Tag: Gov. Bill Lee

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At Large Opinion

Learn to Discern

Gov. Bill Lee stands with Tennessee National Guard for a photo op. (Photo: @GovBillLee | X.com)

“As America faces the most severe border crisis in decades, TN is showing the rest of the country what it means to lead. Today, I joined TN National Guard members who will soon deploy on a voluntary mission to secure the Southern border as the federal government fails to act.”

The quote is from an X post by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee last Friday. He was pictured standing in front of 20 or so camo-clad warriors who were apparently going to Texas to … stand along the border somewhere? No word on who would be giving them orders. The Texas governor? The Texas National Guard commander? President Biden? Doesn’t matter. It wasn’t about governing or policy or real life. It was political theater. A photo op.

Judging from the responses to the post, lots of other people besides me saw it as empty grandstanding. Many pointed out that Tennessee had plenty of problems of its own — gun violence, education, healthcare — that ol’ Bill could be paying attention to instead of doing Kabuki theater in a local gymnasium.

Others responded on X, correctly, that House Republicans had declined to support a border bill that could have done much to improve the situation just a week before. Here’s LGilmore: “Good grief. What a freaking waste of time and taxpayer money for political gain. We see your two-faced perpetuation of a problem you refuse to help solve.”

But there were also positive responses to Lee’s post. Here’s one from LITizen JEFF: “Thank you, Sir, and especially, thank you to the patriots in the TN National Guard.” He probably had tears in his eyes while he typed that.

What forms the differing attitudes of LGilmore and LITizen JEFF? Well, assuming they’re not ’bots, it would be a fair guess to say it’s the sources of news they consume. According to a Pew Research study, conservatives like JEFF head to the right-wing buffet table, where they can get a steady diet of Fox News, Newsmax, OAN, Joe Rogan, Epoch Times, etc. Progressive/liberal thinkers like LG are more likely to be consumers of CNN, MSNBC, NPR, PBS NewsHour, and The New York Times.

When it comes to news, what we consume quite naturally shapes what we believe. A great example of this is the current exchange of video-fire over which old guy running for president is in worse shape. Call it “Dueling Dodderers.” My social media feeds are now filled with clips of Donald Trump’s verbal miscues. He is slurring a lot of words in his stump speeches these days and frequently losing his train of thought. And every time it happens, a clip of it gets posted and amplified in all the liberal media. I consume it gleefully because I think Trump is an evil clown and it gives me hope that he may yet disintegrate into a gooey orange puddle of bile.

Likewise, there are lots of clips of President Biden misspeaking or turning the wrong way or stumbling on a stairway that make the rounds in right-wing media. I don’t see as many of these because I don’t visit those sites much. That’s mainly because the algorithm gods have learned I prefer not to consume right-wing stuff.

That’s how it works: You pick your news, then your news picks you. So, here’s some good advice: Learn how to pick news sources that are trustworthy. Don’t amplify news stories, quotes, memes, or even videos unless you are certain they are legitimate. That juicy clip of Trump being unable to pronounce “Venezuela” may tickle your schadenfreude, but don’t forward it unless it’s from a legitimate source. AI video is real — and, increasingly, a source of disinformation.

Media literacy is a course that should be taught in every school in America from the seventh grade on. Knowing how to discern reliable sources in the flood of information that deluges us — and our children — needs to be a top educational priority.

For starters, here’s a list of the 10 least-biased news sources, according to Pew Research: AP News, Reuters News Service, BBC News, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg.com, New York Times, C-Span, NPR/PBS, Forbes.com, NBC News. We need to be vigilant. If we consume disinformation and spread it, we’re nothing more than vacuous propagandists. Like Bill Lee.

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New State Plate Picked (OMG, It’s Blue!)

(Credit: State of Tennessee)

Tennesseans picked the blue one with the state outline on top.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee let Tennesseans pick the new standard license plate in a poll conducted last month. Two plates were blue — one with “Tennessee” printed on the top, the other with “Tennessee” printed on top inside a shape that resembles the state borders. The other two plates were identical to this but white.

More than 300,000 Tennessee residents cast a vote, with 42 percent voting for the winning design. The “in god we trust” motto is optional.

New plates will be available online and in-person beginning January 3rd, 2022 as residents complete their annual tag renewal. Up to 100,000 plates per week will be produced to meet initial inventory demands.

