Tennessee Governor Bill Lee Signs Bill Making Human Smuggling a Felony Offense

Bill Lee

Governor Bill Lee on Tuesday signed legislation into law making it a felony offense to smuggle illegal immigrants for profit in Tennessee, adding to the laws criminalizing similar behavior in the Volunteer State. 

Introduced as Senate Bill (SB) 392 by State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) and House Bill (HB) 322 by State Representative Chris Todd (R-Madison County), Taylor on Tuesday confirmed the governor signed the legislation into law with a post on the social media platform X. 

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Tennessee Education Freedom Plan Saw More Applications than Available Scholarships Within Hours of Launch

Students Learning

Governor Bill Lee announced on Thursday that the state received more than 33,000 applications for Tennessee Education Freedom scholarships, with the interest in the universal school choice option dwarfing the 20,000 scholarships created by lawmakers earlier this year.

The governor revealed in a post to the social media platform X that the Tennessee Department of Education saw “more than 33,000 applications” for scholarships “within hours of the program’s successful launch.”

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Cell Phones Prohibited in Tennessee Classrooms Under Bill Signed by Gov. Bill Lee

Student with Cell Phone

Governor Bill Lee on Friday signed into law legislation that will require Tennessee school districts to adopt policies that prohibit student cell phone use in classrooms, with limited exceptions, after an amended version of the bill was passed unanimously in the State House and without opposition in the State Senate.

The legislation, initially proposed by State Senator Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin) and State Representative Rebecca Alexander (R-Jonesborough) in February, would require school districts to implement policies forbidding the use of cell phones by students during class, unless teachers make specific arrangements for he devices to be used educationally.

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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Says Department of Education ‘Siphoned Off’ School Funding to Create Washington, D.C. Bureaucracy

bill lee

Governor Bill Lee on Monday said the executive order signed by President Donald Trump to return control over education back to state governments will empower them by dispensing with a Washington, D.C. bureaucracy that has “siphoned off” taxpayer funding through the Department of Education since its formation in 1979.

Lee made the case that Trump’s efforts to return control over schools and dismantle the Department of Education will allow Tennessee to become better stewards of tax dollars during an appearance on Newsmax TV’s “National Report.”

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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Backs Trump Executive Order to Dismantle Department of Education

Bill Lee

Governor Bill Lee on Thursday confirmed his support for President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the Department of Education. The Tennessee governor told reporters that the president’s plan would move control over education decisions from Washington, D.C., to Tennessee.

Lee was in attendance on Thursday as Trump signed his executive order titled “Improving Education Outcomes by Empowering Parents, States, and Communities. ” USA Today reporter Joey Garrison posted a photo of the governor sitting next to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon on the social media platform X.

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Tennessee General Assembly Passes Bill Expanding Requirements for Students to Use Bathrooms Based on Biological Gender

students in hallway

Legislation that would restrict bathrooms, changing rooms, and similar facilities to students based on their biological gender is headed toward the desk of Governor Bill Lee after it passed in the Tennessee General Assembly this week.

The Tennessee State House on Thursday passed House Bill (HB) 64 by State Representative Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) with 74 votes in favor and just 18 against, while the Senate on the same day substituted Bulso’s legislation for the bill previously submitted as Senate Bill (SB) 472 by State Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma), with the chamber passing it with 25 votes in favor and four against. 

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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Leads Push for Rapid Confirmation of Trump’s Nomination to Lead NASA

Jared Isaacmen

Governor Bill Lee on Monday led a letter by seven Republican governors that urged the U.S. Senate to take rapid actions to complete the confirmation of Jared Isaacman, whom President Donald Trump nominated to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

“The global space race is accelerating, and America faces an urgent challenge in maintaining its leadership in space exploration, technological innovation, and national security – especially in the face of China’s rapidly advancing space program,” said Lee in a statement.

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Transgender Cyberstalker McKenzie McClure Convicted on 24 Counts for Targeting Christian School

McKenzie McClure

McKenzie McClure, a biological woman who identifies as a transgender man named Kalvin, was found guilty by a Middle Tennessee jury last week of 24 felony counts of cyberstalking officials and employees at Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA), the Nashville elementary school she once attended, and was alleged to have made vague threats to Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Governor Bill Lee.

