Lee delivers his last State of the State address

NASHVILLE — Governor Bill Lee delivered his final State of the State address Monday night, framing his governorship as a time of unparalleled growth for Tennessee and outlining his administration's goals in his final year in the office. Lee arrived at the chamber of the Tennessee House of Representatives to a standing ovation from his largely-Republican legislative administration. In attendance was U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-TN, currently campaigning to replace Lee as Tennessee governor, as well as both legislative chambers; multiple justices with the Tennessee Supreme Court; and Comptroller Jason Mumpower, among leaders of various other state departments. Lee began his speech by addressing the Winter Storm Fern, thanking emergency management personnel and first responders for their efforts combatting the destruction caused by the storm. He commended the General Assembly for their response to other disasters over his tenure in office, such as floods and tornados. The theme of Lee's speech was based on Tennessee's moniker as "The Original Frontier." "Davy Crockett didn't stop in his brith place in East Tennessee. He went on to explore in middle Tennessee," Lee said. "Just like the continuous building of a more perfect union, the work of a frontiersman never stops, and ours should not stop either." Lee's speech highlighted his administration's accomplishments from the past year. First, he touted Tennessee's education, highlighting Tennessee's gains in reading and math scores for Tennessee students. He then touted the high demand of the private school voucher program as a reason to expand the number of available scholarships in years to come. "Last year, we received more than 40,000 applications, and this year, 54,000 applications so far for 20,000 spots," Lee said. "That means, right now, 34,000 students are still waiting for a shot at Education Freedom, and we owe it to them." The statement was followed by a lengthy round of applause. The Education Freedom Scholarship Act has been a hallmark of Lee's tenure as governor, and after previous failed attempts, the legislation passed last year in a narrow vote that divided the Republican supermajority. Lee also touched on the deployment of National Guard troops to Memphis as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, a coordination between state and federal agencies to crack down on crime in the city. "The federal resources delivered by the Trump Administration, the dozens of agencies working side-by-side, the relentless bipartisanship that has proven all the critics wrong – this herculean effort has, in fact, created generational change in Memphis," Lee said. Lee also called on legislators to pass a series of bills which would make Tennessee eligible for up to $1 billion dollars in federal funds for rural healthcare. Chief among those bills would be a repeal of the state's Certificate of Need laws, which require healthcare companies to demonstrate a public need for their services prior to establishing or expanding services in the state. Lee remarked on the state's economic development and fiscal responsibility, pointing to the 300,000 jobs created in the past year in Tennessee. He touted the state's commitment to nuclear energy and its triple-A bond rating. Last week, Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, issued a video rebuttal prior to Lee delivering the State of the State Address. Akbari depicted Tennessee's Republican supermajority as out of touch with the needs of everyday Tennesseans, pointing to increased costs for electricity, groceries and childcare. "We're told Tennessee is a low-tax state, and for large corporations and the wealthy few, that's true," Akbari said. "But it's not true for the cashier in Clarksville; the nurse in Jackson; the teacher in Memphis; or the mechanic in Johnson City." Akbari touted Democratic efforts to end the state's sales tax on groceries and expand healthcare coverage.