Republican lawmakers are considering holding a special session in an effort to direct Attorney General Herbert Slatery to sue the federal government over the recently announced federal directive to public schools over transgender restrooms, The Tennessean reports. More than two dozen state lawmakers have contacted Slatery and Gov. Bill Haslam to express concern about the directive, according to another report from The Tennessean. 

The University of Tennessee College of Law has named Sarah Busse its new director of admissions and financial aid. Busse currently serves as the director of admissions programs and recruitment for Cornell University Law School, where she has been a member of the admissions team since 2004. She also serves on the National Recruitment Calendar Workgroup of the Law School Admissions Council.

Gov. Bill Haslam signed yesterday into law the “Campbell Falk Act” that establishes a ward’s right to visit and communicate with family and close friends. Previously, state law allowed a conservator to restrict visitation and communication with the ward without going to court, even when it involved communication or visits by a family member. Under the Republican-sponsored measure, a conservator cannot restrict communication unless specifically authorized by the court. The law is named in recognition of country artist Glen Campbell and actor Peter Falk, according to a news release from Senate Republican Caucus.

A WSMV investigation revealed the Tennessee Department of Correction allowed for 115 parolees to avoid taking mandated domestic violence classes and hundreds of other criminals are still not enrolled in the classes. A TDOC administrator said there was a backlog of parolees assigned to classes because there were not enough parole officers to teach them. The department later hired a private company to teach the classes, but sentences has already expired for the 115 parolees. 

Senior U.S. District Judge Leon Jordan today ruled that the Facebook messages and memes an East Tennessee man used to threaten a witness were an obstruction of social justice. The judge sentenced Daniel Ray Sands to 37 months in federal prison after Sands used social media to threaten a witness against his drug-trafficking father. Read more from the Knoxville News Sentinel. 

The Commercial Appeal reports Methodist University Hospital reached a settlement following allegations that the Memphis facility violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The announcement follows an investigation revealing that a hearing-impaired woman spent nine hours in the hospital’s emergency room without an interpreter. As part of the settlement, Methodist agreed to improve its communication procedures for people who are deaf or having hearing disabilities, and the hospital will pay $8,000 in damages to the person who filed the complaint. 

Pfizer announced last week that it will sell its drugs only to a select group of buyers who agree the drugs will not be resold for use in executions. The ABA Journal reports that following Pfizer’s announcement, there is no longer a company that makes execution drugs with Food and Drug Administration approval that allows the drugs to be used in lethal injections.

The Tennessee Supreme Court, which governs the appointment of guardians ad litem in child custody proceedings, has proposed amending Rule 40A(1)(a) regarding the definition of “custody proceedings.” The change will eliminate the phrase “and contested private guardianship cases” from the phrase’s definition. The court is accepting written comments regarding the proposed amendment. Comments must be received by July 15. 

“Excluding individuals with severe mental illness from the death penalty on a case-by-case basis is just smart policy,” Hannah Cox writes in an opinion editorial for The Tennessean. Cox, coordinator of Tennessee Alliance for the Severe Mental Illness Exclusion, argues that the current lack of treatment for mental illness has resulted in law enforcement becoming responsible for these individuals. She adds excluding the mentally ill from death row will allow resources to be redirected to mental health care and victims' compensation. 

Following a U.S. Department of Education memo offering to school districts guidance on transgender students, Gov. Bill Haslam today said he “disagree(s) with the heavy-handed approach the Obama administration is taking.” The news release from Haslam’s office also said the governor believes the emerging area of law will be settled by the courts. USA Today reports the federal government’s letter, issued Friday, was released in an effort to provide clarity on what the law requires regarding transgender students, bathroom policies and more.