Governor Bill Lee on Friday announced that he will not renew Tennessee’s state of emergency order that has remained in place over the last 20 months.
The order, which will expire on Friday night, awarded the governor a continuation of his emergency powers in an effort to fight the coronavirus.
“I am not renewing the COVID-19 state of emergency that expires tonight. For almost 20 months, this tool has provided deregulation & operational flexibility for hospitals & industries most affected by COVID’s challenges,” Lee said in a tweet.
Should our state face any future surges, we will consider temporarily reinstating this tool, but in the meantime, we are evaluating opportunities for permanent deregulation.
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) November 19, 2021
However, Lee did not rule out utilizing the tool in the future, if the state experiences a large wave of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations
“Should our state face any future surges, we will consider temporarily reinstating this tool, but in the meantime, we are evaluating opportunities for permanent deregulation,” the governor continued.
Just two weeks ago, Lee extended the measure, citing the recent special session and that he would “continue analyzing impacts of recent legislation & how it affects certain provisions.”
However, some critics argue that Lee’s executive orders throughout the course of the coronavirus pandemic are an example of a dramatic expansion of government.
State Representative Bruce Griffey (R-Paris) cited concerns of “government over-reach” earlier this year when requesting a legal opinion from the Tennessee Attorney General as to the constitutionality and authority of Lee’s various orders.
“Moreover, when I took my oath of office, I swore to not only support the Tennessee Constitution but also to not consent to any act or thing that shall have a tendency to lessen or abridge the rights and privileges of the people of this state as declared by the Constitution of this State. I intend to uphold my oath of office, and defend the Constitutional rights of Tennesseans and protect them from government over-reach,” Griffey said at the time.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for the Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Gov Bill Lee” by Gov. Bill Lee.
What? Cold and flu season is here again. That is an Emergency if I have ever seen one.
replying to the comment above. Look how well Florida has fared through all this, DeSantis is a great Governor.. Mask don’t work, unless you are wearing an N95. Keep clutching your pearls. This is about control and not anything else.
Guess what? University of Memphis has already requested and received an exemption to force mandates on their employers. Ha! University of Memphis is a state school. If he is stopping the emergency order it is for two reasons and two reasons only:
1. He is afraid of a primary and is wading the waters until the April 2022 deadline for the primary or getting on the ballot.
2. He has received some reassurances to weaken even more an already weak-sauced bill!
Bill you need to stop watching CNN and get the facts.
Oh, the poor democrats! They have been salivating for more government control; more mandatory masking, more mandatory “vaccinations”, and more lockdowns. Now all of the Tennessee “deplorables” will be able to continue going on with life without the incessant government control that democrats can’t live without. Boo hoo!
A 20 month emergency??!!! This guy has been a train wreck starting the day he was sworn in. BTW, I blame the legislature for not putting a stop to this nonsense.
The Governor’s decision not to renew the state of emergency could ULTIMATELY hurt his plans to recruit more major businesses into Tennessee and even cause existing businesses to consider leaving Tennessee despite its generous tax breaks to a state WITH Covid restrictions if the removal of such restrictions in Tennessee causes Tennessee employees in these newly relocated businesses to fall dangerously sick en masse. If all their employees fall sick due to Covid, the new businesses will either have to train new employees (a major expense for any business’s bottom line) or move to a state that is safer from Covid due to retention of restrictions. Yes, many companies want to move from California with its regulation of businesses, but they do not want to move to a state whose laissez-faire laws will actually HURT businesses’ bottom line by causing its employees to fall sick and to miss several days of work. That hurts businesses even more than over-regulation does. If businesses do decide to leave Tennessee for a disease-safer state, we’ll know who to thank–or GLAME!
There are plenty of ways to keep a population of people healthy WITHOUT a bunch of UNscientific mandates. It’s about time we start looking to THOSE!
William, with no respected intended, you’re a fucking idiot!
William, the evidence that vaccinations do not offer any protection from the virus exist on a global scale. Look at Vermont, one of the top three states with the highest vaccination rate and they also have one of the highest number of “cases”. Same for masks, the protection they offer is minuscule, in fact health wise they do far more harm than good. I am not making any of this up, this information is all over the internet available for anyone who actually wants to know.
The whole vaccination BS has far more to do with government control; nationally and internationally. If you like having your decisions made for you by the government (which I have assume you do given you leaning towards the Left), that’s your business. But for those of us on the Right we’ll make our own decisions based on facts. There is so much wrong with how the virus is being handled by the federal government, it’s no wonder there are so many people who don’t trust them. Same for the MSM and the medical industry. The reaction to the virus has turned into another tool to force the Great Reset on America. Well, I hate to throw cold water on those in power….it ain’t gonna happen!
Steve, if you’re serious about big government intrusion into our lives, then oppose the far more insidious of intrustions: male-only draft registration. Not only is is violently anti-male (misandrist) gender bias, but it forces law-abiding males to let the government know their classification and whereabouts between ages 18 and 26 (or in some cases, through age 50) in case the government wants to needlessly use them as cannon fodder for some pointless war like Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afganistan, etc. I would rather be told whether or not to vaccinate than be forced to register for a draft. At least the vaccine mandate is gender-neutral and does not force me to give up my civilian rights or to risk my life for some dubious foreign adventure!
So, before you lecture me about individual freedom, then go after the Selective (or is it the Sexist?) Service System.
Respectfully William, as a protest to those currently in control of the armed forces with their totally disgusting subservience to the BS woke liberal/socialist ideology……I would encourage any true male American to burn their draft card, just like the 1960s. The current administration is making an all out attempt to weaken our military.
Women should not be forced register for the draft or to enlist in the military. Forcing (expecting) women to fight at the same level as men is as idiotic as allowing men who identify as women to compete in women’s sports. If a women chooses to enlist, I respect that decision and thank them for their service.
As to the location of ANYONE in the 21st century, there is already so much surveillance taking place through social media the monitoring of the cell phones (that everyone now possesses) that registering for the draft is the last method the government needs to employ to keep track of anyone.
As far as government intrusion into my life as it pertains to my health, I will make my own decisions based on my own research and the lengths I go to personally to maintain my own health….that would be through proper nutrition and exercise. The current administration is an embarrassment to America. Biden and Harris, and the collections of miscreants that have been appointed to various cabinet positions are actively doing all they can to destroy America with the intent to rebuild it as a socialist state. There are so many Americans from the Left, Right, and middle that have finally awakened that this goal has a snowballs chance in hell of happening. You what the jab and to wear a mask, that’s your choice, but don’t you dare tell me that I have to.