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Amid Pandemic, Groups Ask Government for Resources, Support for Latinos

CREDIT: Latino Memphis

Latino Memphis

A group of Latino-serving organizations across the state sent a letter to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and local governments Wednesday asking for protection and resources for the immigrant community amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Signed by 18 groups, including four based in Memphis, the letter urged officials to address the COVID-19 pandemic and the disproportionate effects it is having on the Latino community.

While Latinos comprise 5.6 percent of Tennessee’s population, they represent 35 percent of the COVID-19 cases here, according to the letter. However, the Tennessee Health Department cites this number at 27 percent as of Wednesday.

In Shelby County, 25 percent of those testing positive are Latino, who comprise 6.5 percent of the county’s population. In Nashville and Knoxville, one-third of COVID-19 positive individuals are Latino, and in Chattanooga Latinos account for 68 percent of current cases.

“We need a robust plan and response from our local elected leaders to curb the rate of infections and save lives,” the letter reads. “We also need a focused and targeted response to reach communities most impacted by the pandemic and ensure that no one is left behind. We are only as healthy and safe as the most vulnerable members of our community.”

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Groups based in Memphis that signed the letter include the Mid-South Immigration Advocates, Latino Memphis, CasaLuz, and Memphis Wesley Foundation.

The letter specifically asks the government to take the following steps:

• Invest in community health workers and case management programs: “We know that Latino families face many barriers when seeking care and effectively quarantining after testing positive. We need to scale up the effective models like community health workers to include more Spanish-speaking staff members across the state.”

• Support effective quarantine to slow the spread: “Latino families often live in multi-generational households, and effective quarantine is difficult with limited space. Governments can mitigate the problem by providing alternative accommodation for COVID-19 positive individuals, such as hotels, until it is safe to reunite with families.”

• Partner with the organizations to organize targeted testing: “Agencies should coordinate with and support immigrant-serving organizations to offer testing at well-known, central and accessible locations and ensure that critical information is disseminated widely and reaches all communities.”

• Include immigrants, regardless of immigration status, in care and economic relief:

“Immigrant families have been largely left out of federal efforts to provide care and relief in response to COVID-19. While the state and local governments have worked to offer testing to all, regardless of immigration status, we need robust economic stimulus programs to help families make ends meet without putting themselves or their communities at risk.”

• Issue clear COVID-19 workplace health and safety regulations and hold employers

accountable: “Media reports have also shown many Latino essential workers continue to be exposed to the virus at their workplace, putting their families and communities at risk. Our state and local governments must ensure that all employers are implementing the guidance of OSHA and public health experts on how to keep all employees, including immigrants, safe at work.”

• Clarify policies and rebuild trust: “Many Latino immigrant families have come to fear government agencies and places that are meant to keep them safe. Government agencies and health institutions must strengthen and publicize policies to reassure immigrants that accessing care and services won’t result in immigration consequences.”

• Establish Offices for Immigrant Inclusion: “States and municipalities that have Offices for New Americans (also called Offices for Immigrants and Refugees) have been able to swiftly respond to the economical, health, and educational crisis presented by COVID-19. These offices serve as a clearing house, working to ensure consistency of multilingual messages and resources across the state, help to coordinate efforts that lead to more equitable and efficient outcomes, and strengthen local efforts to respond in a timely manner. Many of them have become trusted voices and are now pivoting to focus on resilient recovery. We call on the state and local governments to invest in Offices For Immigrant Inclusion, recognizing that our prosperity as a state is dependent on our ability to support the most vulnerable populations, both during and after this pandemic.”

The groups said the pandemic is compounding obstacles already present in the immigrant community.

“Latinos, especially the foreign-born, face enormous obstacles in accessing critical services that contribute to our health and well-being, such as limited English proficiency, ineligibility for public benefits, poverty, lack of transportation, fear, and discrimination,” the letter reads. “The barriers and inequities are compounded during the pandemic with families now facing job and income losses, evictions, exorbitant medical bills, lack of childcare, and more.

The letter continues by saying the pandemic is “an opportunity to recast our vision for an inclusive and equitable society that takes care of everyone, immigrants included. No matter where we’re from or how we got here, we all need access to testing, treatment, resources, and information to care for our families. And in a pandemic situation, an investment to protect the most vulnerable ultimately protects the broader community and hospital system as well.”

Read the full letter below.


