The Tri-Star State

Republicans in the Tennessee House of Representatives vowed to make free-market reforms in health care this year. The agenda was ambitious — reduce surprise billing, incentivize patients to be more cost conscious and deregulate the hospital industry. In the end, some legislation stalled out, some was substantially watered down, but patients may still see some change.

Just because Rep. Glen Casada, R-Franklin, plans on stepping down as House speaker doesn’t mean there aren’t still lingering questions surrounding the scandal that led to his departure. WPLN’s political reporter Sergio Martínez-Beltrán and senior editor Chas Sisk say there are three issues related to the scandal that remain unresolved.

Republican lawmakers in the Tennessee House of Representatives will soon decide the fate of Speaker Glen Casada. The embattled lawmaker has faced backlash after racist and sexist text messages between him and his former chief of staff were leaked to the media.

House Speaker Glen Casada has been fighting for his political life. And it's not the first time his reputation has been on the line. Many lawmakers have called for the Franklin Republican to step down. That's after the leaking of sexist and racist text exchanges with a top aide, his now-former chief of staff, Cade Cothren. WPLN senior editor Chas Sisk spoke with Jason Moon Wilkins about why this isn't just a crisis for Casada, it's a problem for Tennessee’s Republican Party as a whole.

This year’s legislative session has come to an end, and a new wave of Tennessee Republicans scored some big wins during the last couple of weeks. WPLN’s political reporter Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been on the hill for the last four months, and he says the final weeks were very hectic.

It’s been quite a week in the Tennessee General Assembly. Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Savings Account passed in the House on a narrow, last-minute vote. It also passed in the Senate.

There have been many changes in the last few weeks to Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Savings Accounts proposal. The legislature is still workshopping the details of the school voucher plan. And GOP leaders are trying to convince rural lawmakers on the fence, to vote for the bill.

Many of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's initiatives are making their way through the state legislature, and some are faring better than others. In his first year, the governor’s proposals range from increasing vocational education to faith-based initiatives to implementing a pilot program for school vouchers.

Equal rights advocates are warning Tennessee lawmakers about consequences the state could face if they move forward with legislation that targets the LGBTQ community. The General Assembly is considering about 10 measures that could impact whether LGBTQ people could adopt, or use a bathroom that matches their gender identity.

The Tennessee General Assembly is getting to the do-or-die point for new legislation. The end of committee meetings means lawmakers have to make important decisions regarding bills that could determine whether they’ll pass or they’ll fail. This also means, in some cases, it’s time for compromise.