The Week That Was
Taxing blow
It’s clear that frustrated lobbyists haven’t abandoned the Hill for the year quite yet. They’re still babysitting the Legislature. So-called sin tax increase proposals failed this week after industry lobbyists applied pressure to lawmakers. Opposition from tobacco industry advocates killed one idea to increase the state’s tax on cigarettes for the first time in years. Another proposal to add 6 cents in taxes to beer, cigarettes, and other alcohol also went the way of defeat.
Saw or dial
The onus is now on Nashvillians to call Metro to pick up and chip fallen tree limbs and other wood debris, Metro officials have announced, replacing the days when chipper trucks just periodically cruised neighborhoods and picked up the wood curbside. Metro is now working to clear a backlog of calls, but officials predict the chipper trucks will be reasonably caught up in a few weeks’ time.
It’s over
A week after a UT-appointed commission reported that the school lags behind similar institutions based on academic indicators, there is some good news: The NCAA has told university officials that it is ceasing its investigation into whether the school’s athletic program has engaged in academic fraud.
