New state legislation filed Tuesday by Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris of Collierville would require a countywide referendum for merging Memphis and Shelby County Schools and allow for a new municipal school district in the county.A separate measure filed by Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, would place Memphis schools into a special "achievement school district" if a March 8 referendum to transfer authority over MCS to SCS is approved. Under Kelsey's measure, the new district's three-member board would be appointed by state officials and the district's teachers would lose their right to collective bargaining at the end of their current contract with MCS. The latter provision is a new concept in the merger debate that appears designed to punish city teachers or stoke their opposition to a referendum.

A majority of both the House and Senate signed up to sponsor a resolution introduced Thursday to amend the Tennessee constitution to ban the state income tax. "If this amendment passes, Tennessee will never face an income tax battle again,” said the Senate’s main sponsor, Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown.  “Not having a state income tax has already brought jobs to Tennessee, and clarifying this prohibition will help Tennessee become the number one state in the Southeast for high-quality jobs.” Fifty-one of the 99 House members and 20 of the 33 senators are on the list of the resolution’s supporters. Included are House Speaker Beth Harwell and Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey. A Senate Republican spokeswoman said more sponsors are expected. Only three Democrats are sponsors — Sens. Andy Berke of Chattanooga and Eric Stewart of Winchester, and Rep. Eddie Bass of Prospect.

Brian Kelsey made a few heads turn when he claimed that "[o]ur public school system is the last vestige of slavery," in the debate over a Charter Schools bill passed in 2009.  Kelsey has also advocated setting up a voucher pilot program in Memphis to pay for students to go to non-public schools.  Kelsey has also proposed having the State take over the Memphis City School system, should the voters in the city support abolishing the special school district, which would by statute fold them into the Shelby County School System.

William Slater, candidate for State Senate in district 18, received the endorsement of  State Senator Brian Kelsey of Shelby County. “I am honored to have the endorsement of a great conservative leader like Sen. Kelsey.” said Slater. “During  this campaign I have had the chance to get to know Sen. Kelsey and I believe he and I share many of the same  conservative, Christian values and I look forward to the opportunity to serve with him in the Senate.” This most recent announcement of support from the Slater campaign follows the endorsement last week of Lt.  Gov. Ron Ramsey. The special election will be held January 20th with early voting running January 4th through  January 15th.

"Mr. Speaker I would just like to remind the body that there is no room for disrespect, for making fun of people, for mocking people. This is a body of respect. If respect is not shown on the floor then maybe that individual does need to be in the chamber."

Fincher responded that Kelsey, of Germantown, was "mistaken on this, as he is on many other issues." That prompted House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada of Franklin to demand an apology from Fincher. Fincher, of Cookeville, refused. In Fincher's words his statement about Kelsey was "completely warranted and a statement of objective fact."

The subcommittee didn't actually vote on the resolution, of course, not wishing to wind up on the record on this particular issue. Instead, its leaders craftily attached a $20,000 fiscal note by requiring newspaper publication notice to voters if the question ever makes it onto the ballot. Then the panel voted to delay considering the resolution until after the state budget, meaning it'll most likely be quietly killed. Once the budget is adopted, the legislature's spent all the money there is to spend. So even coming up with another $20,000 for Kelsey will be impossible. Kelsey offered to raise private funds to pay for the legal notice but no one was listening "Of course, this will never come out from behind the budget," he told reporters. "They just showed exactly how they feel about this resolution. They're for an income tax. It's extremely frustrating that they won't even allow us to go out and raise these funds privately so that we can put this matter to rest."