You may remember Rep. Bill Sanderson as the guy who stepped down under, ahem… controversial circumstances last year (as an anti-LGBT legislator with a gay son exposed for himself allegedly being a Grindr regular).
Sanderson said it was to go spend more time on his wine business, and had previously pushed through a bill that created a wine board with the goal of boosting the Tennessee wine industry, which he himself had a stake in.
As it turns out, Governor Lee has now just appointed Sanderson as one of the members of the wine board.
Must be nice!
In related news, Sanderson was one of the reps who voted for Lee’s controversial school vouchers legislation, which barely passed the TN house 50-48, needing every last vote after disgraced former speaker Casada held it open for 35 minutes. The vote is rumored to be subject of an FBI investigation.
There has also been controversy swirling around a $4 Million slush fund which may have been used to make promises to get votes for the vouchers, which Commissioner Rolfe moonwalked away from fast during last month’s budget hearings, saying Lee and Stuart McWhorter were responsible.
So Sanderson gets a Wine Board created to boost his own industry… then gets appointed to the board by Governor Lee… after voting for Lee’s public school-harming vouchers.
Were these guys elected to serve the citizens of Tennessee, or themselves?
Originally posted on TN Holler. Re-posted with permission.