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Gov. Lee Declares State of Emergency Over COVID-19

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee declared a state of emergency Thursday amid the threat of coronavirus.

“As the number of cases rise, the responsibility that we each have rises as well,” Lee said at a Thursday press conference.

This move makes Tennessee one of 20 states to declare an emergency in response to coronavirus.

Lee said while the risk to the general population remains low, the risk for vulnerable populations “is very real.” Vulnerable populations include older adults and those with underlying health conditions or chronic illness.

He advised those individuals to stay home when possible and avoid large gatherings where they are likely to contract the virus. Lee also encouraged the public to avoid non-essential visits to nursing homes and hospitals.

The governor signed an executive order earlier Thursday that will allow Tennessee to receive additional funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and that will relax certain laws making it easier to respond to the disease. Wednesday the state received just over $10 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support the state’s response to the virus.


Watch the governor’s full news conference below:

Gov. Lee Declares State of Emergency Over COVID-19

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Shelby County Schools, Mental Health, and Funding

CREDIT: SCS

SCS

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced last month a proposal to create a trust fund for mental health support for K-12 students.

Upon approval of the governor’s proposed budget, $250 million in state money would be put into the fund initially, and over time, the governor anticipates the fund growing as a result of private donations.

Lee said the funds would “support the growth and placement of mental health support services in our most at-risk schools.”

One in five children has a mental health diagnosis in a given year, the governor said at the time, and more than 60 percent of children who receive mental health support do so in school.

Additionally, the youth suicide rate is the second-leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 24 in the state. 

“Scores of teachers and principals, as well as our education commissioner, have pleaded for reinforcements from the state to help schools tackle mental health and other challenges that students bring with them into the classroom,” Lee said.

More Support

Shawn Page, chief of academic operations and school support for Shelby County School, applauds the governor’s proposal of a mental health trust fund. He said “our district has quite a bit of need around that area. We could always benefit from more resources.”

“Many of our children experience what’s called adverse childhood experiences,” Page said. “The things we hear every day on the news, from murder to other things, are what our children experience in the community and the issues our students bring to school with them. Every night we see some of the trauma that our students experience.”

With more funding for mental health and behavior services, Page said SCS would be able to invest in more personnel to support students.

“What we hear mostly from our schools is that they would like more support in the form of people,” Page said. “Teachers have a very difficult job. They’re on the front lines every day and the first contact for these students. They need extra support.”

Page also said there is a need for additional specialized staff to help students in crisis.

“When you have adequate staffing, there’s more of a probability that there’s going to be somebody who’s able to make individual connections to students,” Page said. “The thing that changes behavior and supports children is not creating another system, it’s touch and human connection.”

Currently, Page said SCS has three layers of support in place in all schools to address students’ mental health, behavior, and emotional needs.

The “first lines of defense” are the guidance counselors, Page said. Each school has at least one full-time certified guidance counselor, while some schools, depending on need and size, have more. They provide students with individual counseling, group counseling, and social emotional learning (SEL) support.

SEL helps students to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

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If the district were to get more funding, Page said SCS would also look to purchase an SEL curriculum that all schools could use. The curriculum would serve as a resource for schools to guide how to address particular issues, such as bullying or drug use.

“The big buzzword right now across the nation in educational circles is social emotional learning” Page said. “For years, the big focus has been on academics, scores, and state testing. In the past few years, there’s been more conversations around mental health, emotional learning, and behavioral support. Children can’t learn unless they are supported and healthy. Things are shifting to look at the whole child, rather than academics, academics, academics.”

The next level of support available to students in every school are social workers, who Page said provide a “deeper level of mental support” for students. For example, social workers would work with students with suicidal ideation or who have experienced extreme trauma.

Finally, each school has a behavioral specialist who focuses on the behavior of students by helping them resolve conflict and de-escalating situations.

Because many SCS students have been exposed to some form of adverse experience Angela Hargrave, SCS’ executive director of student equity, enrollment, and discipline, said it’s important for teachers to understand the effects of those experiences and how to respond. Hargrave said SCS began providing Adverse Childhood Experience (ACES) awareness training for all staff this school year.

The training versed staff in how ACES impacts brain development and children’s behavior as a result. The training also teaches staff how to respond to students who’ve had adverse experiences and how to create a learning environment that mitigates the negative impact of those experiences.

“While we have mental health centers and support, we also wanted to equip the teachers in the classrooms with as much information and tools as we could,” Hargrave said.

