SUMMARY: The Rutherford County School Board in Tennessee has approved a new bus driver contract after months of debate. The contract offers a 17% pay raise and a $4,000 stipend for insurance, though it falls short of the 35% raise originally requested by the Rutherford County Bus Contractors Organization, representing about 70% of drivers. Drivers must sign by May 29. If more than 35 routes remain unfilled, the district plans to buy up to 12 new buses to cover shortages and replace aging activity buses. The board faced opposition regarding transportation policies but avoided requiring families near schools to provide their own transport.

After months of debate, the Rutherford County school board approved a contract for their drivers.

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SUMMARY: Tennessee plans its first execution since 2020 using a new drug, pentobarbital, which has sparked significant concerns. After halting executions due to COVID-19 and issues with the previous death penalty protocol, the state spent nearly three years developing a new protocol. Opponents argue pentobarbital poses severe risks, including painful pulmonary edema and cruel deaths, leading several death row inmates to sue. The federal government abandoned the drug last January over similar concerns. Additionally, critics worry the protocol’s secrecy limits public accountability. The first scheduled execution involves inmate Oscar Smith, who can choose between lethal injection or the electric chair.

Tennessee hasn’t executed an inmate on death row since early 2020, but now the new drug meant to restart the death penalty is raising new red flags among critics.

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SUMMARY: Tennessee has not executed an inmate since 2020, but the state’s new lethal injection protocol, which includes the controversial drug pentobarbital, is raising concerns. Governor Bill Lee paused executions in 2022 due to issues with the previous protocol. Critics argue that the new drug could cause “unnecessary pain and suffering,” citing potential risks like pulmonary edema. Several inmates are suing over the new protocol, claiming it violates the 8th Amendment. The protocol is also criticized for its secrecy. Oscar Smith is set to be the first executed under the new protocol on May 22, 2025.

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