Main Street Clarksville reports that state legislators are considering changes to the third grade retention law that will take effect next year, mulling new learning support for early grades and a minimum age to begin kindergarten. Based on last year’s test results, 73% of Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) third graders could face retention — just 27.4% of MNPS third graders met or exceeded proficiency requirements on tests last spring. MNPS was the last school district in the state to reopen for in-person learning in 2021. Lawmakers passed the third grade retention law during a special education-focused legislative session in 2021. It requires third graders who fail to “meet” or “exceed expectations” on the spring TCAP test to repeat the grade. Students can avoid retention by attending summer school or tutoring programs. English language learners and those who have already been held back a grade are not impacted.

The Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking (CCAHT) says between 90% and 95% of human trafficking victims will find themselves in the criminal justice system at some point, according to WBIR in Knoxville. CCAHT launched a program with the Bledsoe County Correctional Facility last year to “provide individual support and group services to women who are incarcerated, who have a history of trafficking or exploitation,” says Executive Director Kate Trudell. A new law goes into effect on Jan. 1 that will require training in departments such as the Tennessee Department of Corrections, the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the Department of Human Services to include ways to identify, intervene, prevent and help survivors of human trafficking. CCAHT helped push for the law.

The American Lawyers Alliance is continuing its support of public education and citizenship awareness by recognizing the vital role that teachers play in law-related education. Since 1985 it has sponsored law-related education Teacher of the Year awards. The Lillian B Jarvis Award of $3,000 is given to a teacher in a Title I school who may not have the resources that many other teachers have. Applications are due March 15, the awards will be announced in May and the presentations will be made at the ALA Annual Meeting in August.

Tennessee is trending opposite of the national rise of women serving in state legislatures. WPLN reports that there will be 2,376 women serving in state legislatures across the U.S. in 2023. That’s slightly above last year’s number, which set a record. A year ago 23 of the 132 members of the Tennessee General Assembly were women, and in the upcoming session there will be 19, which is the lowest amount since the 1998. Nationwide, close to 32% of state legislators are women, but in Tennessee only 14% of the General Assembly are women.

The Tennessean reports that the Tennessee Department of Corrections failed to follow its own lethal injection protocol since it was introduced in 2018, according to the findings of an independent probe into the state's execution procedures released Wednesday. The probe, led by former U.S. Attorney Edward Stanton, found that the three drugs used in Tennessee's lethal injection protocol were not properly tested for endotoxins, a type of contaminant. This oversight was caused in part by a lack of communication: DOC never gave its lethal injection protocol to the Texas pharmacy contracted to oversee the procurement and testing of the deadly drugs, the probe found. Gov. Bill Lee tapped Stanton to lead the investigation into the state's lethal injection protocols in May, following a failure to properly test the lethal drugs the state planned to use to kill Oscar Franklin Smith.

Scammers often pose as legitimate businesses to try to get money from people, but there are often red flags that can warn you of a scam. The Florida Bar tells of Ronald Austin, who is licensed in both Florida and Georgia and received what appeared to be a legitimate request for legal services. When Austin investigated further, several small things — like minor misspellings in the email and an unreasonable end date to the proposed project — raised questions for him regarding the legitimacy of the request, which he ultimately refused. Read the full story here.

Alcoholic beverage law in Tennessee can be confusing, and not always clear when it comes to how to obtain a liquor license. This session focuses on an overview of licensing rules and regulations, as well as interactions among the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, the Tennessee Department of Revenue and local governments. Tabatha Blackwell, assistant director of the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission, will be the featured speaker. Earn one general credit hour in this online CLE.

The U.S. Senate confirmed all six of President Biden’s nominees to the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Board of Directors on Wednesday, as lawmakers sought to finalize a flurry of legislation and appointments before the holidays. WPLN reports that the TVA Board is supposed to have nine, president-appointed members at all times. But, for nearly two years, the board has been short-staffed with only members appointed by former President Trump. That’s even though three of these new members were first nominated by Biden in April 2021. The Board acts as the federal utility’s main check on power, unlike private utilities that answer to a state public utility commission.

The Manchester Times reports that the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference (TNDAGC) announced a partnership with The Jason Foundation, Inc. (JFI) to further their mission of suicide prevention within the state. The Jason Foundation, headquartered in Hendersonville, is a nationally recognized leader in suicide awareness and prevention. This new partnership will allow for the information, tools and resources provided by The Jason Foundation to reach even more communities throughout Tennessee. Together, the two groups will work with state agencies and other non-profits to raise awareness and provide additional resources to Tennesseans.

More than a dozen laws will go into effect on Jan. 1, WKRN reports. Laws related to medical records, subscription service cancellations, early retirement for emergency communications personnel and mail-order pharmaceuticals are among some of the new laws that will be enforced starting in 2023. The most notable law taking effect in January is “Dallas’s Law,” named for Dallas “DJ” Barrett, who died after a fight with security guards at Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row on Aug. 16, 2021. The law revises the required training necessary for someone working as a security guard/officer, adding de-escalation techniques, safe restraint techniques and emergency first aid/CPR training. Prior to the law’s passage, those hired as security guards by a “proprietary security organization” were exempt from those certain training requirements; now all those hired as security guards in Tennessee will be required to show proof of that training. Read summaries of the other laws taking effect.