“When you turn on the news and you see all of the crime happening, these are our children and our families. And that’s not necessarily the case in other districts, but it is here. So if you see an incident that happened in the community where children are involved, those children don’t forget about that and come to school and everything is okay. They bring that with them. We definitely recognize that and have to understand that.”

Effects of Trauma

The Adverse Childhood Experiences Awareness Foundation released a report in 2015 citing that 52 percent of adults in Shelby County report having experienced at least one ACE in their life.

An ACE can include anything from witnessing or experiencing abuse, neglect, or domestic violence, to alcoholism in the family.

ACES Awareness Foundation

Based on a survey of 1,500 Shelby County residents, the report concluded that the most common adverse childhood experiences in the county are substance abuse, emotional abuse, and violence between adults in the home.

A little over a quarter of respondents said they witnessed someone being shot or stabbed in their community while growing up, while one in five said they did not feel safe in their neighborhood growing up.

Child psychologist and University of Memphis professor Kathryn Howell said exposure to trauma, such as witnessing or being a victim of violence at home or in the community, can cause developmental problems in children. These problems could cause trouble with basic functions such as decision making or paying attention.

Howell said trauma can also affect hormones that influence behavior and responses to everyday life situations.

In addition to the physical consequences of trauma, Howell said trauma can also influence the way children relate to others and view the world.

“We see in research that kids, who are exposed to trauma, when they’re presented with a neutral stimulus, they’re more likely to view it as threatening or harmful,” Howell said. “Trauma affects the world and how they view and interact with the people around them.”

Howell said trauma can also lead to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and ADHD.

“Many of these diagnoses are rooted in trauma,” she said. “There are just different ways that children react. They show sadness or aggression which oftentimes ties back to some type of adversity that they’ve experienced.”

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Howell said instability, such as limited access to food, can also affect a child’s mental well-being. For example, a child living in a food desert might have “uncertainty about their basic safety.”

“What we know about any mammal, not even just humans, is if their basic needs aren’t being met, then they won’t be able to function and thrive,” Howell said. “So if you’re hungry and you don’t know where your next meal is going to come from, then your ability to do well in the classroom is significantly hindered. It’s not that kids aren’t wanting to learn or lazy or difficult, but they aren’t being cared for enough.”

Howell heads the U of M’s REACH (Resilience Emerging Amidst Childhood Hardships) lab. The lab examines ways in which intervention can “alter the grim trajectory” a child might be on after experiencing a trauma.

“Kids aren’t able to fix these problems by themselves, so there has to be intervention by adults in the community and at schools,” Howell said. “It’s important that we acknowledge that this is a significant problem and it’s something that’s going to require all of our efforts to address.”


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Lawmakers to Consider Slew of Anti-Abortion Bills Tuesday

Pro-choice advocates rally to keep abortion legal

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee wants to make it a Class C felony to perform an abortion in the state. State lawmakers will consider this and three other pieces of anti-abortion legislation Tuesday.

The governor’s proposal is an amendment to SB 2196. That bill is intended to delay the trial of a physician accused of performing a “partial-birth” abortion in order for the state medical board to determine if the abortion was necessary to save the life of the mother.

The amendment to the bill has not yet been posted to the Tennessee General Assembly website, but was obtained Friday by Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi (PPTNM).

Ashley Coffield, CEO of PPTNM, said the governor is proposing “one of the most extreme abortion bans in the country.”

“This is nothing short of a total assault on women,” Coffield said. “This is a fight for our lives, and we will put everything we have into defeating this legislation.”

The 31-page amendment repeatedly states that Tennessee “has a legitimate, substantial, and compelling interest in protecting the rights of all human beings, including the fundamental and absolute right of unborn human beings to life, liberty, and all rights protected by the (14th) and (9th) Amendments.”


Specifically, the legislation would make it unlawful to perform an abortion on a woman where a fetal heartbeat is detected, which usually occurs around the sixth week of pregnancy. The bill also includes bans at several stages throughout the pregnancy from six weeks to 24 weeks if the heartbeat provision is struck down in court.

Violation of the law for physicians would result in a Class C Felony, which according to Tennessee Code Annotated, could result in a three-to-five-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000. The law would not punish women who seek abortions. 

