Tennessee Democrats express disappointment in Gov. Lee for not issuing statewide mask mandate

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Monday afternoon Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said he encourages all county mayors to implement a mask mandate but says he will not issue a statewide mask mandate.

Democratic local and state leaders have expressed their disappointment in the governor for not issuing a statewide mask mandate.

When Lee addressed the state’s COVID-19 surge Sunday many health experts and state lawmakers thought he would announce a statewide mask mandate.

”We were at least mildly hopeful that the governor was finally starting to take the advice of medical experts from across the state and was going to step up and lead,” said Jeff Yarbro, Tennessee Senator, District 21.

The president of the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA) issued this statement after Lee’s state address.

“The physicians of the Tennessee Medical Association have consistently recommended that mask requirement orders be issued in all counties with over 10 new cases per 100,000 population per day. Since the best county in Tennessee at present has over 80 new cases/100,000/day over the past 7 days, we believe all Tennessee counties should be under mask requirement orders at this time.

We agree that the next several weeks will be a critical time for Tennessee in regards to the COVID pandemic. We expect serious illnesses and deaths to significantly increase in coming weeks. We plead with all Tennesseans to stay safe, stay apart, wear masks, and stay home to protect their families and friends from this deadly virus.”

TMA is one of many organizations questioning why Lee has not stepped up.

“When you are faced with the greatest crisis that has ever faced the state of Tennessee why not make a move to be the greatest leader that the state of Tennessee has ever had,” said Aaron Milstone, Physician, Williamson Medical Center.”

Milstone is a physician in Franklin, Tennessee and part of “Protect My Care,” a group of health care workers who are calling on Lee to require masks across the state.

Like Milstone, some state lawmakers say a mask mandate is not a political statement, but they say Lee has chosen to make it one.

”He made this a political issue when he decided once not to implement a mask mandate and further our ability to kill more Tennesseans,” said London Lamar, Tennessee State Representative, District 9.

Monday, Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey acknowledged that masks work, but said what people need to do is stop gathering.

“We know when people get together they are in their house, they are likely not wearing a mask and so mask mandate wouldn’t apply in one’s home. What we need to do is stop gathering and transmitting it to one another,” said Piercey.

While some Democratic lawmakers feel Lee needs to “step up and lead” several Republican state leaders took to social media to support Lee and his decisions.

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