JB Smiley Jr.

EDUCATION

Children who learn more, earn more as adults. As Tennessee’s next governor, we will work to strengthen and fully fund our public education system. This includes investing in pre-k expansion, vocational training, wraparound services to help parents, and working to eliminate barriers to accessing quality childcare, and education across the state. We will focus on the whole child–physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

As part of my plan, we will fight to increase teacher pay and per pupil funding so educators and school districts can focus on delivering high-quality instruction, instead of making ends meet.

Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA)

For the past thirty years, Tennessee has used what was called the Basic Education Program (“BEP”), a resource-based approach to determine funding for schools. Recently, the Tennessee General Assemnly replaced the old BEP formula with new legislation called TISA (Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement). TISA was been presented as a student-centered approach to funding our education system. However, the legislation does little to ensure dollars at spent in a way that actually impacts classroom outcomes. TISA will not drive improved student performance and does not address the dire needs of our education system. Here’s why TISA is more problem than solution:

1. TISA does not address the shortage of teachers needed to adequately support students. Currently, Tennessee school districts hire 11,000 more teachers than the current formula funds and TISA does nothing to ensure more teachers will be hired and supported by State funding.
2. TISA does not guarantee a boost in teacher pay. The $125 million dollars set aside for teacher compensation is part of a funding plan, not a spending plan. Counties decide how to spend the money and TISA does mandate that funds be spent on teacher pay increases. According to a Tennessee Department of Education report, only 16% of school districts gave out the last cycle of promised pay raises.
3. Municipalities will ultimately bear the costs. The current administration has set a four-year grace period in which the local contributions to TISA are lowered until 2027. However, after that time, the contribution limits will automatically increase to the level contemplated by the formula and municipalities will be faced with the difficult decision on which taxes to increase to make up for the gap created after the grace period has ended.
4. Governor Lee’s administration wants to privatize public education and TISA is in part, a strategic move in that direction. As written, TISA does not guarantee that public school dollars with stay with public schools if they later enroll in private schools. This formula creates a back door access point for discount voucher programs. It allows dollars to follow the students, but what happens when they go to private schools?Tennessee currently ranks 44th in education funding. This formula does not move the needle in a meaningful way. After the adjustments are made to account for new funding, Tennessee will still be investing less per student than many other states.
5. As Governor, we will prioritize mandatory teacher pay increases, address provisions that create back door avenues for public dollars to fund private schools, and work to ensure that cost sharing between municipalities is both equitable and fair.

Vouchers

The current voucher program targeting Davidson and Shelby County has been declared unconstitutional by two courts. Our position is simple: We will not support voucher programs or any effort to fund private schools.

Vocational Training

Vocational training programs are necessary to prepare the next generation. I will make it a priority to give our young people a real shot at success, by working hand in hand with local school districts throughout Tennessee with the goal of creating vocational learning opportunities for every student.. Additionally, we will develop partnerships with our business leaders to create pathways to jobs that will help the next generation stay here in Tennessee.

Wraparound Support/ACES

Tennessee has the fourth lowest median income in the country and has one of the highest rates of childhood poverty. Many times, children go to class where they should be focused and eager to learn, but are distracted by problems at home. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adverse Community Environments affect classroom outcomes. We cannot expect children to reach their full potential if we do not do everything in our power to support their mental health and provide wraparound support for struggling families.

I understand the complex and ever-changing environment our young people are growing up in and am committed to working with community organizations based in Tennessee offering wraparound support for children and their families to insure we meet the needs of our students—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

HEALTHCARE

Tennessee deserves a governor who is about us. As Governor,I will advocate for affordable and accessible health care while also addressing disparities which will lead to better health outcomes for everyone who calls Tennessee home.

At the core of my healthcare plan is my belief in a holistic approach to addressing healthcare. The major elements are Medicaid Expansion, improving access to care, addressing dietary needs, and expanding mental health resources.

Medicaid Expansion

Tennessee’s managed Medicaid program, TennCare provides health coverage to eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with disabilities. It covers approximately 20 percent of all Tennesseans and 50 percent of all Tennessee children.

Here’s why Medicaid expansion is critical for Tennessee. According to Census reports, nearly 800k Tennesseans are uninsured. Medicaid expansion would decrease this number by nearly half. Instead, the Tennessee legislature rejected over $10 Billion dollars in health benefits for disadvantaged Tennesseans over the last eight years. (Over $1 Billion dollars per year.) As a result, nearly 400,000 Tennesseans are left without health insurance.

