Governor Bill Lee will use tonight's spotlight to paint a rosy picture of his tenure - one built on tax breaks for corporations, taxpayer-funded private school vouchers, culture wars, lawsuits, and neglect. The reality? Tennessee families are struggling under his failed leadership.
6 p.m. CT - State of the State - Watch
Crime on the rise despite Republican rhetoric
- Tennessee has the third-highest violent crime rate in the U.S. While crime is declining nationally, Tennessee’s violent crime rate has increased by five percent since 2019, and the solve rate has dropped by nine points.
- Years of repealing gun safety laws have failed. Instead of making us safer, 14 years of GOP policies have fueled more crime and lower arrest rates.
Tennessee wages among the nation’s worst
- 7th lowest average hourly wage in America. Tennessee workers earn far less than the national average.
- 44 percent of households can’t afford the basics. 1.2 million families are struggling to make ends meet, forced to choose between rent, child care, and food.
Housing costs are pricing families out
- Housing costs have hit a 10-year high. Tennessee’s Housing Cost Index is at its highest in a decade, with families now spending 45.5percent of household income on stable housing—up from 28 percent in 2016.
Runaway inflation—second-fastest in the U.S.
- Driven by skyrocketing housing costs and corporate price gouging, Tennessee has the second-highest rate of inflation in the country.
Families are struggling
- Child poverty is rising again. After hitting a decade low in 2022, child poverty is once again increasing.
- Tennessee is hoarding federal aid. The state has the third-highest amount of unspent TANF funds meant for struggling families.
- Child care costs as much as college tuition. Infant and toddler care now costs the same as in-state tuition at Tennessee universities. (
- Thousands of children remain uninsured. 5.6 percent of Tennessee children lack health coverage, despite most being eligible.
- Tennessee has some of the worst maternal and infant health outcomes in the world.
- Gunshot wounds are the leading cause of death for Tennessee children.
The myth of low taxes
- Tennessee is only a ‘low-tax state’ if you’re rich. The state has the third most regressive tax system in the U.S.
- Working Tennesseans pay more than billionaires. Nurses, teachers, and construction workers pay a higher effective tax rate than the wealthiest one percent.
Public Schools: Underfunded and undervalued
- Tennessee ranks 45th in the nation for student funding. Our schools get less funding per student than every neighboring state.
- Teachers are earning less than they did a decade ago. Adjusted for inflation, teacher salaries are 10.4% lower today than in 2014.
Traffic Gridlock: A symptom of GOP neglect
- The Nashville metro area is one of the most traffic-clogged cities in the world. The city ranks 27th globally in congestion, costing businesses and families millions.
- Governor Lee’s inaction has created a $38.5 billion infrastructure backlog. Under his leadership, Tennessee’s unmet transportation needs have ballooned - with a funding crisis looming in 2028 when federal infrastructure money runs out.
- Tennessee has seven interchanges ranked among the 100 worst truck bottlenecks in America.
Brandon J. Puttbrese
Senate Democratic press secretary