The Tennessee Holler Podcast

Texas state rep James Talarico joins to talk about how they beat back Gov. Abbott's private school vouchers scam push there, as Tennessee faces a similar fight.

Mary Batiwalla, former Tn Ed Department Assistant Commissioner, joins to discuss the new push to give every school a letter grade - the latest front in Governor Lee's efforts to undermine our public schools.

Aftyn Behn, our long-time friend, recently won an upset victory and will soon take her place in the state legislature. Pretty awesome. She joins us to discuss how it happened.

Kathryn Vaughn, one of the teachers suing TN over the schools censorship law passed by Governor Lee & the TN GOP, joins to discuss the lawsuit and the chilling effect of a terrible law.

Kristen Chapman, mother of a trans girl, talks about getting an email from Vandy that their medical info was turned over to Tennessee's Attorney General Skrmetti - a nakedly partisan actor - without their knowledge, along with everyone else who has looked for or received gender-affirming care from Vandy in recent years.

There was no "insurrection", and anyone who tells you there was is lying to you and telling on themselves. Like Speaker Sexton, for instance. Kanew explains why Sexton is not to be trusted, and gives a first-hand account of a peaceful, powerful protest at the capitol this week - led by young people.

Heather Thomas, mother of a trans adult who was a teen in Williamson County when he began to transition, talks about the Senator Jack Johnson & Rep. William Lamberth Trans Youth Health Care Ban - and the assaults from overreaching Tennessee Republicans on the freedoms of Tennesseans.

Lisa Quigley, former chief of staff to Rep. Jim Cooper, joins to talk about the circus that is the speaker of the house vote - where Mccarthy has been unable to secure the votes thus far.

Justin J. Pearson, who helped lead the fight against the Byhalia Pipeline in MEMPHIS, talks about his candidacy in the HD-86 special election for the state house seat left behind by the late Barbara Cooper. He says the same energy that helped defeat the pipeline is powering his campaign to become the latest young progressive voice to make it to Nashville.

Rep. Gloria Johnson and Knoxville Attorney Chloe Akers join to talk about the new recordings showing Republicans in Tennessee have been lying about their "NO EXCEPTIONS" abortion ban all along.

Senator Heidi Campbell joins to talk about her TN-5 race against MAGA extremist Andy Ogles, and why democracy is on the line and young folks need to turn out.

Fox Schweiger received gender affirming healthcare here in Knoxville and at Vanderbilt as a minor from grades 9-12 with the full support of his parents. He is now a 20 year old college junior in Oregon and bravely shared with us what it’s really like to get life saving treatment as a minor in Tennessee.

Rep. Mike Stewart tells us why he knocked doors for Cheney despite disagreeing with her on pretty much every issue - because we're in a crisis of democracy, and without a democratic system we won't make progress on anything.

Rep. Bob Ramsey becomes the first Republican legislator to come on the Holler as he talks about getting primaried for standing up to Governor Lee's privatization agenda. He says Lee does in fact want to end public schools.

Kanew discusses the reaction from Tennessee Republicans (Blackburn, Fleischmann, Jacobs, Zachary, Harshbarger) showed they don't actually care about the rule of law.

Charles Siler used to work for the privatizers. Now he fights against them. He joins us to explain why he changed, why CRT is just the latest boogeyman, and how the real goal of Governor Lee and the privatizers here in Tennessee is to eradicate public schools.

Cindy Schueman, who was once the chair of the Putnam County Republican Party, penned a letter in the Herald-Citizen in COOKEVILLE warning people current Republican Party leaders in Putnam County are "Racist" "Hate-filled" "Bottom-Feeders". She joins us to explain why, in a conversation we were glad to be able to have.

Jessie Mckinney from Everytown (Tennessee) joins to explain why we need the bipartisan gun law reform deal to pass congress. "It will save lives."

Tennessee political mind Aftyn Behn joins to discuss takeaways from last night's elections around the country - Cawthorn, Fetterman, Summer Lee and more.

