TheVoiceOfJoyce The Tennessee Government under Republican control has concerns about providing free lunches anto poor kids, money for diapers for poor families , they ban books and support a school voucher system. They’re giving professional licenses to proven citizens. Listen to the debates on Nashville’s public podcasts. Determine if everyone accepts these laws and Federal funding allocations.

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Donate todayThursday, April 23, 2026Good morning! Marianna Bacallao

Tennessee’s legislative session is at its end. Either later today or early tomorrow, lawmakers are expected to gavel out for the summer, ending a two-year legislative session shaped by efforts to crack down on immigration enforcement and expand the governor’s signature school voucher program.  

Lawmakers passed the budget last week — but are still eyeing some pricey immigration bills in the final days of the session. 

WHAT TO KNOW

Photo: Rachel Iacovone

Today, the Senate will take a final vote on a proposal that would require local law enforcement to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  

The measure would mandate a formal agreement in writing under the (usually voluntary) 287(g) program. Training and personnel costs associated with the program would cost local governments $1.2 million annually, according to state projections. 

Another proposal to limit when non-English speakers can be on the road and require drivers to prove English-language competency for a long-term license would cost more than $400,000 a year. 

Those figures aren’t accounted for in the $58 billion budget the statehouse passed last week.  

In budget negotiations with the governor’s office, lawmakers approved an expansion to Lee’s signature school voucher program, although not as many seats as the governor wanted.  

While Lee proposed an additional $112 million for 40,000 vouchers, the statehouse only approved 35,000. Still, the final budget granted Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship the full figure of $112 million for added scholarships, bringing the total cost of the program to $300 million. A House spokesperson told WPLN News that the surplus will not be spent on scholarships. 

Lee secured an additional 50 state trooper positions to aid the Memphis Safe Task Force, while the legislature slashed money the governor had earmarked for youth programs in the city. 

Again, splitting from the governor, the statehouse invested $7 million to feed children who may have limited access to food during the summer months. Pledging that money means the state is again eligible to receive $84 million in federal funding for the summer EBT program, a program Lee had opted out of previously, instead sponsoring a state summer food aid program much smaller in scale. 

The legislature also cut a $43 million program to provide low-income households with free diapers. Explore more about the budget

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On today’s episode of the NashVillagerpodcast 
with host Nina Cardona 🎙️ 

What did Tennessee’s legislature decide on bills that affect the state’s schools? As the General Assembly wraps up its business for the year, we have a results roundup of education-related bills. Plus, the local news for April 22, 2026, and more protection for the Duck River. 

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MORE TO KNOW

  • The former PSC Metals scrapyard recycling site has been cleared for redevelopment. Nashville’s Metro Council gave their final go-ahead Tuesday night. After heavy debate, the Metro rezoning plan ended up with many amendments. They included setting restrictions for how the area could be developed, like banning any further stadiums, limiting hotels, establishing parking requirements, and calling for a transportation analysis. The council also approved zoning bills related to Oracle’s planned campus, also along the East Bank. And, last week, TPAC revealed designs of its new facility, which is expected to open in the neighborhood in 2030. 
  • Tennesseans will soon have to prove citizenship if they want to work as a nurse, electrician, or other jobs that require a license. The statehouse has passed a measure in coordination with the White House’s immigration agenda that will ban undocumented people from holding professional licenses.   
  • Next year, Tennessee’s statehouse and the surrounding area could be part of a new “Capitol Protection Zone.” Lawmakers passed a bill increasing law enforcement presence at the capitol along party lines. It allows the state’s commissioner of safety to assign officers to protect government officials and puts new restrictions on protesting. GOP lawmakers cited concerns about rising civil unrest and terrorism. Democratic lawmakers criticized the measure as unnecessary. There has been no major breach since the Tennessee Highway Patrol took over security 45 years ago. [The Tennesseean]

FROM THIS IS NASHVILLE

For some, a book is just a book. For others, it can be life-changing, or controversial, or both. When the Age-Appropriate Materials Act was signed into law by Governor Lee in 2022, it paved the way for certain book titles to be challenged and removed from both school and public libraries. Now, the debate about access, education and community values rages throughout the state. What does book banning actually look like? Who’s making these calls — and how do they affect readers? Today, we unpack the issue, share perspectives and talk about what might be at stake when a book disappears from the shelf.

Stream This is Nashville with host Blake Farmer on YouTube, or listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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