It’s happening in red and blue states alike: Policymakers and civil servants are increasingly relying on evidence to transform how taxpayer dollars are spent.
Nearly 10 percent of the state can’t participate in elections because they have been convicted of a felony. Restoring the right to vote to those who have completed their time is complicated and frustrating, advocates say.
The Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition kicked off its weeklong point-in-time count this week with hopes of seeing the homeless population stabilize. Hamilton County saw an 81 percent increase in homelessness between 2020 and 2021.
State lawmakers convene this week and will tackle a variety of issues this session, including amending the state’s near-total abortion ban, relieving urban traffic congestion and gender reassignment surgery.
Voters on Tuesday approved an amendment to enshrine a right-to-work law in the state’s constitution by a more than 2-to-1 margin, which will make it more difficult in the future to change how union workers collect dues.
Gov. Bill Lee announced on Oct. 11 a $100 million “Violent Crime Intervention Fund” from which local law enforcement agencies can apply for grants to improve public safety. Early voting for the Nov. 8 election begins next week.
Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty wrote a letter to President Biden, calling for more funding for state police and rape kit investigations to address the “undeniable deterioration of public safety.”
