Governor Bill Lee recently announced appointments to the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council, which was created in May under Executive Order 101.
Read the full storyTag: Bill Lee
Governor Lee Signs Executive Order Creating ‘Tri-Stars and Stripes’ Council Ahead of Independence Day
Governor Bill Lee signed an executive order on Monday to reconstitute an existing council in order to “position Tennessee to lead the nation as the best state for service members, veterans and their families to thrive.”
Read the full storyTennessee Announces New Site Development Grant Recipients
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart McWhorter announced Thursday that approximately $5.9 million in Site Development Grant funds have been awarded to 10 community entities across the state.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee, TNECD Commissioner McWhorter Return Home after Economic Development Trip to Europe
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) Commissioner Stuart McWhorter recently wrapped up a six-day economic development trip to France and Italy, Lee’s office announced Monday.
Read the full storyTennessee Legislative Offices Locked Down After ‘White Powder Substance’ Found in GOP Leader Mail, Liberal Activists Suspected
The Cordell Hull Building in Nashville was locked down Thursday following the discovery of a “white powder substance” in mail sent to Republican leaders, in “obvious threats made by a liberal activist,” the House GOP said in a statement. One news outlet is reporting the suspicious mail has the markings of a trans activist.
Officials say everyone is safe and that there have been no injuries reported.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Encourages Law Enforcement and Schools to Apply for School Security Grant
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced Wednesday that the state is now accepting applications for grant funding from law enforcement agencies and schools in order to “further strengthen security at Tennessee schools.”
Read the full storyVanderbilt University Halts Sex Change Surgeries for Children As New Tennessee Law Becomes Effective July 1
The Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) pediatric transgender clinic is no longer offering sex change procedures for minors following the passage of a key Tennessee law banning the practice, parents confirmed to the Nashville Post.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the legislation into law March 3. Parents were sent an email from VUMC confirming the clinic will no longer be serving patients, according to the Nashville Post.
Read the full storyTennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition Meets with Lee Administration on Concerns Regarding August Special Session
Members of the Lee administration met with the Tennessee Faith & Freedom Coalition (TNFFC) Board of Directors on Wednesday after the group sent a letter urging Governor Bill Lee to cancel his proposed August 21 special session of the Tennessee General Assembly.
“In response to our letter asking Governor Lee to cancel plans for an August Special Session of the Tennessee General Assembly due to public safety concerns as well as constitutional concerns, Chief of Staff Joseph Williams emailed us and requested a meeting with our Board of Directors. We took him up on that offer and on Wednesday, had a meeting with Chief of Staff Williams and Lee Administration Special Advisor Michael Hendrix,” the TNFFC disclosed in a Friday statement emailed to The Tennessee Star.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Visits Tennessee National Guard Troops Before Deployment to the Southern Border
Governor Bill Lee and other federal & state elected officials visited 100 Tennessee National Guard troops in Millington before their deployment to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
Read the full storyRed Flag Proposals at Center of Tennessee Special Session Debate
As Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee prepares to call a special session of the Legislature on public safety, the specifics of that special session call have yet to be announced.
One bill that Democratic leadership is intending to propose is a red flag law bill sponsors refer to as the Families Know First Act, an “extreme risk protection order” bill proposed late in the legislative session by Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Nashville, and Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Nashville.
Read the full storyNashville City Council to Hold Gun Violence Hearings in the Wake of Covenant School Massacre
More than two months after 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale shot and killed three children and three staff members at the Covenant Presbyterian School, Nashville’s Metropolitan Council is planning to hold hearings on gun violence as a “public health issue.”
The Public Health and Safety Committee will conduct the first special meeting on gun safety, co-hosted with Education Committee Chair Zulfat Suara, on June 14, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 pm.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Authorizes Deployment of 100 Tennessee National Guard Troops to Southern Border
Governor Bill Lee announced Wednesday evening that he authorized the deployment of 100 Tennessee National Guard troops to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
Read the full storyDemocrat State Sen. Heidi Campbell Condemns GOP Legislators’ Call to Cancel Red Flag Special Session
Tennessee State Senator Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) is condemning a group of Republican state lawmakers for signing onto an open letter urging Governor Bill Lee to cancel the special legislative session that the governor called earlier this month.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Signs Bill Legally Defining ‘Woman’ in the State of Tennessee
Governor Bill Lee has signed a bill that amends the Tennessee code to apply biology-based definitions across all state statutes.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Appoints New District Attorney General to Williamson County
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has appointed Stacey Edmonson as district attorney general for the 21st Judicial District – which covers Williamson County – effective immediately.