“Politicians are putting the health and lives of Tennessee women at risk,” Coffield said. “These bans on safe, legal abortion will have real costs — expensive legal costs and human costs for the women and families who need reproductive health care. Banning abortion does not eliminate abortion. It makes it illegal and unsafe.”

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The legislation would also ban abortions based on the race, sex, or potential disability of the child. The bill also includes a provision that would require physicians to show women their ultrasound, give a description of the fetus, and play the fetal heartbeat before a women can choose to have an abortion.

“The unique nature of abortion and its potential physical and mental health risks, as well as the ultimate result of the death of an unborn child, necessitates that this state ensure every woman considering an abortion is provided with adequate comprehensive information before deciding to obtain an abortion,” reads the amendment.

The Tennessee Senate Judiciary committee is slated to discuss this legislation and three other pieces of anti-abortion legislation Tuesday, March 3rd beginning at 3 p.m.

The committee will also discuss SB1236, which like the aforementioned legislation, prohibits abortion from the time a fetal heartbeat is detected, unless there is a medical emergency warranting the abortion. It will also hear SB1780, referred to as the Rule of Life Act. This act essentially seeks to group the rights of unborn children under the 9th Amendment, and “recognize the balance of priorities between the life of unborn persons and abortion set forth in the State’s Constitution.”

The act states that life begins at conception at the time the egg is fertilized and that a pregnancy is viable at the time a heartbeat can be detected.

Also on Tuesday at 9 a.m., in the the House Health committee, legislators will discuss HB 2568, which would require clinics that performed more than 50 abortions in the past year to inform patients that chemical abortion is reversible after the first dose of the two-dose treatment.

A PPTNM petition to lawmakers calls this bill dangerous and worries it will force physicians to provide patients with “medically inaccurate, misleading” information that could harm a patient’s health.

“Lawmakers like you should focus on expanding healthcare access in the state, not denying it,” the petition reads. “Women’s health and lives should not be used as political pawns for anti-choice politicians to cater to anti-choice interest groups. Given Tennessee’s high rates of infant mortality, unintended pregnancy and teen births, it is time to focus on legislation that would increase access to preventive care, not ban access to critical healthcare.”


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Gov. Lee Pushes Constitutional Carry, Harsher Penalties for Gun Crimes

CREDIT: Adobe Stock

Adobe Stock


Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and a handful of legislators are pushing to make Tennessee a constitutional carry state.

Lee announced Thursday that he would be introducing a bill this legislative session that would allow Tennesseans to possess and carry firearms without a permit.

“The liberties guaranteed to us by the Constitution are sacred and we have a responsibility to uphold the framework that those founding fathers established,” Lee said. “They firmly believed that to protect the inalienable rights that they set out, that they needed to ensure citizens had the right to bear arms, which was cemented in the Second Amendment. The Second Amendment is clear and concise and secures the freedoms of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.”

Lee said the legislation he is proposing would “extend the constitutional right to carry a handgun to all law-abiding citizens with or without a permit who are 21 years and older except in restricted areas.”

The governor added that the legislation would increase the penalties for those who steal or unlawfully possess a firearm: “With the freedom and liberties guaranteed to us in the Second Amendment, also comes a great responsibility to steward them wisely and to protect our citizens.

“The bill is not only focused on protecting our Second Amendment liberties, but also on increasing safety for all Tennesseans. This legislation is about increasing freedoms for law-abiding citizens and implementing harsher penalties for criminals.”

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Lee said there was an 85 percent increase in guns stolen from vehicles from 2016 to 2017.

“In light of this reality, we need to be increasingly vigilant in also enacting laws that strengthen our ability to protect our citizens,” he said “That’s why the legislation I am proposing will significantly increase penalties to those who steal or unlawfully possess a firearm including a mandatory minimum sentence for those who steal a firearm.”

The penalties for gun-related crimes that would be included in the legislation include:

• Increasing the penalty for theft of a firearm from a misdemeanor to a felony

• Enhancing sentencing for the theft of a firearm from a car

• Increasing the minimum sentence for theft of a firearm from 30 days to 180 days

• Increasing the sentences for unlawful possession of a firearm by violent felons and felony drug offenders, as well as unlawfully providing a handgun to a juvenile

Rep. Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) also spoke at Thursday’s announcement. He said “it’s a great day” for law-abiding citizens who want to carry guns, as well as “our partners in law enforcement.”

“Communities all across our great state of Tennessee will find this to be an effective tool in combating gangs and violent crime because we’ll be taking guns out of the hands of criminals and taking criminals off the streets in Tennessee,” Sexton said.

