TN to cops resisting mandates: "We want you"

Gov. Bill Lee on Wednesday sent a message to law enforcement officers in other parts of the country resisting vaccine mandates: "We want you."

• The governor said the state would help cover moving costs for officers who want to move here to join the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

What he's saying: Lee said in a statement his pitch was targeted to officers "who want to work in a state that doesn't get in the middle of personal health decisions."

• In the video, he told officers he would "work to make sure your freedoms are protected."

Between the lines: Lee didn't explicitly mention the COVID vaccine, but his message referred to pushback against "restrictive mandates."

• The video name-dropped Los Angeles and New York, both of which have COVID-19 vaccine mandates for officers.
• Officers across the country are fighting vaccine mandates. The police union in Chicago sued to block a local mandate from taking effect.

Driving the news: Republican leaders in Tennessee have taken high-profile steps to fight vaccine mandates and local efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

• Lee recently signed a Republican-backed law that heavily restricts COVID safety measures.

By the numbers: 49% of Tennessee residents are fully vaccinated, according to state data updated this week.