The State Building Commission in August approved a $4,000 private donation to go toward the construction of the “memorial for unborn children” on the grounds of the state capitol. The monument was first proposed in 2018 and sponsored by Rep. Jerry Sexton, R-Bean Station, and Sen. Steve Southerland, R-Morristown. WKRN reports that Democrats had argued that the monument's construction would have serious implications for abortion and women, and that the memorial wasn’t necessary because there is already one honoring children who have died in Nashville’s Centennial Park.

Out-of-state PACs are pouring millions into Tennessee’s special congressional race in District 7, with most of the money spent attacking Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, for opposing school vouchers and a 2024 tax rebate plan. The School Freedom Fund, bankrolled solely by billionaire Jeff Yass, has spent over $500,000 against Barrett, though it hasn’t endorsed another candidate. Matt Van Epps, endorsed by retiring Republican Rep. Mark Green, has received more than $500,000 in outside PAC support. Much of that money can be traced to a PAC funded by the parents of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, WPLN reports. Other frontrunners, including Lee Reeves and state Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, have relied heavily on personal loans to their campaigns, while on the Democratic side, Darden Copeland and Rep. Bo Mitchell of Nashville lead fundraising, with state Rep. Vincent Dixie, D-Nashville, receiving some support from an out-of-state PAC. Early voting ends today; the primary election is Oct. 7.

The Justice Department (DOJ) has ordered all 93 U.S. attorney’s offices to prosecute adult sponsors of unaccompanied migrant children (UAC) for crimes such as trafficking, fraud and immigration violations, according to a memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Each district must appoint a coordinator, track cases and seek DOJ approval before declining prosecution, signaling a tougher enforcement push under the Trump administration. Bloomberg Law reports that the move follows Republican criticism of Biden-era policies that loosened vetting requirements, which they say increased risks of exploitation, though advocates argue stricter rules deter family members from stepping forward. The directive reflects Trump’s broader effort to overhaul the UAC program, with expanded vetting, renewed data-sharing between agencies and $300 million in new funding.

State Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, is accusing Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti of improperly revising and withdrawing a prior legal opinion, written by former AG Herbert Slatery, to allow Gov. Bill Lee to deploy National Guard troops to Memphis at President Donald Trump’s request. Yarbro argues the move violates both the U.S. and Tennessee constitutions, which prohibit military involvement in policing, and says it undermines the rule of law. Skrmetti defends the change, stating attorney general opinions are not binding and that the office withdraws opinions when it finds the state of the law has changed or the analysis was incorrect. Sen. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, contends the governor has clear authority over the Guard. Yarbro maintains state law authorizes changes or omissions only when the legislature passes new laws or a court makes a conflicting ruling, and warns that ignoring constitutional limits amounts to “tyranny.” Tennessee Lookout has the story.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday dismissed the NCAA's eligibility case against Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who is playing this season under a preliminary injunction. According to the Associated Press, the judges agreed with the dismissal for lack of jurisdiction in a quick ruling returned after hearing oral arguments Sept. 16 in Nashville. Judge Amul R. Thapar noted Pavia won the preliminary injunction before the NCAA hurt its appeal by granting a waiver in December to athletes in his position. The Tennessean also reports on the ruling.

The TBA will host a Court of Appeals Boot Camp on Oct. 8 in Nashville, offering lawyers the opportunity to observe oral arguments in real cases and hear analysis from participating attorneys on preparation and advocacy strategies. The program, designed to strengthen skills in both written and oral appellate advocacy, also will feature a networking lunch for participants. Speakers include Tennessee Court of Appeals Judges Andy Bennett, Frank Clement Jr., Neal McBrayer and Jeffrey Usman. The program will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CDT at the Tennessee Court of Appeals. For more information and to register, visit the TBA website.

Belmont University College of Law hosted its annual Law Review Symposium Sept. 19, highlighting emerging challenges in national security, data privacy, cybersecurity and constitutional law. This year’s theme was “Data, Power and Security: Contemporary Issues in National Security and the Law,” and the event featured sessions on executive orders, AI regulation, non-fungible tokens, vehicle-ramming attacks and cyber insurance. The student-run symposium offered students practical experience in organizing scholarly events while connecting them with practitioners and academics addressing fast-evolving legal and technological issues. “We started planning the symposium in the spring of 2025 ... There was so much valuable information being shared, and it was clear people were fully engaged with the topic and conversation,” said Executive Symposium Editor Kristi Jensen. Symposium presentations and discussions will be published in the second volume of the Belmont Law Review in the spring.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has set 2026 execution dates for four death row inmates, including Christa Pike, the state’s only woman on death row. According to the Tennessean, The court issued orders on Sept. 30 scheduling executions for Tony Carruthers on May 21, Anthony Darrell Dugard Hines on Aug. 13, Pike on Sept. 30 and Gary Wayne Sutton on Dec. 3. Carruthers was sentenced to death for the 1994 kidnapping, shooting and burying alive of three people in Memphis and has argued he is mentally ill and incompetent to be executed. Hines was sentenced for the 1985 rape, robbery and murder of a motel maid, and his case briefly reached the U.S. Supreme Court before being reversed. Pike was convicted for the 1995 torture killing of a fellow Knoxville Job Corps student and would be the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years; her attorneys cite her youth and severe mental illness as grounds to commute her sentence. Sutton was sentenced for the 1992 killings of a friend and the friend’s sister in Blount County; he maintains his innocence and supporters say he is intellectually disabled. Tennessee resumed executions earlier this year following a pause in 2022, and all four inmates continue to challenge their sentences on legal and mental health grounds.

Dueling proposals to end the federal government shutdown failed in the U.S. Senate today. While critical services such as mail delivery and Social Security and Medicare benefits continue, other federal operations have ground to a halt, sending the government into its 22nd shutdown since 1976. Starting today, federal workers nationwide are affected, including more than 32,000 Tennesseans, the Tennessean reports. The state is expected to see closures at national parks, including the Great Smoky Mountains and Manhattan Project sites, as well as local U.S. Department of Agriculture farm service centers. According to The Hill, federal courts may be forced to limit operations as soon as next week after funding lapses, potentially delaying trials and hearings across the country. Unlike past shutdowns, when courts were able to rely on fees and other resources to maintain functionality, ABC News reports that years of tighter budgets and rising costs make sustaining full operations much more difficult today.

U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman on Tuesday declined to dismiss key portions of the civil rights lawsuit filed by Tyré Nichols’ family and estate against the city of Memphis. Lipman ruled that the city’s motion to dismiss was denied in part, saying Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells, had shown enough evidence to argue that the actions of former Memphis police officers who beat Nichols in January 2023 could have stemmed from lax supervision and a corroded police culture, the Daily Memphian reports. Lipman also declined to dismiss Police Chief C.J. Davis from the suit and rejected the city's arguments of qualified immunity, but did dismiss three EMTs who responded to the scene on Jan. 7, 2023. Wells and her attorneys said they look forward to continuing the fight for accountability.