Lt. Gov. Randy McNally announced on the floor of the state Senate that he would not seek reelection later this year, ending a nearly five-decade career in the legislature. According to the Nashville Banner, the Oak Ridge Republican was first elected to the House in 1978 and to the Senate in 1986. He succeeded Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey in the top job in 2017. McNally, who is 82 years old, cited health considerations for his decision.

SCOTUSblog founder and appellate attorney Tom Goldstein has been found guilty on 12 of 16 counts of tax crimes and mortgage fraud, Bloomberg Law reports. During the trial, Goldstein denied that he ever willfully cheated on his taxes, blaming any errors on his returns on his staff and outside accountants. The jury phase of the trial is not over yet. Goldstein has asked the jury to decide whether he must forfeit his Washington, D.C., home. In a separate article, the news source looks at the potential grounds for appealing the verdict.

The federal judiciary is urging Congress to shift courthouse management away from the executive branch, citing mounting risks and longstanding neglect, according to Reuters. The judiciary argues urgent action is needed to address critical system failures, underfunded repairs, security concerns and worsening costs. Judicial leaders say courthouses are in “crisis,” pointing to an $8.3 billion repair backlog and decades of inadequate oversight by the General Services Administration (GSA). Lawmakers reportedly are working on legislation to gradually transfer control of courthouse facilities from the GSA to the judiciary, starting with up to 10 districts.

The American Bar Association (ABA) reportedly is in settlement talks with the American Alliance for Equal Rights over settling the group’s lawsuit challenging ABA law school scholarships. In a recent court filing, the parties asked for more time to engage in settlement discussions, according to Bloomberg News. The alliance sued the ABA in April 2025, alleging its Legal Opportunity Scholarship violates civil rights law. The scholarship offers $15,000 to about 25 first-year law students. Last year, the ABA widened eligibility to students who “have demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.” That change reversed the previous guidelines, which limited applications to students who were members of underrepresented racial or ethnic minority groups.

The Tennessee Attorney General's (AG) Office plans to settle a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union-Tennessee (ACLU), which challenged a state law penalizing local officials who support sanctuary city policies. According to WPLN, the state concedes it cannot support the law’s constitutionality, saying it “infringes[s] on principles of legislative immunity and independence.” It thus has agreed not to enforce the law. Last year, the AG's office said it was open to a settlement. In a recent statement to the news outlet, AG Jonathan Skrmetti said: “Sanctuary policies remain illegal in Tennessee, but city and county officials cannot be imprisoned for voting for such policies. As a result, we agreed that dismissal of this case was the appropriate outcome.” According to Tennessee Lookout, the settlement must be approved by the courts before it takes effect. Read more from the ACLU.

The state’s AI Council met for the first time this year as members began setting a “roadmap” to transition from planning to implementation, the Tennessee Journal reports. At its last meeting in November, the council approved recommendations for the governor in areas including workforce development, education and government operations. “Since the report was issued in November, which was a great milestone for this council, we're moving from vision-setting to really operationalizing,” said Finance Commissioner Jim Bryson.

Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, is calling for a federal investigation into the Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS). According to The Tennessean, the move comes "after months of independent research, review of federal oversight records, and conversations with impacted families and whistleblowers." In a news release, Behn called for the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division to investigate, saying DCS failed to comply with key federal requirements and create stability for children in its custody. Behn also alleges issues of segregation that affect children with disabilities. The agency has faced scrutiny after records showed hundreds of children slept in DCS offices in 2024 and 2025. A recent audit found persistent safety and oversight gaps. A DCS spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. DCS Commissioner Margie Quin is scheduled to appear before a House committee this week.

Two nonprofits are suing the city of Memphis, alleging it unlawfully denied access to Memphis Police Department (MPD) records. According to the Daily Memphian, Stand for Children Tennessee and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have filed suit after the city declined to provide records related to the 2024 U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) civil rights investigation into the department. The groups are seeking use-of-force reports and field investigation memos to determine whether MPD addressed concerns outlined by the DOJ. Their public records request was filed in May 2025. The investigative findings, published under former President Joe Biden’s administration, cited concerns about MPD’s treatment of Black residents, people with disabilities and children. After President Donald Trump took office, negotiations over remedies ended and the findings were rescinded.

Gov. Bill Lee signed SB16 into law this week, allowing Tennessee high school athletes to gain immediate eligibility after one transfer beginning July 1. The law expands eligibility for student-athletes in grades 6-8 and 9-12 who transfer schools for the first time during the summer without making a bona fide change of address, provided other requirements are met, Knox News reports. The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, which governs high school sports in the state, worked with bill sponsors on the legislation and is expected to present bylaw revisions to its Legislative Council in April to comply with the new law. Traditionally, many state athletic associations have denied immediate eligibility to transferring student-athletes unless they moved into a new school district, though some states, including Tennessee, are shifting to one-time transfer policies.

The family of Conor Dolin, a teen killed in a December 2022 single-vehicle crash in South Knox County, filed a lawsuit this week in Knox County Circuit Court accusing the Knox County Sheriff’s Office of negligence. The suit seeks $10 million in damages from the family of the unlicensed 15-year-old driver and an undisclosed amount from the county. According to Knox News, the lawsuit alleges the sheriff’s office lost the initial investigative file, deleted body camera footage, failed to conduct a crash reconstruction and did not complete key interviews, which contributed to the district attorney declining to bring charges. The driver's family also is accused of wrongful death, negligent supervision and creating a GoFundMe using Dolin's name and likeness without permission. Dolin's family argues the statute of limitations should begin in April 2025, when they say they first learned the driver was unlicensed and had a history of reckless driving.