Shows
The Tri-Star StateWhat To Expect From The 112th Tennessee General AssemblyHouse Speaker Cameron Sexton has been reelected to the position and, once again, he is in the middle of controversy.
The Crossville Republican now has to deal with members of his own party being investigated by the FBI. WPLN’s politics reporter Sergio Martínez-Beltrán sat down with him to chat about the latest developments.
Also on this episode: We break down some of the measures expected to be debated this year.
2021-02-0720 min
The Tri-Star StateThe Tri-Star State: New Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Says He’ll Focus On Beating Gov. Bill LeeFor the first time, the person in charge of the Tennessee Democratic Party will be a Black leader.
Hendrell Remus was elected earlier this month. He will now be in charge of the party’s strategy to win more seats in the state legislature — a task that has not been easy in the last decade.
Remus talks with WPLN’s Political Reporter Sergio Martínez-Beltrán about his approach to accomplish this.
Also in this episode: We break down how Tennessee Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty have voted during the confirmations of President Bi...
2021-01-3117 minThe Tri-Star StateSome Useful Tips For When You Vote On Election DayThe clock is ticking — we are just hours away from Election Day. Over a million people in Tennessee has already voted early or by mail.
But, many more are expected to cast their ballots this Tuesday. And as Tennesseans get ready to make this happen, WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán shares some information for your vote to count.
2020-11-0103 minThe Tri-Star StateAnswering More Of Your Questions On Absentee VotingEarly voting started last week, and thousands of Tennesseans have already voted in person.
But there are still WPLN listeners who want to vote absentee yet have concerns about it. So, WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been reading your questions regarding mail-in voting and has some new answers.
2020-10-1803 minThe Tri-Star StateA Flurry Of Lawsuits Have Been Filed Against Tennessee Over Absentee Voting. What’s The Latest?During the last few months, Tennessee has been hit with a flurry of legal challenges over mail-in voting.
This has caused some confusion during the final stretch of the November presidential election.
So, to clarify any doubts, WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán breaks down the status of the lawsuits and the rulings.
2020-10-0404 min
Curious NashvilleTennessee Voting Rules Are Causing Confusion, So We're Answering Your QuestionsAs a crucial election approaches, Tennesseans have reached out to WPLN News and Curious Nashville with their pressing questions. In this special crossover with The Tri-Star State podcast, Sergio Martinez-Beltran and Rachel Iacovone provide answers.
2020-09-2804 minCurious NashvilleTennessee Voting Rules Are Causing Confusion, So We're Answering Your QuestionsAs a crucial election approaches, Tennesseans have reached out to WPLN News and Curious Nashville with their pressing questions. In this special crossover with The Tri-Star State podcast, Sergio Martinez-Beltran and Rachel Iacovone provide answers.
2020-09-2804 minThe Tri-Star StateAnswering Your Questions About Absentee Voting In TennesseeRecent court rulings have created a lot of confusion regarding who can request mail-in ballots and voting in general.
And, as a crucial election approaches, Tennesseans have reached out to WPLN News and Curious Nashville with their pressing questions.
WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been talking to sources AND state officials to clarify all of the doubts. And he’s going to attempt to answer a few of them.
2020-09-2003 minThe Tri-Star StateWhat Gov. Lee’s Decisions Tell Us About His Conservative Credentials2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, including Gov. Bill Lee.
Crisis response from the pandemic to protests have given Lee the opportunity to show what he values and how he wants to lead Tennessee.
WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been keeping track of Lee’s decisions and says he has pushed for some of the most conservative policies in the country.
2020-08-3005 minThe Tri-Star StateRecapping The Legislative Special SessionThe special session for the Tennessee General Assembly has ended, but the controversy coming out of it is still going strong.
The state extended wide ranging protection for businesses and schools from COVID-19 lawsuits. And one measure essentially ended a months-long racial justice protest near the capitol steps. That bill caused splits even between members of the Republican supermajority.
WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán and Samantha Max have been covering the debates inside and the protests outside. They say the new legislation is already causing the demonstrators to rethink their approach.
2020-08-1605 minThe Tri-Star StateGOP U.S. Senate Primary Gets Fiery As It Hits Final StretchThe August Primary Election is coming up this week and the Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate are in full attack mode.
Ads are blanketing TV and social media and high-profile surrogates have been flooding the state to help out Manny Sethi and Bill Hagerty. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been on the campaign trail lately.
