State Sen. Becky Massey, a Republican who represents roughly half of Knox County, started February with a rough morning at a legislative forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the East Tennessee chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
I’ve watched Massey for years, and noticed her pattern is to diffuse controversial topics with discussions of process. She’ll take a tough question about pending legislation and talk about which committee it’s in, whether she serves on that committee and the status of that bill — and frequently not commit to her stance on the matter.
That deflection was not possible at the start of the forum when the moderator, Scott Barker of the Knoxville local news site Compass, directly asked each of the attending five legislators to explain their vote on the voucher bill. House Democrats Sam McKenzie and Gloria Johnson bashed the many flaws of the plan, noting it is a costly subsidy going mostly to families already sending children to private schools. Senate Republican Richard Briggs reiterated his opposition, and House Republican Dave Wright had just a few words in support of his yes vote.
Massey mentioned overall state spending increases for education and changes in funding formulas and then declared, “When I was on the campaign trail, I talked to people when I was at their doors. We polled on it this summer. So, there’s been lots of conversation . . . I read every email that came in to me.” She also mentioned talking to people at church or invited events. “I looked at all the details of the bill, and did get my answers” on the “hold harmless” provision of the legislation, describing it as a baseline so schools will not lose money.
Members of Knox County’s legislative delegation at a recent forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. From left: Democratic Reps. Sam McKenzie and Gloria Johnson, Sen. Becky Massey, Rep. Dave Wright and Sen. Richard Briggs, Republicans. (Photo: Mark Harmon)
Johnson said at the same meeting that “the fiscal note says this coming next school year TISA [Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act, the formula for state public school funding] will be $45 million short in the funding because of the vouchers…In the hold harmless fund there is $3.3 million. Now, that might be some voucher math, but that’s not math where I went to public school, because $3.3 million is not going to make up the $45 million that we are short.” Further, the funding gaps only grow more severe as the voucher program goes through scheduled expansion. Massey does not explain where that mystery money will come from, and it seems very likely public schools will suffer.
When the subject turned to a recently-passed immigration bill promoted by Gov. Bill Lee, Massey also had some curious statements. Her rambling answer included the line, “the original people registered at Ellis Island.” McKenzie, who is Black, did not interrupt to say some of his relatives may have arrived by a different route. Massey then said immigration is a Tennessee issue because of fentanyl overdoses from drugs being brought into our state, leaving unstated the assumption that Mexican and other Latin American migrants bring it with them. It took someone during the question-and-answer session to correct her; the vast majority of such drugs enter through ports of entry and the actions of citizens, not migrants.
Let’s temper our criticism with some appreciation. These five legislators were the same ones who showed up last year for the same forum at the same location, a YWCA in Knoxville. State House Republicans Michele Carringer, Elaine Davis, Justin Lafferty, and Jason Zachary (plus Lt. Gov. Randy McNally) all were invited to this month’s forum but did not attend.
Massey also gave a prompt response to an email from me, clarifying a point raised at the forum and insisting, “I evaluate each piece of legislation on its own merits which is what I did with the Education Scholarship bill last week. After doing my research, I got my questions answered and I voted for the bill.”
Fair enough, but close inspection of the bill’s merits simply does not justify anything other than a resounding “no” to Lee’s voucher schemes.
Massey certainly knows politics. In her early elective years, her name most often appeared as Becky Duncan Massey, a not-so-subtle reference to the family name of her brother and father, who represented the Knox County area in Congress for a combined 54 years. So, when the numbers start coming in about the failures of the voucher plan, she will need to give stronger answers for switching her 2019 “no” vote on a similar voucher plan to a 2025 “yes” vote based on dubious reasoning. And process answers will not suffice.
Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
SUMMARY: Desmond Mills Jr., a former Memphis officer who pleaded guilty, testified during the trial of Tadarrius Bean and others charged in Tyre Nichols’ 2023 death. Nichols was beaten after fleeing a traffic stop; footage showed officers laughing while Nichols struggled. Mills admitted hitting Nichols out of anger after accidentally pepper-spraying himself and regretted failing to stop the beating. Nichols died three days later from blunt force trauma. Defense argued Nichols resisted arrest, while prosecutors said officers were “overcome by the moment” and failed to intervene. The trial, moved from Memphis due to publicity, addresses charges including second-degree murder amid scrutiny of MPD’s conduct.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-30 12:15:00
(The Center Square) – Democrats and Republicans from three states are supporting a 287-mile trail that would include Georgia, Tennessee and North Carolina.
The lawmakers are asking for a feasibility study on the Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail. U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., said Wednesday the trail deserves a national scenic designation.
