Governor Lee delivered his fifth State of the State address on February 6, 2023. The theme of the address was called “Tennessee: Leading the Nation.” Lee is said to present budget and legislative priorities for the upcoming year to a joint session of the General Assembly and fellow Tennesseans.
Mr. Lee’s proposed $55.6 billion budget is said to include so-called “strategic funding” to modernize transportation, ensure economic and educational opportunity, preserve our natural resources, protect children, strengthen families and more.
According to the website of the Office of the governor, “Tennessee is leading the nation as a guiding light for opportunity, security and freedom,” said governor Lee. “I’m proud to propose a budget and strategic policies that ensure our state continues to be a shining example for educational opportunity, strong families, innovation and economic prosperity.”
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has been serving as the 50th governor of Tennessee since 2019. He was reelected in the 2022 gubernatorial election. There are 18 sections in the Tennessee Constitution Article III which defines the legal status, election, powers, functions, roles, or duties of the Executive Department whose head is the Tennessee governor who holds the supreme executive power.
The supreme executive power is vested in a governor in the State of Tennessee. Tennessee Constitution Article III – Executive Department. Section 10 says, “He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”
The legal definition of using “shall” and “may” is that, generally speaking, “shall” is mandatory and “may” is permissive. Therefore, it is mandatory that the governor should take care that the laws be faithfully executed in the State of Tennessee.
We have to, however, point out this. Before it is said from the Office of the governor that Tennessee is leading the nation, he should make sure that the laws be faithfully executed in Tennessee.” We’re not in the position to evaluate all of the law enforcement situations and environments in all of the counties, cities, or towns in Tennessee, but we know several things about Shelby County and the City of Memphis.
The case of the death of Mr. Tyre Nichols is just one kind of the tip of the iceberg. Below the tip on the surface, there exists unseen rest of the iceberg. They say that “What you can see of a problem or difficult situation is only one small part of a much larger hidden problem.” That is true. Mr. Nichols’ case is just only the tip of the iceberg. Both the local news articles and the national news media reported only the tip of the iceberg.
Mr. Hwang is the publisher and editor of the Times. He knew and knows that the realities of the law enforcement is unrealistically distorted in the jurisdictions of Shelby County and the City of Memphis. Not only the law enforcement, but also the legal interpretation and judicial function seem to be contaminated, unfair, and disfuntional. And even shockingly(or unshockingly) criminal.
Those cases of the death of Mr. Nichols and the destruction of Mr. Hwang’s life are, literally, just the tips of the entire icebergs, whose names are Shelby County and the City of Memphis.
Governor Lee, do you want to lead the nation? That’s fine. But, please, try to do that only after you take care that the laws be faithfully executed here in Shelby County and the City of Memphis because things are not working properly here.
Let’s say there is a baby who crawls on the floor and gets down on his hands and knees. At one point, he declares that he is going to enter the 100 meter race in the next Olympic games. Is he going to be a sprinter in the competitive race?
Governor Lee declared more than several policy goals, priorities, and their related budget plans. That doesn’t necessarily have to be bad. That’s fine. But, from our point of view, he has to have, manage, strengthen, or improve the BASICS. What are the basics of such governors’ job? The first task of their job is to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. But the fundamental problem is that the laws are not faithfully executed in Shelby County and the City of Memphis.
Mr. Jim Strickland messed Memphis up. He is the Mayor of the City of Memphis. Governor Bill Lee should spend more time on monitoring the law enforcement situations in Shelby County and the City of Memphis.
Tennessee Constitution Article III – Executive Department. Section 10 says, “He shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” And “shall” is MANDATORY.
The Editorial of the Memphis Times
www.memphistimes.org
Published: February 8, 2023
