On Monday, February 8, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee delivered his 3rd State of the State address. During his address, Gov. Lee spoke about a variety of issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, our state’s economy, education, rural communities, and his plan for the 2021 state budget. Below are some highlights from his address.
COVID-19
Gov. Lee devoted the beginning of his address to discussing COVID-19, the year’s biggest issue. He spoke about what the state has done, including being one of the first states in the country to test all nursing home residents and staff, and ensuring all Tennesseans have access to free COVID-19 testing. Additionally, Gov. Lee pointed to Tennessee consistently being in the top 10 in the nation for vaccine distribution.
Lee also touted the government’s role in adjusting regulations to better accommodate citizens during the pandemic, including telemedicine initiatives and delaying driver’s license renewals.
ECONOMY
Tennessee continues to make economic strides despite the pandemic. Gov. Lee congratulated the legislature and touted our unemployment rate, which has decreased to a number lower than what it was before the pandemic began. Lee also mentioned the relief programs created by the state in an effort to assist small businesses during the pandemic and announced that Tennessee is one of only seven states to have positive economic growth since April 2020.
EDUCATION
Gov. Lee also spoke about the special session that was held in January, which was convened to focus solely on education. During the session, the legislature voted to allocate $43 million to new pay raises for teachers. Another $120 million for teacher compensation will be included in the governor’s budget.
Additionally, throughout the past year, the state has enacted new programs to foster apprenticeship programs, train more teachers in STEM education, and allocate money toward tutoring and technology for students in urban areas.
BUDGET
The governor spent the second half of his address talking about his proposed budget and discussing where new funds would be allocated. Gov. Lee also discussed his plans for expanding internet access by proposing a $200 million dollar investment in broadband for rural communities. His intent is to ensure all communities in Tennessee have access to high-speed internet, and students in rural communities have better access to a quality education.