Gov. Bill Lee on Monday signed the Transportation Modernization Act, which will allow for public-private partnerships to create toll or “choice lanes” throughout Tennessee, offering motorists the option of using a toll lane for faster access in times of heavy traffic. Lee’s bill will distribute $750 million to four TDOT regions towards infrastructure. “As families and businesses move to Tennessee in record numbers, we need a transportation plan to keep up with the pace,” said Lee as reported by WKRG Nashville. Despite receiving bipartisan support, opponents say the measure prioritizes corporate interests and profits over the needs of Tennesseans. Read more about the bill in the Tennessean.  

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Lee V. Coffee has said he will not recuse himself from overseeing the trial of the four men indicted on charges in the death of Memphis rapper Young Dolph, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. Attorney Luke Evans, who is representing defendant Justin Johnson, had sought to remove Coffee from the case after he signed an order preventing Johnson having contact from jail with anyone except his lawyer. The order stemmed from allegations that Johnson recorded a rap song on a jail phone which was later posted on YouTube. Evans argued the judge issued the order without hearing evidence, thus showing a bias in the case. In his denial of the motion, Coffee said any future outside communications could compromise the integrity of the trial and Johnson’s safety.

Knoxville Area Transit (KAT) pays tribute to Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks today by keeping one seat open on every bus. Parks was arrested on Dec. 1, 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Ala. The honorary open bus seats feature a placard recognizing the contribution made by Parks in the fight for racial justice and equality. “Rosa Parks’s seemingly small act of courage in the fight for racial justice had enormous consequences,” says Isaac Thorne, Director of Transit for the City of Knoxville. “We honor that courage and the work of past civil rights leaders, while recognizing the responsibility we all have to continue to advance efforts to achieve racial equity across our city and our nation.”