U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen of Memphis has asked Gov. Bill Lee to make a disaster declaration for Shelby County, after severe thunderstorms last week damaged businesses, homes and utilities, Action News 5 reports. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris declared a local state of emergency on July 21. In his letter to the governor, Cohen noted that the West Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has estimated that damage from high winds will exceed $11 million. In addition, a diesel fuel leak from a generator in Germantown has affected approximately 4.5 million gallons of water. Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo told a press conference that the diesel-contaminated water will be "pumped away" from homes into the stormwater conveyance system that leads to the Wolf River, reports the Commercial Appeal.

Make plans now to attend the TBA’s 2023 Administrative Law Forum on Dec. 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. CST. Thanks to Jonathan Fly, administrative judge for the Tennessee Department of Human Services, for producing this program. Watch for program topics and speakers coming soon.

Tennessee Attorney Jonathan Skrmetti on Friday released a statement intended to clarify his opposition to a proposed U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ privacy rule under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Skrmetti recently joined with 18 other state attorneys general in opposing the rule and said that some commentators have equated this opposition to asserting a right to prosecute women who go out of state for abortions. “This is simply not true,” he said Friday. “Tennessee’s abortion law does not apply to women who seek abortions, I have no enforcement authority with respect to Tennessee’s abortion law, and I am the attorney general of Tennessee and not some other state.” He said he opposed the rule because it is “a hastily-assembled mess that is bad for Tennessee and bad for America.” Read the full statement.

Memphis environmental advocate Marquita Bradshaw is running for U.S. Senate again, the Nashville Post reports. Bradshaw last ran in 2020 when she won the Democratic primary over James Mackler. She went on to lose by 27 percentage points to Republican Bill Hagerty. Since the last election, she has launched the nonprofit Sowing Justice, an environmental justice organization. Now Bradshaw is aiming to take on Republican U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn in 2024. In related news, the Tennessean reports that state Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, will also get in the race. The paper reports that two people with knowledge of her plans confirmed that campaign staff are being hired and an announcement is planned within weeks.

The American Bar Association’s Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence will offer a free four-day training in August to improve the litigation skills of attorneys who represent survivors of domestic violence in contested custody cases. The Advanced Trial Skills Institute will be held virtually on Aug. 9, 11, 16 and 18. Registration is open until July 28. Funding for the program comes from the commission and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women. Attorneys who work at legal services agencies or nonprofit organizations are given priority admission. Read more about the program in the ABA Journal or start the application process.

Barrett Johnston Martin & Garrison reportedly has paid $4 million for a two-story structure at 200 31st Ave. North in Nashville’s West End corridor. The law firm, which traces its history to 1962 and focuses on representing whistleblowers, consumers and rank-and-file workers, operates at Philips Plaza, 414 Union St. in downtown Nashville. Officials with the approximately 18-person firm declined comment regarding plans for the building, according to the Nashville Post.

A group of Covenant School parents have co-founded two nonprofits dedicated to protecting children from gun violence, WPLN reports. The first is Covenant Families for Brighter Tomorrows, which will focus on education and mental health support. The second, the Covenant Families Action Fund, will focus on legislation. The group recently held a news conference to explain how they will advocate for gun reform measures including safe storage, closing loopholes on background checks and limiting access to firearms for people who are a threat to themselves or others.

The Boston-based First Circuit Court of Appeals today was scheduled to take up claims from the country of Mexico that U.S. gun makers should be held responsible for facilitating the trafficking of deadly weapons across the border. Mexico is appealing dismissal of the suit last year by federal Judge F. Dennis Saylor, who found that federal law "unequivocally" bars lawsuits seeking to hold gun manufacturers responsible when people use guns for their intended purpose. Saylor said the law contained several narrow exceptions but none of them applied. Reuters has more on the case.

The Knoxville Bar Association and the Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women will hold a portrait unveiling ceremony and celebration for retiring Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sharon Lee on Aug. 24 at 3 p.m. EDT. It will be the first portrait of a female justice to hang inside any of the court’s courtrooms across the state, Georgiana Vines reports in KnoxNews. The date was chosen to coincide with the 103rd anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment on Aug. 26. The event will take place in the Tennessee Supreme Court Building, 505 Main St., Knoxville 37902. Two other events are being planned for Lee: a reception in Nashville and a dinner in Cleveland hosted by the Bradley County Bar Association.

Tennesseans may take advantage of savings on back-to-school and other items this coming weekend, July 28-30, as state and local sales tax will be suspended on school and office supplies, computers and clothing. In announcing the benefit, Gov. Bill Lee thanked the General Assembly for partnering with his office to provide direct financial relief for taxpayers. Residents also will see additional savings from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31 from a three-month grocery tax suspension, also approved by the legislature.