McClure was arrested last May after she filmed herself making obscene gestures at the CPA campus. During that time, security cameras captured her as she attempted to gain access to the school. McClure also called the school, leaving a “disconcerting” message for staff members.

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Tennessee Catholic Conference Praises ‘Landmark’ Education Freedom Act for ‘Empowering Parents’

Teaching Students

A statement released by the Tennessee Catholic Conference on Monday praised the Education Freedom Act, the school choice plan presented by Governor Bill Lee, endorsed by President Donald Trump, and passed by the General Assembly last month, creating 20,000 scholarships to help families choose alternative schools for their children.

The conference, the policy arm of the Catholic Diocese of Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville, said it was celebrating the passing of the school choice plan, calling it “a significant step forward for advancing opportunities for all students across our state,” and “landmark legislation” that reflects the Tennessee’s commitment to giving children better education opportunities.

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn Says President Trump ‘Sending Power Back to the States’ Key Motive Behind Possible Run for Governor

Sen. Marsha Blackburn

Senator Marsha Blackburn said on Thursday that she was inspired to consider a gubernatorial campaign, which could lead to her departure from the U.S. Senate, by the promises by President Donald Trump to return enormous power from the federal government back to individual states.

The Tennessee Republican explained her thought process during an appearance on “The John Fredericks Show,” telling host John Fredericks, who publishes The Virginia Star, The Georgia Star, and The Pennsylvania Daily Star, that she was devoting serious thought into the implications of possibly leaving the Senate.

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Rep. Diana Harshbarger Confirms Interest in Campaign for Tennessee Governor if Blackburn Does Not Run, Joining U.S. Senate

Rep. Diane Harshbarger

U.S. Representative Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) on Tuesday confirmed her interest in becoming Tennessee’s next governor, stating that she might consider a gubernatorial campaign if U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) should eventually decide against running to succeed Governor Bill Lee, who cannot seek a third term.

Harshbarger made the remarks during a Tuesday appearance on “The John Fredericks Show,” telling John Fredericks, the publisher of The Virginia Star, The Pennsylvania Star, and The Georgia Star News that she would be honored to be considered by voters for Tennessee’s governor, or among those considered to succeed Blackburn in the Senate.

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Trump’s Pollster Finds Sen. Marsha Blackburn Has Nearly 60-Point Lead in Tennessee Governor Primary

Sen. Marsha Blackburn

Polling released Thursday morning to The Tennessee Star shows Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is the early favorite to secure the Tennessee Republican Party’s nomination for governor next year, with Blackburn securing more than 60 percent of the vote in a hypothetical primary race. 

The polling was conducted by Fabrizio, Lee and Associates, the polling firm run by Tony Fabrizio and David Lee, which has polled for President Donald Trump and his presidential campaigns since 2016.

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Five Immigration Bills Tennessee Lawmakers Could Consider During Special Session

ICE Arrest

Governor Bill Lee on Wednesday announced a special legislative session for the Tennessee General Assembly to pass the governor’s school choice initiative, the Education Freedom Act, as well as disaster relief for citizens in East Tennessee still recovering from Hurricane Helene, and to “consider public safety measures related to illegal immigration to ensure the state is prepared for federal policy implementation.”

Lee did not specify what public safety measures lawmakers would consider in the special session, which is set to convene January 27, but five bills related to illegal immigration have already been introduced to the General Assembly by Republican lawmakers.

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Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs Says Potential Gubernatorial Campaign by Sen. Marsha Blackburn Would Take Him ‘Out of the Mix’

Glenn Jacobs and Marsha Blackburn

With Governor Bill Lee ineligible to seek a third term in 2026, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs said this week that Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is the only potential candidate whose candidacy would ensure he would not enter the race before later endorsing the senator should she decide to launch a campaign for governor.

During his Sunday appearance on “Tennessee This Week,” Jacobs said he was flattered to be included among potential gubernatorial candidates before stating that Blackburn is the only hypothetical candidate whose decision would stop him from entering the race.