Francie Hunt of TN Advocates Planned Parenthood joins to walk through a leaked Republican messaging doc on abortion, and tell us the truth about what reproductive rights advocates really believe.

Rep. Gloria Johnson, Aftyn Behn, and TN-7 Candidate Odessa Kelly join to talk about the news that SCOTUS is set to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which would trigger an abortion ban in Tennessee. Welcome to the Handmaid's Tale.

We spoke with Rep. Tom Leatherwood, sponsor of the controversial special marriage license for straight people that made waves for also maybe legalizing child marriage. It died. 

He spoke with us about his motivation, marriage equality and more.  

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We spoke with Rep. Mark White for 10 minutes about charter schools and Governor Lee's potentially poisonous ed funding overhaul "TISA".

Majority Black, Black-led city Mason, TN is being told by TN comptroller Jason Mumpower that it needs to give up being a city or have its finances taken over... right as Ford opens a new multi-billion dollar plant 4 miles away. Something doesn't smell right about it.

REP. MIKE STEWART, former TN Dems Caucus Chair, joins us to announce he won't be running again, and will instead be focusing on the "extraordinary threat" Trump poses to our democracy.

Senator Katrina Robinson just became the first Senator in Tennessee history to be ousted by her colleagues. That she's a Black female Dem from Memphis seems to not be a coincidence, since many white male Republicans have behave wildly unethically and faced no consequences from the Senate. Her case had been 99% dismissed, and was not yet finished. An injustice.

"MAUS" CREATOR ART SPIEGELMAN joins to talk about Mcminn County Banning his Book. He says "TRUST THE KIDS."

REP. JIM COOPER joined us the day he announced his decision not to run again in 2022, citing the TN GOP's "cruel" redistricting maps.

Knoxville Fire has declared it arson. Ashley joins us to discuss what that means, and their determination to rebuild even after this right-wing terrorist attack.

Rep. Mike Stewart joins to tell us why we should still be alarmed that our democracy is hanging by a thread.

Kanew discusses Rep. Jeremy Faison, 3rd highest ranking Republican in the house, getting tossed from a high school basketball game after trying to fight a ref (and yes, pull his pants off).

Rep Torrey Harris, the first out LGBT black legislator in Memphis, and one of the youngest, shares his thoughts on likely losing his district to redistricting.  

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ASHLEY PEREIRA was raped by ex-Jason Greathouse in Alabama at 14, and her parents pushed her to marry him. They are now divorced. He just was let off with no jail time. They both now live in Tennessee (him in HENDERSONVILLE) and she's forced to share custody of their child with him, while he doesn't pay any child support.

REP. GLORIA JOHNSON joins us to discuss the threats to block schools and the overall Anti-Mask backlash that got Knox Schools closed today.

We're joined LIVE by JB Smiley Jr., a Memphis city councilman running for governor of Tennessee as a Democrat.

Pervis Payne is an intellectually disabled man on death row. His attorney Kelley Henry says he's innocent, the case is riddled with problems, and Governor Lee needs to use the power of clemency to send him home after 34 years.

Sullivan County Teacher MATTHEW HAWN was fired for sharing a poem by KYLA JENEE LACEY and an article by Tanehisi Coates in the wake of the anti-CRT furor. They join us LIVE in one of their first interviews about it.

Adam Brody joins Kanew to talk about politics and the state of the country, why AOC, Rep. Bush and other women of color are heroes, and why the consciousness-shift we're seeing is exciting.

Rep. Gloria Johnson joins us to discuss on Speaker Sexton threatening School Districts if they impose mask mandates, with COVID-19 spiking again in Tennessee.

Ashley King was a presence at the Capitol making legislators uncomfortable to get the KKK Grand Wizard Statue moved. Now it's gone, and he's here to tell us how it feels.

"WE HAVE OTHER WORK TO DO, BUT AT LEAST THAT'S ONE DOWN."

Comedian Walter Masterson joins us to talk about trolling Rep. Greene & Rep. Gaetz in California, and a local school board in NY where anti-CRT parents had no idea he was making fun of them.