“The Benton MacKaye Trail is an invaluable part of my district in East Tennessee that thousands of Tennesseans and Americans hike each year, and the trail connects some of the most beautiful and pristine parts of Tennessee with Georgia and North Carolina,” Fleischmann said.
The trail that winds through the Southern Appalachian Mountains was completed in 2005, according to Bob Cowdrick, president of the Benton MacKaye Trail Association, which has supported its development since 1980, according to the bill.
“This study would help protect our storied outdoor heritage for future generations, support local economies, and provide a wide array of recreation opportunities for everyone from day hikers to thru-hikers and solo trekkers to families,” Cowdrick said.
The trail’s path is made up of 95% of federal land. It passes through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Chattahoochee-Oconee, Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests. It begins at North Georgia’s Springer Mountain and ends at North Carolina’s Mount Sterling, according to the Benton MacKaye Trail Association.
The bill is cosponsored in the House by Democrats Steve Cohen of Tennessee and Lucy McBath of Georgia. Rep. Chuck Edwards, R-N.C., is also a cosponsor. Republican North Carolina Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd are cosponsoring it in the Senate with Rep. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. The bill is currently in the House Natural Resources Committee.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article reports on bipartisan support for a feasibility study on the Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail, without advocating for a particular ideological stance. The language used is factual and neutral, primarily focusing on the collaboration between Democrats and Republicans from three states. The article does not show a clear bias in favor of one political party or the other. It simply highlights the specifics of the bill, its sponsors, and the potential benefits of the trail, such as supporting local economies and outdoor recreation. Therefore, it adheres to neutral, factual reporting without promoting a specific viewpoint.
The trio charged in a Tennessee political corruption case shared text messages in early 2020 complaining about the state’s failure to pay a mysterious vendor for work on lawmakers’ constituent mailers, at one point cursing the administrator in charge of handling invoices.
One text message from former Rep. Robin Smith of Hixson to ex-Speaker of the House Glen Casada said, “Connie’s a bi—.” Casada responded, “Agreed!”
Smith, who pleaded guilty in the fraud and kickback case and is cooperating with federal prosecutors, was referring to now-retired Legislative Administration Director Connie Ridley, who handled payments for the state’s postage and printing program for lawmakers. Ridley held up payments because of problems with W-9 tax forms by the vendor, Phoenix Solutions, which was run by former legislative aide Cade Cothren, and Casada, testimony showed.
Smith testified she was “highly frustrated” because Ridley approved work without having the federal tax documents on hand. Eventually, Cothren sent the state a W-9 signed as “Matthew Phoenix,” one of the key documents prosecutors are using in the case to show deception by Smith, Casada and Cothren to direct business to Phoenix Solutions without state officials or lawmakers knowing who was behind the company.
Casada and Cothren had stepped down from their posts at different points in 2019 because of a racist and sexist texting scandal. Casada remained in the General Assembly but not as House speaker.
Connie Ridley, former director of legislative administration, shown leaving Nashville’s federal courthouse on April 25, 2025. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
Another text displayed for the jury Tuesday showed the state had paid for work on a lawmaker’s constituent mailer but didn’t include taxes.
Smith and Cothren sent each other “incredulous” text messages and Smith added another one saying, “Quite the bullsh–.”
Smith, former chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party, met with Ridley to speed up payments in February 2020 when the state owed Phoenix Solutions $34,000 for work on several Republican lawmakers’ constituent mailers, including now-former Rep. Patsy Hazlewood of Signal Mountain, Rep. Dan Howell of Cleveland, Rep. Esther Helton-Haynes of East Ridge, Rep. Dennis Powers of Jacksboro, Rep. Susan Lynn of Mt. Juliet, Rep. Bud Hulsey of Bristol, Rep. Chris Hurt of Halls, Rep. Andrew Farmer of Sevierville and Smith and Casada.
Ridley testified earlier this week she didn’t find out Phoenix Solutions was run by Cothren until May 2020 when federal authorities told her to continue processing the New Mexico-based company’s invoices.
Earlier Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge Eli Richardson ruled that prosecutors can present evidence showing the trio wanted to expand from constituent mailers, which are paid for with tax money, to House Republican Caucus work. Defense attorneys argued that the prosecutors should be limited to evidence about the postage and printing program because it is outlined in the indictment, not an effort to tap into caucus funds.
Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The content highlights a political corruption case involving Republican lawmakers in Tennessee, presenting factual details about legal proceedings, text communications, and testimonies. While it exposes misconduct within a specific party, the reporting style remains largely neutral and focused on the facts without overt editorializing or broad partisan critique. This aligns with a center-right bias, as it scrutinizes members of a right-leaning party but in a relatively balanced and fact-based manner typical of moderate conservative or center-right news coverage.
