Whitney Jones

The Tennessee House has approved Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's bill to change the way the state considers injured workers' claims after defeating several attempts by Democrats to dial back the proposal.

The chamber voted 68-24 to approve the bill. The Senate would have to agree to minor changes before the measure can head to the governor.

A proposal that would dock welfare payments of Tennessee parents whose children fail school is dead.

After a debate on the state Senate floor Thursday, Republican senator and bill sponsor Stacey Campfield decided to pull the bill so it can be studied over the summer.

Both Republicans and Democrats expressed concern about the legislation, which sought to cut Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits by 30 percent if a child fails to advance to the next grade.

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander has raised more than $1 million for his 2014 re-election campaign in the first quarter of the year.

Alexander's priorities include reducing the nation's debt by controlling spending on entitlements. He also says he wants to move more decisions out of Washington and back to states and communities.

The Tennessee House has passed a bill banning most warrantless surveillance by unmanned drones, but added a last-minute exemption for events featuring large crowds.

The chamber voted 91-0 Thursday in favor of the bill sponsored by Republican Rep. James "Micah" Van Huss, who is a former Marine with experience piloting drones.

The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet is providing $250,000 in grants for rubber mulch in 18 playgrounds, a landscaping project and a walking trail. 

Gov. Steve Beshear says using the recycled scrap tire mulch is environmentally beneficial. The grants come from the state's Waste Tire Trust Fund, which receives a $1 fee from each new tire sold.

Actress Ashley Judd isn't the only one who has been in the political crosshairs of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.

His campaign has collected thousands of documents pertaining to Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, a Kentucky Democrat considering running against McConnell now that Judd is not. The documents obtained by The Associated Press include travel invoices for Grimes and her staff, even reams of letters from people wanting to be Kentucky Colonels, an honorary designation handled by her office.

From NPR: Discussion in a legal case to determine whether or not you can resell your MP3s turns to Star Trek and Willy Wonka.

Kentucky education commissioner Terry Holliday says the first 57 school districts that raise their dropout age from 16 to 18 will be given a $10,000 state grant.

Holliday made the announcement Wednesday during a state Board of Education meeting in Frankfort. Just before the announcement, board members voted unanimously to adopt a resolution urging Kentucky's 174 school districts to raise the dropout age as soon as possible.

Kentucky's General Fund is on pace to meet its tax revenue goals for this fiscal year despite Kentuckians' cautious spending habits says a state official.

State Budget Director Jane Driskell says overall tax receipts are 2.6 percent higher than they were this time last year. The uptick is partially attributed to an increase in revenue from corporate and individual income taxes, which jumped 12.7 percent and 5.7 percent respectively. The fiscal year ends June 30.

Before last year's elections, the executive director of the Tennessee Senate Republican Caucus obtained a copy of the entire database of handgun carry permit holders in the state.

On Wednesday, the GOP-controlled chamber voted to block public access to those records.