Nashville, TN – State lawmakers shuddered when they heard economists' latest projections of how much the Governor will have to cut from Tennessee's budget. Faced with the 14th consecutive month of under-performing sales tax revenue, lawmakers must work to put aside their partisan differences and find a way to keep the state's head above water. WPLN's Jacqueline Fellows and Joe White discuss if they're ready to do that.
Memphis, TN – Almost 45 percent of all hate crimes that occurred in the state in 2007 took place in west Tennessee. It is the reoccurring anti-gay assaults that have the Tennessee Equality Project and Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy looking for ways to make Memphis more tolerant towards diversity. Recently, Mulroy proposed the city's first non-discrimination ordinance, which if passed, would protect gay, lesbian and trans-gendered employees from discrimination in the workplace.
Memphis, TN – Families USA is a national organization for health care consumers. Ron Pollack is the executive director. He says Tennessee's current health care plan not only neglects the population it is supposed to insure but could leave those same individuals with medical bankruptcy.
Nashville, TN – A bill to expand charter school enrollment is moving through the Tennessee legislature, and leaders from the state's two largest cities are at odds over whether the measure should pass. In this week's State Capitol Report, WPLN's Nina Cardona speaks with Joe White.
Memphis, TN – Sixty two and a half million dollars of the American Recovery act or federal Tennessee stimulus package has been allocated only toward energy initiatives. Governor Phil Bredesen announced earlier today the funds would go towards the creation of a five mega watt solar farm in Haywood County and a new Solar Institute at The University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Bredesen says the projects are closely related but separate.