Kevin Willis

Tennessee is seeing an increased number of proposals for charter schools. The rise in applications is largely due to a recent change in state law that no longer limits charters to low-income students from failing classrooms. The Tennessean reports that in Nashville alone eleven groups have applied to create new charter school operations.

Tennessee lawmakers are looking at legislation that would prevent state universities from extending non-discrimination policies to campus religious groups.  A Tennessee Senate committee has unanimously approved a bill what would forbid the University of Tennessee and the Tennessee Board of Regents Systems from applying non-discrimination rules to faith-based campus organizations.

Barren County Sheriff Chris Eaton and three deputies have entered not guilty pleas Wednesday in U.S District Court. The four are accused of civil rights violations and obstruction of justice. The Glasgow Daily Times reports Sheriff Eaton and deputies Adam Minor, Eric Guffey, and Aaron Bennett were arraigned in federal court in Bowling Green. The charges against them stem from an incident on February 22, 2011. 

Money to repaint Owensboro’s Glover H. Cary bridge is still included in the state’s two-year road plan. The $3.5 billion  plan passed the Senate Transportation Committee this week and is expected to clear the full Senate by Friday.

Kentucky lawmakers are trying again to raise the state's dropout age. Currently, students can drop out of school at 16 years old with parents' permission. But lawmakers and Governor Steve Beshear have pushed to raise the dropout age to 18, regardless of parental consent.