Governor Lee announces 2025 highlights and accomplishment by the State of Tennessee; image submitted

NASHVILLE, TN - Tennessee Governor Bill Lee released 2025 highlights and accomplishments that have contributed to greater opportunity, security, and freedom for all Tennesseans.

“Tennessee is a remarkable place with a richness of passionate people of all kinds, an unrivaled culture and deep-rooted traditions,” said Gov. Lee. “This year, we have thought bigger and boldly about what is possible – leading the nation as the capital of innovation. I’m hopeful that our work together will create a brighter future for all Tennesseans, and that our state’s best days are ahead."

Tennesseans are invited to view and share photo highlights from the year here.

Lee’s 2025 accomplishments and budget and legislative highlights include:

America 250

In celebration of America 250, Gov. Lee announced “The Original Frontier” as the theme for a year-long, 95-county tour across Tennessee that highlights the iconic people, places, and events that define Tennessee’s contributions to America. The Governor began the tour on July 1, 2025, visiting historic farms in each of Tennessee’s Grand Divisions to honor the state’s agricultural history.


Thriving Economy + Skilled Workforce

Tennessee is the best state to do business, with one of the lowest tax burdens of all 50 states and one of the fastest-growing economies in the nation. This year, companies invested over $11 billion in the state and committed more than 9,000 new jobs for Tennesseans. Tennessee’s unemployment rate remained consistently below the national rate, after hitting the state’s lowest unemployment rate on record of 3 percent in June 2024. In partnership with the General Assembly, the Lee administration dedicated $35.6 million to Tennessee’s Rainy Day Fund, bringing reserves to nearly $2.2 billion, the largest in state history.

Tourism is a top driver of Tennessee’s economy, and the state’s first Major League Baseball game, the MLB Speedway Classic, was played at Bristol Motor Speedway in August 2025. The MLB Speedway Classic drew an all-time attendance record of more than 91,000 fans and was the second event to be awarded funds from the Special Event Fund, which was created in partnership with the General Assembly to attract and retain high-profile events that deliver significant economic impact, create jobs, and showcase the state to a global audience.


Quality Education

During the special legislative session in January 2025, Gov. Lee and the General Assembly delivered Tennessee’s first-ever universal school choice program through the Education Freedom Act, allowing parents to choose the education that best fits their child’s needs. In its first year of implementation, the program was a remarkable success, with Tennessee families submitting more than 42,000 applications.

The Education Freedom Act also further invested in public schools, appropriating $198.4 millionfor teacher bonuses and $62.7 millionfor K-12 infrastructure and facilities funding.

The Governor prioritized K-12 public education by investing an additional $244 million into local education agencies through Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA), including teacher pay raises, and Tennessee remains on track to become a top 10 state for starting teacher pay in the nation.


Infrastructure Investments

As families and businesses move to Tennessee in record numbers, the state needs a transportation plan to accommodate for growth, address traffic congestion, and meet transportation needs across rural and urban communities. Gov. Lee’s budget included $1 billionin additional funding for the Tennessee Department of Transportation to address the state’s infrastructure needs, including expediting existing road projects and funding new projects across rural and urban communities in Tennessee.

In July 2025, Gov. Lee announced The Boring Company’s intent to build the Music City Loop, a transformative private transportation project that will bring the company’s innovative underground Loop system to Nashville at zero cost to taxpayers, marking a bold step forward in advancing mobility, economic growth, and infrastructure modernization across the region. As stakeholder engagement continues, the project is receiving broad support from state, city, and industry leaders because of its ability to modernize the downtown travel experience and accommodate for rapid growth.


Disaster Relief

Gov. Lee and the General Assembly appropriated more than $450 millionin direct disaster relief during the special legislative session in January 2025. The comprehensive plan supports ongoing recovery efforts and allows for proactive preparation for future emergencies, including $100 million to create the Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund. Inspired by the HEAL Program, the Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund provides flexible financial resources for future emergencies, including agricultural recovery, unemployment assistance, and business recovery efforts.



Opportunity for Rural Tennessee

Tennessee’s rural counties have seen tremendous success over the last year, with 54 percent of overall job commitments located in rural areas, bringing the total to more than 47,000 jobs created in rural areas since Gov. Lee took office in 2019. Rural counties have received nearly $6 billion in capital investment in 2025. The Lee administration continues working toward its mission to accelerate the transformation of rural Tennessee and reduce the number of distressed counties. This fall, Gov. Lee held the seventh annual Governor’s Rural Opportunity Summit and met with state and local leaders to discuss the continued prosperity of rural Tennessee.

In June 2025, Gov. Lee signed Executive Order 109, ensuring Tennessee continues to lead the nation in workforce development by demonstrating an innovative strategy to meet the needs of the state’s dynamic and growing labor market. The Order strengthens the State Workforce Development Board’s work by requiring a unified, results-driven approach that aligns education and training with the evolving needs of employers and high-growth industries. The Governor signed the Order alongside students enrolled in the Tennessee Youth Employment Program (TYEP) in Knoxville, which engages youth across rural and urban communities, providing hands-on training to achieve full-time employment and meet the needs of Tennessee businesses.


