Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerri Green has commonsense policies that would help most Tennesseans.
She would accept Medicaid expansion to help as many as 300,000 Tennesseans get affordable health care instead of sending our federal tax dollars to states like California.
She would use $10 million of the $300 million Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) stockpile to waive security deposits for affordable housing. She would use $50 million to clear the waiting list for affordable daycare. For pennies on the dollar, she would use $10 million to buy up and cancel medical debt for 100,000 Tennesseans.
She would appoint a qualified education commissioner, place a temporary moratorium on data center construction in the state, and ensure
that TVA remains public.
She would protect reproductive freedom for women and declare a maternal health crisis in the state.
She would stop cooperation between ICE and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. She would not renew for-profit prison contracts.
She would enact a few commonsense gun laws that most gun owners want.
These issues deserve to be debated on a public stage between Jerri Green and Marsha Blackburn. But Senator Blackburn considers her best political strategy is to basically disappear from voters.
As the primary sponsor of 101 bills in her last term as senator, only one of Mrs. Blackburn’s bills became law. Clearly, she does not represent the interests of most Tennesseans.
William Culbert, Oak Ridge, 37830
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What Jerri Green would do as Tennessee governor | Letter