Read the full storyTennessee Governor Lee Signs Bill Dissolving Remaining Community Oversight Boards in Memphis and Nashville
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee recently signed a bill to abolish community oversight boards in the state.
SB591/HB764, according to the bill’s official summary, “abolishes community oversight boards and authorizes municipalities to create police advisory and review committees to ensure the timely, fair, and objective review of citizen complaints and to make recommendations concerning such complaints.”
Read the full storyLee Signs Bill to Lower Tennessee Aviation Fuel Tax Cap to $1 Million
Tennessee’s corporate aviation fuel tax cap will soon go down to $1 million, which would have an additional $10.6 million impact on the state’s Transportation Equity Fund, after Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill to lower the cap.
The bill is part of a drop in the aviation fuel tax over years. Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, said FedEx paid $45 million in annual aviation fuel tax when the cap was first installed and will be down to $1 million for the 2024-25 fiscal year.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Signs Bill Prohibiting ESG Investments in Tennessee
Governor Bill Lee signed a bill Wednesday that requires the Tennessee Treasurer to make investment decisions based on financial factors – not based on environmental, social, or governance (ESG) factors.
Read the full storyLee Signs Tennessee Teacher Pay Increase, End to Automatic Dues Payments
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill that will raise the minimum wage for K-12 teachers and end the collection of dues for professional employee organizations as an automatic payroll withdrawal.
Senate Bill 281 will go into effect July 1.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Signs Executive Order Creating the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council
Tennessee Governor Lee signed an executive order on Tuesday to establish the Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council.
Read the full storyLee Signs a Pair of Memphis FedExForum Tax Capture Extensions
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a pair of bills to continue tax captures in order to fund renovations at Memphis’ FedExForum and future marketing for Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
The bills come after the state Legislature approve $350 million from Lee’s budget proposal to send directly to Memphis to fund part of $684 million in sports facility improvements planned for the city that include renovations to the FedExForum, home of the Memphis Grizzlies, along with renovations to Liberty Stadium, AutoZone Park and a new soccer stadium.
Read the full storyCommentary: Faith and Flags
I was surprised by the Williamson County School Board’s recent call for action to Governor Lee, especially in how it seems to differ with a resolution that the Williamson County Republican Party released weeks earlier. What is most apparent in the Covenant School tragedy is that another deranged assassin targeted what is essentially a gun free zone. We will never know what might have happened if willing teachers or administrators received proper training and were allowed to carry firearms to protect the children entrusted to their care. Clearly, the bias against the 2nd Amendment has cost us an incalculable price once again.
Read the full storyYears of Tax Revenue Surpluses Bring Grocery Tax Break to Tennesseans
Governor Bill Lee signed the largest tax cut in Tennessee history on Thursday, his office announced. The Tennessee Works Tax Act (TWTA) aims to provide $400 million in savings for families and small businesses.
The sweeping new legislation includes a three-month grocery tax holiday, a tax credit for companies who offer paid family leave to employees, and $150 million in small business tax relief.
Read the full storySpecial Session on Public Safety to Begin in August, Governor Lee Announces
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that he intends to call for the Tennessee General Assembly to convene a special legislative session in August to “strengthen public safety and preserve constitutional rights.”
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Proclaims the Month of May ‘Foster Care Month’ in Tennessee
Governor Bill Lee proclaimed May as “Foster Care Month” in Tennessee.
“This ‘Foster Care Month,’ we recognize the 5,000 Tennessee families who open their hearts and hands to children in need,” Lee said in a statement. “We have an obligation to ensure that every child has a loving, permanent home, and I thank Commissioner Quin and the General Assembly for partnering to deliver important support to children and families.”
