Richard Briggs

Kelly Rosenthal's death from nitrous oxide addiction led to Tennessee legislation banning its sale at vape shops. A WSMV4 investigation revealed easy access to nitrous oxide at vape shops, prompting bipartisan support for the Nitrous Oxide Abuse Prevention and Retail Sales Prohibition Act.

Tennessee Republican Sen. Richard Briggs plans to sponsor a bill to revise the Age Appropriate Materials Act after the Pulitzer Prize-winning book 'Roots' was removed from Knox County school libraries. The book was taken off shelves due to a scene depicting the rape of an enslaved woman, and the law currently allows removals based on district committee decisions without public records of complaints. The Knox County School Board urged legislative changes to include elected officials in the review process.

Republican state representatives Eric Murphy of North Dakota and Richard Briggs of Tennessee faced primary challenges after introducing bills to modify their states' abortion restrictions. Anti-abortion groups and conservative allies campaigned against them, leading to lost endorsements and primary contests.

Republican state lawmakers Eric Murphy of North Dakota and Richard Briggs of Tennessee introduced bills to modify abortion restrictions, leading to primary challenges from conservative opponents. At least four Republican lawmakers who opposed strict abortion bans lost support from anti-abortion groups and key party allies, resulting in primary losses and stricter abortion legislation in some states.