April 14, 2010 A bill that would open the door for Shelby County Schools to become a special school district is further along in the Tennessee legislature than it has ever been. more...
February 28, 2010 “I’ve continued to work ... to see how much debt has been authorized but never issued,” Norris said. “By canceling some of that old debt, we can free up some of the reserves by law we’ve been required to set aside, and thereby free up cash.” more...
February 28, 2010 Republican Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris of Collierville said a number of options are being tossed about, but he said one involves possibly reducing some of the debt the state authorized for capital projects, which could free up "several tens of millions" of dollars. more...
January 21, 2010 “This is a major step forward. It incorporates a number of reforms that a lot of us have been advocating for a number of years, and the timing was just right.” more...
April 8, 2009 Sen. Mark Norris of Collierville is sponsoring the Senate version of the legislation. more...
March 26, 2009 Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville) will address the state of Tennessee’s economy on Saturday, March 28, at Vanderbilt’s Averbach Auditorium. more...
March 26, 2009 Several Vanderbilt professors and financial experts from the Nashville community will be speaking in addition to Mark Norris, Tennessee State Senate Majority Leader and Richard McCarty, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. more...
March 25, 2009 Volunteers are meeting with legislators from across the state including Rep. Beth Harwell (R-Nashville), Reps. Mark Norris (R-Memphis) and Paul Stanley (R-Memphis) and Rep. Kent Coleman (D-Murfreesboro). more...
April 5, 2008 "I'll oppose it," said the Collierville Republican, whose senate district includes the main DSCC campus in Dyersburg and the Covington site. "And take a wait and see attitude from then." more...
April 4, 2008 "We need to strike an appropriate balance between the scholarship that is required and the performance that we really need to see to graduate top notch students but to help them keep their scholarships so they can graduate," Senator Mark Norris said. more...
March 13, 2008 State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris recently named Dyersburg State Community College officials as the recipient of a $40,000 grant to be used to fund scholarships enhancing the college's already successful dual enrollment program. more...
February 6, 2008 The measure sponsored by Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, unanimously passed the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday. more...
January 8, 2008 They'd like to lower the standards so that anybody can go and that's going to be one of the issues to be debated hotly to be sure," Senator Mark Norris said. more...
August 16, 2007 Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris of Collierville said the last time he checked with the secretary of state's office the number of applications from his district indicated "the requests exceed the available funds." more...
July 5, 2007 “This grant unites our community and our school district in a real partnership for helping students,” Senator Mark Norris said. “Clearly, this program will better prepare our children for school and life.” more...
June 24, 2007 Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris of Collierville took a different view. "This was our first session under new management. We began the process of getting tax relief to Tennesseans -- not as much as a more substantial Republican majority would have. more...
June 14, 2007 Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris of Collierville: "This was our first session under new management (the first GOP Senate speaker in 140 years). I don't think it was flashy but it was solid and steady." more...
June 11, 2007 "There is significant discomfort on both sides of the aisle" with portions of the compromise, said Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris of Collierville. more...
June 9, 2007 "There is a lot of anxiety on both sides of the aisle (in the Senate) about this reduction in recurring revenues," said Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris of Collierville. more...
June 4, 2007 A local property tax freeze for homeowners aged 65 and older. The dispute is where to set the ceiling on household income to qualify for the freeze, which was authorized by a state constitutional referendum last fall. more...
May 25, 2007 “If you want to strike a blow at tobacco, then tax tobacco,” said Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville). more...
May 23, 2007 Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris said the memo in question, e-mailed to legislators Monday night, reminded him of a "bait-and-switch" tactic. more...
May 23, 2007 “The push with the incorrect information that had been rapidly disseminated by the administration last night along with this push to move forward with this cigarette tax is a recipe for disaster,” said Norris, of Collierville. more...
May 22, 2007 Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris responded that he doesn't want to rush. more...
May 22, 2007 The issue, raised this morning by Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris of Collierville, later drew an apology from Finance Commissioner Dave Goetz. more...
May 22, 2007 "When you just slap things together the way they've done, and then run them all down to vote them on the floor, you could put into law something that is not progress," said Sen. Mark Norris, R-Memphis. more...
May 12, 2007 But neither Ramsey nor Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris of Collierville would say how much of a tax increase they favor. more...
March 29, 2007 Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris, of Collierville, said he could sense "a softening" in the governor's attitude this week. more...
March 27, 2007 Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris of Collierville has said Bredesen’s “Schools First” proposal should instead be labeled “Schools Last,” because it doesn’t adjust the state’s regular operating budget to prioritize schools. more...