TennCare must be expanded in order to receive significant federal funding that will help cover nearly 400,000 uninsured Tennesseans. More specifically, when states opt into Medicaid expansion studies show access to care and addiction treatment significantly increase in addition to the fact that rural hospitals will have the funding needed to stay open. However, expansion alone does not fix our healthcare issues. It is just one of the tools used to close the healthcare gap.

To further close the healthcare gap and increase coverage, we must acknowledge the fact that not all healthcare professionals accept TennCare and TennCare may not fully cover services needed for adequate care. I will work to establish a fund (“A Healthy Tennessee Fund”) that helps alleviate the financial strain placed on the healthcare system when providing care for those individuals who need it the most. By taking this step, the pool of healthcare professionals will be drastically increased and hospitals will be better off.

Improving Access to Care

I am committed to closing the healthcare gap by improving access to care. Lack of health insurance coverage is associated with lower rates of preventive care, medical bankruptcies, and increased mortality rates. According to the United Health Foundation database that ranks states according to health, Tennessee’s healthcare systems ranked 44th in the nation. We have more Tennesseans burdened with chronic conditions and less Tennesseans with coverage to manage these conditions.

-13% percent of Tennesseans have diabetes versus the 10% national average.

-10% of Tennesseans have cardiovascular disease versus the 6% national average.

Medicaid expansion will provide greater healthcare accessibility, quality and cost-effective chronic disease management, and better health outcomes for Tennesseans.

Medicaid expansion increases coverage, coverage does not necessarily lead to care. I am committed to closing the healthcare gap by improving access to care. For many, the difference between going to the doctor is a matter of transportation. For those individuals who qualify, transportation vouchers will be made available.

Addressing Dietary Needs

Health disparities create inequities. In order to close the health equity gap, we must address the disparities such as food desserts. People living in food deserts tend to consume less nutritious foods and have poorer health outcomes. In a report published in 2016, it was estimated that over one million people in Tennessee (one fifth of whom are children) live in low-income communities with insufficient access to full-service grocery stores. I will make addressing food deserts within the state a top priority.

Medicaid is the largest payor of mental health and substance abuse services in the country. Statistics show that 1 in 5 individuals in a given year are affected by mental illness. This means Medicaid expansion would provide access to mental health and substance abuse services for an additional 60,000 Tennesseans. Studies also show that 1 in 20 people have a severe mental illness and that expansion could provide services to an additional 15,000 Tennesseans with these conditions.

Mental Health and Substance Abuse

As Governor, I will work with the mental health community to reduce the stigma around mental health diagnoses and prioritize the whole person. I will do this by increasing funding for the TDMHSAS Division of Mental Health Services. More specifically, the division will be tasked with working with community partners throughout the state to increase awareness and to create tailored programs, which will lead to higher participation rates.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS

As governor, I will fight to protect a woman’s right to choose and laws that establish bodily autonomy; and work to eliminate pay inequality in Tennessee. The Smiley administration will stand against any law or policy that serves as an attack on women.

We can drastically improve the quality of life for every woman in Tennessee by respecting a woman’s right to choose, decreasing maternal mortality rate, and eliminating the wage gap disparity.

Bodily Autonomy

We must be steadfast in our pursuit to protect freedoms that every human being should have—the freedom to make decisions regarding our bodies. Governor Bill Lee has worked hard to strip women of all dignity and respect. He has signed trigger laws, which will go into effect if the Supreme Court overturns its Roe v. Wade decision. One of the trigger laws will not only ban but criminalize performing or attempting to perform an abortion. Government has no business telling a woman when to start a family

Banning abortion is not only legislatively immature, it ignores the fact that nearly 37 percent of counties in Tennessee are maternity deserts. This means the county has no access to maternity care, no hospital that offers obstetric services, no OBGYN, no certified nurse-midwife or no birthing center. Seven counties in East Tennessee fall into this category: Union, Cocke, Hancock, Grainger, Monroe, Roane, and Morgan counties. On top of that, Tennessee has not expanded access to TennCare.

Under my administration, we will make sure that women control what happens to their bodies and significantly improve access to maternity care when they decide to grow their families.