Law Enforcement Support + Enhanced Public Safety

This year, Gov. Lee has made significant investments to support law enforcement and keep every Tennessee community safe, including allocating $38 million in funding for an additional 117 State Troopers and related support staff to improve public safety across the state. Additional investments include $100 million to establish Downtown Public Safety Grants to increase public safety in downtown areas with businesses and commercial activity, and a $75 millionfurther investment in the Violent Crime Intervention Fund to support local law enforcement and local jurisdictions through grants to fund evidence-based strategies to improve public safety.

The Governor joined President Trump for the signing of a Presidential Memorandum to establish the Memphis Safe Task Force, the result of months of coordination with the Trump Administration to develop a multi-phased, strategic plan to leverage the full extent of both federal and state resources to fight crime in Memphis. The Task Force has already delivered remarkable results, with thousands of violent criminals arrested, hundreds of illegal firearms confiscated, and more than 100 missing children located.

Gov. Lee and First Lady Maria Lee traveled to the Middle East to visit more than 700 soldiers from the Tennessee Army National Guard’s 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment serving a year-long deployment in Kuwait. While in Kuwait, the Governor and First Lady visited with soldiers to thank them for their service and received a briefing on Operation Spartan Shield to better understand how the Tennessee National Guard has been integral to the mission’s success.


Strong + Healthy Families

What happens in rural Tennessee matters to all Tennesseans, and under Gov. Lee’s leadership, the state secured $206 million in federal grant funding through the Rural Health Transformation Program, created by the Trump Administration to improve healthcare access, quality, and outcomes in rural communities nationwide. Tennessee’s proposal pursues healthcare improvements for the future, building on the foundation of meaningful progress to enhance rural healthcare throughout the Lee administration. 

Gov. Lee has worked to strengthen support for Tennessee families, mothers, and children, and the latest state budget dedicated more than $95.5 million from TennCare Shared Savings to enhance long-term care services and support for older adults and people living with disabilities.

In partnership with the Trump Administration and USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins, the Governor secured a federal waiver to update Tennessee’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Tennessee’s waiver ensures SNAP fulfills its intended purpose of promoting healthier eating habits, supports improved health outcomes, and reduces chronic conditions for low-income families.

Gov. Lee’s budget also prioritized support for working families, allocating nearly $6 million to cover childcare for more families through an expansion of the Smart Steps Child Care Program, and nearly $11 million to expand programming at the Boys & Girls Club of Tennessee.


Brighter Future + Conservation

From Mountain City to Memphis, Tennessee is blessed with natural beauty and rich natural resources, which will only be around for the future if we invest in them today. The Lee administration developed a conservation strategy that balances our state’s economic growth with a plan to protect our environment. The latest state budget allocated $52 million to create five new Tennessee State Parks, marking a total of 14 new, accessible state parks created under Gov. Lee’s leadership, setting the Tennessee record for the most state parks created by one administration.

Gov. Lee signed the Farmland Preservation Act in May, landmark legislation ensuring family farms can be preserved for future generations. The Act passed with broad bipartisan support, establishing a permanent conservation easement and creating a $25 million grant fund to support farmers who voluntarily choose to protect their farmland.

To further support the Lee Administration’s conservation strategy, the Governor established the Duck River Watershed Planning Partnership, and his budget included more than $100 million to execute a comprehensive regional water resource plan to ensure long-term water needs are met while protecting the ecological health of the Duck River, furthering the state’s commitment to balancing economic growth, water resource management, and environmental habitat conservation to ensure the long-term sustainability of Tennessee’s watersheds.


Energy

In December, Gov. Lee announced the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) application was selected for a $400 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to advance the development of America’s first small modular reactor (SMR) at the Clinch River Site. The announcement marks a significant milestone for America’s energy dominance and underscores Tennessee’s position as a national leader in nuclear energy. The Governor’s latest budget included up to $50 million in state funding to assist in accelerating construction of small modular reactors and support TVA’s application for the DOE grant at the Clinch River Site.

In partnership with the General Assembly, the Lee administration further invested $10 million into the Nuclear Energy Fund to recruit companies to our state that will establish a nuclear development and manufacturing ecosystem built for the future of Tennessee. The latest budget also included $10 million in additional funding to the Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) to support nuclear workforce education.

In 2025, Gov. Lee announced a number of projects that will further strengthen Tennessee’s position as a leader in safe, clean, and reliable energy, including Korea Zinc’s decision to invest more than $6.6 billion in new production facilities in Clarksville and Gordonsville. The announcement represents the company’s first U.S. location and the largest single private corporate investment made in Tennessee history.


Tennessee Serves

First Lady Maria Lee’s initiative, Tennessee Serves, has experienced the tremendous service and generosity of Tennesseans in the last year. Highlights include distributing backpacks to nearly 13,000 students in economically distressed counties, surpassing a collective 12,000 hours served by Tennessee children during the Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge since 2019, and collecting generous charitable donations from thousands of visitors during Tennessee Residence Christmas tours.