Lauderdale County Republican Party

Thank you to all of the brave men and women who have so proudly served our great county.

Please join Congressman David Kustoff, Senator Paul Rose, and me Friday November 10th at 10:30am at the Ripley Square for the 2023 Veterans Day Parade and following church service at Ripley First United Methodist Church as we honor and thank our hometown heroes. 🇺🇸

246 years ago, our nation adopted the Stars & Stripes - an enduring symbol of freedom & opportunity in America. Happy , Tennessee.

“It foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”
-George S. Patton 🇺🇸

Today, we share our unending appreciation for the brave men & women who have served & continue to serve in our U.S. Armed Forces. You represent the best of our nation, and we’re grateful for your service & sacrifice.

Thank you for all you do Sheriff Brian Kelley Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office, Ripley Police Dept, and Halls Police Department!

On National Police Week, and Peace Officers Memorial Day, we honor our nation’s courageous law enforcement officers. Thank for all you do to protect our communities and keep us safe.

Today and every day, we are grateful for you.

Gov. Lee Signs Strong School Safety Measures Into Law NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed strong school safety legislation into law and recognized the investment of more than $230 million to strengthen safety at public and private schools across Tennessee.

We are excited to announce that Mr. Todd Starnes will be our guest speaker May 23rd at 7:00 pm. This will be held at Dyersburg State Covington at 7 PM. You do not want to miss this. 

Democrats will argue that grown adults 18-22 don’t have the understanding to repay the college student loans they willingly and voluntarily incurred and that we, the taxpayer, are responsible for their debt.
Then, in the same breath, argue that pre-pubescent children have the mental capacity to make lifelong medical decisions regarding hormones and gender reassignment.
Do you see the hypocrisy of the Democratic Party?

In the first 100 days, the new House Republican Majority has taken key steps to fulfill our Commitment to America. We are working to build an economy that’s strong, a nation that’s safe, a future built upon freedom, and a government that’s accountable to the American people.

SAVE THE DATE 🗓

Roberta and I cannot wait to welcome you to our 4th Annual Kustoff Family Cookout.

More details to come!

Maria and I wish Tennesseans a happy Easter. May we be reminded of God’s power to overcome darkness and resurrect eternal hope.

Wishing you a safe and joyful Good Friday.

“God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. Romans 5:8

As many of you know, the last few weeks at your Capitol have been a tough time. After the tragic events at The Covenant School in Nashville there have been thousands of protesters there calling for more gun control in Tennessee. In response to this, we had 3 representatives take it upon themselves to hijack our floor session last Thursday with a bullhorn and stop the business of the state from proceeding. Two of them used the bullhorn to chant with the protesters, held up signs supporting gun control, beat on the podium, and one actually sat on the table where the podium is located. The third representative stood beside them and just chanted. This went on for almost an hour. In response, on Monday House members filed resolutions to expel these three members. We gathered on the house floor yesterday with thousands of protesters there again, to complete our normal business and to address the resolutions regarding the three representatives. After hearing hours of discussion between all involved, two of the representatives were expelled and the other one was not, by one vote. I don’t make it a habit to try and explain my votes but, in this instance, in a situation this important, I want to discuss.
I do not take any of my decisions in Nashville lightly but this one has been sitting extremely heavy on my heart because of its importance to our state. Ultimately, I decided to vote “Yes” on the expulsion of all three.
The 82nd District sent me to Nashville to be their voice in our State Legislature. It is a fact that the actions of these three stopped the states’ business, acted as activists and not legislators, and brought the legislative process to a halt. I feel strongly that the actions of those three silenced the voice of myself and my constituents. At the end of the day, I felt that the unprecedented actions by those three members required an extreme response.
I support safe schools, I support the Second Amendment, I support free speech, I support fair discussion. I do not support government-halting activism in a space designed for discussion and legislation.

The entire Tennessee Congressional delegation and I are urging Joe Biden to quickly approve Gov. Bill Lee’s request for a major disaster declaration following the severe weather that occurred in our state last week.

