Randy McNally

A bridge on I-40 in East Tennessee will be renamed the Donald J. Trump Bridge. The event, led by U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, includes elected officials and takes place in Jefferson County, crossing the French Broad River in Dandridge.

The voter registration deadline for August elections is July 7. The newly seated Metro Nashville Airport Authority board seeks to withdraw from a lawsuit initiated by its previous incarnation over control of the airport, following a state law change altering board appointments.

Jim Tracy, a Tennessee lawmaker who served from 2004 until his 2017 appointment to the USDA Rural Development program, died of cancer. Tributes highlighted his integrity, mentorship, and legislative work, including a bill banning smoking in public places. He also ran for Congress twice and worked as a high school basketball coach and insurance agent.

Jim Tracy, a Tennessee State Senator elected in 2004, died at 69. He served in the State Senate for over a decade and later worked with USDA rural development. Funeral services are scheduled for July 7 at North Boulevard Church of Christ in Murfreesboro.

A new state law transferred control of the Metro Nashville Airport Authority to Republican state leaders, prompting legal challenges from the city seeking to reinstate mayor-appointed board members. Nashville Electric Service appointed Laine Arnold as chief communications officer to address public communication issues during recent crises. A lawsuit over Cheekwood Estate's planned parking garage faces criticism from Councilmember Sandy Ewing for misrepresenting the city's efforts to improve park access.

The ACLU and National Immigration Law Center filed a federal lawsuit challenging a new Tennessee law that criminalizes illegal immigration, arguing it violates the Supremacy Clause by usurping federal immigration enforcement powers. The law, part of Tennessee's GOP 'Immigration 2026' agenda, would make it a state crime for noncitizens to enter or remain in the state after a federal deportation order.

Tennessee Sen. Charlane Oliver was suspended from a committee by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally for protesting during a redistricting debate by standing on her desk and displaying a sign opposing the GOP-led plan to divide Memphis' majority Black district. McNally cited violations of Senate decorum, while Oliver claimed the action targeted Black political representation.

CVS Health sued Tennessee after the state passed a law banning pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from owning pharmacies, targeting CVS as the only company in Tennessee with both a PBM and physical pharmacies. The law aims to address disparities in drug reimbursement rates between affiliated and non-affiliated pharmacies, with state lawmakers calling it PBM reform. CVS claims the law is unconstitutional and will restrict patient access to medications.