Gov. Bill Lee stays mum as a deadline looms to opt into a summer food program for kids

Gov. Bill Lee stays mum as a deadline looms to opt into a summer food program for kids

As a deadline looms for states to opt into a federal summer food program for kids, Gov. Bill Lee has been silent on his plans (Photo: Getty Images)As a deadline looms for states to opt into a federal program to feed low-income kids during the summer, Gov. Bill Lee has yet to announce whether Tennessee will participate. States have until Jan. 1 to decide whether they will give families with children the opportunity to draw on the federal nutritio…

A Christmas Letter for Gov. Bill Lee

What Tennessee kids want for Christmas is Summer EBT funding Gov. Bill Lee took Tennessee out of the Sun Bucks program in 2025. Sun Bucks is a Summer EBT program through SNAP that provides extra funds ($120) to help bridge the summer gap while kids are not getting meals at school. Now, Lee must once again decide what to do about Sun Bucks – will he take the money in 2026 and feed as many as 700,000 kids? Or, will he return to his failed 2025 mod…