A recent investigation by ProPublica found that some Tennessee Republicans who voted for the state's restrictive abortion ban never imagined it would be made legal by the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, some lawmakers are beginning to see why certain exceptions are necessary. Women experiencing life-threatening pregnancies in the state may not get the medical care they need because doctors are wary of criminal penalties.
Political analyst Otis Sanford says Tennessee lawmakers suffered no political consequences from the abortion ban when it was enacted, so there is no incentive to soften the law in the next session.
Also this week, the Shelby County Commission sent a resolution to the General Assembly asking to raise property taxes on individuals and companies that own more than 50 residential properties here. The increase from 25 to 40 percent tax rate would be the same as for commercial businesses. Commissioners say one reason for this increase is to address the problem of blight caused by neglect.
Finally, the City of Memphis introduced a new problem that allows businesses to put their surveillance cameras to work for the Memphis Police Department in times of an emergency. This would potentially speed up time-sensitive criminal investigations.
