The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance on March 31 dismissed a complaint against Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, ruling that her use of federal campaign funds falls under Federal Election Commission (FEC) jurisdiction rather than state authority. The complaint, filed by Knoxville Republican Gary Loe, alleged Blackburn improperly used her U.S. Senate campaign account to fund her gubernatorial run. According to Knox News, state officials found she did not violate state law because her governor's campaign account was not yet open when the disputed spending occurred, and because Tennessee's ban on using federal funds for state purposes only applies to direct transfers between accounts. Blackburn, who announced her gubernatorial bid in August, is running in the Aug. 5 Republican primary against state Rep. Monty Fritts and U.S. Rep. John Rose.

Join the TBA Mentoring Committee and the TBA Young Lawyers Division for the May monthly mentoring meet up at a Nashville Sounds game! We have a block of tickets in the 4 Tops section on May 28, perfect for making connections in a relaxed setting. Tickets are only $20. Half the price, all the fun — thanks to the TBA covering the other half. All are welcome and guests are encouraged. Come connect, build relationships and enjoy the game with the mentoring community! See a flyer for more information and purchase tickets here. Tickets are limited. Learn more about the TBA Mentoring Committee on the TBA website.

The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) released the results of a member poll regarding judicial candidates in the May 5 primary. The survey included candidates for the offices of Knox County Criminal Court judge; Knox County General Sessions Court judge; Knox County Circuit, Civil Sessions and Juvenile Court clerk; and Knox County Criminal Court clerk. The KBA’s nonpartisan Judicial Committee oversaw the survey. Local attorneys — 363 in this case — anonymously rated candidates as strongly recommended, recommended, not recommended, strongly not recommended or no knowledge. Read more and view results here.

Nashville author Sheri Sellmeyer will be featured in the Tennessee State Museum's TN Writers | TN Stories series on April 11 to discuss her new book, "Nashville’s New Americans: Tracing the Journeys of Our Immigrant Neighbors." Through its profiles of 39 immigrants from 38 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Latin America and Australia, "Nashville’s New Americans" provides a case study from one of the fastest-growing cities in the country on the contributions immigrants are making to its culture and economy. Reserve a free ticket here. Sellmeyer is chair of the Family Reconciliation Center Board of Directors. The center is a nonprofit guest house that provides free lodging to people visiting incarcerated loved ones. She is married to Barry Kolar, who served as TBA's interim executive director and assistant executive director for many years.

The Tennessee Department of Revenue will host a free webinar for new businesses on April 8 at 8:30 a.m. CDT. Participants will learn about state tax obligations for new businesses in Tennessee, as well as other resources that may assist their businesses. Each new business webinar, offered quarterly, covers topics such as tax registration, sales and use tax, business tax, franchise and excise taxes, and how to get help from the department and other relevant state agencies. Register for Wednesday's webinar.

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.

U.S Rep. David Kustoff and U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn have introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at supporting rural and low-income area hospitals by adjusting the Medicare Area Wage Index, which affects payments based on local and national labor market wages, the Commercial Appeal reports in a round-up of recent news. The bill, cosponsored in the House by Democratic Rep. Terri Sewell of Alabama and in the Senate by Mark Warner of Virginia, seeks to address funding disparities that often leave rural hospitals competing for staff with higher-paying urban centers. “Access to health care should not depend on a person’s ZIP code,” Kustoff said, while Sewell noted the bill would help prevent hospital closures that force patients to travel farther for care, limit maternity services and reduce access to longtime doctors. The measure would allow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to better account for challenges facing hospitals in underserved communities according to the sponsors. Read more in a release from Blackburn's office.

East Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women (ETLAW) will host its annual Tennessee Supreme Court Luncheon on May 6 at 11:15 a.m. EDT at the Hilton Knoxville in downtown Knoxville. The event will feature lunch and programming, during which members of the Tennessee judiciary will be recognized. In addition, Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly M. Kirby, who served on the Tennessee Court of Appeals from 1995 to 2014 before joining the Supreme Court in 2014, will offer remarks reflecting on her decades of service. Kirby announced last fall she would retire on June 30 of this year.