(The Center Square) – A bill that would have allowed Tennessee school districts to ban undocumented students died in the House of Representatives amid concerns it would impact federal funding.

House Bill 793/Senate Bill 836 was not revived before the General Assembly ended the 2025 session on Tuesday evening.

The state receives $1.1 billion in federal funding each year. That amount was deemed at risk to the consequences of the proposed law in relation to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, according to the bill’s fiscal note.

Title VI protections extend to undocumented individuals in the United States, the note said.

“Violations of federal civil rights laws may place this funding at risk, however, the specific amount at risk is undetermined,” analysts wrote in the bill’s fiscal note.

The Senate passed its version of the bill last Thursday, with supporters calling the bill a “financial” decision and opponents questioning the moral cost. Senate Bill 836, sponsored by Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, received “no” votes from some Republicans.

Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition, testified against the bill as it moved through committee.

“This is a major victory – and it belongs to all the children, parents, educators, faith leaders, business owners, veterans, partner organizations, and the bipartisan coalition of Republicans and Democrats who stood up for education for all children,” Luna said in a statement.

Another controversial education bill also failed. House and Senate leaders could not agree on a bill that would have cleared the way for a takeover of the Memphis Shelby County Schools. Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, said the school system needed to do better with the money it received every year. An estimated 130,000 Memphis residents don’t have a high school diploma, he said.

Democrats said the bill was an attempt to take over the schools and create more charter schools. A forensic audit of the school system is being conducted and will be completed next year.

The House and Senate passed the nearly $60 billion budget last week.

Gov. Bill Lee praised the General Assembly, specifically $1 billion for road projects and more than $450 million in disaster relief for Hurricane Helene victims.

“We’ve passed strategic legislative and budget measures to improve infrastructure, invest in education, strengthen our workforce, and solidify Tennessee’s position as a leader in next-generation nuclear energy,” Lee said. “I thank the General Assembly for its partnership and continued commitment to responsible fiscal stewardship and innovation to improve the lives of the people we serve.”

(The Center Square) – A federal judge, said the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday night, is next up to consider a North Carolina Supreme Court decision in the nation’s last unresolved race from the Nov. 5 elections.

Democratic incumbent Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin are battling for Seat 6 on the state Supreme Court bench. Following the stay granted by the federal appellate court, Chief Judge Richard Myers of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina is to consider the process endorsed by the state high court.

Riggs, the North Carolina Democratic Party, the State Board of Elections, and multiple activist groups will try to convince Myers to not allow the state Supreme Court choice of a curing process for overseas voters’ ballots. A recalculation of the totals would follow.

Published reports say the number of ballots ranges between 1,500 and 6,000.

On Election Night, with 2,658 precincts reporting, Griffin led Riggs by 9,851 votes of 5,540,090 cast. Provisional and absentee ballots that qualified were added to the totals since, swinging the race by 10,585 votes.

Riggs has been poised for a 734-vote win. Griffin protested about 65,000 ballots on multiple counts, and the state board rejected all of them. Most were by 3-2 party-line votes.

The protests the state board denied included registration records of voters, such as lack of providing either a driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. State law for that has been in place two decades, dating to 2004.

Other ballots protested and denied by the state board included voters overseas who have never lived in the United States, and for lack of photo identification provided with military and overseas voters. The latter is at issue for Myers.

The Supreme Court bench has historically been both nonpartisan and partisan, and since going back to the latter, was 6-1 Democrats in 2019. It is 5-2 Republicans today.

Riggs has been recused from all actions involving the state Supreme Court. She remains seated until the election is resolved. Griffin is a judge on the state Court of Appeals and has been recused from all actions there as well.

(The Center Square) – President Trump will be giving the commencement address at the University of Alabama for the first time and West Point for the second, with more details to come.

The president posted on his Truth Social account: “I have agreed to do the Commencement Address at two really GREAT places, the University of Alabama and, WEST POINT. Stay tuned for times and dates!!!”

Trump gave the commencement address at West Point once before in 2020 – also as sitting president.

Other sitting presidents who have been speakers at West Point’s commencement include Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama, among many others, according to West Point’s archives.

When reached for comment, West Point referred The Center Square to the White House Press Office for information regarding Trump’s address.

A University of Alabama (UA) statement obtained by The Center Square reads that “the University of Alabama is honored to have been selected as one of the universities President Donald J. Trump will visit to deliver a spring commencement address.”

“This ticketed event will be held the evening of Thursday, May 1, at Coleman Coliseum and will be open to all spring 2025 graduates,” the statement says.

“All spring graduates will have the opportunity to attend this distinct event in addition to their college-specific ceremonies where degrees will be conferred from May 2–May 4, as scheduled,” according to the statement.

When reached for comment, UA associate director of communications and media relations Alex House provided The Center Square with the school’s statement, which is very similar to a published statement from the school.

In response to the announcement of Trump’s UA commencement address, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey posted on her X account: “It truly will be a historic occasion for these UA graduates and their families.”

“What an incredible opportunity to hear from the President of the United States!” Ivey wrote. “Thank you, @POTUS, for making this happen for our students.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt released a statement saying she is “thrilled President Trump will deliver the keynote address at the University of Alabama’s commencement ceremonies this year.”

“It is a tremendous honor for the university and for this year’s graduating class to welcome a sitting President to campus – a first in the nearly 200-year history of the University of Alabama,” Britt wrote.

“As an alumna, I am especially proud to see my alma mater chosen for such a historic occasion,” Britt wrote.

The University of Alabama’s statement additionally explained that “campus logistics and security measures are being carefully coordinated, and ticketing information for graduates and other event details will be communicated in the coming days.”

“We look forward to celebrating our graduates throughout commencement weekend as we confer degrees to thousands of hardworking students who will go on to make a positive impact in the workforce and in communities across Alabama, our nation and the world,” the statement said.