Governor Pitches Vax-Avoiding Cops on Move to Tennessee

Gov. Bill Lee is making a pitch to law enforcement officers across the country: If you don't want to get the COVID-19 vaccine, come work here. 

The governor today, along with Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long, announced Tennessee's offer to cover relocation expenses for out-of-state law enforcement looking to leave states with strict COVID-19 vaccine rules. 

"There are many highly skilled law enforcement personnel who want to work in a state that doesn’t get in the middle of personal health decisions yet also provides for a wonderful quality of life," Lee says in a statement. "As we’ve ramped up efforts to get more state troopers on the road, we want these men and women to consider Tennessee, and we will assist with their relocation expenses." 

Here's the pitch on video:

The state legislature last month used a special legislative session to, among other things, pass bills limiting local governments' ability to enforce public health measures like mask and vaccine mandates. Most so-called mandates, like the ones being implemented by the federal government, allow a person to either get a COVID-19 vaccine or get tested regularly. 

Other states and cities, though, have enacted such rules, especially for law enforcement and health workers. As of last month, COVID-19 had killed five times as many police officers as gunfire since the start of the pandemic. Now, Lee is inviting cops opposed to vaccine requirements during a global pandemic to come work in Tennessee. 

As of this writing, fewer than 50 percent of Tennesseans are fully vaccinated.