NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee appointed Wesley Bray of Putnam County as the criminal court judge to the 13th Judicial District to fill the Honorable David. A Patterson’s vacancy. “Wesley brings extensive experience to this role and will serve the 13th district with integrity,” said Lee. “We welcome him to this role and appreciate his willingness to serve.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced nearly 200 appointees to a series of key boards and commissions ahead of fiscal year 2020 which begins on Monday, July 1. “I am proud to announce these appointees who will help our state continue to flourish and be a leader in the nation,” said Lee. “I would like to thank these leaders for being willing to serve our state and help us solve many of the big issues important to Tennesseans.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee released the following statement regarding his signing of a Proclamation calling the Tennessee General Assembly into a special session on August 23: “It is in the best interest of our State to select a new Speaker of the House, and so I am calling a special session of the General Assembly for August 23 to accomplish that purpose. I have also asked the General Assembly to take up approval of the recent amendments to the Supreme Court rules, in addition to settling these leadership matters. Any other procedural business would be at the discretion of the General Assembly.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced the leadership of the Tennessee Criminal Justice Investment Task Force as established by Executive Order 6. “We are committed to addressing all aspects of the criminal justice system to improve public safety and reentry in our state,” said Gov. Lee. “Our task force represents multiple perspectives including law enforcement, state agencies, crime victims and families, community leaders and formerly incarcerated individuals.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee appointed Rachele Gibson of Gibson County as the 28th judicial district public defender to succeed Tom W. Crider. “Rachele has passionately served the 28th district for years and is exceptionally qualified for this role,” said Gov. Lee. “We congratulate her on this promotion and look forward to working together.” Gibson has served as the assistant public defender from 2004-2008 and again from 2013-2019. Previously, she served as the assistant district attorney from 2008-2013. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin and the Nashville School of Law. Gibson resides in Bradford, Tenn. with her husband and two children.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee released the following statement regarding death row inmate Don Johnson: “After a prayerful and deliberate consideration of Don Johnson‘s request for clemency, and after a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and will not be intervening.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee marked the close of the 2019 legislative session, a session which included the unanimous passage of his budget as well as the passage of his full agenda as outlined during his State of the State address in March. “In March, I presented our budget and a series of priorities which I believe will be foundational to making Tennessee a leader in the nation,” said Lee. “Working with the General Assembly leadership and members, we passed reforms that will continue to build on the momentum our state has seen in recent years.” Gov. Lee’s slate of priorities included 16 legislative initiatives to work towards strengthening public education and school choice, enhancing workforce development, addressing criminal justice reform and public safety, promoting good government and developing solutions for rural Tennessee.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee appointed Carma Dennis McGee to the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Western Section. She will replace Judge Brandon O. Gibson who was appointed as a Senior Advisor in the Office of Governor earlier this year. McGee, 48, has served as the Chancellor of the 24th Judicial District since 2014. Prior to becoming Chancellor, she practiced law as partner in the firm of McGee & Dennis. She also served as a Rule 31 Listed Family Mediator for ten years. “Chancellor McGee’s experience and knowledge will make her an excellent judge on the Court of Appeals,” said Lee. “Tennessee is fortunate to have her in the Western Section, and I am grateful she has accepted this high honor.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that his administration, in coordination with the Tennessee General Assembly, is temporarily reinstating paper-based assessments for students in the 2019-2020 school year. “We must ensure the utmost quality in our annual assessment,” said Lee. “Commissioner Schwinn and her team at the Department of Education are doing outstanding work to get testing on the right track, and we thank the General Assembly for their thoughtful approach on this matter.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s charter school bill passed in both the Tennessee General Assembly House and Senate education committees just one day after Gov. Lee’s education savings account proposal advanced from the House curriculum subcommittee. “With the legislature’s hard work, school choice has momentum and we are working together to put students first and strengthen our public education system,” said Lee. “Low-income students deserve the same opportunities and we have a bold plan that levels the playing field while also focusing improvement on the lowest-performing school districts.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that Tennessee will participate in the Girls Go CyberStart competition. In partnership with the SANS institute, this initiative will empower female high school students to explore opportunities in studying cybersecurity. “We are working toward propelling Tennessee to the top 25 states for job creation in the technology sector by 2022,” said Lee. “Tennessee is excited to partner with this program to encourage young women to develop their talents in high-skill STEM-related fields.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. –Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced $14.8 million in broadband accessibility grants that will expand broadband service to more than 8,300 households and businesses in 17 counties across Tennessee. “I am pleased to announce that we are getting our rural areas up to speed and expanding broadband in the areas that need it most,” said Lee. “I am committed to ensuring connectivity in every corner of our state as broadband impacts our goals for health care, education, economic development and beyond.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued an executive order to establish the Tennessee Criminal Justice Investment Task Force as promised during his State of the State address on Monday evening. The sixth executive order issued under his leadership comes after Gov. Lee outlined comprehensive plans to address public safety in Tennessee amid higher rates of violent crime and recidivism. The incarcerated population of Tennessee has grown by 34 percent since 2000, despite six consecutive years of reduced admissions to the criminal justice system.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tonight, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee delivered his first State of the State address and presented budget priorities to a joint session of the General Assembly in the House Chamber. Gov. Lee proposed a strong, conservative budget with a record-breaking deposit to the Rainy Day Fund that will lift the state savings account to a historic high $1.1 billion. The proposed budget does not take on any long-term debt and manages to cut more than $40 million in costs without compromising services.