Latest news with #CameronSexton
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gov. Lee signs bill banning glock switches in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Glock switches are now banned in the state of Tennessee after Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill to outlaw the firearm accessory. Tennessee is now the 27th state in the nation to ban the device that converts handguns into fully-automatic weapons. States are mimicking federal law, which generally prohibits machine guns and any parts that can transform semiautomatic weapons into automatic ones. Glock switches have been used in countless mass shootings, including one in Memphis in 2024. The legislation was sponsored by House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and passed with bipartisan support. Gun control advocates are praising the new law, calling it a meaningful step toward making Tennessee safe. Earlier this year, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed similar legislation, following other states including Mississippi and Virginia last legislative session. 'Today's victory speaks volumes to the bipartisan progress that we can—and must—make together to prevent gun violence in Tennessee,'said Linda McFadyen-Ketchum, a volunteer with the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action, in a release. 'Banning Glock switches is just common sense — these devices turn everyday guns into illegal machine guns, and they have no place in our communities. This win is a meaningful step toward making Tennessee safer for everyone.' ⏩ 'This is a huge victory for young Tennesseans,' said Emma Mann, a volunteer with the Vanderbilt Students Demand Action chapter. 'My generation has been traumatized by America's gun violence crisis, and it's moments like this, after years of advocacy and mobilizing, that make it all worth it. Gun violence is preventable, and we won't stop fighting for the safety of our communities.' According to a release, Tennessee has the 11th-highest rate of gun deaths and the 8th-highest rate of gun homicide in the U.S. Gun violence reportedly costs Tennessee $18.0 billion each year, of which $415.5 million is paid by taxpayers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs bill banning Glock switches
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation on Wednesday to ban Glock switches, making Tennessee the 27th state in the nation to do so. The legislation was sponsored by House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and passed with bipartisan support. Machinegun Conversion Devices or 'switches' are aftermarket gun accessories that make semi-automatic handguns or rifles fire like fully automatic weapons. What are 'Glock switches'? The Tennessee chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action praised the new law in statements released on Wednesday. 'Today's victory speaks volumes to the bipartisan progress that we can—and must—make together to prevent gun violence in Tennessee,' said Linda McFadyen-Ketchum, a volunteer with the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action. 'Banning Glock switches is just common sense — these devices turn everyday guns into illegal machine guns, and they have no place in our communities. This win is a meaningful step toward making Tennessee safer for everyone.' According to a release from the nonprofit organization Everytown for Gun Safety, Tennessee has the 11th-highest rate of gun deaths and the 8th-highest rate of gun homicide in the U.S. 'Banning Glock switches is bad news for criminals who want to inflict maximum damage with a single pull of the trigger, and lifesaving news for law enforcement and the communities they're charged with protecting,' said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. 'We applaud Tennessee lawmakers for forging a bipartisan response to the threat of Glock switches, and urge them to keep working together on common-sense solutions to gun violence.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Jury convicts ex-Tennessee House speaker and his aide in legislative mail scheme
A federal jury on Friday convicted a former Tennessee House speaker and his onetime chief of staff in a scheme to win taxpayer-funded mail business from state lawmakers even after scandals drove the two out of political power. Former Republican Rep. Glen Casada was found guilty of all 19 charges, while his then-chief of staff, Cade Cothren, was found guilty of 17 of 19 charges in a public corruption trial that began in late April. The current House speaker, Cameron Sexton, helped authorities in the case against his predecessor since taking the job in 2019, he has said. Sexton was among the lawmakers and staffers who testified to the grand jury. But Sexton was noticeably absent as a witness after prosecutors said they planned for him to testify. The defense sought to draw attention to a political rivalry between Casada and Sexton. Ultimately, the defense declined to call any witnesses. Neither Casada nor Cothren testified. And defense attempts to discuss in front of jurors whether Sexton wore a wire were