Melissa Brown

Questions about the Tennessee 2026 legislative session? We can get you answers. Tennessee General Assembly sessions can be confusing. Let Chalkbeat Tennessee help you sift through the noise and provide on-the-ground text updates on education policy that will affect your school.

Tennessee General Assembly sessions can be confusing. We want to help you sift through the noise and provide on-the-ground text updates on education policy over the next few months.

You can text SESSION to (901) 676-6536 to get a direct line to me www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/20...

Will Tennessee reject summer 2026 federal aid for low-income students? A group of Tennessee county officials are urging Gov. Bill Lee to take advantage of a federal food benefits program they say is a vital tool to fight child hunger.

Will Tennessee again reject federal food aid for low-income students?

www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/20...

Tennessee launches its summer food benefits this week. Most students in the state will miss out. For the first time in five years, most low-income Tennessee students will not receive summer grocery benefits to help bridge the gap before school starts back. Advocates warn Tennessee’s decision to reduce its program will harm students.

Tennessee launches its summer food benefits this week. Most students in the state will miss out.
https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2025/06/10/tennessee-refuses-sun-bucks-program-launches-state-summer-food-benefits/

Tennessee Republicans file bill to allow public schools to reject undocumented children The bill is a direct effort to challenge a long-standing U.S. Supreme Court precedent guaranteeing a right to public education to all children.

A new Tennessee GOP bill would allow schools to refuse to enroll undocumented students. Dems, advocates and at least one Republican senator criticize the effort, which is an explicit attempt to overturn long-standing federal precedent on access to public ed www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Know of any Tennessee-specific projects, grants or programs affected by this? My DMs/email/Signal (@itsmbrown.12) are open

Supreme Court live updates: Latest from oral arguments on transgender care case The Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the ability of states to restrict treatments for minors whose gender identity doesn't align with their sex assigned at birth.

I'll be in the court this morning, but the USA Today team will have live updates here as oral arguments begin amid protests outside: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Meet the Tennessee family behind the US Supreme Court's major transgender health care case Tennessee's ban on medication and treatments for transgender youth goes before the U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 4.

This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments about Tennessee's ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender teenagers.

At the center of the case is a Nashville teenager, L, and her parents, who sued the state last year. www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

I've been saying for years that someone needs to develop a Parks & Rec-style heartwarming workplace comedy featuring the sexually oriented business local government apparatus

Meet the Tennessee family behind the US Supreme Court's major transgender health care case Here's a collection of stories to inform and inspire you this Friday.

In @usatoday.com, @itsmelissabrown.bsky.social and @nicolehester.bsky.social profile the Tennessee family at the center of the big US Supreme Court case on transgender health care. Oral arguments are set for tomorrow morning. www.usatoday.com/story/news/l...

A thoughtful profile by @itsmelissabrown.bsky.social of the family behind the big Tennessee transgender health care case going before the U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 4. Photos by the talented Nicole Hester. www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Oh no, one of of you posted "and you're surprised??" in reply to someone, didn't you?

If you do that, Bluesky crashes and no one's allowed to post for an hour. This is a feature, not a bug.

Drama in the Tennessee legislature

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee supports Trump-backed plan to abolish US Department of Education Still, the governor does not want to forego the federal education funding that helps pay for Tennessee schools.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee supports Trump-backed plan to abolish US Department of Education

www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

What a coincidence that I just re-downloaded the app this morning

House GOP bill would block local governments from returning expelled lawmakers to office The bill is narrowly tailored in an apparent response to the 2023 expulsions of Reps. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, and Justin Pearson, D-Memphis.

The latest in the fight between state and local control in Tennessee. @itsmelissabrown.bsky.social has the details of this House GOP bill that would block local governments from returning expelled lawmakers to office. www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

'Just listen': Why disability advocates are warily eyeing federal education funding debate Republicans have decried federal education involvement as overreach. Disability advocates say the oversight is protection for vulnerable kids.

Parents and disability advocates are raising concerns about the possibility Tennessee will reject federal education funding. @itsmelissabrown.bsky.social has an important story this morning explaining why. www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...