Sen. Yarbro: ‘Irresponsible’ for Gov. Lee to ignore families in special session
NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Lee’s special session priorities ignore the “unprecedented challenges” Tennessee families are facing due to the pandemic, according to Sen. Jeff Yarbro, the Democratic leader of the Senate Democrats.
Sen. Yarbro issued a statement saying Lee’s policy scope for the special session was “irresponsible” and “tone deaf” as the pandemic infiltrates every county in the state:
It’s irresponsible and more than a little tone deaf of Gov. Bill Lee to call the legislature back for a special session without addressing the full scope of unprecedented challenges folks are facing across our state.
• More than 10 percent have lost jobs and we have a broken unemployment system;
• More than 110,000 have lost health insurance;
• 58 percent of renters face eviction risk; and
• Unclear we have resources to open schools or conduct elections safelyBut we’re having a special session to limit liability?
Tennessee just suffered our worst month of the pandemic. We’ve had 110,000 confirmed cases, almost 1100 deaths, and there’s no clear strategy to reverse the community spread happening across the state. But that’s off limits in the narrow special session called by the governor.
The governor’s call of a special session also doesn’t permit legislation on policing reform or other criminal justice issues. But the call does seek new laws to add new criminal penalties for protesters. We need more problem solving and less stoking of culture wars.
People are anxious about their families and their finances, their lives and their livelihoods, and they need Gov. Bill Lee to show some leadership across the board. This isn’t it.
