Lee Proposes $100 Million Funding In Budget For Pro-Life Clinics

Image Credit: Gov Bill Lee / Facebook

The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

Even as many Republicans push for exceptions to Tennessee’s abortion ban, Governor Bill Lee remains instead focused on fulfilling a “moral obligation” to support families across the state by providing additional funding for pro-life centers.

During his annual State of the State address on Monday, Lee presented his $55.6 billion budget proposal to the state legislature. That proposal includes money to create a $100 million grant program for these non-profit clinics. 

Lee was forced to restart his speech several times as protestors yelled out comments about his abortion and healthcare policies. While Lee has remained firm in his stand against adding exceptions to the new abortion ban, he is also working to provide additional supports for families in the state.

“Pro-life is much more than defending the lives of the unborn,” Lee said. “This is not a matter of politics. This is about human dignity.”

He continued, “We can have a healthy debate about the policy specifics, but we can also agree that America is rooted in a commitment to human dignity. There was a significant shift in this county last year when it comes to protecting the lives of the unborn. We now all have an opportunity and a moral obligation to support strong Tennessee families.”

Lee’s plan would include providing funding through the grant program so pro-life clinics can provide more prenatal and post-birth classes and greater support for parents.

The governor also proposed giving additional parental leave to state employees and expanding TennCare coverage to include more pregnant women and parents. This would include an extension of post-partum coverage and would also increase eligibility limits. He also mentioned plans to request that the federal government provide diapers to Medicare recipients for the first two years of a child’s life.

“If approved, Tennessee will be the first Medicaid program in the nation to implement this kind of support. That’s pro-life. That’s pro-family,” Lee said.