2020-08-0205 minThe Tri-Star StateThe Tri-Star State: The Tennessee General Assembly To Finalize Revised Budget This WeekTennesseans won’t know the full economic effects of the pandemic for a while but its impact on the state budget is becoming clearer.
Over the last week lawmakers have been figuring how to cut hundreds of millions of dollars across all departments. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been on Capitol Hill this week following the latest.
2020-06-1403 minThe Tri-Star StateGov. Lee And The Legislature To Cut Spending Initiatives As Part Of New Budget ProposalThe Tennessee General Assembly is facing one of its biggest budgetary challenges ever.
Sales tax revenue is down dramatically meaning more reductions to the state's spending plan. WPLN's Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been talking to lawmakers to get a better sense of what's likely to be cut.
2020-05-3103 minThe Tri-Star StateDespite Back And Forth Between Tennessee House And Senate Speakers, Post-break Session Will Carry OnAfter two months of recess, the Tennessee General Assembly is getting back to business this week.
And there’s already disagreements and controversy. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán is also going back to the capitol. But, even in quarantine, he’s been keeping up with the latest legislative developments.
2020-05-2404 minThe Tri-Star StateApril 5, 2020Throughout the coronavirus crisis Gov. Bill Lee has been criticized for being slower than other governors in calling for a stay-at-home order. Many have said he has not taken the issue seriously.
But the governor is taking it very seriously personally, at least. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán traveled with Lee across the state late last week to have an exclusive look at the governor’s operation.
2020-04-0506 minThe Tri-Star StateMarch 22, 2020“Unprecedented” is being used a lot to describe the current time we’re living in, and it’s safe to say that can be used to describe what just happened in the state legislature over the past week.
WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been at the capitol throughout this unusual session, where lawmakers voted last week to pass an emergency budget and recess until at least June.
He spoke to WPLN’s Rachel Iaovone about these extraordinary times at the state legislature.
2020-03-2304 minThe Tri-Star StateWhat The Tennessee Legislature Has Been Doing Since The TornadoesThe last two weeks in Tennessee have felt like four months.
Deadly tornadoes ripped through Middle Tennessee on the same day as the Super Tuesday presidential primaries.
Three days later, the state announced its first confirmed case of coronavirus. But all this time, the state legislature has still been conducting business.
WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán says it may have been overlooked but lawmakers have been debating important legislation.
2020-03-1503 minThe Tri-Star StateDemocrats Make Their Final Pitches To Tennessee Voters Before Super TuesdaySuper Tuesday is around the corner — that’s when 14 states including Tennessee will hold presidential primaries.
So far, about 337,000 Tennesseans have cast their ballots. But campaigns are still hitting the ground and knocking on doors to get people out to vote.
WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been covering the campaigns and says there is a real split among Democrats.
2020-03-0104 minThe Tri-Star StateWhy Gov. Lee Changed His Mind On How To Proceed With Paid Family LeaveThe three-month paid family leave for state employees promised by Governor Bill Lee appears to be in limbo.
Now it’s up to the Tennessee General Assembly to decide whether to move forward with it. And WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán says they’re not as excited about offering generous paid leave as the governor’s office is.
2020-02-2304 minThe Tri-Star StateDemocrats Are Resisting Gov. Lee’s Education And Criminal Justice Reform ProposalsDemocrats in the Tennessee legislature are a superminority. This means that most of their proposals will not become law.
But that hasn’t stopped them from pushing Governor Bill Lee on certain issues such as education.
WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán talked to Senate Minority Leader Jeff Yarbro, who says they want to see the governor put a lot more money in schools.
2020-02-1704 minThe Tri-Star StateDissecting Gov. Lee’s Criminal Justice Reform Plan For 2020Governor Bill Lee has been talking about plans to reform the criminal justice system in Tennessee since the campaign trail.
He studied the issue during his first year in office with the expectation that this would be the year for legislative action. But WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán says the proposals are less sweeping than expected and some are a bit tougher on crime.
2020-02-0904 minThe Tri-Star StateThe Bipartisan Movement To Relocate The State Capitol Bust Of Nathan Bedford ForrestThe capitol bust of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest is, once again, at the center of controversy but the battle lines are a little different.
This time, some Republicans are asking for it to be removed. WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been talking to lawmakers about their change of heart.
