The TBA joined today with several professional organizations for a “Day on the Hill” to encourage the Tennessee General Assembly to repeal or reduce the Professional Privilege Tax. The group was addressed by several lawmakers, including Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossvillle, both of whom are in support of a repeal. Gov. Bill Lee proposed a $200 reduction tax in last week’s State of the State address, while some administration officials and legislative leaders left the door open for further cuts, or to eliminate the tax altogether. The repeal or reduction of the tax remains a top legislative priority for TBA in 2020 and members can still help by contacting their elected officials through TBA Impact. 

Tennessee Supreme Court Justices Cornelia Clark, Holly Kirby and Sharon Lee and former Justices Martha Craig Daughtrey, Janice Holder and Penny White spoke to a full house last night during Lipscomb University’s Fred D. Gray Dinner. The “Women of the Tennessee Supreme Court” panel paid tribute to 100 years of women’s suffrage in Tennessee and was moderated by TBA Executive Director Joycelyn Stevenson. One story that drew laughs from the crowd was former Justice White recounting a time she was pulled over for speeding. Noticing her judicial license plate, the officer asked White, “Honey, are you in a hurry to get home and see the judge?” to which White responded, “No honey, I am the judge!” All proceeds from the ticketed dinner go toward the Fred D. Gray Scholarship given to up to four Lipscomb University students majoring in Law, Justice and Society.

Discover the newest technology for your practice and office by attending the TBA’s LAW TECH program at Nashville School of Law on Feb. 21. Sessions will be broken down by focus area: Future Proof, Litigation and Tech Updates. Each focus area includes two hours of CLE credit followed by a 30-minute break during which attendees can network with sponsors, other participants and speakers, play sponsor bingo or enter to win tech prize raffles. Stay all day and earn six hours of dual CLE credit. Learn more on the TBA's website. 

The Knoxville Bar Association and the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands will host legal clinics for veterans tomorrow. The KBA’s Veterans’ Legal Advice Clinic is a general advice and referral clinic held on the second Wednesday of each month from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Public Defender’s Community Law Office at 1101 Liberty St., Knoxville. Attorney and law student volunteers are needed. LAS holds its Veteran’s Project Legal Help Clinic every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m at Operation Stand Down, 1125 12th Ave. S., Nashville. For more information, contact Kendra Cheek.

Former federal prosecutor Henry Leventis has joined the Nashville office of Bone McAllester Norton, the Nashville Post reports. He previously served as director of litigation in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, where he was a lead prosecutor in the case against former Comprehensive Pain Specialists CEO John Davis and others. He also served as deputy criminal chief of the white collar unit, and worked as a trial attorney in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. Leventis joins former U.S. Attorney Ed Yarbrough in Bone’s Criminal Defense & Government Investigations Practice Group, focusing on criminal defense, civil government enforcement matters and internal investigations.

Tennessee has spent $221 million from state coffers to assist poor working families rather than using federal funds through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, even though it has more than $730 million in unused TANF funds, the Tennessee Comptroller told legislators last week. News of this arrangement broke at the end of 2019, but the comptroller's testimony was the first official look at the extent of the issue. The comptroller's report also found that the state is spending just 35% of its annual federal grant. The Commercial Appeal has more on the story.

The Nashville Bar Association today released the results of a member poll of judicial candidates being considered for the 20th Judicial District Criminal Court Part IV and Chancery Court Part I in Davidson County. The survey was conducted online and 420 responses were received by last Friday’s deadline. For the criminal court seat, Jennifer Smith was ranked “highly recommended” or “recommended” by 48.6% of members while Tillman W. Payne III was ranked in those categories by 17% of members. In the election for the chancery court, Patricia Head Moskal, who is running unopposed, was ranked highly recommended” or “recommended” by 73.6% of the members.

A Metro Nashville Public Schools employee is suing the district in federal court for allegedly denying her a religious accommodation and then demoting her for taking the time off to attend a religious conference, WZTV reports. According to the suit, Carol Barton had attended such conferences in previous years but was denied a time off request in 2018 to attend the conference. The suit also alleges she was forced to work part-time as a substitute teacher with lesser pay and benefits after choosing to attend the conference.

TrueCore Behavioral Solutions is ending operations with the state by the end of February, Fox 17 reports. TrueCore runs three juvenile treatment facilities in Davidson County and one juvenile center in Jefferson County. The Department of Children’s Services said the move comes after at least 50 incidents at the Jefferson County facility that required a police response. A new provider has been identified to continue operations at the Mountain View Academy. In Nashville, the department says the facilities are still under evaluation.

According to a new audit of TennCare, two-thirds of children who lost their state insurance coverage between January 2016 and May 2019 did so because of incomplete or unreturned paperwork — not because the government determined they were ineligible, the Tennessean reports. During the same time period, about 12,000 kids were cut from insurance programs because they did not qualify and 36,000 voluntarily left the programs. Since the period covered by the audit, TennCare has transitioned to an electronic renewal system but many renewals still require key documents to be mailed. The audit found that the agency followed the law in disenrolling these individuals but critics point to burdensome paperwork as a continued deterrent to coverage.