Bill Lee (Tennessee politician)
50th governor of Tennessee since 2019 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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William Byron Lee (born October 9, 1959) is an American businessman and politician who has served since 2019 as the 50th governor of Tennessee.[1][2] A member of the Republican Party, Lee was president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Lee Company, a business operated by his family, from 1992 to 2016.[3]
Bill Lee | |
---|---|
50th Governor of Tennessee | |
Assumed office January 19, 2019 | |
Lieutenant | Randy McNally |
Preceded by | Bill Haslam |
Chair of the Republican Governors Association | |
Assumed office December 7, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Kim Reynolds |
Personal details | |
Born | William Byron Lee (1959-10-09) October 9, 1959 (age 64) Franklin, Tennessee, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) |
Carol Ann Lee
(m. 1984; died 2000) |
Children | 4 |
Residence | Governor's Mansion |
Education | Auburn University (BS) |
Signature | |
In 2017, Lee described himself as a social conservative.[4] As governor, he has signed bills to ban abortion in Tennessee, mask mandates, and ranked-choice voting; to allow guns to be carried without a permit, create school voucher programs, and increase penalties for protest-related offenses. Lee signed Tennessee's "bathroom bill",[5] as well as a bill that assures continued taxpayer funding of faith-based adoption agencies that exclude LGBT people for religious reasons,[6] and the Adult Entertainment Act, which banned drag shows in public until a federal court ruled it unconstitutional.[7]