February 6, 2007 Senate Republican Leader Mark Norris of Collierville said Republicans "embrace his willingness to move forward on education," more...
December 25, 2006 "We need to legislate a ceiling that could be accepted by local and county governments," Norris said. "Senate Bill 2, which I am sponsoring, has a $50,000 ceiling." more...
April 19, 2006 NASHVILLE -- A House subcommittee killed for another year Tuesday a bill allowing Shelby County schools to convert to a special school district. more...
April 18, 2006 The bill, sponsored by Rep. Tre' Hargett, R-Bartlett, and Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, was on the first step in a long process that would ultimately would have allowed the county school system to become a special school district outside the City of Memphis. more...
April 3, 2006 That legislation -- sponsored by Democratic Rep. Jerry West of Hermitage and Republican Sen. Mark Norris of Collierville -- remains stuck in a House subcommittee and has yet to move in the Senate. more...
January 29, 2006 On Jan. 22 Shelby County Council Parent Teacher Association held its third annual Student Awards Ceremony. more...
January 27, 2006 Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, said he supports strengthening math and science education but questions whether this proposal is the best approach. more...
Shelby County board members unanimously approved an agreement to accept the students June 14 at a special called school board meeting. more...
The pledge was admirable and courageous. With an extraordinary effort, it might be kept. more...
May 20, 2005 Primary sponsor Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, says there is still hope that Senate Bill 2062 could be revived when the General Assembly reconvenes next January. more...
May 17, 2005 Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, filed the bill after both school systems said they needed protection from sudden threats such as the one posed when Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton threatened to pull school funding. more...
May 16, 2005 That bill, by state Sen. Mark Norris of Collierville, would also provide each district with limited taxing power. more...
May 15, 2005 Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, filed the bill at the start of the legislative session, partly in response to Mayor Willie Herenton's threat -- later rescinded -- to terminate the city's share of funding of city schools. more...
May 13, 2005 "I have an extensive history with this issue," Norris said. more...
State Sen. and Collierville resident Mark Norris spoke to the Collierville Elementary School PTA after the organization's general membership meeting April 14. more...
Wharton's backing came to light Thursday night when state Sen. Mark Norris told a Collierville Elementary PTA gathering of the mayor's support. more...
"There may be an element of that," said Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, who was on the County Commission before the legislature. more...
April 3, 2005 Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, has a bill to give both city and county school systems "special school district" status under state law, protecting their boundaries and giving their boards more taxing authority. more...
March 22, 2005 “It’s been very busy,” said the state senator last week from his office in Nashville. more...
March 16, 2005 The stage is set for a battle royal in the courtroom over who's responsible for the education of Memphis schoolchildren. more...
March 11, 2005 Norris, R-Collierville, said the attorney general's opinion confirmed his own belief that state law "prohibits the city from just revoking the city school system's funding." more...
March 10, 2005 State Senator Mark Norris (R-Collierville) has been selected to chair a special subcommittee to negotiate alternatives for education funding and debt reduction in Shelby County. more...
March 4, 2005 State Senator Mark Norris has filed three different versions of his special school district bill in Nashville. more...
February 23, 2005 Sen. Mark Norris said, "It runs the risk of ultimate disruption what Shelby County needs is a stabilizing influence. more...
February 21, 2005 "Dollars have to be reallocated and reallocated appropriately and that will take some time," said state Norris. more...
February 20, 2005 State Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, filed a bill this year that could set the plan in motion, by freezing the school district boundaries. more...
Norris' special districts bill, currently waiting to brought up in the present legislative session, more...
February 16, 2005 State Senator Mark Norris (R-Collierville) has been recognized by the Tennessee Parent Teacher Association (PTA) as the 2005 Outstanding Legislator of the Year. more...
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January 22, 2005 The General Assembly would have to create the districts. more...
January 7, 2005 State Sentor Mark Norris is concerned to say the least about Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton's plan to take 86 million dollars from the Memphis City School's more...
Sen. Mark Norris (R-Collierville) received the Tennessee School Boards Association Legislative Award in Nashville last week. more...
June 10, 2003 The legislature, the governor and local school districts have far more serious issues ahead in funding education adequately. more...
June 5, 2003 Several legislators backed the bill because there have been several cases of families living in neighboring states but sending their children to Tennessee schools, said Sen. Mark Norris, a Republican from Collierville who co-sponsored the bill. more...
May 9, 2003 The bill, sponsored by Sen. Mark Norris and Rep. Curry Todd, both Collierville Republicans, is being sought by Shelby County school officials, who estimate that dozens of students a year are fraudulently enrolled by their out-of-district parents , Norris said. more...
