A new state law requiring licenses to be obtained to supply or sell hemp-derived products like delta 8 has been delayed, Tennessee Journal reports. The law, which requires wholesalers and retailers of these product to obtain licenses from the state and start paying a 6% tax on the sale of the products, was to have taken effect on July 1. But after months of rising concern about the lack of guidelines from the state, the Department of Agriculture announced it would not enforce the law until the end of September.

State officials have voted for the second time to keep Nathan Bedford Forrest’s name on a building at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). According to WPLN, the Tennessee Historical Commission voted down a request from the university to rename Forrest Hall. After the vote, MTSU President Sidney McPhee said the decision was disheartening but the fight to change the name is not over. The commission supported removing a bust of Forrest, a Confederate general and first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, from the state capitol in 2021.

The TBA has learned that a fraudulent email, purporting to be from the TBA president, has been in circulation. If you received an email from a sender using the domain name “member-tba.org” please know that this is not a TBA domain, and the email is not from the association. Email addresses obtained for this scam did not come from the TBA or TBA President Ed Lanquist. The TBA encourages lawyers to block this sender and report any emails received as fraudulent/phishing. Those with questions or concerns about this issue should contact Assistant Executive Director Lanny Brown.

Gov. Bill Lee has announced three new judicial appointments: Jennifer Nichols has been appointed to the 18th Judicial District Circuit Court, Jessica Parrish to the 22nd Judicial District Circuit Court and Jim Newsom to the 30th Judicial District Chancery Court. Newsom was named as a special judge to replace Shelby County Chancellor Jim Kyle who is on disability due to a nonfatal autoimmune disorder, the Daily Memphian reports.“I am proud to announce the appointment of these highly qualified individuals and value the significant experience they will bring to their respective roles,” Lee said. “I appreciate their leadership and am confident they will serve Tennesseans with integrity.” Read more about the new judges in a press release from the governor's office.

A group calling themselves "Patriot Front" marched through Downtown Nashville on Saturday with a "Reclaim America" banner, American flags, a Confederate flag and passing out flyers while chanting on their way to the front of the Capitol. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell denounced the group on social media, saying Tennesseans should "refuse to allow this to be normalized." On Monday, the mayor's office confirmed that the group did not have a permit, Fox17 reports. Gov. Bill Lee responded that the far-right group's position on anti-Semitism should not be condoned, saying, "... that group with anti-Semitic ties should be condemned at every level." Read more from News Channel 5.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has put state officials on notice that it intends to sue if they do not drop a "voter list maintenance program," which inquires about residents' citizenship status, the Tennessee Journal reports. The ACLU said that letters recently sent to 14,375 residents violated the National Voter Registration Act. Advocacy groups are demanding Secretary of State Tre Hargett and State Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins cease all actions that “perpetuate voter intimidation” and “violate the U.S. Constitution and federal law.” In June, a number of groups expressed concerns over the program.

Puryear Law Group PLLC has changed its name to Puryear Pippenger & Cook PLLC to reflect the firm’s continued expansion and the leadership of its partners Andrew Pippenger and Charles Cook, according to firm founder Dan Puryear. The firm has offices in Nashville and Chattanooga. “Our firm’s new name marks a significant milestone in its history as we continue to grow our reach in representing a spectrum of clients in the financial services, real estate, construction and insurance industries,” said Puryear. Read more from Chattanoogan.com.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Veterans Services Commissioner Tommy Baker on Monday announced the launch of the Tennessee Veteran Ready Business Program. This initiative aims to recognize Tennessee businesses that demonstrate exceptional commitment to recruiting, hiring and retaining service members, veterans and their families. Watch the announcement and read more about the program.

The Davidson County Mental Health Court, led by Judge Melissa Blackburn, has been awarded certification by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. It is one of the first two programs in Tennessee to receive this certification. Since its inception in 2001, the Davidson County program has been funded primarily by Metro Nashville. In 2022, legislative leaders worked with Blackburn to secure new funding for mental health courts across Tennessee, expanding access to this transformative program for those involved in the justice system and suffering from a diagnosis of severe and persistent mental illness. Read the press release from court.

Brian Kelsey, former Republican state senator from Germantown, will not be allowed to rescind his guilty plea for campaign finance violations, upholding his 21-month prison sentence. The Tennessee Journal reports that two judges on a three-judge panel on the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals found that Kelsey’s attorney had not properly objected to an alleged breach of the plea agreement when a federal prosecutor agreed that the former lawmaker could face an enhanced sentence for perjuring himself when he tried to revoke his guilty plea. The third judge said the objection had been properly preserved, but found that the government did not breach its obligations under the plea agreement.