Read the full storyCommentary: Bill Lee Attacks the Second Amendment with a Red Flag Proposal
Governor Bill Lee called on the Tennessee Legislature to pass a Red Flag law – one that he proposed – before the 2023 Legislative session ended. The Legislators did not consider his proposal but instead they wrapped up business – they thought – and adjourned until January 2024. Governor Lee, apparently thinking of himself as perhaps the “master” of the Legislature, has now stated that he will call a special session to force the Legislature to take up his call for a Red Flag law.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Set to Call for a Special Session after House Republicans Refuse to Introduce Red Flag Laws
Governor Bill Lee announced Friday that he will call for the Tennessee General Assembly to convene a special session in order to “pass legislation that will strengthen public safety and preserve constitutional rights.”
Read the full storyTennessee Senator Blackburn Introduces Sister City Transparency Act
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) this week reintroduced the Sister City Transparency Act, a bill aimed toward addressing geostrategic scheming, particularly by China.
“Sister cities” are municipalities that enter into diplomatic relationships with localities abroad to facilitate cultural and economic exchange. But, the senator told The Tennessee Star, China is using these arrangements to advance propaganda and exert political pressure.
Read the full storyCommentary: Gov. Bill Lee Calls for Red Flag Type Law Despite United States Supreme Court’s Mandate
On April 11, 2023, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee made public statements calling for expanded “new” orders of protection and also calling for the passage of Red Flag laws in Tennessee. His comments are clear evidence that he either has not read the United States Supreme Court decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen or that, if he did read it, he chooses to disregard it.
Read the full storyTennessee Human Life Protection Act Remains Strong with Narrow Abortion Exception for Saving Life of the Mother
Both the Tennessee Senate and House have now passed the state’s Human Life Protection Act (HLPA), legislation that bans abortion, with only one change – an exception for saving the life of the mother – one that the pro-life community says will continue to protect the right to life of all unborn children in the state.
Gov. Bill Lee (R) is expected to sign the legislation.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Amends Proposed Legislation, FY23-24 Budget to Accommodate Stronger Measures to Strengthen School Safety
One week after the school shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville that left six dead, Governor Bill Lee proposed additional actions to strengthen safety at public and private schools across Tennessee, including amending the budget for fiscal year 2023-2034 as well as an existing bill making its way through the state legislature.
Read the full storyGovernor Bill Lee Reveals Two Adults Killed in The Covenant School Shooting Were Longtime Friends of First Lady Maria Lee
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee addressed the state on Tuesday in a video posted to social media just one day after six victims, including three children, were gunned down by 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale at The Covenant School in Nashville.
The governor revealed that two of the victims – Cynthia Peak, age 61, and Katherine Koonce, age 60 – were longtime family friends of First Lady Maria Lee.
In a video posted to social media Tuesday evening, Bill Lee said, “All of Tennessee was hurt yesterday, but some parents woke up without children. Children woke up without parents, without teachers. And spouses woke up without their loved ones.”
Read the full storyCity of Nashville Sues Governor Bill Lee Over Law Reducing Size of Metro Council
The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County filed a lawsuit Monday in the Davidson County Chancery Court against Governor Bill Lee for his recent signing of a bill (SB87/HB48) that requires the Metro Nashville City Council – composed of 40 members- to be cut in half.
Read the full storyDavidson County GOP Applauds Governor Lee for Signing Bill Limiting the Number of Metro Nashville Council Elected Officials
The Davidson County Republican Party (DCRP) has applauded the Tennessee General Assembly’s final passage and Governor Bill Lee’s signing of a legislation that caps the number of elected officials to the Metro Nashville-Davidson County City Council to 20.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Signs Bill to Cap Nashville Metro Council at 20 Elected Officials
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a bill Thursday that caps the number of elected officials to the governing body of a metropolitan government or municipality within the state to 20.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Fires Back After California’s Newsom Criticizes Tennessee’s New Law Forbidding Drag Shows in Public Spaces
Democrat California Governor Gavin Newsom caught the attention of Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Twitter over the weekend after criticizing legislation recently signed into law in the Volunteer State.
Read the full storyThe Clintons and Transportation Secretary Buttigieg Speak at Vanderbilt, Condemn ‘Attacks’ on LGBTQ Community
The Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) 2023 Annual Meeting took place in Nashville this weekend at Vanderbilt University.
