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State House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) broke his speech before the Hamblen County Republican Party into four forms of protection Saturday.

Sexton’s goals during the current legislative session includes preserving economic freedom, protecting lives, protecting employees and protecting state’s rights. Sexton spoke at the 2023 Lincoln-Reagan Dinner at The Country Club of Morristown.

Preserving economic freedom

Sexton recalled that a long time ago, Tennessee was not a Republican state.

“We went generations being a democratic state,” he said. “We became a republican state because the Democratic Party left the Tennessee values that those conservative democrats held at that time. The republicans became more in line with their beliefs.”

Tennessee became a republican majority 13 years ago.

“It was the first time we took a majority in the house, senate, constitutional offices and the governor’s residence,” Sexton said. “We started implementing things of the same people you honor here, like Ronald Reagan. It’s not a difficult philosophy to be great. We cut taxes $3 billion.

“Now we’re the least taxed state in America,” he said. “We have reduced over burdensome regulations on business, made it easier to grow and open businesses.”

Sexton said that the legislature has done other key reforms, such as worker’s compensation and tort reform, things that will help businesses grow and not have to spend so much on liability. The legislature has also passed a “true” balanced budget each year.

“What the previous legislatures were doing before we took over is they were overestimating revenues by double digits because they didn’t want to cut spending,” Sexton said. “If you start living off bonus money, you’re going to have problems. We are not living off bonus money. We are holding the restraints on the budget.”

The republicans started saving money when they became a majority. The “rainy day” fund had gone down to $135 million then to $1.8 billion now.

Sexton said that $1 billion in state spending had been cut from the first budget, including reducing the number of state employees.

“That adds up to Tennessee having the best economy in America,” he said. “The math is simple. It’s the same thing that Reagan always preached. Tennessee, 16th largest state in America, has the best economy. That’s no small accomplishment for our state.

“We do not drive our economic success at the state level,” he said. “Our philosophy is to turn you loose to make it easier for you to grow your business and perform. We are where we are because of your economic output, not the state’s economic output.

Protecting employees

Next, Sexton talked about protecting employees. He recalled that Tennessee was one of the first states during the COVID-19 pandemic that passed legislation that didn’t allow business or government to mandate having employees take the COVID vaccine.

“Florida gets the credit for a lot of stuff, for passing legislation, for being tough on crime, for COVID restrictions,” Sexton said. “They’re always following us. Problem is our governor is not running for President, so we don’t go out and champion it like they do.

“Tennessee is the one who is leading the fight,” he said. “When we go to other conferences and talk to other members, I’ve actually had a speaker to tell me what’s on your agenda for next year. He said, ‘Whatever you all passed the year before,’ which says a lot about our general assembly.

“We protected you from government overreach during COVID. We allowed you to make your healthcare decisions for yourself because you’re smart enough,” he said. “(The other party) thinks they’re the smartest ones. We believe you are. That’s just a different fundamental philosophy.

Sexton discussed protecting workers rights for unionization votes. He said that if unions are going to take state money, the legislature has the right to tell the union what they can and cannot do. The legislature banned the “card-check” practice for union elections that would put pressure on workers to unionize. The only way that unions can form is by secret ballot, which was passed by the legislature two weeks ago.

“If secret ballots are good enough for us to elect our elected officials, it’s good enough for the unions,” he said. “We’re the first state that banned card-checking.

Protecting lives

Sexton said that protecting lives comes in many fashions. He referred to the “trigger law” that prohibits abortions at all stages of pregnancy. It made it a crime for a doctor to perform on the woman to save her life anytime during a pregnancy.

“It looked like it was protecting the life of the mother when it was not,” Sexton said. “In Idaho, that law got in trouble. In Oklahoma, the trigger law was overruled. (Under the trigger law) the doctors were accused of being criminals and they had to prove their innocence, which is backwards from our judicial system.

“We stood strong this year and passed legislation against a lot of opposition of people who didn’t believe we were doing something right,” Sexton said. “We were doing more than that. What we were doing was making sure we were protecting the life of the mother as well as the child.”

Sexton also talked about protecting the lives of crime victims.

“Last year, we were the first state in the country that passed 100% ‘Truth in Sentencing’ for violent crimes,” he said. “Tough sentencing is a deterrent. You have to stand strong with the victims. There is nothing worse than having the victim who has to go to a parole hearing over and over and relive it. If you put 100% sentencing on the toughest violent crimes, the victims can have peace that they’re not going to have to relive that for the next decade or two.”

