Gov. Bill Lee Weighs A Shift In Tennessee’s Priorities With His First Budget

Gov. Bill Lee is putting together his first budget proposal, and he has asked 28 state agencies to find places to trim.

The new governor says this could help free up money to pay for his plans.

Lee says that, although the state is doing well financially, he wants to make sure the new budget is fiscally conservative. To do that, Lee says funding cuts in some areas should be expected.

“There’s never enough money to do everything that everyone wants,” Lee told reporters Thursday. “So, the best way to manage that is to start with, ‘How can we cut? How can we reduce costs that will allow us then to prioritize those things which we want to get done?'”

He has asked the state departments to project how a 2 percent reduction will impact their operations. Lee’s predecessor, Gov. Bill Haslam, made similar requests but rarely followed through with reductions that large.

Lee says the budget will prioritize five areas: criminal justice, health care, rural economic development, K-12 education and mental health.

One area the new governor is committed to not cutting is K-12 education. But, a spokeswoman says, money might get reprioritized within the Department of Education.

Lee Issues On Ethics, Transparency

Separately, Gov. Bill Lee issued three more executive orders. They address ethics, transparency and non-discrimination practices in his administration.

The first measure directs employees of the executive branch to get training on open meetings, open records, and ethics.

Another expands the scope of employees within the governor’s office required to file ethical disclosures. And the third calls on the Human Resources Commissioner to review hiring and employment practices within the government.

Lee says the orders align with his vision of government.

“The three orders I signed today reflect firm expectations for how state government conducts business,” he said in a press release. “I believe in limited and accountable government, which is why I have emphasized my administration’s approach to ethics, transparency and non-discrimination in hiring.”