Several new state laws will take effect on July 1 that cover public safety, youth protections, health care, consumer rights and transportation, with several designed to address evolving concerns around substance abuse, road safety and emerging technologies. House Bill 995 expands Tennessee’s good Samaritan Law to offer legal immunity from certain alcohol-related misdemeanors — including underage drinking and public intoxication — for those who call 911 or assist someone in need. House Bill 72 imposes mandatory jail time and fines on anyone convicted of selling hemp-derived cannabinoid products — like THC gummies — to individuals under 21. Similarly, House Bill 751 increases penalties for exposing children to fentanyl, creating a felony offense for endangering a child in such a way. If the child is younger than 8 years old, the offense is upgraded to a Class B felony. The Tennessee Ledger looks at all the upcoming changes.

The Fourth Annual John Lewis Way March will be held July 19 beginning at 8 a.m. CDT at the corner of John Lewis Way and Jefferson Street in Nashville and end with a performance outside the National Museum of African American Music on Broadway. Evening activities will include a reception at 5 p.m., followed by a panel discussion. Visit the event website for more information.

Tennessee’s Flex Loan law, passed in 2014, has allowed high-interest lenders to trap borrowers in cycles of debt through repeated reborrowing, despite earlier state laws banning such practices for payday loans, a new report concludes. In a joint reporting project between Tennessee Lookout and ProPublica, borrowers described being encouraged through frequent emails and mailers to borrow back almost all of their loan payments, leading to ballooning debts and eventual lawsuits, even after paying far more than they initially borrowed. Critics argue the Flex Loan law’s structure enables predatory lending with interest rates effectively reaching over 279% while avoiding federal oversight. The reporting also found that despite complaints, regulatory responses have been minimal and lenders have continued aggressive collection tactics.

The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) has announced it will try Kilmar Abrego Garcia on federal human smuggling charges in Tennessee before pursuing deportation to a third country, not his native El Salvador, according to the Associated Press. Abrego Garcia's attorneys, concerned he could be swiftly deported before trial, have asked U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland to intervene and have him transferred there while awaiting court proceedings. Abrego Garcia — who has lived in Maryland for more than a decade, was deported to El Salvador in March and brought back to the states in June — has denied gang ties and pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee. Nashville-based U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes has ruled for his conditional release pending trial, but yesterday delayed release due to concerns that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would deport him before trial.

California legal scholar Eugene Volokh has filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging Tennessee’s law that limits public records access to state residents. After being denied court records by the Williamson County Archives due to his California residency, Volokh argues the restriction violates his rights under the First Amendment and the Privileges and Immunities Clause. His suit contends that court records are essential for his academic research and that denying access based on residency is an unjust barrier. Although the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a similar Virginia law, Volokh asserts his case is different because it involves constitutional, not merely statutory, rights. The Nashville Banner has the story.

K&L Gates recently announced Greg Parker as new managing partner of the firm's Nashville office, succeeding Lauren Patten. Parker earned his law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School. He focuses his practice on IP litigation and IP procurement and portfolio management. One of the lawyers who opened the firms's Nashville office, Parker told the Nashville Business Journal, "We're seeing most of these big national firms take a real close look at Nashville as a place where they want to compete and have a presence ... This is a booming market. I welcome that growth and welcome that competition."

Last week, Tennessee State University (TSU) reached an agreement with the state that allows the university to reallocate $96 million to support its operational needs over the next three years. Nashville Public Radio reports that the funds — which were previously allocated for deferred maintenance — make up a portion of the $250 million that the state allocated to TSU in April 2022 to make infrastructure upgrades and capital improvements. Interim President Dwayne Tucker thanked state officials for providing TSU with an opportunity for transformation, saying, “It not only provides crucial cash flow to ensure the university’s financial sustainability but also allows us to invest in enriching the student experience and strengthening our capacity to attract both students and qualified employees.” Last year, a state audit revealed that the school had mishandled millions of dollars in fiscal year 2023, and university leadership pledged to improve financial governance and staff training.

U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Amy St. Eve, chair of the Federal Judicial Conference’s Budget Committee, on Tuesday told a panel of the House Judiciary Committee that funds for the "Criminal Justice Act" (CJA) panel are set to expire on July 7 or 11, sooner than the conference's original estimate that funds could stretch until July 23. Bloomberg Law reports that the early expiration of funds will mean that CJA panel attorneys — who are appointed by courts to represent criminal defendants who can’t afford representation — will go nearly three months without pay for their work or reimbursement for case-related expenses. The delay also comes on top of a two-week prescheduled payment pause this month for unrelated systems updates.

A federal lawsuit has been filed challenging a new Tennessee law that criminalizes “harboring” undocumented immigrants. The Nashville Banner reports that the suit argues that the law, set to take effect July 1, is unconstitutionally vague, violates religious freedoms and infringes on federal immigration authority, potentially criminalizing landlords, families, churches and nonprofits for common acts of housing or helping undocumented people. Plaintiffs include the Southeastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a landlord and a legally present father with undocumented family members, all of whom say the law forces them to choose between their values and risking criminal prosecution. According to the Tennessee Lookout, the American Immigration Council, Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition and the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown University Law Center also have joined the suit, which is seeking class action status.

The Tennessee Supreme Court will hear an appeal of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) as it tries to protect its constitutional rights in a case connected to an inquiry by the SBC Credentials Committee. According to a press release from Baptist Press, Preston Garner, a longtime worship pastor and school music teacher, and his wife Kellie filed suit in 2023 against the SBC, Guidepost Solutions and others alleging defamation/libel and slander, defamation by implication, invasion of privacy and loss of consortium. The Garners claim the SBC defamed them in conversations after a confidential report was made to the SBC’s abuse hotline. The SBC argued in court that it was protected by the church autonomy doctrine, a First Amendment right which keeps courts from interfering in disputes within religious bodies that involve religious faith, doctrine or governance. Two lower courts have rejected that argument.