The Tri-Star State

Early voting started last week, and thousands of Tennesseans have already voted in person. 

But there are still WPLN listeners who want to vote absentee yet have concerns about it. So, WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been reading your questions regarding mail-in voting and has some new answers. 

During the last few months, Tennessee has been hit with a flurry of legal challenges over mail-in voting.

This has caused some confusion during the final stretch of the November presidential election.

So, to clarify any doubts, WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán breaks down the status of the lawsuits and the rulings. 

Recent court rulings have created a lot of confusion regarding who can request mail-in ballots and voting in general.  

And, as a crucial election approaches, Tennesseans have reached out to WPLN News and Curious Nashville with their pressing questions. 

WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been talking to sources AND state officials to clarify all of the doubts. And he’s going to attempt to answer a few of them. 

2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, including Gov. Bill Lee. 

Crisis response from the pandemic to protests have given Lee the opportunity to show what he values and how he wants to lead Tennessee.  

WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been keeping track of Lee’s decisions and says he has pushed for some of the most conservative policies in the country.

The special session for the Tennessee General Assembly has ended, but the controversy coming out of it is still going strong. 

The state extended wide ranging protection for businesses and schools from COVID-19 lawsuits. And one measure essentially ended a months-long racial justice protest near the capitol steps. That bill caused splits even between members of the Republican supermajority. 

WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán and Samantha Max have been covering the debates inside and the protests outside. They say the new legislation is already causing the demonstrators to rethink their approach. 

The August Primary Election is coming up this week and the Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate are in full attack mode. 

Ads are blanketing TV and social media and high-profile surrogates have been flooding the state to help out Manny Sethi and Bill Hagerty. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been on the campaign trail lately. 

Tennesseans won’t know the full economic effects of the pandemic for a while but its impact on the state budget is becoming clearer. 

Over the last week lawmakers have been figuring how to cut hundreds of millions of dollars across all departments. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been on Capitol Hill this week following the latest. 

The Tennessee General Assembly is facing one of its biggest budgetary challenges ever. 

Sales tax revenue is down dramatically meaning more reductions to the state's spending plan. WPLN's Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been talking to lawmakers to get a better sense of what's likely to be cut. 

After two months of recess, the Tennessee General Assembly is getting back to business this week. 

And there’s already disagreements and controversy. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán is also going back to the capitol. But, even in quarantine, he’s been keeping up with the latest legislative developments. 

Throughout the coronavirus crisis Gov. Bill Lee has been criticized for being slower than other governors in calling for a stay-at-home order. Many have said he has not taken the issue seriously.  

But the governor is taking it very seriously personally, at least. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán traveled with Lee across the state late last week to have an exclusive look at the governor’s operation.