NASHVILLE – Flanked by former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and Tennessee-based anti-human trafficking groups, Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday unveiled a $5.4 million state-funded effort to help combat the problem with a series of partnerships.
During a state Capitol news conference, Lee called the effort a “historical investment in a public-private partnership to end human trafficking in the state of Tennessee.”
Calling it a “demand-driven crime” exploiting people in areas ranging from labor and service to commercial sex, the Republican governor said human trafficking has become “one of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises in the country and including our state.”
There are cases of human trafficking in all 95 of the state’s counties, Lee said.
“We hope that this will facilitate and engage and inspire churches, nonprofits, organizations, individuals, to find out how they can be involved in rescuing women and children in Tennessee,” Lee said.