Short on votes, House Republicans abruptly abandoned a bill today to address the immigration crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border after last minute maneuvering failed to lock down conservative support. The developments were a disappointment for many House Republicans who were eager to produce a legislative solution to the situation on the border. Today marked Congress' final day of action ahead of a five-week summer recess. WSMV has more from the Associated Press.

Bar exam takers in multiple states experienced delays and failures Tuesday when trying to upload their completed exams using ExamSoft software. Test takers reported staying up late trying to upload their exams multiple times, even as they faced a second day of exams today. One student even dubbed the situation “Barmageddon.” The software provider, ExamSoft Worldwide Inc., says delays were caused by a “processing issue.” State bars in all the affected states have extended their deadlines, the ABA Journal reports.

Even the most diligent voters can’t be expected to be fully informed about all of the candidates in the upcoming Aug. 7 state primary and county general election, David Waters of the Commercial Appeal writes. In Shelby County, there are 81 judicial candidates and an overstuffed ballot containing 259 names in a variety of federal, state and local contests. Instead of voting based of word of mouth or who has the most attractive yard sign, Waters advocates for merit selection in which a bipartisan panel of attorneys, judges, elected officials and citizens vet potential judges and give the governor a list of qualified candidates. Thirty-four states use merit selection to choose their local judges and it is how Tennessee chooses appellate and supreme court judges. “It doesn’t remove politics from the process,” Water concludes. “It does remove the court from the court of poorly informed public opinion.”

A membership survey of the Jackson-Madison County Bar Association showed almost 7 of 10 recommend or highly recommend the retention of Tennessee Supreme Court Justices Gary Wade, Cornelia Clark and Sharon Lee. Results of the survey also show that most members support Amendment 2, which would amend the Tennessee Constitution so that the governor would appoint Tennessee appellate court judges, subject to legislative confirmation, followed by retention elections.

The Tennessee Conservative Union yesterday announced its support for Tennessee Supreme Court Justices Gary Wade, Sharon Lee and Cornelia Clark in the upcoming retention election. TCU Chairman Lloyd Daugherty and Executive Director Kelvin Moxley cited the justices’ fidelity to the state and federal constitutions as sufficient reason to retain the three members of Tennessee’s highest court. Last week, the group announced its support for Chief Justice Wade but the statement said nothing about Justices Clark and Lee.

Davidson County court officers appear to be misapplying a new state law that was intended to cut down on frivolous arrest warrants by issuing summonses instead of warrants for domestic abuse suspects, a Tennessean editorial suggests. Domestic abusers are among criminals most likely to reoffend in a short amount of time, because of the level of anger involved, and the episodes only grow more violent and more deadly. Switching to summonses, for which there are no consequences if you choose to ignore them, may be the worst turn of events yet, the publication says.

A new organization opposed to retention of all appellate judges has sprouted in Smithville. In its roundup of campaign activity, Knoxblogs reports  that the Coalition to Let Voters Decide is urging a negative vote on retention of all 23 appellate court judges on the Aug. 7 ballot to “send a message to politicians” that the state should return to contested elections for all judges.

Two think tanks and a group of bipartisan politicians have separately stated that a national primary day is the cure for the polarized politics afflicting the country. According to Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow of governance studies at the left-leaning Brookings Institution, part of the answer to reversing polarization is getting more people to vote. Less than 50 percent of the population votes in presidential races, and it is even lower for congressional elections and primaries. A separate report released in late June by a group including three former senators and a former governor in conjunction with the think tank Bipartisan Policy Center also touted the benefit of a national primary day in order to reduce confusion across the country. The Commercial Appeal has more.

Advocates held the first in an expected series of public forums about starting a mental health court in Chattanooga Monday, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. G.A. Bennett, director of support services with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, told the gathering that a mental health court would save Hamilton County money, reduce rates of recidivism and show caring accountability toward people with mental illness. Nashville's mental health court reports a reduced recidivism rate, a cost saving of a $250,000 and 83 percent reduction in the number of jail days for people with mental health issues.

Incumbent Democrat District Attorney Mickey Layne and Republican challenger Craig Northcott sparred over the issues and Layne's record during a recent debate at the Manchester-Coffee County Conference Center. The Tullahoma News has more from the 14th Judicial District event.