Governor Bill Lee Inauguration Speech
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[Governor Bill Lee Inauguration Speech]
[William B. Lee:] Source: LYBIO.net
In 1796, a man and his young family made their homestead on the banks of the Cumberland River just up the way from here. That was the same year the great state of Tennessee was founded.
223 years later and 50 governors later, we – we stand here on the banks of the Cumberland, celebrating our history and anticipating our future.
Thank you for that welcome and introduction – thank you so much, I am honored to be here with Governor McNally, Speaker Casada – thank you, welcome – Members of the General Assembly I genuinely look forward to working with you in the days ahead.
Former governors, Justices of the Supreme Court members of our congressional delegation, and all fellow Tennesseans who have joined here in the War Memorial Auditorium where it’s warm and dry and all across the state thank you for sharing in this really special moment.
I want to make a couple of acknowledgments.
I would not be here today if it weren’t for God’s gift to me – my wife Maria [Lee]. [Applause]
Throughout the past two years of campaigning Maria has been constantly by my side.
She’s been steadfastly committed — steadfastly loved me and in the process she has steadfastly fallen in love with the people of Tennessee and committed to them as well.
She will make a remarkable first lady. thank you, Maria.
[Applause]
I also want to thank my family who occupy a large section of this uh… and I want to – and I want to thank my mother for being here – and Lee who for four generations has been the foundation of the Lee family.
My children and their spouses and their families; Jessica and Jacob and Caleb and Sarah Kate you all have loved me well for many many years, we have loved each other well through many many things, but in the last couple years you’ve made great sacrifices. And I’m grateful for that and your dad loves you even more than ever.
I’d also like to take my own opportunity to thank Governor Bill Haslam and his wife Crissy for their tireless service to this state for the past eight years. Standing here in our state’s capital – we see reminders of your administration’s success everywhere. Growth and opportunity can be seen on every corner; from education to economic development – you’ve laid a foundation – a remarkable foundation that we get to build upon. We’re the envy of many states. And it’s in large part due to your remarkable leadership and we – all of us in Tennessee – thank you and Crissy and thank you for doing that for us.
[APPLAUSE]
That man that I spoke of that settled his family on the banks of the Cumberland that year – that this great state was formed – that man’s name was Charles Braxton Lee and he was my seventh great-grandfather.
[Bill Lee:] Source: LYBIO.net
And we stand here today beneficiaries not of great government’s of the past but of the lives of the great men and women who have come before us. Men and women who forged difficult lives on the frontier.
Who formed small towns and eventually larger cities, people who cleared the land, and planted crops, and built businesses, and worked in factories, and created industry and created a state like it says on our seal – a state of Commerce and Agriculture. A state that now stands is one of the most prosperous in the nation.
And it didn’t just simply happen it wasn’t inevitable – it happened because of men and women who came before us.
Men and women who educated our children in one grim school houses and then built an education system.
Men and women who cared for our sick in the frontier and then built clinics, and then hospitals, and then a health system.
Men and women who protected us and built a system of of justice, and law.
Circuit riders who traveled this state and built a community of faith – it happened because of men and women who sacrificed in wars from the Revolutionary War – to today.
And it – it happen because of men and women who struggled to overcome and justices and inequalities in our society from slavery to suffrage, to civil rights.
And most of all – it happened because of the favor of God himself.
[APPLAUSE]
In spite of our inadequacies and our weaknesses; HE was strong on our behalf. And HE has blessed us indeed and his Governor of Tennessee I will daily ask for his wisdom and for his guidance, and for his direction.
[Bill Lee:] Source: LYBIO.net
And we will need that wisdom for in spite of the great favor that he’s shown us, and in spite of the great blessings that we have – we have great challenges in front of us.
Tennesseans we stand in one of the great States in all of America but our greatness has never come from what one individual has done; our greatness has always come from the collective lives and service, and commitment, and sacrifice of those who have come before us – because of what we have always done as a people together in community with each other – in service to our state and to our neighbors.
Last year Maria and I drove back and forth, and back and forth, all across this state to every corner of Tennessee, and we found out something – no matter whether you live in the hills of East Tennessee or the fields of West Tennessee or whether you live in a small town or downtown, people want the same thing; a good job, a good school for the kid, and a safe neighborhood.
And it’s true we have good jobs and great prosperity here.
We have record low unemployment.