shut down by the judge. Casada resigned as House speaker in August 2019 after a no-confidence vote from fellow House Republicans due to swirling scandals, including revelations he exchanged sexually explicit text messages about women years ago with Cothren. Not long before that, Cothren also left his post over those texts and racist texts, coupled with an admission he used cocaine inside a legislative office building when he held a previous job. The criminal charges center on a time after the pair's political freefall, while Casada was still a sitting lawmaker. The charges claim Cothren launched Phoenix Solutions with Smith's and Casada's knowledge and support. The trio claimed the firm was run by a 'Matthew Phoenix,' as Phoenix Solutions and companies controlled by Casada and then-Rep. Robin Smith received roughly $52,000 in 2020 from the state in payments associated with the taxpayer-funded mailer program for lawmakers. A 'Matthew Phoenix' signature ended up on an IRS tax document. Casada and Cothren were indicted in August 2022 after Smith resigned and pleaded guilty to one charge in the Phoenix Solutions scheme. Smith testified for prosecutors for several days. Defense attorneys noted the state got the mailings it paid for. They tried to paint Smith as untrustworthy and driven by hopes for a lenient sentence under her plea deal. Smith testified that the goal was to keep the current House speaker, the legislative administration director and the public unaware of who was behind Phoenix Solutions due to the 'radioactive' scandal that pushed Casada and Cothren out of power. The taxpayer-funded mailings for House Republicans were a way in to expand later to campaign work, she said. Smith told fellow lawmakers that Phoenix Solutions was run by professionals with a prominent political consulting firm who were tired of doing Washington-related work. Matthew Phoenix's associate, Candice, was portrayed by Casada's then-girlfriend, prosecutors said. In a recorded call played for jurors, a fellow Republican, Rep. Ron Gant, feigned interest in becoming a client and spurred Smith to repeat lies about Phoenix Solutions. Smith said she didn't know she was being recorded. In January 2021, FBI agents searched the homes, legislative offices, or both, of Casada, Cothren, Smith and other statehouse figures. Smith left a voicemail with her attorney when they arrived. But by the time the attorney called back to tell her not to talk, she had already lied about the scheme to agents, Smith testified. The trial's fate became shaky when prosecutors failed to redact a portion of the FBI's interview with Casada that was then played for the jury. But the judge ruled against a defense motion for a mistrial, saying there was other evidence that echoed Casada's mistakenly unredacted comments — that Sexton would have rejected the use of Phoenix Solutions if he knew Cothren was involved. Casada remained a state representative until 2022, when he didn't seek reelection.
Associated Press
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Jury convicts ex-Tennessee House speaker and his aide in legislative mail scheme
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal jury on Friday convicted a former Tennessee House speaker and his onetime chief of staff in a scheme to win taxpayer-funded mail business from state lawmakers even after scandals drove the two out of political power. Former Republican Rep. Glen Casada was found guilty of all 19 charges, while his then-chief of staff, Cade Cothren, was found guilty of 17 of 19 charges in a public corruption trial that began in late April. The current House speaker, Cameron Sexton, helped authorities in the case against his predecessor since taking the job in 2019, he has said. Sexton was among the lawmakers and staffers who testified to the grand jury. But Sexton was noticeably absent as a witness after prosecutors said they planned for him to testify. The defense sought to draw attention to a political rivalry between Casada and Sexton. Ultimately, the defense declined to call any witnesses. Neither Casada nor Cothren testified. And defense attempts to discuss in front of jurors whether Sexton wore a wire were shut down by the judge. Casada resigned as House speaker in August 2019 after a no-confidence vote from fellow House Republicans due to swirling scandals, including revelations he exchanged sexually explicit text messages about women years ago with Cothren. Not long before that, Cothren also left his post over those texts and racist texts, coupled with an admission he used cocaine inside a legislative office building when he held a previous job. The criminal charges center on a time after the pair's political freefall, while Casada was still a sitting lawmaker. The charges claim Cothren launched Phoenix Solutions with Smith's and Casada's knowledge and support. The trio claimed the firm was run by a 'Matthew Phoenix,' as Phoenix Solutions and companies controlled by Casada and then-Rep. Robin Smith received roughly $52,000 in 2020 from the state in payments associated with the taxpayer-funded mailer program for lawmakers. A 