Tag: tennessee

Transgender Bathroom Bans Pass in Tennessee, New Hampshire to Protect Women

Legislation to safeguard women by barring transgender people from women’s public bathrooms passed in Tennessee and New Hampshire, with one bill on the way to the governor to be signed into law.

The New Hampshire bill, HB 148, which passed in the state’s House of Representatives on Thursday, will allow schools to ban transgender people from bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams. And if it is signed into law, it would “allow the owners of the spaces included in the bill to bar transgender people without facing discrimination charges,” SeaCoastOnline/USA Today Network reported.

It would also allow the state’s jails and juvenile facilities to place those who identify as transgender in facilities based on their birth gender, not their assumed gender.

The bill is now headed to the state Senate.

A similar bill was vetoed in 2024 by then-Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH) and if passed this year would also roll back some of the “non-discrimination protections” Sununu pushed in 2018, according to the report.

Republican Speaker Pro Tempore Jim Kofalt, a cosponsor of the legislation, said the bill is a “critical step” to safeguarding women’s rights.

“The passage of HB 148 is a critical step toward safeguarding privacy, fairness, safety, and respect for all Granite Staters,” Kofalt said. “HB 148 protects vulnerable populations, ensuring that women in prisons, shelters, and detention centers aren’t forced to share intimate spaces with biological men.”

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Committee In Tennessee Signs Off On Proposal To Tighten Restrictions On Hemp Industry

Despite warnings that the hemp industry would be decimated, the House Judiciary Committee passed a measure Wednesday that would put stricter regulations in place.

Sponsored by House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R) of Portland, House Bill 1376 would place the industry under the Alcoholic Beverage Commission instead of the Department of Agriculture and remove products from convenience and grocery stores. Only vape and liquor stores would be allowed to sell some hemp products.

The House bill is set to be heard next in the Commerce Committee, where agreements with the industry could be reached.

“It does ban [derivatives] THCA and THCP. The reason for that is we have not legalized marijuana in this state,” Lamberth said.

Hemp is distinguished from marijuana in that it contains a compound called delta-9 THC. Cannabis with a concentration of less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC is defined as legal hemp in Tennessee—and federally. Cannabis with concentrations greater than 0.3 percent is classified as marijuana and is illegal to grow, sell or possess in Tennessee.

Hemp flowers also contain THCA, a nonintoxicating acid that would be banned in Tennessee under this bill. When heated or smoked, the THCA in the plant converts into delta-9 THC—an illegal substance in Tennessee in greater than trace amounts.

Clint Palmer, a representative of the hemp industry, told lawmakers the bill is similar to one passed in 2023 that led to a lawsuit against the Department of Agriculture that remains in litigation.

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The Tyler Burleson Story – Tennessee Patriot Sits in Jail Today after He Stopped Everything to Help the Victims of Hurricane Helene

Tyler Burleson is behind bars tonight awaiting an arraignment in Unicoi County, Tennessee, three days past the 72-hour limit required by law. Burleson has been instrumental in bringing relief to those affected by Hurricane Helene over the last four months. Tyler has put his business and life on hold to help serve the community. He helped the community open a distribution area where hurricane victims could come and get supplies they need. This was done due to the lack of response given by FEMA to bring aid to those suffering. He has received pushback from authorities about having a distribution center and not having the proper permission to run such a place for the community. However, This has not stopped him and the other volunteers from providing for their fellow man.

Burleson revealed to Steve Bannon on his Real America’s Voice Warroom show this week that he was arrested on allegations of a bounced check even though he claims the check was made whole and resolved even before the arrest last week. Also, the alleged victim is not pressing charges. Although, there seems to be more to this arrest than meets the eye and some have ideas of why it took place, Burleson just wants to be free of this and continue helping his fellow citizens.

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Tennessee Officials Will Pay $735,000 To Settle Lawsuit Over Seizure Of Legal Hemp Products

The state of Tennessee and the city of Spring Hill will jointly pay two businesses $735,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging state and local law enforcement wrongfully seized 231 pounds of legal hemp products earlier this year, according to a statement from an attorney representing the businesses.

