Former U.S. Sen. Bill Brock, a Republican businessman from Lookout Mountain who also served in Congress and as U.S. trade representative, died Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, a family spokesman said.
Upset by the Tennessee Historical Commission's March 8 vote to remove the state Capitol's bust of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, some GOP legislators are pushing to cancel appointments of all 29 commissioners on the panel - members who were mostly named by Republican Gov. Bill Lee.
Coolidge is scheduled to be awarded the 2021 George Marshall Award
An amended Tennessee House bill would prohibit state legislators from having a "controlling interest" in firms seeking to provide services to state government and applies criminal penalties as well as a permanent ban on holding future public office for anyone convicted of violating it.
State Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, said she supports an effort by Tennessee's House and Senate speakers to bar lawmakers from contracting with the state for services, including handling their legislative colleagues' taxpayer-funded constituent surveys and updates.
Although the state Historical Commission last week approved removing the Tennessee Capitol's bust of Confederate cavalry general and early Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest, don't count on the long-controversial bronze image departing any time soon.
Lee criticizes new formula that gives less to Tennessee
Tennessee's top House and Senate leaders are pushing a bill to bar legislators from doing any business with the state following the Jan. 8 FBI raids on two lawmakers who as political consultants handled taxpayer-funded constituent mail for some colleagues as well as for themselves.
Some in legislature argue the final say rests with them
State senators gave nods Monday to proposed Tennessee constitutional amendments that, if agreed to by the House, would put before voters next November decisions over whether to enshrine the state's current "right to work" law in the Tennessee Constitution along with a second amendment effectively giving legislators veto power over who gets appointed state attorney general.
