Disability advocates are raising concerns about state leaders considering the rejection of $1.8 billion a year in federal education funding. The Tennessean reports that funding, designated through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), protects the education rights of more than 135,000 Tennessee children with a disability. Federal education funding also supports Title I and other federal programs for low-income students and school lunch programs. Read more about the developing issue from the paper.

A push to crack down on juvenile crime in Shelby County is creating a dispute between District Attorney Steve Mulroy and Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, WREG reports. According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, juvenile crime in the state has gone down in the last decade, but in Memphis, the results are mixed. The Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission says serious juvenile charges are down 8.3% this year, but overall, juvenile charges are up nearly 31%. Sexton is calling on Mulroy to do more. WATE reports that Sexton even floated the idea of impeachment when reporters asked him about the possibility last week, though he acknowledged it would be a high bar given the discretion attorneys general have in deciding prosecutorial priorities.

The panel considering if Tennessee should walk away from federal education funding for K-12 schools has set its meeting schedule for November. The Federal Education Funding Working Group will meet Nov. 6, 7, 8, 14 and 15. Panel co-chair Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, tells Chalkbeat that, "There is no predetermined outcome for this working group, or for what the information we gather is going to show. We want to look at what federal education money we get, where it goes, what we're required to do to get those funds, and ultimately what's the return on the investment."

Lt. Governor Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville released a proclamation yesterday condemning the invasion of Israel by the terrorist group known as Hamas, reports the Chattanoogan. “The invasion of Israel by Hamas was illegal, immoral and unconscionable,” said McNally, who referred to Israel as “our greatest ally and the only true democracy in the Middle East … It was an act of war.” The speakers issued the proclamation on behalf of the members of the House and the Senate. In related news, Gov. Bill Lee announced Monday that flags would fly at half-staff for the rest of the week to honor those who have died in the conflict. WBIR has that report.

State Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, is suing House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and others, claiming they violated his free speech rights by expelling and disciplining him for speaking without permission in favor of gun reform, the Daily Memphian reports. Jones is asking the U.S. District Court for Middle Tennessee to issue an injunction preventing Sexton from censoring him and from passing similar rules packages in the future.

As Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell continues his first week in office, Republican state leaders say they are ready to turn the page on the state's relationship with its capital city. Gov. Bill Lee told reporters last week that he looks forward to working with O'Connell. Lee also said he spoke with O’Connell on election night and again since, and is working to schedule a more formal meeting. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, also said he looks forward to bolstering the state’s relationship with Nashville — even though the city and state may not always see eye-to-eye. "We've had conversations and we plan on having ongoing conversations and building the relationship," Sexton said. The Tennessean has more on the story.

Senate Speaker and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally confirmed to the Tennessee Lookout that he plans to run for re-election to the post in 2024. The Oak Ridge Republican, however, did not guarantee he would seek another term representing District 5, which contains Anderson and Loudon counties and a portion of Knox County. Some had expected McNally not to run for the leadership position again after facing down a no-confidence vote earlier this year. Leadership changes are being made by the House Democratic Caucus as Rep. Torrey Harris, D-Memphis, and Rep. Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville, have been elevated to floor leader and treasurer, respectively. Harris replaces the late Bill Beck of Nashville, and Glynn takes the spot of Rep. Gloria Johnson, who left her post to focus on a U.S. Senate campaign.

In filings released earlier this week, the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance found that from Jan. 1 to June 30, groups spent a combined $35 million on lobbying activity this year, a 66% rise since 2013 and nearly $4 million more than in 2022, reports Tennessee Lookout. The Tennessee Medical Association led spending during the filing period, paying out $330,322 to sway lawmakers. Their primary focus was a bill to address Tennessee abortion law, which initially didn’t provide doctors with exemptions to save the life of a mother. Republican lawmakers passed a narrow exemption bill. The Center for Individual Freedom, the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association, the Tennessee Hospital Association and the Tennessee Health Care Association rounded out the top five.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Senate Speaker Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, have announced the formation of a working group to examine the possibility of the state rejecting billions of dollars in federal education funding. Rep. Debra Moody, R-Covington, and Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, will lead the group. House members include Reps. Ronnie Glynn, D-Clarksville, Timothy Hill, R-Blountville, John Reagan, R-Oak Ridge, and William Slater, R-Gallatin. Senators joining the group are Raumesh Akbar, D-Memphis, Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, Bill Powers, R-Clarksville, and Dawn White, R-Murfreesboro. The state receives $1.8 billion annually from the federal government for K-12 education, the Tennessean reports.

A General Assembly subcommittee this week recommended extending the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth for another four years, just months after an effort to dissolve the commission failed, the Tennessean reports. The Joint Government Operations Subcommittee voted on the recommendation on Tuesday, opting to extend the commission, which focuses on child welfare and oversight of the Department of Children's Services. Republican leaders backed off of a bill to dissolve the commission after pushback from stakeholders in the child advocacy community, according to the paper.