The settlement follows the Spring Hill police department’s seizure of legal hemp products from Old School Vapor and SAK Wholesale in Columbia, Tennessee last May.

Days later, the businesses filed a federal suit seeking the return of products they said were valued at $1.35 million. The lawsuit named Spring Hill Police Chief Don Brit and 11 other officers and employees of the local district attorney’s office, including District Attorney Brent Cooper, whom—the lawsuit claims—articulated the position that legal hemp was “the same damn thing” as marijuana.

Hemp is distinguished from marijuana under federal and state law based on the concentration of a compound known as delta-9 THC. Hemp products with a concentration of less than .3 percent delta-9 THC are legal to sell, buy and consume in Tennessee—and federally. Cannabis with concentrations greater than .3 percent is classified as marijuana and is illegal in Tennessee.

The appearance of hemp flowers and marijuana are virtually indistinguishable, requiring laboratory testing to differentiate legal from illegal substances.

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Another Left-Wing Race Hoax Exposed: Investigators at Rhodes College in Tennessee Say the ‘F*ck N*rs, Trump Rules’ Messages Found on Campus Were Fabricated

Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, has revealed that vulgar and racist messages discovered on its campus earlier this month were fabricated.

The messages, including the phrases “F*ck N***ers” and “Trump Rules,” were meant to smear supporters of former President Donald Trump as racists.

After a thorough investigation involving Campus Safety officers and the Memphis Police Department, the college confirmed that the messages were created by a student who has since admitted responsibility, Fox News reported.

“Thanks to the tireless efforts of our Campus Safety officers and the Memphis Police Department, the investigation into the hate crime that occurred recently on our campus has ended with the identification of the perpetrator and the conclusion this incident was fabricated. This individual has admitted responsibility,” Rhodes College stated.

The school’s statement continued, “This matter has caused enormous pain to our community, and we are taking the appropriate steps to hold this individual accountable, including all legal avenues that may be available to us.”

The campus erupted in anger when the vulgar messages were first discovered.

Flyers featuring racial slurs and profanity were reportedly found near the school’s National Pan-Hellenic Council Plaza, a space dedicated to the nine historically Black Greek organizations at the college, during Thanksgiving break.

The messages, scrawled on 13 pieces of paper, were condemned as hateful and inflammatory.

Lauren Roberts, a student, described the messages as “vulgar” in comments to a local CBS affiliate.

Another student, visibly shaken, told reporters, “I didn’t agree with it. I know a lot of my friends who were pretty upset about it.”

The administration issued an immediate “Timely Warning” to alert students of the alleged hate crime and expressed its commitment to investigating the matter. “We are a community that is firmly committed to diversity, inclusion, belonging, civility, and respect, and we do not tolerate racial bias or hate speech,” the college’s Critical Campus Safety Communications office declared at the time.

However, the case took a dramatic turn when it was revealed that the messages were not the work of a Trump supporter but rather an act of deliberate fabrication.

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Play Stupid Games, Win Stupid Prizes: Business Receives Backlash After Refusing to Serve Trump Supporters

At times, it can feel like the country is only concerned about all things red and blue, but if you’re a business owner, you’re typically only worried about another color: green (despite what Whoopi Goldberg says). However, one woman in Tennessee broke that unspoken rule and decided she only wanted to work with people who supported her own political views. The backlash came so fast and furiously that she had to shut down her business. 

49-year-old Kristin Wolter of Memphis is the owner of the florist shop Everbloom Designs in Memphis, Tenn. In a video posted on social media, she announced after Election Day that she was changing her business policies. “I won’t do business with people who support the president-elect, and it is because I need to create a safe place for me, my staff, and my family,” Wolter said.  

According to NewsMax’s Todd Starnes, Wolter also said she was “triggered” by the election results and couldn’t believe her “community chose financial concerns and economy over human rights and decency.”

Apparently, Wolter received such harsh backlash online and in person that she made her social media accounts private and shut down her shop temporarily. According to KWAM News Radio 900, she posted a note on the shop door that stated, “I knew standing up for what I believe in would have consequences. I am so grateful to those of you that have supported me in this. They are showing their true colors and lack of decency and humanity.” 

