Whitney Jones

From NPR: The U.S. Senate is expected to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act. And if the act gets through the House of Representatives, you might start paying taxes on more of your online purchases.

Gov. Bill Haslam has signed legislation that clears the way for cities to begin forming municipal school systems.

The measure passed the House 70-24 and the Senate 24-5. It lifts a 1998 ban that forbids municipalities from starting their own school systems, and benefits six Memphis suburbs seeking to bypass a merger of the Shelby County and Memphis school districts and run their own schools.

A measure that allows any photo identification issued by the state of Tennessee or United States to be used for voting has been signed by the governor.

The Senate version of the legislation at one time would have allowed student ID cards issued by public universities to be used, but the House stripped out that provision and the Senate later agreed with it. The legislation also eliminates library cards as suitable voter ID.

Moderate flooding is expected near Cairo, IL as the Mississippi and Illinois rivers crests this week, but the National Weather Service said the risk of spring flooding will continue for the next several weeks.

The moderate flooding prediction comes two years after historic flooding throughout many of far western Kentucky's river counties.

NWS Meteorologist Rachel Trevino in Paducah said rainfall and snow north of western Kentucky and southern Illinois along with future storm cells could all contribute to the rising river levels.

“The flooding going on up north of us due to rainfall and the snow packs and stuff probably will kind of affect us down in this area probably in the next two or three weeks," she said. " It will take that long for that water to get down here.”

From NPR: Last year, drought devastated many corn farmers, so you think they’d welcome all the spring rain. But it’s putting them behind schedule because they can’t plant in soaked fields.

A proposal to freeze the Tennessee's beer tax has been signed by Gov. Bill Haslam.

Tennessee’s beer taxes outstrip any other state's because the bulk of the levy is based on price rather than volume. The more a beer costs, the higher the taxes when buying it.

Legislation designed to reduce property tax bills for Illinois seniors is now law.

The bill raises the homestead exemption for Illinois residents age 65 and older from $4,000 to $5,000. Gov. Pat Quinn signed it into law Tuesday. The move could save seniors roughly $200 a year.

The leader of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus says the fate of a measure that would authorize same-sex couples to marry in Illinois may rest with 20 black legislators in the state House. 

Rep. Ken Dunkin is the head of the 30-member group. He announced his support for the legislation Tuesday.

The Chicago Democrat says he hopes to convince other black legislators to support the measure. He says the bill may fail if it doesn't get the yes vote from members of his caucus.

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources officials say flooding has temporarily closed the Ballard Wildlife Management Area.

Wildlife Regional Coordinator Tony Black says there are "safety concerns" about road travel due to recent rains. Black says staff began checking for visitors today and would close the entrance gates after the property has been vacated.

Kentucky's new poet laureate being inducted today in Frankfort as the state recognizes Kentucky Writers' Day.

Frank X. Walker and several of the state's past poet laureates will conduct poetry readings at the ceremony in the Capitol.

Walker is a Danville native who is known for coining the term "Affrilachia" to describe black culture in the multi-state Appalachian region. The Kentucky Arts Council says Walker at age 51 is both the youngest person to be named poet laureate in Kentucky and the first African-American.