Bill Lee | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Bill_Lee_at_Change_of_Command_Ceremony_(1)_(cropped).jpg) Lee in 2023 | |
| 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 October 9, 1959 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 | &sq=&lang=&file=File:Bill_Lee_(Signature).png){kind=small} |
| Website | Government website |
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]
In 2017, Lee described himself as a social conservative.[4] As governor, he has signed bills to ban mask mandates, and ranked-choice voting; implemented one of the country's strictest abortion bans;[5] allowed guns to be carried without a permit; created school voucher programs; and increased penalties for protest-related offenses. Lee signed Tennessee's "bathroom bill";[6] a bill that assures continued taxpayer funding of faith-based adoption agencies that exclude LGBT people for religious reasons;[7] and the Adult Entertainment Act, which banned drag shows in public until a federal court ruled it unconstitutional.[8]
- ^ "Gov. Bill Lee". nga.org. National Governors Association. Archived from the original on 2019-02-22. Retrieved 2019-02-22.
- ^ Ebert, Joel; Allison, Natalie (January 19, 2019). "Bill Lee sworn in as Tennessee's 50th governor, nearly 2 years after long-shot bid". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on 2023-03-09. Retrieved 2019-01-19.
- ^ "Bill Lee stepping down as CEO of Lee Co". Nashville Post. February 5, 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-11-08. Retrieved 2018-11-08.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
TNComwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Surana, Kavitha (2023-02-24). "Tennessee Lobbyists Oppose New Lifesaving Exceptions in Abortion Ban". ProPublica.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
bathroomwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
adoptionwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Tennessee governor signs first-of-its-kind bill restricting drag shows". NBC News. 3 March 2023. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-01.