News for the year 2012:
*For more news select the year tab above for a chronological listing or use key words in the search box to the right
States push to shake up personnel practices
February 16, 2012 “There is more agreement than disagreement on many of the provisions,” says Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, who is sponsoring Tennessee’s legislation. more…
Tenn. Lawmakers Join Opposition to Obama Health Care Bill
February 14, 2012 Norris said that opponents of the law believe state’s rights, individual liberties and “our ability to keep the federal government from infringing those rights” are at stake. more…
Grays Creek Annexation on Hold – Bridgewater Dropped
February 14, 2012 The council took the action the day after State Senate Republican leader Mark Norris of Collierville formally withdrew two bills that would have taken the Grays Creek area from the city of Memphis annexation reserve and required a referendum of residents to be annexed before any annexation could become final. more…
Memphis Backs Off Annexation Move
February 14, 2012 The move comes after State Senator Mark Norris dropped his legislation that interfered with the city’s annexation agreement. more…
Tn. Senators Challenge Constitutionality Of Mandate In Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act
February 13, 2012 A long list of state senators in Tennessee, including Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey (R-Blountville), Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville), Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Bill Ketron (R-Murfreesboro), Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Bo Watson (R-Hixson) and Senate Judiciary Chairman Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) are among 77 Tennessee lawmakers, the State of Florida, 25 other states, and the National Federation of Independent Business in filing as amicus parties (friends of the court) challenging the constitutionality of the individual mandate in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. more…
Ownership Secrecy Clause Forces Delay in Senate Passing ECD Confidentiality Bill
February 13, 2012 The two sides skirmished through the evening until the governor’s floor leader, Mark Norris, called a truce and put the bill off until Thursday. more…
Haslam bills concerning sell, manufacture of drugs unanimously approved in Senate
February 13, 2012 Both bills are part of the Republican governor’s crime package and are carried by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville. They were unanimously approved by the Senate Monday evening. more…
Norris To Withdraw Annexation Bills
February 10, 2012 “Citizens in these communities want their voices to be heard which was the impetus for filing the legislation,” Norris said in a written statement. “Although we felt this would likely be the outcome, it was important enough to our constituents to file the bills and get the Attorney General’s opinion.” more…
Norris withdraws bills restricting Memphis’ annexation
February 9, 2012 “I think there are better ways to go about this,” Norris said in a written statement. “Several Memphis City Council members seem interested in opening a dialogue about future annexations. Mayors Wharton and Luttrell are willing to do so, and the Tennessee code provides other alternatives, too — so perhaps something good will come out of this.” more…
State Annexation Bill Won’t Move Forward
February 9, 2012 Memphis, Tn – Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris pulled two annexation bills on Thursday afternoon because of a legal opinion from the state’s Attorney General. more…
In brief: Norris says bill on annexation remains alive
February 9, 2012 State Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris of Collierville said Wednesday that nothing has changed on the status of his legislation to remove the Fisherville area from Memphis’ annexation reserve zone, despite remarks by a Fisherville leader that he would ask that the state bill be pulled. more…
Council Passes Grays Creek Annexation on 1st Reading
February 9, 2012 The legislation to undo that is on hold and is sponsored by state Senate Republican leader Mark Norris of Collierville and state Rep. Curry Todd of Collierville. more…
Grays Creek Annexation on City’s Agenda
February 7, 2012 State Senate Republican leader Mark Norris, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, is awaiting a legal opinion from the Tennessee Attorney General’s office on the constitutionality of the proposal. more…
Bill to change name of Mental Health Dept.