Wage Gap

Tennessee currently ranks 42nd in the nation in women living in poverty and 36th in nation in the wage gap. This has to change. My administration will make it a priority to address pay inequality in Tennessee. Currently, women in Tennessee ages 16 or older who work full-time, year-round earn approximately 81.4 cents on the dollar when compared to men. Hispanic women earn 53 cents for every dollar earned by white men. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, if employed women in Tennessee were paid the same as comparable men, their poverty rate would be reduced by more than half and poverty among employed single mothers would drop by nearly half.

Equal pay for equal work will no longer be just a saying in my administration. I will work to amend the Tennessee Equal Pay Act to increase remedies available to aggrieved persons and add protections so that pay discrimination and disparities will no longer follow women from job to job. More specifically, the TEPA currently only provides for liquidated damages which is essentially the employee’s back pay. I will seek to add punitive damage language to increase the award to an aggrieved party but also to deter potential wrongdoers.

I will also seek to limit the use of wage history in the hiring process. Because women have been historically underpaid, this practice allows pay gaps that already exist to follow women job to job. Under our plan, wage history can only be used after an offer of employment and if the prospective employee voluntarily discloses it during salary negotiations.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The role of government is to provide for the general welfare of its people. Far too many people in our state must work several jobs, but still struggle to make the ends meet. We must plan to move our state forward which includes making our state attractive to new industries while investing in small businesses as well as our most precious asset- the people. I will do just that.

Living Wage

Tennessee has the 4th lowest median income and has the highest bankruptcy rate in the country. There is no scenario where Tennessee flourishes if we do not raise the floor for marginalized communities and invest in people. The most efficient way to improve the quality of life for people who live in marginalized communities is to raise the minimum wage. This will move Tennessee out of the basement when it comes to poverty statistics and into a future where Tennesseans thrive.

Small Businesses

Small businesses drive much of Tennessee’s employment. In March 2020, they accounted for about 99% of total employment and two-thirds of total wages. However, when economic development is discussed and incentives are given out, small businesses are left behind. JB’s administration will push to establish industrial development boards charged with providing public incentives to small businesses allowing them to scale up and hire more Tennesseans. Additionally, small, and locally owned businesses will be given opportunities to secure contracts with the state with the goal of helping businesses who have a demonstrated interest in the success of our state. I would also hire a chief Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion officer who will oversee labor relations, contracting policies and ensure equity when the state is a contracting party.

Workforce Development

In Tennessee, there are more than 250,000 jobs available, but only about 3 percent (8,500) of those jobs pay $20,000 or more per year. This speaks volumes when you consider the federal poverty line for a family of 3 is just below $22,000.

My Administration will invest in training programs that will prepare Tennesseans for high quality jobs in fast growing sectors like public health, childcare, manufacturing, IT and clean energy. As part of this initiative, we will work to support our 22 public colleges in Tennessee to ensure they can expand their ability to develop and deliver more training programs that are innovative and proven to support career advancement.

It’s also important to note that 787,000 plus jobs in Tennessee depend on trade, which accounts for approximately 23 billion dollars in exports value. New exporting businesses increase employment almost four times faster than non-exporting businesses. For this reason, my administration will work to support small business growth and to provide training in trade sectors, especially in the area of transportation equipment.

My Administration will also make common sense decisions like expanding Medicaid, which create an additional 15,000 jobs in rural Tennessee.

Lastly, my administration will invest in broadband infrastructure upgrades. We will ensure that adequate investment is being made in rural Tennessee to ensure every county has high quality internet access, which opens doors for remote employment opportunities for East Tennessee residents.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Everyone deserves to be safe in their home and their community. However, for many Tennesseans that is simply not the case. Tennessee currently

has the third highest rate of violent crime in the country. Governor Bill Lee’s response was to sign the permit less carry law into effect over objection from almost every law enforcement agency and the majority of Tennesseans. His actions only made things worse.

As Tennessee’s next governor, I will immediately explore all options to expeditiously repeal the permit less carry law. Additionally, we will take a four-pronged approach to lowering violent crime which will utilize a long-term and short-term approach.