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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Confirms Willingness to Authorize National Guard for Mass Deportations If Requested by Trump Admin

Governor Bill Lee on Wednesday confirmed that, if requested, he will activate the Tennessee National Guard to assist President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration with the mass deportation of illegal immigrants.

During a press conference about his Tennessee Education Freedom plan to offer 20,000 partial scholarships to Tennessee families to promote school choice, Lee was asked whether would activate the National Guard to assist with mass deportations by a reporter who noted Lee was among signatories on a letter from Republican governors who pledged to assist the president-elect with his immigration agenda.

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Tennessee Resumes Executions with New Lethal Injection Protocol After Gov. Bill Lee Announced Pause in 2022

Inmate

The Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) announced on Friday that the Volunteer State will resume executions by lethal injection more than two years after Governor Bill Lee announced a pause and reevaluation on the state’s method of lethal injection.

A press release by TDOC announced the state government will resume executions using the drug pentobarbital under a revised lethal injection protocol, with Commissioner Frank Strata stating, “I am confident the lethal injection process can proceed in compliance with departmental policy and state laws.”

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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Among 26 Governors Pledging Support for Trump Immigration Plans, Including Deportations

Illegal Immigrants

Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee was among the 26 governors who signed a letter confirming their support for the immigration proposals advanced by President-elect Donald Trump, including the mass deportation of illegal immigrants.

Lee confirmed his support in a post to the social media platform X, where he shared a joint letter issued by the Republican Governors Association (RGA), which Lee continues to lead through the end of this year.

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Gov. Bill Lee Introduces ‘TN Education Freedom’ Website Promoting School Choice Plan Featuring 20,000 Scholarships

Governor Bill Lee

Governor Bill Lee on Tuesday shared details about the new school choice legislation filed in the Tennessee General Assembly, suggesting the path universal school choice begins by making 20,000 scholarships available to Tennessee students, including 10,000 reserved for families who could not typically afford a private or parochial school.

Lee shared a website for the Tennessee Education Freedom Act in a post to the social media platform X, where he also included a clip from his recent Fox News appearance, when he explained the Tennessee Education Freedom plan would eventually lead to universal school choice.

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Tennessee Senator Sends Letter to FEMA Director Demanding Accountability for Political Discrimination After Hurricane Helene

Deanne Criswell

Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell on Monday demanding accountability within the federal agency after it was reported that FEMA workers were advised to discriminate against Trump supporters who needed assistance after Hurricane Helene.

Earlier this month, The Daily Wire reported that a FEMA supervisor ordered workers to bypass the homes of Donald Trump’s supporters as they surveyed the damage caused by Hurricane Milton in Florida.

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Tennessee Opens Up $100 Million in Immediate Funds to Assist Communities in Cleanup Process from Hurricane Helene

Hurricane Helene Damage

Governor Bill Lee’s Office announced Thursday that $100 million in state funds have been made available for 13 Tennessee counties impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington counties are eligible to request immediate financial assistance through the new Helene Emergency Assistance Loans (HEAL) Program.

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Urges President Biden to Approve Updated Disaster Declaration Submitted by Governor Bill Lee

Joe Biden TN

All 11 members of the Tennessee congressional delegation sent a letter to President Joe Biden on Tuesday requesting the “swift approval” of Governor Bill Lee’s request for an updated major disaster declaration in the wake of flash flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.

Lee initially requested federal assistance for Carter, Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi, and Washington counties following the flash flooding that devastated buildings and roads in East Tennessee on September 26 and September 27, which the president approved on Saturday.

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Rep. Andy Ogles Won 13-Point Primary Victory Despite Opponent’s Ties to Never Trump Political Machine, Including Consultant Blake Harris

Blake Harris and Courtney Johnston

The Never Trump political effort to unseat Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the Tennessee Republican primary earlier this month failed. The incumbent ultimately trounced Metro Council Member Courtney Johnston with a 13-point victory.

Ogles sailed to victory despite Johnston boasting better campaign funding, the support of Never Trump political consultant and former Governor Bill Lee administration member Blake Harris, the benefit of anti-Trump political organization Conservatives with Character, and her campaign being treasured by seasoned fundraiser Kim Kaegi.

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