Today I joined my colleagues in the passage of HB 322, the Enhanced School Safety Legislation. This bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support on the House floor. This is the next step in protecting all Tennesseans and ensuring our students and teachers are safe in the classroom.

Today is and today we are recognizing Governor Bill Lee and the Enhanced School Safety Legislation, HB322.

• SROs at every public school
• Physical security upgrades
• Enhanced mental health support

“This is the next step, not the last as we work together to protect students and teachers.”

April 3, 2024 GOV. LEE, LEGISLATIVE LEADERS PRESENT STRONG SCHOOL SAFETY ACTIONS; MORE THAN $200 MILLION TO SECURE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS ACROSS TENNESSEE

Today, one week after the tragic shooting at The Covenant School, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally, Speaker Cameron Sexton and legislative leadership announced additional actions to strengthen safety at public and private schools across Tennessee. These measures include enhanced legislation and funding to place an armed security guard at every Tennessee public school, boost physical school security at public and private schools, and provide additional mental health resources for Tennesseans.

“There is nothing more important than our students safely returning home each day,” said Gov. Lee. “As Tennessee grieves the tragic loss of six precious lives in the Covenant shooting, we are taking additional actions to significantly boost safety measures at every school with highly-trained guards, physical security enhancements and mental health resources. I thank Lieutenant Governor McNally, Speaker Sexton and members of the General Assembly for their partnership as we pursue thoughtful, practical solutions to protect Tennessee students and teachers.”

At the beginning of the 2023 legislative session, Gov. Lee introduced a bill to strengthen physical security at every public school and enhance accountability in school safety protocol. Additionally, the Governor’s initial budget proposal included $30 million for 122 Homeland Security agents to serve students at both public and private schools in every Tennessee county. These school safety measures were highlighted in the Governor’s 2023 State of the State address in February.

Following the tragic Covenant shooting that took the lives of six Tennesseans, including three children, Gov. Lee and members of the Tennessee General Assembly coalesced around further action steps to strengthen school safety.

The Governor’s amended legislation and budget proposal will include the following measures:

Enhanced School Safety Legislation (HB322/SB274)
Enacts a multi-tiered accountability plan to ensure exterior school doors are locked while students are present, with opportunities for corrective action. State and local law enforcement will be authorized to check for unlocked doors
Requires that private security guards are held to a high standard and receive active shooter training prior to being posted at Tennessee schools
Requires every school district to establish threat assessment teams, a nationally recognized best practice to ensure students are connected to support services and behavioral health professionals, when appropriate
Requires every public and private school to develop annual safety plans, which must include a newly required incident command drill for school leaders and law enforcement to prepare for what to expect in various emergencies

FY23-24 Budget Proposal:
$30 million to expand a statewide homeland security network with 122 agents serving students at both public and private schools
$140 million to establish a School Resource Officer (SRO) grant fund to place a trained, armed security guard at every public school
$20 million for public school security upgrades
$7 million for private school security upgrades
$8 million for additional school-based behavioral health liaisons across the state

Since 2019, Gov. Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly have prioritized investments in school safety every year. In June 2021, the Governor signed Executive Order 97 and launched a statewide effort to enhance school safety by boosting collaboration among parents, schools and
Law enforcement across the state.

“Our children must feel safe when they attend their school of choice. Gov. Lee’s plan to fund SROs for public and private schools will provide a safer learning environment and additional security,” said House Speaker Cameron Sexton. “We also must continue to address mental health in K-12 education and provide resources like counselors, social workers, and other health care professionals.”

“The tragedy at Covenant school underscores that evil takes the path of least resistance and preys on society’s most vulnerable. No child, parent, teacher or school employee should ever fear for their safety,” said House Majority Leader William Lamberth. “I am thankful to Gov. Lee and my Republican colleagues for their continued commitment and investment in our schools. These are aggressive and necessary steps that will ensure Tennessee’s schools are the safest, most secure in the nation.”