Tennessee is now the first state to offer a published animal abuse registry, The Williamson Source reports. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation opened the list on its website Jan. 1. First time offenders’ names will appear on the TBI list for two years after conviction. People convicted before Jan. 1 are not listed on the website.

State auditors and top Human Resources Department officials are sparring over the application of Gov. Bill Haslam's new merit-pay system, The Times Free Press reports. The system replaced across-the-board pay raises for 40,000-plus executive-branch employees. Auditors question if managers and supervisors were adequately trained to deliver objective evaluations. "We feel very confident that our learning initiatives are competent and effective," Human Resources Commissioner Rebecca Hunter said during hearing on the audit in December.

A report issued by the Second Look Commission illuminated what it calls “missed opportunities” for Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services to protect victims of repeat child abuse. Among its suggestions, the report called for better enforcement of court orders that result in “kinship placements,” in which children are removed from dangerous homes and allowed to stay with relatives. Read more from Nashville Public Radio.

An editorial in The Knoxville News Sentinel calls for officials to honor former U.S. Supreme Court Edward Terry Sanford by naming public buildings after the Knoxville native. The University of Tennessee graduate was appointed by President Warren G. Harding in 1923 to serve as Associate Justice on the Supreme Court. He held the position until his death in 1930. The editorial asserts the University of Tennessee College of Law, the state Supreme Court building in Knoxville or the Knox County-owned East Tennessee History Center "would be logical choices to bear Sanford's name."

In his annual end-year report on the state of the judiciary, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. urged trial judges to manage cases more efficiently. Roberts also suggested that lawyers avoid “antagonistic tactics, wasteful procedural maneuvers, and teetering brinkmanship.” His report comes on the heels of the adoption last month of major changes to the rules governing civil litigation in the federal courts. The rules limit the pretrial exchange of information.

Tennessee Bar Association Public Service Awards

Each year the Tennessee Bar Association recognizes outstanding service by attorneys and law students who have dedicated their time to helping others. The awards given are the Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year, the Ashley T. Wiltshire Public Service Attorney of the Year and the Law Student Volunteer of the Year. Read the stories of those recognized here.

The TBA will be closed on Friday for New Years Day. The office will reopen on Monday at 8 a.m.

President Barack Obama is expected to announce executive action on guns soon with the goal of increasing background checks, CNN reports. Following deadly shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and an Oregon community college, NPR reports Obama has become increasingly frustrated by his inability to pass gun safety legislation. "The president has made clear he's not satisfied with where we are and expects that work to be completed soon," said White House spokesman Eric Schultz.

Memphis mayor-elect Jim Strickland says city government financial problems are behind his decision to eliminate the Memphis and Shelby County Music Commission when he takes office tomorrow. “…We must fund core, basic services, and we do that two ways — cuts in the budget or a tax increase, and I prefer cuts,” Strickland said. He added there was no evidence the commission was performing services worth a quarter-million dollars per year. Read more from The Commercial Appeal.

The Huffington Post reviews criminal justice reform in 2015 – an issue expected to continue as a significant topic in the presidential campaign. Policing reform, state reform and President Obama’s actions are among steps detailed.