February 6, 2012 The measure sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville was approved 31-0 on Monday evening. more…
Secretary of State Hargett presents $100,000 check to library building campaign
February 4, 2012 “The sense of community that emanates from this library is palpable,” said Norris. “It is a great day and (this project) will continue to bring great things to this community.” more…
McIver’s Grant Library check presentation
February 3, 2012 Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett presented library officials with a big check in the lobby of the present library, with State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, Minority Leader State Representative Craig Fitzhugh, State Representative Bill Sanderson and State Senator Lowe Finney also on hand for the celebration. more…
Gov. Haslam Weighs in on Annexation Battle
February 3, 2012 Senator Mark Norris is putting the brakes on a bill that would take the Gray’s Creek area of Shelby County away from Memphis’s annex reserve. more…
Pickler ready to push school dialogue, urge transition team not to ignore ‘alternative’
February 2, 2012 Because Norris was also the primary author of Norris-Todd bill that enabled the TPC and its work, Pickler says it is important to honor Norris’ intent. more…
Editorial: Bills are feeble fixes for defective voter ID law
February 2, 2012 Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, and House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, are sponsors of bills that would authorize county commissions to issue free photo ID cards. more…
Fisherville fuels anti-annexation move; petitioners prefer to incorporate
February 2, 2012 Meanwhile, Norris told Memphis officials he hoped they would hold off on action as he sought the attorney general’s opinion on whether the bills he proposed were legal. more…
Sides Firm on Annexation but Stand Down
February 2, 2012 Council member Harold Collins and state Sen. Mark Norris of Collierville struck up an email conversation Tuesday into Wednesday, in which Norris said he signed on a Senate sponsor to the two annexation bills in question despite some continuing doubts about whether they are constitutional. more…
The bittersweet business of redistricting
February 1, 2012 For the first time in Tennessee, the Democratic Party was not in charge of drawing the maps. Put another way, Republicans “held the pen.” more…
Tenn. Democrats call for good government reforms, Republicans decry election-year games
January 31, 2012 Norris was dismissive of the Democratic proposals, and laughed off suggestions that they may be designed to embarrass Republicans. more…
Council Considers Quick Annex Of Grays Creek
January 30, 2012 The bill, first filed Thursday by Collierville Republicans Curry Todd and Mark Norris – of the house and senate, respectively, is the latest legislative proposal that would have a dramatic impact on the move by leaders of the suburban towns and cities to form their own school districts. more…
State Reps Propose Annexation Bill
January 30, 2012 Last year, Senator Mark Norris and Representative Curry Todd introduced and help usher the passing of a bill to guide the consolidation of Memphis and Shelby county schools. more…
Property Value Among School Bills Board is Examining
January 30, 2012 Republican state Sen. Mark Norris of Collierville called for the delay, saying he wants the schools consolidation planning commission and school board to make a decision on the issue soon – before the end of the current legislative session. more…
Bills seek changes to Tennessee’s voter ID law
January 30, 2012 One bill filed Thursday by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Colliverville, and House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, would authorize county election commissions to issue a free photo ID. more…
Haslam to give second State of the State address
January 29, 2012 “We’ve got holes to fill,” said Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville. “We want to make sure that certain essential services are attended to … and not think that necessarily happy days are here again and we can go on a spending spree.” more…
One city could miss out on own schools
January 27, 2012 “It is a question,” State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville) said in confirmation of how the law could affect municipalities’ hopes for entering the education business. more…
Deadline given on school buildings
January 27, 2012 “Everybody needs to proceed in good faith. I don’t want to prejudge what they may come up with, but we are running out of time,” Norris said. more…
School Building BIll Dead in Nashville
January 26, 2012 Norris told Fox 13 he wants to let the local efforts on consolidation have more time and he says representative Curry Todd does not plan to push the bill that was filed Tuesday. more…
Suburbs, unified schools differ on interests
January 26, 2012 “At the same time, if there’s any legislation that’s needed to further the process or the intent of the law as it was written, you’ve got to keep that open as a possibility,” Norris said. “… I’m still intrigued whether the municipal concept can be incorporated in the transition plan.” more…
Tennessee lawmakers push for lower grocery tax
January 25, 2012 “Revenues are moving slightly better than I think folks thought they would be even two months ago, so we’re moving in the right direction,” said Norris. more…
Chandler, superintendents against bills, Haslam proposal for larger classrooms
January 25, 2012 Bills sponsored by Mark Norris, R-Collierville, in the state Senate, and Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, in the state House, would do just that. more…
Local Pensions at Forefront for State Leaders
January 24, 2012 “There will probably be some bills filed this year, everybody sort of getting on that bandwagon, like, ‘Oh, hey, we just discovered, you know there’s a pension issue,’” said Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville. more…
Editorial: Let the merger process play out
