MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Despite a horrible year in 2020 that saw deaths and job losses from COVID-19, Tennessee remains in relatively decent shape financially. That’s the word from Governor Bill Lee in his State of the State address Monday night.
As expected, Lee presented a smorgasbord of new initiatives – ranging from increased investment in broadband for rural areas – to pay raises totaling $120 million dollars for teachers – to go along with the $43 million approved in a special session last month. Lee also touted a controversial agreement to set up a block grant program for healthcare needs rather than expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
All in all, it was an upbeat message that the perils of the pandemic have not brought Tennessee to its knees. And yet, there was also a good bit of hypocrisy - Lee boasted that Tennessee was the first state to purchase masks for every citizen. But he has resisted imposing a statewide mask mandate. Several lawmakers in the audience Tuesday night also were not wearing masks, which speaks volumes about how some legislators view masks as a political issue rather than a healthcare issue.
And Governor Lee delivered more partisan talk by implying that there were voting irregularities in the November presidential election – when all credible evidence says otherwise. Which only goes to show that even in a State of the State address, partisan politics still rule. And that’s my point of view.