1. Immediately, I will work with local government leaders to help implement and fund proactive programs similar to the Group Violence Intervention Program, which takes a holistic approach to reduce violent crime.
2. I will work alongside local government leaders and help fund community policing programs.
3. I will champion common sense gun laws and work with the legislature to get it done.
4. Invest in community and youth development programs that teach adolescence conflict resolution skills and problem solving.

Recidivism

Tennessee has the tenth highest recidivism rate in the country. This is largely due to limited training people have when leaving prison, inability to find jobs and housing. My administration will focus on rehabilitation of those individuals set to be released from prison.

1. I will implement tailored programs to provide general education and vocational training to those individuals set to be released from prison. Studies show inmates who receive such are significantly less likely to return to prison after release and are more likely to find employment.
2. I will work to give individuals who have paid their debt to society a real shot at success by championing legislation to remove roadblocks relating to housing and employment.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Bill Lee’s administration is doing the bidding of big business. Allowing them to come into our neighborhoods, develop, and price us out of communities we have called home for generations. People from every corner of Tennessee have made it clear that this is an issue close to their heart

Approximately 26 percent of the renting population in Tennessee fall into the category of extremely low income. To make matters worse, to close the affordable housing gap, we will need more than 127,000 more affordable rental units.As the next governor of Tennessee, I will advocate for the elimination of Tennessee’s ban on inclusionary zoning laws which if utilized can be a tool to address affordable housing , and work with developers to ensure affordable housing is always at the forefront of their minds.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Society cannot function if our infrastructure fails. And in Tennessee, we are knocking on the door. Tennessee needs at least $61.9 billion worth of public infrastructure improvements during the five-year period of July 2020 to June 2025. We can no longer kick the can down the road and as your next governor, I will make real investments in improving our infrastructure.

Those investments will begin by utilizing the 8 billion in federal infrastructure funds Tennessee is set to receive between now and fiscal year 2026. My administration will establish a long-term plan to reduce the amount of deferred infrastructure improvements. We will not only address needed improvements in road, bridges, and sewer systems, but also commit funding to expanding broadband throughout our beloved state.

LABOR UNIONS

Bill Lee is about two things, big business and big donors. Tennessee needs a governor who is about us. For many Tennesseans, the harsh reality is we are living paycheck to paycheck and need leadership willing to lighten the burden.

As the next governor of Tennessee, I will work with organized labor to expand workplace protections, ensure workplace safety, and establish a minimum wage that guarantees families in Tennessee can go to sleep with peace of mind.

My administration will oppose right to work legislation and any other policy aimed at stripping rights away from working people.

MILITARY & VETERAN SUPPORT

When a person returns home after serving this country, they should be treated with respect, have a place to call home and a career that affords them the opportunity to make an honest living. As the next governor of Tennessee, I will be sure that veterans know they are valued in Tennessee.

My administration will increase funding to the Tennessee Department of Veteran affairs, task the department with building public and private partnerships with other employers to help connect veterans with good paying jobs. Additionally, we will work to establish affordable and transitional housing specifically for veterans with the goal of eliminating veteran homelessness in the state of Tennessee.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION

As it relates to Marijuana legislation, Bill Lee and the General Assembly are behind the times.

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized the recreational use of marijuana. That number increases to thirty-seven when considering states who have passed legislation allowing medicinal use of marijuana.

We should not be criminalizing a substance that most of our country has legalized to some extent. As governor, I will work to immediately decriminalize marijuana because too many Tennesseans are being subjected to a criminal justice system, when our precious resources should be aimed at violent crime. Moreover, my administration will push to not only legalize marijuana but also expunged records of thousands of Tennesseans who are in our legal system for marijuana charges.

LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY

Imagine a Tennessee that values you no matter how you identify or who you love. That is the Tennessee I am fighting for—a Tennessee that will celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community. However, Bill Lee has made it his mission to deny rights to the LGBTQIA+ community, but together we can stop him.

In 2021, Tennessee ranked near the top for anti-LGBTQIA bills. On April 24, 2022, the Human Rights Campaign condemned Bill Lee for enacting needless law to perpetuate discrimination against transgender students.

Bill Lee is hellbent on perpetuating and establishing laws attacking the LGBTQIA+ community. Tennessee needs a governor who understands diversity makes us better and willing to implement policies and laws affirming everyone who calls Tennessee home. I am JB Smiley, Jr. and as the next governor of Tennessee, I will be your advocate.^[3]