Fentanyl has also become a problem in Tennessee, Sexton said.

“We have legislation that says that if one is caught with pure Fentanyl, then they are a terrorist,” he said. “Why is that important? That is a Class A felony which means (that one is caught), you’re going to jail for a very long time at 100% sentence. You get them off the streets.”

Sexton also talked about the controversial third-grade retention law.

“Someone who graduates high school is less likely to be in the criminal justice system,” Sexton said. “Depending on where you live, you have differing programs/courses. You are limited in the K-12 system depending on where you live. That should not be the case. We have to solve that issue. You also have to hold people accountable. You hold teachers accountable by having measures, how they perform with their students. We’re going to also have to hold parents accountable.”

Third and fourth grade retention was suggested three years ago.

“We shouldn’t base that on one test score,” he said. “We need to base it off a series of things that happened throughout the year with a true measurement of where they are. The parents are the only ones who are going to hold themselves accountable based on that information and they’re the only ones with the school that they can be held accountable.”

“It was never an assumption on my part that I would go on to the next grade,” Sexton said. “We don’t have that today.”

Sexton said that you can’t have an education system if children are being passed out “participation trophies” if the student can’t read or do math.

“At some point you’ve got to draw the line,” he said. “In third and fourth grade, you are 37% proficient on reading and math. By eighth grade, it drops to 20%. We’ve got to get more resources in K-2 to help the teachers do a better job of teaching and doing things they need to do for that unique child.”

Protecting states’ rights

With getting federal education money, the states are told by the federal government how to spend that money. There has been talk about Tennessee refusing federal money for education.

“How are you argue for states’ rights when you are taking the very thing that they tell you you’re losing states’ rights with?” Sexton asked. “We have to start coming up with plans how to reduce federal funding and take it upon ourselves.”

Gov. Bill Lee refused $9 million in federal funds for HIV testing and doctors were paid upfront, unlike the federal system of spending where doctors have to be reimbursed. Tennessee paid the $9 million themselves.

“If we funded it ourselves, we could pick what organizations we would give to and we would pay it upfront,” Sexton said.

Sexton also suggested the state not accept $1.8 billion in federal money for education along the same lines.

“We’re one of the states that can afford to do it,” he said. “People are providing the output in the economy that allows us to do it. We can replace that ($1.8 billion) ourselves. We’re not going to undo Titles I-VI, do away with disabilities, we’re not going to do away with school nutrition programs. Far from it. We’re going to continue to do all of those things.”

Sexton said that refusing the federal money takes away 17 more tests in the classroom. Also, it would allow for food that is now being wasted in cafeterias to be sent home for children who need it or to shelters.

“The quicker we can escape from the federal government, the better our state will be,” Sexton said.

“My new definition is how conservative the state of Tennessee is how many times we get sued by the American Civil Liberties Union,” he said. “We’ve been sued a whole lot and they’re threatening to sue a whole lot more which means we’re doing things they don’t like. The ACLU does not have any values in common with the state of Tennessee. When we pass something, they threatened with lawsuits because we know what we’re doing is right.”

Sexton said that Tennessee is the second most conservative state in the nation behind Alabama.

“I’ve not understood that yet,” he said. “We’re going to surpass Alabama this year by passing more freedoms for our state and some more conservative items.”

“It’s always fun to come back to Morristown where I spent a lot of time as a child,” Sexton said.

Sexton pointed out his first cousin Greg and his wife in the audience.

“It’s good to know we have a long history of being Tennesseans,” Sexton said.

Sexton also recognized fellow State Representatives Rick Eldridge (R-Morristown) and Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby), who both represent Hamblen County in the statehouse.

“They do a wonderful job for you all in Nashville,” Sexton said. “They are highly respected. Members trust and believe in them. They go to the fight for you every single day, whether it’s to improve your community, getting funding back here and standing up for your values and things you hold dear and true.”

Sexton also took time to recognize State Sen. Steve Southerland (R-Morristown).

“I go back with him all the way to the Van Hilleary days,” Sexton said. “I remember when he first ran for office back in the day. He’s done a wonderful job in the state senate since then.”

First District Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (R-Kingsport)

“It’s always great to be here with you,” he said. “Thank you for all that you do. I’m glad that you all have a new Speaker (of the House Kevin McCarthy of California). I think you have seen the landscape change quickly in Washington, D.C.”