In a political era where leading Democrats, including the president of the United States and the Senate majority leader, alter long-held positions because they no longer suit the base of their party, it is refreshing to have a governor in Tennessee who is not afraid to be the conservative he told voters he was when he ran for the office in 2018.
Gov. Bill Lee, in a telephone conversation Thursday, noted Tennessee’s financial strength when other states are desperate for bailout money in the recently passed COVID relief bill; said the state would likely exceed its goal of vaccinating everyone aged 17 and up who wants a vaccine by May 1; defended his support for a constitutional carry gun bill; asserted criminal justice reform measures currently being considered in the General Assembly would help reduce recidivism; and didn’t back down on his statement that transgender athletes would ruin women’s sports.
* The governor raised some eyebrows last week when, while speaking at a forum hosted by the Beacon Center and the Millennial Debt Foundation, he said Tennessee “didn’t need” the stimulus money states were allotted in the COVID relief bill.
“Conceptually, I guess you could refuse it,” he said, referring to the $35 billion that will come the state’s way in various forms, “but the issue is not whether you accept it.” Giving money to states that have not been financially responsible is “not good for America.”
Tennessee is one of only seven states that have seen positive economic growth since pandemic shutdowns in April 2020.