Starting next month, Tennessee will become the first state to tax sports betting based on the total amount of money wagered, rather than revenue collected.
Starting July 1, the state will impose a handling tax of 1.85% to replace the current 20% income tax. Lawmakers approved the change earlier this year.
Just under $280 million in total bets were made in Tennessee during the month of May, generating $7.1 million in tax revenue for the state.
Under the new law, licensed Tennessee sports books will also not have to meet a 10% retention requirement. The Tennessee Sports Wagering Council adopted new interim rules ahead of the changes.
The feds do not object to Cothren’s request to subpoena Sexton’s texts
Before Cade CothrenDuring the federal trial this fall, the former political aide has sought permission to subpoena text messages from the Speaker of the House Cameron SextonR-Crossville.
Federal prosecutors in early June said they do not oppose the request to subpoena records from Verizon and a texting app. A judge has yet to rule on Cothren’s request.
Month:Why Glen Casada’s Former Chief of Staff Wants House Speaker Cameron Sexton’s Phone Records
In court filings, Cothren argued that the 2019 and 2020 records could be central to his defense by portraying a close and positive relationship between the two even after Cothren resigned from his Assembly job General under the cloud of a racist and sexist text message scandal and drug admission. use.
Prosecutors have alleged that Cothren hid his involvement in a shadowy political communications firm to get business from legislative Republicans, alleging that Sexton would not have approved any contracts with the firm if he had known Cothren was involved
School Safety Scholarship Applications are now open
Applications are now open for two governor-backed grant funds. Bill Lee in the wake of the Covenant School shooting.
Law enforcement agencies can apply for up to $75,000 per year, per school, to fund a school resource officer.
A separate pot of money is available to schools to strengthen school security, with $40 million going to public schools and $14 million to private schools.
“Nothing is more important than making sure Tennessee students and teachers get home from school safely every day,” Lee said in a statement. “This year, together with the General Assembly, we made significant investments to secure schools across Tennessee, and now we invite local law enforcement agencies and schools to partner with us in applying for these historic funds.” .
Green calls on HHS to restore federal Title X funds for family planning
US Rep Mark GreenR-Clarksville, asked the US Department of Health and Human Services to restore $7.5 million in federal funds for family planning programs revoked because of Tennessee’s strict abortion laws, a decision Green calls “arbitrary and malicious.”
The state lost federal Title X funding in March, after HHS found the state was “not in compliance” with federal requirements to provide abortion referrals at the request of clients. Title X funds cannot be used to fund abortions. Lawmakers approved funding in the state budget to replace lost federal funding.
“Your blatant attempt to use money to coerce Tennessee into filing has failed. You now have two options: alienate Tennessee by continuing to revoke these funds, or restore its rightful status under Title X,” Green wrote.
Catch up on the week
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