Tag Archives: Bill Lee

NewsNation reports: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed into law the Medical Ethics Defense Act, which lets health care practitioners refuse to perform or pay for a procedure or prescription that goes against their personal morals, ethics, or religious beliefs. The legislation, which applies to medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and insurance companies, immediately went into effect with Gov. Lee’s …

Law & Crime reports: A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked Tennessee’s so-called “abortion trafficking law,” which bans adults from helping minors get an abortion without parental permission. Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-15-220 was passed by the Tennessee General Assembly on April 24 and signed by Gov. Bill Lee [photo above] on May 28. It went into effect on July …

Via press release from the Liberty Counsel: Reminiscent of proclamations to pray and fast by the Founders and past presidents during times of national concern, Governor Bill Lee has signed a resolution calling for 31 days of prayer and fasting in Tennessee beginning July 1, 2024. Tennessee House Joint Resolution 803 asks the state’s citizens to “seek God’s hand of …

The Tennessean reports: School children in most Tennessee counties will be required to view a three-minute animated video depicting fetal development, such as one produced by a political group that advocates against abortion, a under a bill signed by Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday. HB 2435/SB 2767 mandates the inclusion of a 3-minute computer-generated or high definition ultrasound video depicting …

NBC News reports: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Thursday that he planned to sign a bill state legislators sent to his desk this week that would allow school staff members to carry concealed handguns on school grounds. “What’s important to me is that we give districts tools and the option to use a tool that will keep their children safe …

CNN reports: Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee has signed a bill that allows people in the state to refuse to “solemnize,” or perform, a marriage if they disagree with it. Last week, Tennessee state lawmakers passed HB 878, which states “a person shall not be required to solemnize a marriage.” In Tennessee, only certain people can “solemnize” the “rite of …

ABC News reports: A teachers association in Tennessee has filed a federal lawsuit against the state education department’s restrictions on curriculum regarding race and gender in public schools. The Tennessee Education Association and five Tennessee public school educators behind the lawsuit believe the Tennessee policy that bans certain concepts from being included in curriculum, programs or supplemental materials complicates how …

The Tennessean reports: The Department of Justice on Wednesday intervened in a federal lawsuit against Tennessee over the state’s controversial ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, asking the court to halt the law’s implementation before it takes effect on July 1. In March, Gov. Bill Lee [photo] signed into law SB 1/HB 1, which bans gender-affirming care for minors. …

The Tennessean reports: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday signed an executive order aimed at strengthening background checks for firearm purchases, in addition to calling for lawmakers to pass an order of protection law to keep guns away from people who present a danger to themselves or others. “I’m asking the General Assembly to bring forward an order of protection …

Reuters reports: A federal judge in Memphis, Tennessee, on Friday temporarily blocked a law restricting drag performances in public from going into effect, saying it was likely “vague and overly-broad” in its restriction of speech. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee [photo], a Republican, in February, had signed the bill passed by the state’s legislature that was meant to go into effect …

CNN reports: Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill into law that will restrict public drag show performances in Tennessee, making his state the first to do so this year. The state Senate passed the bill Thursday along party lines to limit “adult cabaret performances” on public property so as to shield them from the view of children. The bill, …

The Associated Press reports: Tennessee lawmakers advanced legislation Thursday that would severely limit where certain drag shows can take place, a proposal Republican Gov. Bill Lee has vowed to sign into law. No other state has acted as fast as Tennessee to ensure that drag shows cannot take place in public or in front of children. And the move lines …

Nashville’s Fox affiliate reports: A 1977 photo circulating online appearing to show Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee in drag was addressed during Monday’s media availability. The image surfaced days after a bill that would ban drag show performances on public property or in a place where the performance could be seen by a minor was passed by the Tennessee House. Gov. …

The Daily Beast reports: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is set to sign a bill that will make drag performances illegal in the state—a crime he may have committed in high school. A photo emerged on Reddit from the Franklin High Yearbook in 1977, where Lee attended, purportedly showing Lee in drag along the caption “Hard Luck Woman.” Lee’s office has …

Via press release from Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee: WHEREAS, we acknowledge God’s sovereignty and the need for God’s grace over our state and our nation; and WHEREAS, we walk humbly together with God in hope so that we may act with justice, kindness and love, no matter the circumstance; and WHEREAS, we seek forgiveness for our many transgressions so that …

Changing America reports: The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ rights groups, is suing the Tennessee Department of Education and its commissioner over the enforcement of a state law barring transgender students from using school facilities like restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity. The lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court alleges that the …

The Associated Press reports: Nearly four years ago, Bill Lee startled political insiders when the first-time political candidate survived a bruising and crowded $45 million GOP primary for Tennessee governor. He cruised to win the top elected state seat a few months later. Now, the Republican businessman is enjoying a drastically different race for reelection, with much more breathing room. …

The Hill reports: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) is pressing the Department of Defense to approve requests for exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate made by his state’s National Guard. In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin obtained by The Hill, Lee says his state’s Guard has recommended approval for Guard members and are awaiting final decisions from Army …

The Associated Press reports: Tennessee will soon strictly regulate the dispensing of abortion pills, including imposing harsh penalties on doctors who violate them, under legislation recently signed into law by Republican Gov. Bill Lee. The measure, which Lee signed on Thursday, will go into effect Jan. 1, 2023. Once enacted, a medical clinician will be required to be physically present …

Via press release from hate group leader Mat Staver: Governor Bill Lee has signed SB 2188 that allows Ivermectin, an award-winning antiviral drug, to be available for the treatment of COVID-19 without a prescription in Tennessee. The state’s Senate overwhelmingly voted 66-20, and the House voted 22-6 in favor of the bill. The bill states that a pharmacist can provide …