Andy Sher

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued a new executive order Sunday banning social gatherings of 10 people or more, while also prohibiting on-site consumption of food or drinks at restaurants, bars or similar establishments.

More than 5,200 physicians so far have signed a Tennessee Medical Association-organized online petition asking Gov. Bill Lee to strongly consider issuing a mandatory shelter-in-place order as five other states, including Texas, have done.

Retired Tennessee Court of Appeals Chief Judge Herschel P. Franks, a Signal Mountain attorney whose 42-year tenure on the bench was one of the longest in state history and whose landmark 1976 decision opened the way for ministers to serve in the state Legislature, died Thursday.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says religious congregations that continue having large gatherings for services during the coronavirus pandemic are "risking people's lives."

Tennessee's GOP-led General Assembly Thursday night approved Gov. Bill Lee's retooled version of the state's estimated $39.8 billion fiscal year 2021 budget Thursday night.

As Tennessee's number of confirmed coronavirus cases rose Thursday, Gov. Bill Lee signed his second executive order that further deregulates the numbers of allowed hospital beds to free up more capacity while deregulating scope-of-practice laws to allow more health care professionals to treat patients.

NASHVILLE — Tennessee lawmakers began a rush Thursday to wrap up their work before an eight-week recess, focusing largely on must-do bills before taking up Republican Gov. Bill Lee's $40.9 billion budget now re-shaped to address coronavirus-related efforts and brace for an expected economic recession.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Wednesday he has not been tested for the coronavirus, telling reporters that's because he hasn't displayed any symptoms associated with the potentially deadly infection.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Wednesday unveiled a major rewrite of his proposed budget in response to the coronavirus crisis, slashing previously proposed spending to the tune of $891.4 million in one-time and recurring areas to fund emergency measures.

With all Tennessee schools now closed because of the coronavirus, state lawmakers on Wednesday were racing to drop state testing requirements while also waiving a law requiring 180 days of annual classroom instruction.

As the number of Tennessee's reported coronavirus cases jumped from 52 to 73 on Tuesday, with economic activity expected to fall, Gov. Bill Lee announced he will use some of the $732 million from the state's welfare program to help families, while the state's unemployment fund is well prepared to help those who lose their jobs.

Gov. Bill Lee, who on Monday called on schools across Tennessee to close, also announced that 15 drive-through COVID-19 testing sites should soon be up and running in six metropolitan areas, including Hamilton County, for the elderly and other vulnerable populations with symptoms.

Amid increasing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, Tennessee Republican lawmakers on Monday began discussing taking swift action on "mission-critical" elements of the state budget and various bills, then recessing for as long as eight weeks.

Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton are defending their decision to close the Legislature's Cordell Hull State Building to members of the general public in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery says he has ordered two Hixson brothers, Matt and Noah Colvin, to stop buying and selling medical goods and products due to potential price-gouging activities amid the coronavirus pandemic.

When the 132 members of the Tennessee Legislature return to the state Capitol for business on Monday, they'll find the government complex a near-ghost town as a result of coronavirus-driven health emergency edicts temporarily barring the general public from the Capitol and the Cordell Hull State Office Building.

As the number of coronavirus cases in Tennessee escalates, Gov. Bill Lee on Friday urged religious institutions, conference organizers and others to avoid large gatherings and consider alternatives by using livestreams, pre-recorded messages and other electronic means.

National Rifle Association says it is cancelling its 149th annual meeting next month in Nashville amid growing concerns about the coronavirus.

The Tennessee State Capitol is now closed to tours and visitors through March 31. Members of the media will continue to have access to the State Capitol building.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee declared a state of emergency Thursday to help the state address the spread of the new coronavirus.