'Matthew Phoenix' signature ended up on an IRS tax document. Casada and Cothren were indicted in August 2022 after Smith resigned and pleaded guilty to one charge in the Phoenix Solutions scheme. Smith testified for prosecutors for several days. Defense attorneys noted the state got the mailings it paid for. They tried to paint Smith as untrustworthy and driven by hopes for a lenient sentence under her plea deal. Smith testified that the goal was to keep the current House speaker, the legislative administration director and the public unaware of who was behind Phoenix Solutions due to the 'radioactive' scandal that pushed Casada and Cothren out of power. The taxpayer-funded mailings for House Republicans were a way in to expand later to campaign work, she said. Smith told fellow lawmakers that Phoenix Solutions was run by professionals with a prominent political consulting firm who were tired of doing Washington-related work. Matthew Phoenix's associate, Candice, was portrayed by Casada's then-girlfriend, prosecutors said. In a recorded call played for jurors, a fellow Republican, Rep. Ron Gant, feigned interest in becoming a client and spurred Smith to repeat lies about Phoenix Solutions. Smith said she didn't know she was being recorded. In January 2021, FBI agents searched the homes, legislative offices, or both, of Casada, Cothren, Smith and other statehouse figures. Smith left a voicemail with her attorney when they arrived. But by the time the attorney called back to tell her not to talk, she had already lied about the scheme to agents, Smith testified. The trial's fate became shaky when prosecutors failed to redact a portion of the FBI's interview with Casada that was then played for the jury. But the judge ruled against a defense motion for a mistrial, saying there was other evidence that echoed Casada's mistakenly unredacted comments — that Sexton would have rejected the use of Phoenix Solutions if he knew Cothren was involved. Casada remained a state representative until 2022, when he didn't seek reelection.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former governor Bill Haslam appointed to University of Tennessee Board of Trustees
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton has tapped Bill Haslam, the former governor of Tennessee and Knoxville mayor, to serve on the University of Tennessee Board of Trustees. The board serves as the governing body of the University of Tennessee system, overseeing operations across the system's five campuses. University of Tennessee loses $37M in grant funding amid federal funding cuts Sexton's announcement came on the day that a new state law took effect increasing the board membership from 12 to 14. The governor previously appointed 10 of the 12 board members. The new law requires the speaker of each chamber of the general assembly to appoint two board members each. Haslam was elected Mayor of Knoxville in 2003, winning re-election in 2007 and serving until 2011. He went on to succeed Phil Bredesen as the 49th Governor of Tennessee. The former governors now host the 'You Might Be Right' podcast together from Howard Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Lawmakers earmark $165M for new University of Tennessee chemistry building Haslam began his career working at Pilot Corporation, founded by his father Jim Haslam, and served as the company's president from 1995 to 1999. He is set to become the majority owner of the NHL's Nashville Predators and is spearheading an investment group aimed at bringing a WNBA franchise to the city. Forbes has estimated his current net worth at $5.1 billion. The Haslam family has been a major donor to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The business school was renamed the Haslam College of Business in 2014 and the music college became the the Natalie L. Haslam College of Music last year. ▶ See more top stories on 'Governor Bill Haslam's appointment to the University of Tennessee Board is a significant win for higher education in our state. Few leaders understand the importance of education and workforce development the way he does. From launching Tennessee Promise and Drive to 55 during his time as governor to working closely with both K–12 and higher education systems, Governor Haslam has always been committed to opening doors of opportunity for Tennesseans. His appointment comes at a time of strong growth and innovation across the UT System. His deep understanding of state government, his passion for education, and his results-driven approach will complement the outstanding work President Boyd and the board have already accomplished. Together, I believe they will continue to elevate the UT System as a national leader in higher education.' Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton statement on Haslam's appointment Randy Boyd, who has served at the UT System President since 2018, served as a Special Advisor on Higher Education to then-Governor Haslam in 2013 before being appointed commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development in 2015. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
