Several weeks ago, Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee signed a proclamation designating October 11 as a “voluntary Day of Prayer, Humility and Fasting.”
Prior to his signing Lee claimed that “[Tennesseans] we recognize God’s sovereignty and the need for God’s grace in our state.” And “the people of Tennessee recognize our rich blessings, our deep transgressions, the complex challenges before us, and the need to pause, humble ourselves and seek God’s guidance for the days ahead.”
His inclusion of “fasting,” which is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, emphasizes the thrust of Lee’s message.
Fasting has not gone unnoticed in commentaries on the practice.
The CS Lewis Institute, for example, has noted that it “has been recognized as an important way to approach God … and seek His help in times of special need.” Indeed, “fasting means going without food, the purpose of which is to earnestly seek God in prayer.”
Among the reasons for engaging in the biblical practice of fasting, the institute says, are “national emergencies, freedom from danger, protection and relief from illness.”
He adds: “Fasting is also associated with seeking liberation for the oppressed.”
In the context of Lee’s proclamation, it is worth noting that by and large, Tennesseans are not oppressed in the biblical sense.
However, there is much that Tennessee’s Republican-dominated legislature could do to address the concerns of those in our state who struggle with issues that lead to despair.
An obvious task for lawmakers is to recognize that some of these issues transcend partisan politics.
Lee and members of the state House and Senate will introduce their respective legislative proposals when the General Assembly convenes in January. While 2024 is an election year, it’s important that the Lee administration and lawmakers from both parties agree on what they can accomplish for Tennesseans.
There is no doubt that legislators can do this. But will they?
Lee made an implicit appeal to this in his proclamation by explicitly reminding Tennesseans—and lawmakers—how important it is to act together “with justice, kindness, and love, no matter the circumstance[s].”
For decades Tennesseans without health insurance were forced to rely on emergency hospitals even for medical services. One problem is that 16 hospitals have closed since 2010 — and of that number, 13 are in rural counties.
A major factor in the hospital closings is that Tennessee is one of 10 states where legislatures have refused to expand Medicaid, denying hospitals millions of dollars in revenue.
Two other statewide actions would solve a problem for thousands of Tennesseans: The punitive fee system in the criminal justice system that essentially allows the state to extract money from people convicted of crimes. They can find themselves impoverished by state fees imposed by the legislature.
Since there are reports of millions of dollars in uncollectible court fees across the state, the Legislature could solve this problem for thousands by drastically minimizing the number and amounts of fees imposed on families.
Finally, a recent news article reported that more than 400,000 people who have been released from prison have been disenfranchised. Their ticket to re-register to vote: Pay off all the court fees levied against them — and all their accumulated child support obligations.
This legislated disgrace is not just a free poll tax, a relic of the Jim Crow era. It also turns the right to vote into a privilege.
This is an opportunity for Governor Lee to build a bipartisan effort to end voting discrimination against those who have paid their dues to society. His intervention will be excited.
Michael Loftin is a former editorial page editor at The Chattanooga Times.