State Rep. Patsy Hazlewood, R-Signal Mountain, and Rep. Greg Vital, R-Harrison, co-sponsored an appropriation request in Gov. Bill Lee's $52.8 billion budget to secure $200,000 in state funding to support the McNabb Center. The Hamilton County Herald reports that the funds will allow the center to expand into Chattanooga and provide outpatient mental health services for military service members, veterans and their families in southeast Tennessee. “The McNabb Center provides vital mental health resources to those who have served our nation,” Hazlewood says. “This funding will ensure these potentially life-saving services are available to these heroes in Hamilton County.”

Tennessee state and local leaders recently gathered to honor retiring State Rep. Curtis Johnson, R-Clarksville. Johnson announced last year he would not seek re-election when his term in the Tennessee House of Representatives expires in November. Johnson has served as a state legislator since 2004, including a stint as deputy speaker. Among those attending the event were Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Treasurer David Lillard Jr. and Comptroller Jason Mumpower; Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden; Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts; and several fellow lawmakers. Main Street Clarksville has more on the story and photos from the event.

Rep. Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville, has asked Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti to issue a legal opinion on whether Donald Trump can be on the ballot in November following the former president’s conviction last week. Dixie argues that a state law barring those convicted of an “infamous crime” from running for office could apply in this case. WDEF has a copy of the letter. The Nashville Banner reports in its newsletter that the Secretary of State’s Office is dismissing the idea.

Gov. Bill Lee has signed SB2763, a preemption bill that blocks any local Tennessee municipality from passing its own version of an extreme risk protection order or "red flag" law, which could remove guns from individuals deemed a threat. The bill passed in the final days of session, a year after Lee failed to pressure lawmakers into a vote over his version of an extreme risk measure following the Covenant School shooting. The Tennessean has the story.

State Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Eads, asked Gov. Bill Lee to hire William Bratton, a former two-time New York Police Department commissioner known for his enforcement of petty crimes, to have him study Memphis’ crime problem. In a letter to the governor, Taylor described the city as a "warzone" with a diminishing quality of life, noting that businesses are closing and people are leaving because of the crime rates. The Daily Memphian reports that according to data released last week, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city lost 5,200 residents from 2022 to 2023. Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, said "Yes, we need to hold criminals accountable, but, more importantly, we need to break the cycle of violence with initiatives that prevent crime before it happens ... This isn’t rocket science. When people’s basic needs are being met and you target illegal guns, crime goes down."

Gov. Bill Lee has signed a bill eliminating two Shelby County judicial seats: Criminal Court Division 9 as of July 1, and Circuit Court Division 7 as of Sept. 1. Cases pending in those courts will transfer to the courts’ remaining judges, reports the Daily Memphian. Local attorneys, judges and the Memphis City Council all have voiced strong opposition to the move, saying it could cause backlogs in both courts, given the increased workload that the remaining judges will now have. Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said, “This is an acutely bad time right now to be taking away 10% of our judicial capacity for criminal cases in Shelby County. To simultaneously complain about the backlog and then take away 10% of our ability makes no sense to me.”

Gov. Bill Lee this week signed a bill into law which will increase penalties for those convicted of illegal street racing. WSMV reports that along with the increase in prison time from one year to six years, the new law raises the penalty from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony, accompanied by a fine of $3,000. The new law will take effect July 1.

Gov. Bill Lee has signed into a law a bill to ban juveniles found to have committed serious crimes from buying firearms until they turn 25, Tennessee Journal reports. The “juvenile prohibitor” measure sponsored by Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, and Sen. Paul Bailey, R-Sparta, cleared both chambers late last session with a bipartisan vote. Aggravated assault, cruelty to animals, robbery and threats of mass violence are among the crimes that would be included in the ban according to the Tennessean.

Those arrested for aggravated domestic violence in Tennessee will now have to wear a GPS monitoring device until their court date, WPLN reports. SB1972/HB2692, which passed with bipartisan support, requires that victims be notified if their abuser is within a certain distance. The measure is named for Marie Varsos and her mother Debbie Sisco, who were murdered in 2021 by Varsos’ husband. He had been arrested for strangling Varsos until she lost consciousness but was released and returned to the home to attack again. Family members believe that a law like this one could have saved the women.

State funding has been approved to add another circuit judge in the 4th Judicial District, which serves Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson and Sevier counties. WATE.com reports that the funding is included in the state budget. The funding was added to help reduce the caseload on the current six judges. “Public safety is one of our top priorities, and part of that is ensuring speedy trials and getting criminals off our streets. Another judge in the 4th judicial district will help expedite that process and ultimately make the community a safer place for everyone,” Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, said. The bill funding this new judge also reallocated another judgeship to the 19th Judicial District, which serves Montgomery and Robertson counties.