2020-02-0205 minThe Tri-Star StateHouse Speaker Cameron Sexton Talks Priorities And Issues That Put Him At Odds With Gov. LeeTennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton has made clear what his priorities are for the current legislative session. Healthcare, education, and criminal justice reform are on top of that list.
But some of those issues have also put him at odds with members of his party, including the governor.
WPLN's Sergio Martínez-Beltrán sat down with Sexton and has the interview.
2020-01-2604 minThe Tri-Star StateUnderstanding Tennessee’s Controversial New Adoption RuleA soon-to-be signed adoption law in Tennessee is stirring fears of an economic backlash. Companies and conventions have threatened to stop doing business with the state because of legislation that allows faith-based adoption agencies to refuse placements based on their religious beliefs.
Republican Gov. Bill Lee says he will sign it into law despite some pushback from his own party.
WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán says Tennessee is joining nearly a dozen states passing nearly identical adoption laws. He’s here to explain.
2020-01-2104 minThe Tri-Star StateWhat Tennesseans Can Expect Of This Year’s Legislative SessionIt’s time to start all over again. After a couple of months recess the Tennessee General Assembly will reconvene this week.
But WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán says lawmakers have been busy in the “offseason” and have already filed about 100 bills.
2020-01-1205 minThe Tri-Star StateBill Lee Looks Back At His First 11 Months As Governor Of TennesseeCriminal justice reform, school vouchers and refugee resettlement.
Those are some of the issues Republican Governor Bill Lee has pushed for during his first 11 months in office.
Lee recently sat down with WPLN's Sergio Martínez-Beltrán to talk about his first year. Here's their conversation.
2019-12-2205 minThe Tri-Star StateSchool Vouchers, Two New Speakers And A Governor — A Look At The 2019 Legislative SessionIn 2019 Tennesseans saw a lot of “news” from the state Capitol.
A new governor, two new speakers of the House of Representatives, and the state’s first ever school voucher law.
WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán covered the “news” and all the other stories in a very tumultuous year in state politics. Here’s his conversation with Jason Moon Wilkins.
2019-12-0805 minThe Tri-Star StateWith 4 Months Until Super Tuesday, Democrats Are Eying TennesseeFour months. That’s how much time is left before Super Tuesday — the day in March when Tennesseans and people in 14 other states and two jurisdictions will vote on the next nominees.
WPLN’s Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been covering the Democratic candidates who have visited Tennessee and he says they are focusing more and more on what has been a reliably red state.
2019-11-0304 minThe Tri-Star StateWhy The UAW Strike Is Crossing Party LinesThe impact of the latest nationwide strike by union workers against General Motors is beginning to be quantified. According to multiple reports, the automaker has lost about $1 billion dollar since the strike started three weeks ago.
In Tennessee, state officials worry the union strike against General Motors could have negative impacts on the local economy. WPLN's Sergio Martínez-Beltrán talked to leaders in the community around Spring Hill and he said it's not the typical partisan issue.
2019-10-0605 minThe Tri-Star StateThe Tri-Star State: 3 Unresolved Matters As House Speaker Glen Casada Agrees To Quit Top PostJust because Rep. Glen Casada, R-Franklin, plans on stepping down as House speaker doesn’t mean there aren’t still lingering questions surrounding the scandal that led to his departure. WPLN’s political reporter Sergio Martínez-Beltrán and senior editor Chas Sisk say there are three issues related to the scandal that remain unresolved.
2019-05-2603 minThe Tri-Star StateThe Tri-Star State: School Vouchers, Block Grants And Other Big GOP Wins Of 2019This year’s legislative session has come to an end, and a new wave of Tennessee Republicans scored some big wins during the last couple of weeks. WPLN’s political reporter Sergio Martínez-Beltrán has been on the hill for the last four months, and he says the final weeks were very hectic.
2019-05-0505 min
The Road to NowWar on the Banana SkinBob and Ben sit down to talk about the current events and historical questions that have been on their mind lately. They cover the GI bill delays that student veterans are currently facing, the one war that Teddy Roosevelt didn't win, the tragedy of the 1970s and why Ronald Reagan is the Godfather of punk rock. They also talk about all the times and places that they've seen J. Mascis. For more on the GI Bill delays, check out this piece by WPLN's Sergio Martinez-Beltran on how missed payments are affecting students at Ben's home university, MTSU...
2018-12-0337 min