Tennessee lawmakers are calling for a special legislative session to address a lack of federal funding as the federal shutdown enters its 23rd day. With around 690,000 Tennesseans poised to lose Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other benefits if the shutdown continues into November, lawmakers are asking Gov. Bill Lee to intervene, according to the Nashville Banner newsletter. “Standing idly by while children go hungry is simply not an option. The time to act is now,” Caucus Chair Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, said in a release Thursday. In the statement, the caucus noted that the governor has called numerous special sessions in his two terms, including earlier this year to approve storm relief for approximately 10,000 people impacted by Hurricane Helene in East Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health and Human Services warned earlier this week that funding for programs like SNAP will not be available next month if the shutdown continues into November. 

Former State Rep. Brandon Ogles announced his campaign for Williamson County mayor, pledging to stand up for local residents against unchecked growth, overdevelopment and state funding, the Williamson Herald reports. Ogles, a Franklin native and former state lawmaker, highlighted his work on school safety legislation during his time in the General Assembly, including efforts to fund school resource officers and threat-assessment teams statewide. A former reserve deputy with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, Ogles said he hopes to bring his experience in public safety and fiscal policy to county government.

The TBA Young Lawyers Division and Belmont Law are looking for attorney volunteers for their wills clinic at the Belmont Ministry Center on Nov. 8 from 10 a.m 12:30 pm. CDT. Attorneys will assist with the drafting of simple wills, durable POA and healthcare POA using the Gavel platform. Please email ginny.blake@belmont.edu if you are interested or would like more information.

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, joined by attorneys general from 24 other states, filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on today urging the court to clarify that the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause does not guarantee automatic citizenship to everyone born in the United States. The states argue that lower courts have misinterpreted the clause to require automatic citizenship for anyone born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents’ residency or immigration status. “The idea that citizenship is guaranteed to everyone born in the United States doesn’t square with the plain language of the 14th Amendment or the way many government officials and legal analysts understood the law when it was adopted after the Civil War,” Skrmetti said in a press release.

Former state Rep. Robin Smith on Friday morning was sentenced to serve eight months in federal prison and a $7,500 fine for her leading part in what was termed "a lengthy conspiracy to cheat the state," The Chattanoogan reports. Smith, a former Republican lawmaker from Hixson, pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud in connection with a kickback scheme involving former House Speaker Glen Casada and his top aide, Cade Cothren. Prosecutors said the group used a fake company, Phoenix Solutions, to profit from state-funded mailer contracts. Smith, who testified against her co-defendants, will be on probation for a year after the sentence is served and is scheduled to report to prison Jan. 5.

The TBA will host its 2025 Environmental Law Forum on Dec. 5 in Nashville. The annual program, a staple for Tennessee lawyers and environmental professionals, will run from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CST and include lunch. Attendees can expect timely updates on issues affecting the practice area, with discounted registration available for section members. Stay tuned for more information on the TBA website.

HELENE N. WHITE, Circuit Judge. Defendant-Appellant Davon Tooley appeals his sentence for possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, arguing that the district court incorrectly counted his prior Kentucky conviction for second-degree manslaughter as a crime of violence under the Sentencing Guidelines. We agree, VACATE Tooley’s sentence, and REMAND for resentencing.

NALBANDIAN, Circuit Judge. Alexandria Parrotta sued her employer, the Island Resort and Casino, for allegedly forcing her to resign rather than accommodating her needs as a new mother. But it turns out that the Casino is owned and operated by the Hannahville Indian Community, a federally recognized Indian tribe. So the district court dismissed Parrotta’s claims, holding them to be barred by the tribe’s sovereign immunity from suit. We agree, so we affirm.

The Defendant, Leon Noel, pled guilty to several offenses over a period of years, and the trial court suspended each of his sentences to probation. In 2024, the State alleged that he violated a special condition requiring inpatient drug treatment. Following a revocation hearing, the trial court found a violation on that basis and ordered him to serve the balance of each of his sentences in confinement. On appeal, the Defendant contends that his conduct amounted only to a technical violation and that the trial court erred in revoking all of his suspended sentence. Upon our review, we conclude that the record does not establish whether the treatment condition applied to the suspended sentences in four of the cases, and we remand those cases for additional findings. As to the remaining case, which includes suspended felony and misdemeanor sentences, we hold that the violation constituted a first instance of a technical violation. The trial court, therefore, lacked authority to revoke the suspended felony sentence, but the revocation of the suspended misdemeanor sentence was within its discretion. We accordingly affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand for further proceedings.

Davidson County lawyer James Broderick Johnson was reinstated to the practice of law on Oct. 22. He had been suspended by the Tennessee Supreme Court on Sept. 19 for three months with 30 days to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation. The court conditioned reinstatement on completion of an additional six hours of continuing legal education on subjects related to client relations, the management of a law practice and/or Rules of Professional Conduct regarding the board’s disciplinary actions. Johnson filed a petition for reinstatement on Oct. 9. The Board of Professional Responsibility found it to be satisfactory.