We have record low taxes.
Companies are moving here.
Businesses are building here we have great prosperity as I said on every corner and yet we have 15 counties in poverty – all rural – all Tennesseans.
We have some of the most distressed ZIP codes in America right in the heart of our greatest cities.
So when we consider our state we see how fortunate we are, and yet we also see how much we have to do.
Not only do Tennesseans want a good job, but Tennesseans want good schools for their kids, and we have made tremendous progress in this state in education. In part due to great education governor’s that have gone before me.
In fact, Tennessee has the highest rate of improvement in educational outcomes of any state in the country. And yet we’re still in the bottom half of states.
[Bill Lee:] Source: LYBIO.net
Now I believe that education is much more than a test score. It’s about preparation of a child for success in life, and a resurgence of vocational and technical and agricultural education, and the inclusion of civics, and character education; combined with reforms – will take Tennessee to the top tier of states.
And – [APPLAUSE]
Tennesseans do want good jobs – they do want good schools but they also want safe neighborhoods.
And while most of our communities and our neighborhoods are safe.
Our violent crime rate is rising in every major city in our state.
We can be tough on crime, and smart on crime at the same time.
And for violent criminals and for traffickers; justice should be swift and it should be certain. [APPLAUSE] But here –
Here’s the reality 95% of people sitting in a jail or prison cell in the state of Tennessee are coming out – into our communities and right now half of them will recommit a crime and go back in the first three years.
We need to help nonviolent offenders reenter society – not reenter prison. [APPLAUSE]
I believe that we can do it.
I believe that we can create safer neighborhoods; good jobs, better schools, all across our state.
[Bill Lee:] Source: LYBIO.net
These are just a few examples of the challenges that we face.
And there are many other challenges that we can’t ignore either.
An opioid epidemic there’s ravaging Tennessee.
Too few Tennesseans have access to health care that they can afford.
Our rural communities are struggling.
Yes these are the challenges of our day and history will judge us based on how we meet them.
As honors I am to be your next governor – no governor will solve the problems. In fact, no government will solve the greatest problems that we face. Government is not the answer to our challenges.
[APPLAUSE]
[Bill Lee:] Source: LYBIO.net
Government’s role is to prep, protect our right, our liberty, and our freedom.
And I believe in a limited government that provides unlimited opportunities for we the people to address the greatest challenges of our day.
[APPLAUSE]
The – the truth is that most of the things that have created the greatness of Tennessee don’t have much to do with government at all.
Our strength has always come from our people – like those first Tennesseans who came here with hope and who worked together to create this great State.
You know we’re famous for our three grand divisions of east and west and middle and as evidenced by the three stars on our flag – but it’s important to remember however that that circle around those stars represents the unity of our state.
And I believe that Tennesseans have much more that unites us – than divides us.
And I believe that one way that we do unite is by following the commandment to ‘love your neighbor as yourself’.
[Bill Lee:] Source: LYBIO.net
In fact, I believe is the key to American greatness our greatness has never come from government compulsion or power, it’s always come from our love for each other and our commitment to our fellow citizens, and to our neighbors.
If we remember that commandment and walk in that spirit – our greatest days will always lie before us.
[APPLAUSE]
Thank you.
So much has changed over the past 223 years but some things haven’t changed at all.
Once again we stand here Tennesseans on the banks of the Cumberland with great challenges and great opportunities as much in need of the wisdom, and favor of God as ever.
And with HIS continued deep commitment to each other, these last few months I’ve thought an awful lot about Braxton Lee and about those first Tennesseans, I wonder what they told each other, when they had to deal with their struggles.
I think a lot about, who they were.
They were strong and courageous and they were faithful and they were committed, and they were certain.
They were Tennesseans.
And I’ve also thought a lot about our descendants; seven generations from now, what would they say of us?
Were we strong and courageous?
Were we faithful?
Were we committed?
Where we certain?
Did we come together to meet the challenges that we face with courage and optimism and a belief in each other.
[Bill Lee:] Source: LYBIO.net
If we meet the challenges of this moment – they too will save us – they were Tennesseans.
Thank you for this great honor – may God bless each one of you, and may God bless the great state of Tennessee.
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Governor Bill Lee Inauguration Speech. We can be tough on crime, and smart on crime at the same time. Complete Full Transcript, Dialogue, Remarks, Saying, Quotes, Words And Text.