Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced Thursday that he will deliver his final State of the State address to the General Assembly and fellow Tennesseans on Monday, February 2, at 6 p.m. CST. The Groundhog Day event will convene as a joint session in the House Chamber of the Tennessee State Capitol.
“Since the earliest days of our country, Tennesseans have always been people who press on to the next frontier to lead America,” Gov. Lee said in a statement. “As we begin our final year together, I’m grateful for what we’ve accomplished and confident that the decisions we make today will help define Tennessee’s next chapter and our role in America’s future.”
Lee, who took office in 2019 and was reelected in 2022, has focused his administration on economic growth, education reform, and rural development. Under his Republican leadership and a fellow Republican majority in the General Assembly, Tennessee is recognized as the nation’s best fiscally managed state and boasts the top business climate in the United States.
His tenure has also seen significant investments in infrastructure, including over $1 billion allocated to roads and bridges in 2025.
Among Lee’s signature achievements is the expansion of school choice, culminating in the enactment of universal education freedom scholarships. A year ago in February, 2025, Lee signed legislation establishing the Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship Program, providing up to $7,296 per student for private school tuition and related expenses, available to all K-12 students regardless of income or location. The program, which built on an education savings accounts enacted in 2022 following legal challenges, has seen surging demand, with over 50,000 applications submitted for the 2026-27 school year.
At the same time, Lee increased funding for public education through the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) formula, allocating an additional $350 million in 2023 alone.
Other notable accomplishments include the largest tax cut in Tennessee history and enhanced career and technical training programs, which have contributed to the state leading the nation in advanced industry job growth.
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Christina Botteri is the Executive Editor at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow her of X @christinakb.
