Tennessee gov apeals to officers resisting vaccine mandates

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and JONATHAN MATTISE
Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee’s Republican governor has sought to capitalize on rising law enforcement tensions with city leaders surrounding COVID-19 vaccine mandates, offering to help pay unvaccinated out-of-state officers to relocate and join the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Gov. Bill Lee has released a new promotion video calling Tennessee’s state police force one of the most professional in the country and offering to cover moving expenses for those interested. The offer makes Lee the latest Republican leader to capitalize on vaccine mandate tensions. He didn’t immediately mention how much the state would reimburse officers or how it would be done. Some 280 law enforcement members have died of COVID-19 in 2021, statistics show.