The state Department of Revenue on Monday extended the deadlines for franchise and excise tax filing to May 22 for businesses located in counties that were designated federal disaster areas as a result of January’s winter storm Fern. Those include Davidson, Williamson, Wilson, Cheatham and more. Those affected will have additional time to file returns and make payments that were due beginning with Jan. 22. Due dates after May 22 will not be altered or extended. Read more in a press release or official notice from the department.

Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti on Monday sent a letter to Acting U.S. AG Todd Blanche, asking the Department of Justice (DOJ) to reconsider its proposed rule that any ethics complaints made against DOJ attorneys would be reviewed by the department before a state, territory or District of Columbia disciplinary investigation could occur. The letter reads, in part, "While the Proposed Rule responds to a real problem, it unconstitutionally infringes on the prerogatives of the state judiciary contrary to the Tenth Amendment and black-letter federal law," and that the proposal "risks eroding key structural components of our constitutional order by intruding on the States' authority to regulate the legal profession and Congress's choice to reinforce that traditional role for the States with respect to attorneys for the federal government." Read the letter here. In related news, the American Bar Association and a group of 20 attorneys general also filed comments opposing the rule. Reuters reports on the state group.

The Tennessee Supreme Court and the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) have issued a warning to Tennesseans about a text and email phishing scam that references an outstanding parking and/or toll violation and appears to be from the Tennessee Supreme Court. The message includes a link and/or QR code that leads to a fake website. “We want everyone know that these text messages and emails are not coming from the Tennessee Supreme Court,” said Chief Justice Jeff Bivins. “Please know that our state courts do not send text messages or emails out regarding past due tickets. This is a scam.” The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation recommends taking the following steps if you receive one of these scam messages: Ignore it. Do not respond to the message, click any links, or scan the QR code. Read more from the AOC on what to do if you receive such a message.

Tennessee licensed attorney and TBA member Thomas West, who resides in Kansas, has been pursuing a legal challenge to the state’s professional privilege tax since March 2023, but has decided to drop the effort after exhausting all avenues for state court appeals. His suit was first rejected by a three-judge panel constituted to hear challenges to state laws. West then appealed to the Tennessee Court of Appeals. That court considered the matter, hearing oral arguments in August 2025, but in December 2025 rejected the appeal. West then filed permission to appeal to the Tennessee Supreme Court, but in March, the court issued a per curiam order denying the motion. Due to the cost of appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court and recently discovering an amicus brief by the U.S. Solicitor General's office arguing that bar admissions fees do not violate the Interstate Commerce clause, West has decided not to pursue his claim further. The amicus brief, filed in American Trucking Associations v. Michigan Public Service Commission stated: "A bar admission fee, for example, confers a privilege that is more valuable to a lawyer who practices exclusively within one State than to an attorney who divides his time between several States … In its so-called ‘peddler" cases,’ [the Supreme] Court has repeatedly sustained, against Commerce Clause challenge, nondiscriminatory state licensing requirements (including flat fees) imposed as a condition of engaging in local business, even when the licensees were also engaged in interstate commerce."

Tipton County General Sessions Court Judge M. O. Eckel III on April 1 swore in the three founding members — Dondi O. Albritton, David Bitzer and J. Houston Gordon — of the county Veterans Court Board, a first-of-its-kind advisory body dedicated to serving veteran defendants in the community. According to a press release, rather than establishing a resource-intensive formal treatment court, Eckel designed an independent advisory board modeled after the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) framework. The board will review cases and provide fact-based advisory reports to the court, the district attorney and defense counsel, ensuring transparency and due process at every step. "Every veteran who stands before us deserves more than a one-size-fits-all approach to justice," Eckel says. This Board ensures that we will always have the expert, veteran-centered insight needed to reach the most informed decision possible for each of them." See photos from the event.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned Tennessee state lawmakers that ending Ballad Health’s state-approved hospital monopoly without immediate competition could raise health care costs. The legislation in question would end Ballad’s Certificate of Public Advantage (COPA) agreement in 2028, lifting restrictions on the 20-hospital chain in Tennessee and Virginia. A second bill would eliminate a law allowing hospitals to block competitors through a Certificate of Need (CON) process in 2030, the Tennessee Lookout reports. The FTC said the two-year gap could “undermine” the lawmakers’ goal of increasing competition. The monopoly, created in 2018, has faced scrutiny for failing to meet benchmarks on infection rates, mortality, emergency room wait times, and patient satisfaction. FTC officials said the proposed timeline could be the “worst possible outcome for patients” by limiting oversight while still restricting competition. Ballad Health officials said they will defer to lawmakers on future policy decisions.

The chief executive officer of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) will retire July 1, according to Knox News. Don Moul, who has served as CEO since April 9, 2025, notified the utility’s board of directors of his decision on April 3. Moul joined TVA in 2021 as chief operating officer and became its fourth CEO in April 2025 following the retirement of Jeff Lyash. He continued to serve as operations chief during his tenure, which is the shortest of any TVA CEO in modern history, according to the paper. Since his appointment, Moul has faced criticism from the Trump administration and Republican U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty about the utility’s leadership and the pace of its nuclear project development.

Mayor Freddie O’Connell on Friday announced the appointment of Stephanie Bradley as director of crime prevention and violence reduction for his office, according to the Nashville Banner newsletter. Bradley previously held multiple roles at Penn State University’s Evidence-based Prevention and Intervention Support Center and later founded a consulting firm focused on youth policy for government agencies and nonprofits. O’Connell made the announcement alongside Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake and Office of Family Safety Director Diane Lance, noting a continued decline in crime rates during the first quarter of the year. In her new role, Bradley will support the Community Safety Task Force, which is currently developing a community safety plan.

The Rutherford County Library Board voted last week to remove its top librarian after she refused to comply with a directive to move more than 100 LGBTQ-themed books from the children’s section to the adult section, according to WPLN. The board voted 8-3 to terminate director Luanne James with some board members arguing the material promotes “gender confusion.” James opposed the directive, saying the move would violate First Amendment protections and conflict with her professional responsibilities. The decision has drawn significant support for James. Nearly $84,000 has been raised to assist her, according to WSMV 4. A GoFundMe page created by a community member states the funds will go toward supporting her family’s basic living expenses. James also spoke about the situation in an interview with The Associated Press.

TBA’s Legislative Updates podcast is new this week with TBA lobbyists and attorneys Berkley Schwarz of Pier Strategies LLC and Brad Lampley of Adams & Reese. This week they discuss TBA's bills that are moving through the legislative process, including the extrajudicial adoptions bills HB1263/SB1238; real estate bills HB569/SB394, HB1970/SB1985 and HB1762/SB1707; adoption bill SB2165/HB2350; probate bill SB2184/HB2451; and family law bill SB2324/HB2429. Tune in on the TBA website or through this link. Attorneys interested in supporting the TBA’s lobbying efforts can contribute to LAWPAC.