Governor Backs Pro-Life Centres

The man is a true hero for our times, and one of America's greatest friends and protectors of unborn children. Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee announced his plans to increase funding for pro-life pregnancy centers up to $100 million among other pro-family initiatives he hopes to accomplish in 2023.

During his annual State of the State address last Monday, Lee shared a variety of plans to support pro-life and pro-family programs, including crisis pregnancy centers, adoption services, and health coverage designed to strengthen families.

“There is a lot more work to be done, but I believe we have the right plan and the right team to get it done,” Lee said. “This is all part of our broader strategy to support strong Tennessee families, and we have big goals.”

“This year, I’m proposing a $100 million grant program to partner with nonprofits that serve mothers, fathers, and families during a crisis pregnancy,” he announced, noting that state budgets last year funded ultrasound machines at pro-life pregnancy centers. The governor emphasized a need to “equip” faith-based organizations with additional resources to act upon “our commitment to human dignity.”

Additionally, Lee proposed “a new $10 million grant program to support the mission of foster and adoption nonprofits all across our state.”

“Strong families are the building blocks of society, in our communities, in our state and as a country. The love and support that fills a tight-knit home spreads outward, building up neighborhoods, churches, volunteer organizations, and all the other institutions that help bind us together.”

To allow for greater bonding between parents and newborns, the governor also proposed a “common sense paid parental-leave program for state employees who are growing their families.”

Lee continued his speech with a statement that “pro-life is much more than defending the lives of the unborn” and that it “is about human dignity” rather than politics. “America is rooted in a commitment to human dignity,” he added.

Lee mentioned pregnant women “working multiple jobs to make ends meet,” babies born months before full development, fathers suffering with disabilities, and families in crisis as examples of opportunities to live the pro-life mission.

If approved, the TennCare Medicaid program will cover the cost of diapers for mothers with the coverage until their babies are two years old.

“That’s pro-life,” the governor said. “That’s pro-family.”

Since being sworn into office in 2019, Lee has consistently enacted pro-life and pro-family legislation throughout Tennessee. After the Dobbs ruling, the state’s pro-life law went into effect, which requires an ultrasound to be performed prior to an abortion and instituted a ban on killing the unborn once a heartbeat is detected.

Before the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Lee signed a bill to prohibit the mailing of abortion pills and limiting the medical professionals qualified to distribute the drugs. Another bill signed at the same time banned men from competing in women’s sports at public universities.

Notably, Lee has spearheaded action in the past year to challenge the push to put gender confused children on puberty blockers and cross sex hormones and pursue mutilating surgeries. The governor launched an investigation into Vanderbilt University Medical Center after Daily Wire host Matt Walsh exposed its “transgender” clinic for promoting hormonal and surgical intervention for minors as a “huge money maker.”