The Tennessee Supreme Court has declined to rehear the challenge to Gov. Bill Lee’s school voucher program, the Tennessean reports. Metro Nashville and Shelby County governments petitioned the high court earlier this month to review its decision that the Education Savings Account was not in violation of the state’s “Home Rule Amendment.” In an order issued today, the Supreme Court said it had thoroughly reviewed the petition. "The Court previously considered the issues raised in the petition in the course of its resolution of the appeal," the order stated. "The petition, therefore, is respectfully denied." No word yet from the Governor’s Office or the Department of Education on when they will implement the program.

Former longtime editor of the Tennessee Bar Journal, Suzanne Craig Robertson, will be honored next week during the TBA Annual Convention for more than 30 years of service with the TBA. Robertson announced earlier this year that she would be leaving TBA in the spring after 34 years as editor. Join colleagues next Friday from 5 until 6 p.m. CDT for a reception at the Downtown Nashville Hilton as we toast to Suzanne’s good work.

Admission ceremonies for those who passed the February 2022 Tennessee Bar Exam continued today virtually and at an in-person ceremony in Memphis. TBA Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson virtually introduced several attorneys and Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Holly Kirby administered the oath of office. Additional virtual ceremonies will be held tomorrow.

The Tennessee Supreme Court Access to Justice Commission today announced it will launch the Tennessee Justice Bus on Wednesday at 10:15 a.m. CDT at the Embassy Suites in Franklin. Outfitted with computers, a printer, internet access and video displays, the Justice Bus is a mobile law office that brings technology to rural and disadvantaged communities. Lawyers and volunteers will be able to provide on-the-spot access to legal help and meet Tennesseans where they are. The goal of the Justice Bus project is to address the technology gap faced by many rural and disadvantaged citizens. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Page, Justice Jeff Bivins, Tennessee Alliance for Legal Services Executive Director Laura Brown and former Administrative Office of the Courts Director Deborah Taylor Tate are set to speak at the launch event.

A new documentary from Al Jazeera English’s “Fault Lines” will explore juvenile sentencing in Tennessee, which leads the U.S. in longest mandatory jail sentences for juveniles convicted of murder, the Tennessee Lookout reports. “51 Years Behind Bars” will highlight the case of Almeer Nance, who is serving a mandatory minimum 51 years in prison for an armed robbery in Knoxville that left a man dead in 1996, when Nance was 16 years old. The Tennessee Supreme Court is currently considering a challenge to the 51-year mandatory minimum sentence for juveniles convicted of murder. The 25-minute documentary is available on YouTube.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will now make the final decision on whether Robbie Starbuck will be allowed back onto the ballot in the 5th Congressional District Republican primary, the Tennessean reports. Davidson County Chancellor Russell Perkins ruled last week that the party’s private meeting to remove Starbuck from the ballot violated the state’s open meetings act. That decision was appealed by the Secretary of State’s office. The high court yesterday temporarily blocked Perkins’ ruling and gave Starbuck’s lawyers until this morning to file a response. The justices will conduct an expedited review of the case. In a previous lawsuit, the Secretary of State’s office said June 10 was the deadline to finalize ballots. Early voting starts July 15.

Congress will tonight begin its committee hearings on the events leading up to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, WPLN reports. Nearly 20 Tennesseans have been charged for their part in the insurrection against certifying the 2020 presidential election. Several are still awaiting sentencing. Most of those who have been sentenced are facing three years of probation after pleading to a misdemeanor. One man, Nicholas Brockhoff, who was seen spraying officers with a fire extinguisher before entering the Capitol through a broken window, has remained behind bars since May 2021. WPLN has the status of each Tennessean who has been charged.

The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday voted 223-204 to pass gun reform legislation following a rash of mass shootings across the country, including the recent elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, WPLN reports. The “Protecting Our Kids Act” raises the minimum age to purchase many semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21, establishes new restrictions on selling large-capacity ammunition magazines and compensates local governments for buyback programs among other reforms. Five Republicans crossed party lines and voted in favor of the bill. Tennessee’s two Democratic representatives voted for the bill and all seven of the state’s Republican representatives voted against it. The bill is not expected to pass the Senate, where a more modest reform measure is under discussion.

After a lengthy debate, the Shelby County Commission has voted to fund a new voting system for the November general election, the Associated Press reports. Commissioners voted 9-4 to approve $5.8 million for the new system, which will let voters choose between paper ballots marked by hand or updated digital touchscreen machines that produce a paper readout. The Election Commission has sued the county over the voting system issue, arguing the current system is down to three servers which might not survive the August election. County Commissioner Van Turner had argued it was too late to change the system before the next election. The machines will be purchased from Election Systems & Software, or ES&S.

The City of Franklin is seeking a city judge to render legal decisions and administer the city’s municipal court. The city judge will be able to continue to practice law and pursue other business interests to the extent permitted under the Code of Judicial Conduct. The judge will try all persons charged with violation of the ordinances of the city and shall have the power to levy fines, penalties, and forfeitures not exceeding $50, to administer oaths and to punish for contempt by fine and/or imprisonment in cases provided for in Title 29, Chapter 9 of the Tennessee Code Annotated. This is a four-year appointment that will be confirmed by ordinance of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. Court experience and a minimum of 10 year’s experience practicing law is preferred. The TBA’s JobLink page has details on how to apply. Check out the full list of job openings from JobLink.