Bill Lee (Tennessee politician)
William Byron Lee (born October 9, 1959) is an American businessman and politician who has served since 2019 as the 50th governor of Tennessee. 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.
Bill Lee | |
|---|---|
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)Maria Lee (m. 2008) |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Governor's Mansion |
| Education | Auburn University (BS) |
| Signature | |
In 2017, Lee described himself as a social conservative. 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", as well as a bill that assures continued taxpayer funding of faith-based adoption agencies that exclude LGBT people for religious reasons, and the Adult Entertainment Act, which banned drag shows in public until a federal court ruled it unconstitutional.