Read the full storyGov. Bill Lee Signs Bills Banning Transgender Hormones, Surgeries for Minors and Drag Shows from Public Spaces
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed two bills Thursday, one that prohibits minors from receiving puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and transgender surgeries, and another that outlaws drag shows in public spaces and restricts them to age-appropriate venues.
Read the full storyTennessee House Passes Bill That Would Ban Drag Shows
The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday that, if enacted, would ban “adult cabaret” performances – such as drag shows – on public property or anywhere they “could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.”
Read the full storyTennessee Launches New Cost Share Program for Agricultural and Forestry Businesses
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) and Governor Bill Lee recently announced a new cost share program for agricultural and forestry businesses.
Read the full storyTennessee Gov. Lee Pitches Plan to Expand Support for Pregnancy Care Centers to $100 Million
Governor Bill Lee (R-TN) announced Monday during his State of the State address he would propose boosting support for women in unplanned pregnancies through various programs, including an expansion in funding for crisis pregnancy care centers to $100 million, widening Medicaid eligibility for pregnant women and parents, and granting additional paid family leave time for state employees.
Tennessee’s “trigger” law that bans abortion, titled the Human Life Protection Act, took effect August 25, two months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Read the full storyIn-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants Sends Wrong Message, Immigration Reform Advocate Says
A Tennessee Republican lawmaker is pushing another bill that would give illegal immigrants a taxpayer-funded break on college tuition — a move, according to one immigration reform advocate, that sends the message that the Volunteer State is turning a blind eye to the law.
State Senator Todd Gardenhire’s (R-Chattanooga) bill is being sold as an inducement to deal with Tennessee’s teacher shortage.
Read the full story‘Tennessee is Leading the Nation:’ Governor Bill Lee Delivers Fifth State of the State Address
One year after declaring “the state of our state is strong,” Governor Bill Lee touted Tennessee as a leader in the nation in regards to being a “guiding light for opportunity, security and freedom” during his fifth State of the State address on Monday in the House Chamber of the Tennessee State Capitol.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Announces Tennessee Supreme Court Appointment
Governor Bill Lee appointed Dwight Tarwater to the Tennessee Supreme Court this week.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Touts Tennessee ‘Setting an Example’ for the Nation While Acknowledging the Work ‘Still Ahead’ During Second Inaugural Speech
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee painted the state as a leader in the nation and highlighted the work still ahead during his second inaugural speech held in Nashville.
Read the full storyTennessee Lawmakers Consider Adding ‘Health of the Mother’ Exception to Abortion Limit Law
Tennessee lawmakers will reportedly consider whether to add “exceptions” to the state’s abortion ban, including the “health of the mother,” a phrase that pro-life leaders say has been used by abortionists and their supporters for decades to prop up the entire abortion industry.
Tennessee’s “trigger” law that bans abortion, titled the Human Life Protection Act, took effect August 25, two months after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Unveils $26 Billion ‘Transportation Modernization Act of 2023’
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee recently unveiled his Transportation Modernization Act of 2023 in an effort to address transportation needs across the state.
Read the full storyMetro Nashville Government Files Notice of Appeal on ESA Ruling
Metro Nashville Government, along with Shelby County Government, has filed a notice of appeal on a court ruling dismissing their lawsuit over education savings accounts (ESA) legislation. This is the latest round in a series of legal actions brought forth in response to legislation passed in 2019. The filing of an appeal indicates that Nashville Government plans to continue its fight against legislation narrowly passed in 2019.
On November 23rd, of this year, a three-judge panel – made up of Chancellor Anne Martin, Judge Tammy Harrington, and Judge Valerie Smith – released a ruling in response to the initial lawsuit denying standing to the plaintiffs. In the court’s opinion, adjustments made by the state to offset potential losses in school funding for impacted districts, make any article arguments for lost funding purely hypothetical. That ruling cleared the plate of all legislation filed in opposition to the go signature legislation.
Read the full storyGovernor Lee Grants Executive Clemency to 16 Individuals, Expedites Parole Eligibility to 30 Individuals
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced on Thursday that he granted executive clemency for 16 individuals and expedited parole eligibility for 30 individuals.
Read the full storyGovernor, First Lady Lee Issue Christmas Message to Tennesseans
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and his wife, First Lady Maria Lee, released a video message wishing Tennesseans a Merry Christmas on Saturday.
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