Eight Republican senators are calling on Gov. Bill Lee to conduct an independent review of the failed execution attempt of death row inmate Tony Carruthers before the state carries out another death sentence. “We write as members of the Tennessee Senate who firmly support the death penalty, to express our serious concern over the failed execution of Tony Von Carruthers on May 21, 2026, and to call for full transparency and accountability from the Department of Correction,” the letter reads according to WPLN. The letter also asks Lee to correct any issues before the next execution on Aug. 13. The move comes after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called on Lee to pause all executions by lethal injection.

U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson has dismissed a class-action lawsuit challenging Section 1 of HB1704, which makes it a Class A misdemeanor for noncitizens to remain in Tennessee 90 days after a final removal order. Richardson dismissed the case without prejudice for lack of subject-matter jurisdiction, ruling that the plaintiffs did not have legal standing because they could not demonstrate that their removal orders were “valid” and “outstanding” as required by the law. The law went into effect July 1, according to the Tennessee Lookout.

Rep. Aftyn Behn, D-Nashville, has filed 14 federal civil rights complaints against the Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights, alleging widespread violations involving the treatment of children with disabilities and foster care practices across multiple Tennessee counties. WSMV reports that the complaints allege disability discrimination, retaliation against parents and foster parents who reported misconduct, falsified case records, improper removals of children, sexual assault in DCS-certified placements and national origin discrimination. Behn is requesting a federal investigation, a halt to active termination of parental rights proceedings, a compliance plan for children with disabilities, anti-retaliation protections and ongoing federal oversight. DCS did not commented on the filings according to the news station.

On the fourth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Tennessee lawmakers unveiled a new monument at the State Capitol honoring the unborn, News Channel 9 reports. The court's 2022 decision allowed states to set their own abortion laws and triggered Tennessee's Human Life Protection Act, which bans nearly all elective abortions in the state. The Tennessee Monument to Unborn Children is located on the southeast side of the Capitol grounds. Lawmakers said the monument recognizes unborn children whose lives ended through abortion and serves as a place for reflection and remembrance. The monument was approved by the General Assembly in 2018 and was funded entirely through private donations.

A new law banning the sale of most hemp-derived THCa products takes effect Wednesday, making it illegal to sell or ship products containing 0.3% or more THCa statewide, the Nashville Banner reports. The law effectively prohibits smokable hemp products such as flower and pre-rolls while allowing certain low-potency drinks, edibles and vape products to remain on the market under new regulations. The measure also transfers oversight of hemp products to the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission and imposes new taxes and packaging, labeling and advertising requirements. Industry leaders estimate retailers could lose about 60% of their revenue under the law. Some dispensaries plan to remain open with limited products while others have announced plans to relocate out of state.

Gov. Bill Lee has signed legislation expanding eligibility for interment in state veterans cemeteries to include more members of the reserve components of the Army National Guard and Air National Guard. According to the Greenville Sun, under the new law, individuals who served honorably in those components for at least eight cumulative years or who were called to service under state orders, regardless of length of service, will be eligible for burial at no cost. The law preserves eligibility for veterans who already qualify under federal standards and maintains federal requirements governing the eligibility of spouses and dependents. It also prohibits implementation in any way that would jeopardize federal funding for the construction, expansion or operation of state veterans cemeteries.

Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, has selected his second and final appointee to the state’s Memphis-Shelby County Schools takeover board, completing the body. The Daily Memphian reports that he named Karen Vogelsang, a former Memphis elementary school teacher and Tennessee Teacher of the Year, to the board. The first meeting of the new board is set for Thursday in Nashville. The city and the previous school board previously said they would sue over the takeover legislation.

State Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, and state Rep. Sam McKenzie, D-Knoxville, plan to work on changes to Tennessee's school book ban law after the local "Roots" controversy exposed problems in its application, Knox News reports. Briggs says he is concerned about the law causing confusion and wants to clarify how a local school board can step in. Tennessee's Age-Appropriate Materials Act in its current form does not outline who gets the final say, according to the paper. The legislators are reacting to a request from the Knox County Board of Education urging the state to look again at the law.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn are criticizing a proposed $735,000 allocation in Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell's fiscal year 2027 budget for the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), according to the Tennessean. In a social media post, Sexton said the Tennessee Comptroller's Office and the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference are reviewing the funding for compliance with state law while Blackburn is urging Nashville council members to reject the funding, describing TIRRC as a "pro-illegal alien nonprofit." TIRRC officials and the mayor's office are defending the allocation, noting the organization provides legal services and support for immigrants and refugees and has received city funding for years.

Knox County Board of Education members voted 5-4 on Friday to ask the Tennessee General Assembly to revise the state's Age-Appropriate Materials Act after the law led to the temporary removal of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "Roots" from school libraries, according to Tennessee Lookout. The resolution requests that lawmakers restore contextual review of challenged books, extend the review period from 60 to 90 days, and create age-specific standards for library materials. The action follows Knox County Schools Superintendent Jon Rysewyk's decision to reinstate "Roots" after determining legal experts disagree on how the law should be interpreted. The novel had been removed after a review committee found that a passage depicting the rape of an enslaved woman met the law's criteria for prohibited content.