the Tennessee Senate failed to consider a bill that could have prevented the recent death of a Belmont University student last week in Nashville, reports the Tennessean. Jillian Ludwig was killed by a stray bullet while walking in a park a mile from campus. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, criticized the Senate for declining to consider a bill that he said could have required the suspect charged with Ludwig’s death to be involuntarily committed in an earlier case. Shaquille Taylor, who is now facing multiple charges, had previously been prosecuted for aggravated assault and found incompetent to stand trial. Sexton was co-writing a bill during the special session that would have required individuals to be involuntarily committed to a mental institution if they were found to pose an “imminent” likelihood of serious harm. The bill was set to be considered on the House floor when the session was abruptly adjourned.

After a public reprimand from the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct for failing to abide by the terms of an earlier suspension order, Shelby County Criminal Court Division 9 Judge Melissa Boyd has admitted to possessing and using illegal drugs since her August 2022 election. The Daily Memphian reports that information was revealed in a letter from the board officially referring Boyd to the Tennessee General Assembly for “further action,” including potential removal. The letter acknowledges the seriousness of referring Boyd to the General Assembly, the only body that has the power to remove a sitting judge. State law requires the board to notify the General Assembly after a judge has received a second public reprimand while on the bench. Boyd received a reprimand in May and again in October of this year.

Most of Metro Nashville's chosen members reacquainted themselves with the Nashville Airport Authority at a special-called meeting on Monday, according to the Nashville Business Journal. The locally appointed board was reinstated by the courts at the end of October. Members, under the leadership of Nashville attorney Joycelyn Stevenson, re-examined nearly 20 votes that the state board took during its four months in power but did not make any final decisions to ratify or undo any of them. The board will meet again on Nov. 15 for its regularly scheduled meeting. Stevenson, former executive director at the Tennessee Bar Association, is managing shareholder for the Nashville office of Littler Mendelson.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Education declined to participate in a meeting of a state legislative working group tasked with determining whether Tennessee can reject federal education funding and replace it with state dollars, the Tennessean reports. According to the news source, federal education officials were scheduled to testify before the working group this morning, but did not attend. “The Federal Department of Education has informed us they are unable to attend our task force meeting. They can only offer ... ‘technical assistance’ to the committee, and they have stated that if members wish to submit questions, they will do their best to get them answered,” working group co-chair Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, told panel members at a hearing today.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security has awarded 19 grants statewide this year to improve security at religious institutions, including four recent grants for Jewish centers in Knoxville, WBIR reports. The funds are part of a $750,000 budget appropriation for the Houses of Worship Security Grant Program. Applicants are required to demonstrate the threat and vulnerability to their organization as well as how funding would address gaps and deficiencies in current programs and capabilities. The move comes as a number of governors are calling on Congress to increase funding for security at places of worship, the Associated Press reports. The governors say the funding is needed to address growing concerns about the safety of Jewish and Muslim communities amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

A legislative study committee kicked off a series of hearings this week designed to examine the feasibility of rejecting federal money for education, the Nashville Banner reports. The Joint Working Group on Federal Education Funding will hold five sessions over the next week and a half to hear from seven panels. The first presentation was from the Office of Research and Education Accountability, which focused on the federal funding formula that determines how much education aid each county in the state receives. Today, lawmakers were set to hear from The Sycamore Institute and local education leaders from across the state. Tennessee Lookout has the full schedule.

Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, says she plans to propose a law that would eliminate a tax on groceries and replace it with taxes on corporations. Tennessee's grocery tax holiday ended Oct. 31. WSMV reports that Behn says she is “calling on corporations to pay their fair share of taxes in order to abolish the grocery tax. I would challenge the Republicans across the aisle to join me in fighting to abolish it because it hurts their working-class families as well.” Tennessee is one of 13 states that has a tax on groceries.

Tennessee's Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee chairman has warned against rejecting federal K-12 education funds, arguing that doing so would send Tennessee taxpayer money elsewhere. While he supports a thorough review of federal requirements tied to education funds, Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, stresses that these federal dollars are, in fact, taxpayer funds from Tennessee. The Tennessee Lookout reports that a group of House and Senate members is set to study federal education funding, examining the mandates and the possibility of recommending their rejection. Federal funds account for more than a third of Tennessee's budget, making this a significant issue for the state.