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‘They’re all dead’: Man arrives home to find his 7 dogs shot dead — allegedly by a police deputy

A Tennessee man returned home to the tragic sight of seven of his dogs dead, one of them only alive because he hid from the shooter — allegedly a police deputy.

Conner Brackin, a 24-year-old police deputy with the McNairy County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested and charged with aggravated animal cruelty on Tuesday following an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. On Nov. 4, Brackin responded to an “animal welfare concern” in Bethel Springs, a city located around 100 miles east of Memphis. According to the affidavit, Brackin spoke with the person who made the complaint about multiple dogs on the neighboring property, some in pens, some in two different trailers. Brackin released one of the dogs from a pen and then “loaded his service rifle and pistol and began firing into the campers at the dogs.”

He allegedly fired eight times, killing seven dogs.

The dogs’ owner, Kevin Dismuke, was not home at the time of the shooting. When he arrived home, the body of one of his dogs was by the front door. As he entered his home, Dismuke didn’t hear his other dogs and, one by one, found them dead.

“I found our old dog Gator laying between the beds,” he told Memphis CBS affiliate WREG. “I ain’t heard Jasmine. I ain’t heard Max. So, I stepped back inside the trailer and I found Jasmine laying back there by the bathroom door. They’re all dead — all but Max. He’d hid under the bed.”

The McNairy County Sheriff’s Office stated Brackin observed two dogs in “extremely poor health” and one was “already deceased.” After looking for the dogs’ owner, Brackin let a neighbor take one of the dogs and said that he had been “cleared to put down the remaining animals safely by my supervisor.”

Dismuke disputed the claim when he talked to WREG, saying, “They were told the property was abandoned and the dogs were malnourished. I got the veterinary paperwork in my truck from three weeks ago. They all had a clean bill of health on them.”

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FBI thwarts man’s alleged plan to attack Nashville power grid with explosive-laden drone

A Columbia, Tennessee man allegedly attempted to fly a drone packed with explosives into an energy facility before the FBI stopped him from destroying the critical infrastructure, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

In a press release, the DOJ said 24-year-old Skyler Philippi was arrested and charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted destruction of an energy facility.

“As charged, Skyler Philippi believed he was moments away from launching an attack on a Nashville energy facility to further his violent white supremacist ideology – but the FBI had already compromised his plot,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said. “This case serves as yet another warning to those seeking to sow violence and chaos in the name of hatred by attacking our country’s critical infrastructure: the Justice Department will find you, we will disrupt your plot, and we will hold you accountable.”

The DOJ said Philippi told a confidential human source (CHS) in June, that he wanted to commit a mass shooting at a YMCA in the Columbia, Tennessee area.

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Tennessee AG Exposes ICE Plan to Release Illegal Aliens Convicted of Violent Crimes Into State

The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office announced that efforts by the governor and other state lawmakers were successful and ultimately stopped a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) plan to release illegal immigrants, including convicted criminals, into the state. 

State Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Wednesday that after a lawsuit was filed by the AG’s office, ICE was forced to produce previously undisclosed information about the agency’s planned release of thousands of detained migrants, including convicted criminals. 

The office said it obtained hundreds of pages of documents that shed light on federal authorities’ since-abandoned plan to transport potentially thousands of “single adult” immigration detainees into Tennessee.

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Jury Returns Mixed Verdict For 3 Former Memphis Officers Convicted in Fatal Beating of Black Motorist Tyre Nichols

A jury on Thursday returned a mixed verdict for three former Memphis police officers convicted in Tyre Nichols’ fatal beating.

Last September five ex-Memphis police officers were indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the fatal beating of black motorist Tyre Nichols.

Last year, the state charged the five police officers with second-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of Tyre Nichols.

The officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith – were fired after Tyre Nichols died following a violent confrontation during a January 7 traffic stop.

Three of the officers, Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith, were convicted of witness tampering but acquitted of federal charges.

Officers Bean and Smith were acquitted of civil rights charges.

Two of the officers, Emmitt Martin III and Desmond Mills Jr., previously pleaded guilty to the same charges.

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