Rep. William Lambert (R-Portland) said Tennessee’s bill is the “first of its kind constitutional carry bill that to my knowledge has ever been filed anywhere in the nation.”

“This bill reduces penalties for otherwise law-abiding citizens, individuals who have done nothing wrong other than exercise their Second Amendment right, individuals that would be eligible to get a carry permit, but for whatever reason, did not do so before they came across the attention of law enforcement,” Lambert said. “These are individuals that are mothers and fathers. These are individuals that are business owners. These are individuals that are employees throughout the state of Tennessee that choose to carry firearms for their own protection. And to criminalize that behavior is ridiculous.”

“On the other hand,” Lambert continued, “for those criminals out there, those felons, those that choose to misuse their firearms and attack their fellow citizens, hear this now, if you steal a gun in this state, if you use that gun, or if you possess that gun and you’re a convicted felon, you will go to prison and you will go to prison for a very long time.”

Currently, 16 states have constitutional carry laws in place.

One group pushing for this type of legislation nationally is the National Association for Gun Rights. The group is currently working with legislators in five states, including Tennessee, to encourage the passing of a constitutional carry law.

The group has also started a petition asking legislators to pass the law.

“Study after study proves more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens means less crime,” the petition reads in part. “Yet politicians in BOTH parties in Nashville haven’t stopped infringing on our God-given rights.”

The petition continues saying that “requiring law-abiding citizens to beg for government permission through the permit system before they can exercise their constitutional right to keep and bear arms is a clear violation of that right.”

Currently, in Tennessee to carry a handgun openly or concealed, one must apply for an Enhanced Handgun Carry Permit. Requirements for receiving the permit include payment of a $100 application fee and the completion of an eight-hour handgun safety course.

As of January 1st, to carry a concealed handgun, the law requires a $65 application fee and proof of firearms training that the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security “deems adequate.” This could include online courses or courses administered by law enforcement, wildlife agencies, or organizations specializing in firearms such as the NRA.

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Ahead of Thursday’s announcement, the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action voiced opposition to permitless carry in a Facebook post.

“There are basic safety and training standards that should be met when it comes to carrying guns in public,” the group’s post reads. “It’s common sense. It’s unacceptable that our lawmakers keep trying to pass bills that threaten our public safety, especially after Americans across the country have called for stronger gun laws in unprecedented numbers after the horrific school shooting in Parkland.”

The group’s post includes a link to a petition created by Everytown for Gun Safety opposing the legislation.

Also ahead of the governor’s announcement, Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) released a statement opposing the legislation.

“Whether you live in a city or suburb, no family is made safer by laws that encourage more untrained and unlicensed people to carry lethal firearms,” Akbari said. “Tennesseans support the Second Amendment, but they also believe firmly in responsible gun ownership and policies, like mandatory background checks that promote accountability. Permitless carry is a bad idea that endangers every Tennessean.”

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Governor Renews Push for Comprehensive Anti-Abortion Legislation

Lee announces strict abortion restrictions


Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Thursday that he will submit a “comprehensive pro-life” bill this legislative session that will put the state “at the forefront of protecting life.”

Surrounded by state GOP lawmakers, Lee made the announcement of the near-total abortion ban just one day after the 47th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision. The governor called it a “monumental step forward in celebrating, cherishing, and defending life.”

“I believe we have a special responsibility to protect the most vulnerable members of our community,” Lee said. “And no one is more vulnerable than the unborn.”

Last year’s “heartbeat bill” passed in the House but failed in the Senate. This bill has additional restrictive provisions. Lee said these provisions “make it a stronger bill” and are a part of a legal strategy. The provisions include prohibiting abortion motivated by the sex, race, or diagnosis of a disability, as well as requiring women to view their ultrasound.

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“We know that when a mother views her unborn child and hears a heartbeat, hearts and minds are changed,” Lee said of the ultrasound provision.

Following the model of a Missouri law, the bill will also specify that if the heartbeat provision is struck down in court, the abortion ban would kick in at 8, 10, or 12 weeks — the point at which bans have been upheld in court.

“My passion for developing this legislation stems from my commitment to defending the intrinsic dignity of all people,” Lee said.

Rep. William Lambert (R-Portland) is one of the lawmakers pushing the bill.

