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Opinion | Some Tennessee lawmakers are creating a problem where there isn’t one | Otis Sanford

Local 24 News political analyst and commentator Otis Sanford shares his point of view on lawmakers taking on the Tennessee Department of Health.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tennessee lawmakers who control everything in the legislature have earned a reputation for coming up with solutions that are in search of problems. They’ve done it with expanded gun rights, with restricted voting rights – and with mandates about what teachers can and cannot say about racism. Now they are doing it with healthcare.

The legislature is not even in session. But that didn’t keep a few overzealous lawmakers from gathering in Nashville this week to verbally beat up on state Department of Health over giving COVID-19 vaccines to teenagers. Some Republicans legislators even threatened to get rid of the state Health Department by defunding it.

All of this is based on misguided beliefs that health officials are running around trying to get teenagers vaccinated without parental consent. All the Health Department really did was follow the law by informing vaccine providers when they could give doses to those age 14 to 18 without a parent being present.

There have only been eight reported instances of teens showing up on their own to get a vaccine. And three of those teens were the children of Health Department commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey – who said she sent them to get the shots because she was busy working.

Like I said, lawmakers are creating a problem where there isn’t one. And they are doing it for political reasons - which sadly, is what they do. And that’s my point of view.

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