CLOSER LOOK: With House Speaker Cameron Sexton and U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn taking aim at a line item in Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s proposed budget, the mayor told reporters on Friday that the funding “has been in our budgets for years” and “is not new or surprising.” The budget proposal includes a $735,000 allocation to the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. The city previously used one-time federal funds to support TIRRC and another local organization working on “securing or maintaining legal status for immigrants, which is something that has strong bipartisan support,” O’Connell said. — Stephen Elliott
TAX DEADLINE: For those who took advantage of the extra time, Monday is the deadline for Tennesseans to file their 2025 federal tax returns. The Internal Revenue Service extended the deadline to May 22 and then to June 8 for all 95 Tennessee counties as part of the relief efforts related to the winter storm that created power outages and other issues across the state. The extension applied to nearly all individual and business tax returns as well as tax payments due between Jan. 22 and April 15. The IRS automatically identifies tax payers who are eligible for the extension, so nothing is required of those who plan to file on Monday. — David Boclair
LEADERSHIP CHANGES: Mayor Freddie O’Connell announced that he will be filing legislation to return the leadership of the Nashville Entertainment Commission to the mayor’s office on Friday. The 15-member Entertainment Commission was created in 2023 to promote the presence and growth of Nashville’s entertainment industry, but leadership struggles and structural challenges ensued. The commission was in the process of hiring an executive director when it was announced that funding for the commission was not included in the proposed fiscal 2027 budget. “By moving the director’s role to the mayor’s office, a qualified executive director can be hired in a timely fashion, working with the Metro Council on funding to support the office and set it on a path of success in partnership with the Nashville Entertainment Commission,” said the mayor. The bill will be discussed at the June 16 Metro Council meeting. — Anna Blubaugh
ANIMAL WELFARE: The state veterinarian on Friday issued a temporary order that requires strict testing of warm-blooded animals brought to Tennessee from areas where the New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, has been detected. Animals must be inspected and treated before they are transported. Additionally, the Tennessee State Veterinarian’s office is working to enhance surveillance measures and provide outreach and education related to prevention, management and treatment of the issue that was last seen in the United States in the 1980s. “Livestock, pets and even wildlife are vulnerable,” Samantha Beaty, the state veterinarian, said in a release. “This parasite can have a tremendous negative impact on our animal populations and associated industries. Early detection is our best defense. Our priority now is to prepare — to ensure surveillance, movement controls, and response plans are in place so that if we do detect NWS, we can act swiftly to protect the health of Tennessee’s animals and our agricultural industries.” — David Boclair
STAFF ADDITION: The Nashville Predators named Rob Blake their executive vice president of hockey operations on Friday. Blake will work with general manager Chris MacFarland, who was hired days earlier, in all areas of the hockey operations department. His addition signals a shake-up in the front-office structure, which in recent years included three assistant general managers working under GMs David Poile and then Barry Trotz. Blake served in a similar role with the Los Angeles Kings from 2017-25. Hours after the announcement of Blake’s addition, the Predators said Brian Poile is no longer with the team. “I am grateful to work with Chris, who is one of the best general managers in today’s game, and build something special here in Nashville,” Blake said in a release. The 56-year-old had a 20-year career as an NHL defenseman, which included a Stanley Cup championship in 2001 as a member of the Colorado Avalanche. — David Boclair
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