“It is reprehensible to murder a human being, period, whether that child is in the womb or it’s already drawn his or her first breath,” Lambert said. “Governor, leaders, I wish we had a bigger stage because I think this shows just how powerful this legislation is.”

Lambert said legislators will work out the details of the bill over the next few months, figuring out “exactly how we can accomplish the mission of saving millions of lives.”

Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood

Democratic lawmakers speak against governor’s proposal.


Democratic legislators quickly voiced opposition to the governor’s announcement in a press conference Thursday.

Sen. Jeff Yarbro of Nashville called the governor’s proposal “extreme” and “divisive.”

“This isn’t even legislation at all,” Yabro said. “It’s a litigation strategy. We have real problems to solve in this state. If you went to hearings in this building, just this week we talked about the fact that we provide fewer protections for pregnant women than any other state.”

Sen. Katrina Robinson, who is from Memphis, also spoke at the press conference, saying that Thursday’s announcement is a “stage prop” and “divisive political pawn.”

“It is not a political issue,” Robinson said. “It’s a human rights issue. It’s a women’s rights issue. It’s an issue of families. It’s an issue of being human. I find it very disturbing that this is our first run of political agenda this session.”

Robinson also opposed referring to the legislation as “comprehensive” and “pro-life.”

“I don’t understand that,” she said. “How is it comprehensively pro-life if we don’t provide health care, don’t provide childcare, don’t fund education? That’s pro-life. This is not pro-life legislation.”

Robinson said with Tennessee’s high infant-mortality rate and high number of unintended and teen pregnancies, the governor should be focused on preventative care, contraception access, and policies that will provide youth with sexual education to reduce unintended pregnancies.

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Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood also responded to the governor’s announcement in an open letter to the governor and legislators.

“We, the undersigned, are called by our lived experience as parents, caregivers, and family members to stand up for the dignity and autonomy of pregnant people,” the letter reads in part. “We have lived through typical and complicated pregnancies, and we are raising children we deeply love. We oppose all attempts to criminalize and restrict abortion access.”

The letter continues saying that the proposed legislation will not eliminate abortions, “but will force pregnant people to turn to unregulated and often dangerous attempts to end their pregnancies.”

The letter also notes that the legislation would force women to become parents, including those who are survivors of rape or incest.

“Rather than force people to have babies, our state lawmakers should focus on broadly popular ideas to support new families, such as paid leave, access to affordable care, and reasonable accommodations for pregnant workers,” the letter continued.

The letter calls for lawmakers to “recognize that abortion access is a critical issue for current and future families. We trust people who are pregnant to make thoughtful, moral decisions and urge our state leaders to do the same.”

A study done by Vanderbilt University in the fall found that 54 percent of respondents believe Roe v. Wade should be upheld. The poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters in Tennessee. Of the 54 percent that believe the Supreme Court decision should be upheld, 85 percent were Democrats and 32 percent were Republican.

Last year, a poll done by NPR/PBS News/Marist Poll showed that 77 percent of Americans think the Supreme Court should uphold Roe. v. Wade, while 13 percent want to see it overturned.

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Gov. Lee OKs Refugee Resettlement in Tennessee

Governor Lee

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee approved a refugee resettlement agreement with the Trump Administration on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order in September, giving states until December 25th to opt in or out of the program. Lee opted Tennessee into the program in a letter to Secretary of State Michael Pompeo.

“The United States and Tennessee have always been, since the very founding of our nation, a shining beacon of freedom and opportunity for the persecuted and oppressed, particularly those suffering religious persecution,” Lee said in a statement. “My administration has worked extensively to determine the best outcome for Tennessee, and I will consent to working with President Trump and his administration to responsibly resettle refugees.”

Lee said his commitment to this is based on his faith, “personally visiting refugee camps on multiple continents, and my years of experience ministering to refugees here in Tennessee.”

In a second letter to Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and Speaker of the Tennessee House, Cameron Sexton, Lee said public safety is of the “utmost importance.” He noted that the Trump Administration has “strengthened the vetting process of those entering the U.S.,” through heightened security screenings around terrorism, violent crime, fraud, and public health concerns.

“Border security, reducing illegal immigration, and upholding the rule of law are critical, and so it is important to note that each and every refugee that might potentially be resettled in Tennessee under the President’s executive order have been individually approved by the Trump Administration for legal immigrant status,” Lee wrote.