January 22, 2012 Norris, the Senate majority leader, is the author and Senate sponsor of the Norris-Todd bill that set up the process for the districts to merge in the 2013-2014 school year. more…
Congressman Cut Off From Own Synagogue
January 15, 2012 “I know some things have been said about religion and some things have been said about race that I think later some folks may regret,” Tennessee State Senate Leader Mark Norris told the city’s Daily News. more…
State redistricting plans pass
January 15, 2012 Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, who wrote the Senate redistricting bill, said in response to Kyle that senators and the public were invited in September by Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey to participate and submit plans. But, in November, only one plan was submitted. more…
State Redistricting Wrinkles Save Kyle’s Seat But Continue Debate
January 14, 2012 Norris defended the plan by the Republican majority, saying that specifically in Shelby County, it remedies the splitting of the six suburban municipalities. more…
Tenn. public school teachers balk at bigger classes
January 14, 2012 The bills are sponsored by Mark Norris, R-Collierville, in the Senate, and Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, in the House. more…
New TN congressional districts approved
January 14, 2012 Republicans rejected the Democratic plan. Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, argued it could actually decrease minority representation by spreading their votes too thinly. more…
Tenn. lawmakers approve GOP redistricting plans
January 13, 2012 “It’s not perfect by any means, and there’s something about this plan that just about everyone can dislike a little bit, and some dislike a lot,” Norris said. “I’m glad this doesn’t come up any more often than every 10 years.” more…
Tennessee Senate Approves New Congressional Maps
January 13, 2012 Republican Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville said that the new district lines are less divisive, because Shelby County will now only be represented by two congressmen, instead of three. more…
Haslam: Memphis-Shelby County schools merger on track
January 13, 2012 Under Senate Bill 2210 filed by Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, school boards could pay teachers more than the state schedule permits if they agree to teach in hard-to-staff subjects or schools. more…
Democrats: Senate redistricting plan dilutes Knoxville influence
January 12, 2012 Norris said the plan is “balancing the interests of the state and federal requirements” for redistricting while, overall, uniting “communities of interest” around the state. more…
GOP Leaders Eating Their Words? Now Say They’ll Support Food-Tax Cut
January 12, 2012 Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, Ramsey’s right-hand man in the upper chamber, says he, too, is content with the governor’s proposed plan to cut the food tax. more…
New Voter Districts Fly through Legislature
January 10, 2012 “It’s resistance to change. And I respect and appreciate that. In fact I wish I could give members an additional week, if it were up to me. But…the clock is ticking.” more…
New Year Brings Tougher Penalties in Drive-By Shootings
January 9, 2012 The state legislation was sponsored by Senator Mark Norris, a Republican from the suburbs of Memphis, which has suffered a rash of drive-bys, including one Christmas morning. more…
Transition Planning Commission seeks public input on Memphis-Shelby County schools merger
January 8, 2012 “I’ve never seen a more talented group of people,” Norris said of the commission. But he added: “They need to start communicating to the community they are onto something and they may have a better idea than just a breakaway plan for municipal districts.” more…
Democrats Take Their Lumps in New Redistricting Plans
January 6, 2012 District 32, currently held by Republican Majority Leader Mark Norris, would now stretch from the eastern and northeastern parts of Shelby County upward to include all of Tipton County. more…
Legislature reconvenes Tuesday
January 4, 2012 “Really job one is the budget and the economy,” said Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville). “And, approving new district lines will also be one of the first orders of business.” more…
Memphis Democrats Squeezed in State Redistricting Plan
January 4, 2012 District 32, represented by Senate Republican leader Mark Norris of Collierville, would lose its Dyer and Lauderdale County territory to one of three newly created rural West Tennessee districts. more…
Ferrell Haile on the new lines
January 4, 2012 It is a complicated system, full of difficult decisions, when redrawing our district maps. I would like to thank Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, Majority Leader Mark Norris, Speaker Pro Temp Bo Watson, and Caucus Chair Bill Ketron for their service in shaping the district lines across the state. more…
Ramsey: State Senate Redistricting Map ‘Fair and Legal’
January 4, 2012 In addition to Lt. Governor Ramsey the Senate Working Group on redistricting included three regional coordinators: Majority Leader Mark Norris, Republican Caucus Chairman Bill Ketron and Speaker Pro Tempore Bo Watson. more…
Effort would give smaller cities around Memphis surplus Shelby schools
January, 4, 2012 “To say ‘yes’ it will happen might give it too much weight. To say ‘no’ would be disingenuous,” Norris said. more…
Tom Humphrey: Haslam wants chance to study workers’ comp
January 2, 2012 During the 2011 legislative session, the lead workers’ comp tinkering legislation, pushed by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, basically enacted a deal struck by interested parties including lobbyists for business, labor and trial lawyers. more…
Future library, resource center takes root
January 1, 2012 The project is a special collaboration between Tipton County government and DSCC. By sharing library and learning resource center facilities, the college and the community will underscore the importance of lifelong learning. more…