Lee said the refugee population in Tennessee is small, and believes that “our consent to cooperate and consult with the Trump Administration to provide a safe harbor for those who are fleeing religious persecution and violent conflict is the right decision.”

Stephanie Teatro, co-executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, applauded Lee’s decision.

“For over 30 years, Tennesseans have lived up to our most sacred ideals by welcoming those who are seeking safety through supporting the resettlement of refugees,” Teatro said. “Communities across the state are ready and willing to accept more refugees. We thank Governor Lee for this moral clarity and leadership in making his decision today.”


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Officials Highlight Importance of Employment in Ex-Offender Reentry Process

Gov. Bill Lee speaks about helping ex-offenders find employment.

Officials gathered at the University of Memphis Tuesday to discuss the importance of helping those who’ve been incarcerated find employment.

The forum, organized by the Memphis Shelby County Crime Commission, the Public Safety Institute at the University of Memphis, the Greater Memphis Chamber, and the Tennessee Department of Corrections, was meant to help local employers connect with and hire ex-offenders.

Local employers heard from local and state officials, law enforcement, and organizations that assist in reentry through skills training, education, and support.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, who was at the forum, said that the way that the government assists formerly incarcerated individuals in the re-entry process has been a “long-time passion” of his. Lee said his administration has “made a strong commitment to the whole idea of criminal justice reform.”

Fifty percent of recently incarcerated men in the state commit another crime within the first three years of being released, and as a result return to prison, Lee said.

“The cost of doing nothing isn’t zero,” Lee said. “Victims pay the price. Families pay the price. Taxpayers pay the price. And there is a tremendous human costs added to all of that.”

Lee said his administration has a role to play, but “as much as state government can do, government is not the answer to solving the issues we face in society. It’s not the answer to criminal justice reform. ”

One of the other key players in the process of reentry is the private sector, Lee said. Without the private sector’s involvement, “we’re never going to get where we need to be.”

“Part of being tough on crime and smart on crime is finding ways for those who come out find meaningful employment and that’s what today’s about,” Lee said.

Lee, who said he’s “had a long history” with reentry efforts, was involved in a prison reentry program about 20 years ago, where he mentored men coming out of prison who were going back into society.

Through that, the governor said he learned how important the re-entry process is in reducing recidivism. “If we really want to reduce crime, then we need to reduce recidivism and one of the ways we do that is to strengthen our re-entry programs.”

“When we make re-entry more successful, we save taxpayers’ money because we lower the recidivism rate and ultimately lower the crime rate. We enhance workforce development through creating skilled workers. The key is connecting employers with those that are coming out and breaking down the stigma, making them understand that it’s a real opportunity for them.”

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Still, Lee said he believes that “we need to be tough on crime.”

“We need to be tough on violent offenders and crack down on those that are a threat to society,” Lee said. “We can do that and at the same time be smart in recognizing that once people have paid their penalty, they are coming out.

This is not a matter of being soft on those who are incarcerated. This is about those that are coming out and how it is that we make them successful in their re-entry so they don’t recommit a crime and have another victim and another taxpayer expense.”

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland was also at the symposium Tuesday. Like the governor, Strickland said since he was elected into office in 2016, one of his priorities has been reducing recidivism and helping ex-offenders get back on their feet.


“The importance of what we’re doing today cannot be understated,” Strickland said. “A big part of life is forgiveness, second chances, and lending a helping hand to those in need when and where we can. I’m a firm believer that what we’re working on here today will have a long-lasting impact on every neighborhood in our city.”

Strickland said helping those who’ve been incarcerated find better opportunities through employment will ultimately lower the crime rate and improve the greater Memphis economy.

This discussion comes the same day Lee ceremonially signed a bill into law that eliminates the $180 expungement fees for people with certain criminal charges to have their records cleared.

Lee officially signed the bill in May and it will take effect July 1st. Two years ago, former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam halved the fee from $360 to $180.

Lee said the latest measure is another effort to remove the barriers formerly-incarcerated Tennesseans face upon re-entry and help them find employment.

“We need to remove those obstacles for those who’ve served their sentences and paid the price for their crime,” Lee said. “We need to remove obstacles to make it easier for them to re-enter.”

I think anything we can do to remove a barrier for someone who has re-entered or in the process of working, trying to get their feet back under them, trying to be a taxpayer, instead of a tax taker, we improve their success rate and expungement fee reductions will improve that process.”