Here we go. It’s another year, another legislative session, and we are watching. But gearing up for this year has been a little different because not only have we been preparing for legislative action, we are also retooling and engaging in a bit of meaningful transition.
Since 2020, I have had the privilege and the distinct honor of not only leading Tennessee Stands, but watching it grow into a formidable statewide grassroots network. We have accomplished things during this season that I am very proud of.
In 2021, Tennessee became one of the first states to pass a bill that restricted the state, its agents, or any political subdivision from mandating a shot for coronavirus. I wrote that bill. You showed up. And it passed. We then mounted immense pressure that caused members of the Tennessee General Assembly to call itself into a special session for only the third time in state history in order to protect employees across the state from being fired simply because they wanted to preserve the right to make their own healthcare decisions. And we succeeded.
In 2022, we stopped a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed the state of Tennessee to own banks and private corporations. Tennessee Stands was the only organization to mobilize against that effort. With your help, we swung half the Senate and stopped Tennessee leaders from making a terrible mistake.
In 2023, we took on the Tennessee Legislative Report Card and now provide voting scores, leadership grades, and a full reporting of all campaign contributions for all 132 members of the Tennessee General Assembly at the click of a button. That information is available to voters at no cost and is now used across the state as you ensure that your elected officials are working for you. This same year, we began the Tennessee Legislative Survey, where you get to inform your legislators on the issues that are most important to you. On the most recent survey, over 3,800 Tennesseans participated in that project from all 95 counties.
In 2024, we expanded our advocacy tools and provided over 100 opportunities for Tennessee voters to engage with their legislators with email campaigns in support or opposition to critical legislation impacting conservative values here in our state.
And in 2025, we continued that work. After providing action opportunities for over 250 bills (since 2020) using our online advocacy tools at tennesseestands.org, we hit a milestone after 5 years of work. You, along with other Tennesseans who have taken on the duty to defend liberty, have now sent over 1 MILLION emails to the General Assembly just through our website alone. We are proud of that work and thankful for both your support and your continued engagement in self-governance. That is what we do, and it’s why we are here.
In the middle of all of this, in 2023, Tennessee Stands was deplatformed from the advocacy tools we were using at the time. The system we were using was purchased by a large, progressive firm called Bonterra Tech backed by billions in venture capital. I realized at that time just how fragile this ecosystem really was. And that started me on the journey I am on today. Over the last few months, I have begun the task of building out tools that nonprofits across the country can not only use to manage their organization and donor base, but also engage in the kind of conservative advocacy work that we do without the fear of being deplatformed.
With that, my role is transitioning. I will now be stepping out of the day-to-day leadership role of Tennessee Stands and will immediately transition to Chairman of the Board. And with great excitement, I want to share that we have hired Anne Lowery as our new Executive Director.
Anne possesses a unique background in conservative advocacy. For over five years, Anne was part of the leadership team at Calvary Chapel Chattanooga, serving in their Civics + Culture ministry. Don’t miss the coolest part of that statement…a church with a civics department! For so long, I have hoped to see our work at Tennessee Stands be more engaged with the Church as we approach every bit of policy from a Biblical worldview and understand that our rights are first, God-given. Liberty that does not find its source in Christ is no liberty at all.
Anne holds a master’s degree in public policy and leadership from Union University and also currently teaches civics as part of a homeschool co-op in the Chattanooga area.
For one, I want you to be assured that I am going nowhere. I will continue to engage in the leadership of this organization as a member of the board, and I firmly believe that our very best days are ahead. It is a wonderful feeling to see something that you’ve started continue to grow and move forward into the hands of new leadership. Anne is a capable leader, and I am excited for you to meet her.
To all of our donors, volunteers, subscribers, and Tennesseans who support our work across the state, we need you. We are not punting or changing course. We are charging ahead with the work we began over five years ago. Tennessee Stands would not be here without you. And equally, it can only be sustained into the future with your continued support and involvement. Let’s put our foot on the gas.
Onward.
Gary Humble
A new season for Tennessee Stands.
Here we go. It’s another year, another legislative session, and we are watching. But gearing up for this year has been a little different because not only have we been preparing for legislative action, we are also retooling and engaging in a bit of meaningful transition.
Since 2020, I have had the privilege and the distinct honor of not only leading Tennessee Stands, but watching it grow into a formidable statewide grassroots network. We have accomplished things during this season that I am very proud of.
In 2021, Tennessee became one of the first states to pass a bill that restricted the state, its agents, or any political subdivision from mandating a shot for coronavirus. I wrote that bill. You showed up. And it passed. We then mounted immense pressure that caused members of the Tennessee General Assembly to call itself into a special session for only the third time in state history in order to protect employees across the state from being fired simply because they wanted to preserve the right to make their own healthcare decisions. And we succeeded.
In 2022, we stopped a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed the state of Tennessee to own banks and private corporations. Tennessee Stands was the only organization to mobilize against that effort. With your help, we swung half the Senate and stopped Tennessee leaders from making a terrible mistake.
In 2023, we took on the Tennessee Legislative Report Card and now provide voting scores, leadership grades, and a full reporting of all campaign contributions for all 132 members of the Tennessee General Assembly at the click of a button. That information is available to voters at no cost and is now used across the state as you ensure that your elected officials are working for you. This same year, we began the Tennessee Legislative Survey, where you get to inform your legislators on the issues that are most important to you. On the most recent survey, over 3,800 Tennesseans participated in that project from all 95 counties.
In 2024, we expanded our advocacy tools and provided over 100 opportunities for Tennessee voters to engage with their legislators with email campaigns in support or opposition to critical legislation impacting conservative values here in our state.
And in 2025, we continued that work. After providing action opportunities for over 250 bills (since 2020) using our online advocacy tools at tennesseestands.org, we hit a milestone after 5 years of work. You, along with other Tennesseans who have taken on the duty to defend liberty, have now sent over 1 MILLION emails to the General Assembly just through our website alone. We are proud of that work and thankful for both your support and your continued engagement in self-governance. That is what we do, and it’s why we are here.
In the middle of all of this, in 2023, Tennessee Stands was deplatformed from the advocacy tools we were using at the time. The system we were using was purchased by a large, progressive firm called Bonterra Tech backed by billions in venture capital. I realized at that time just how fragile this ecosystem really was. And that started me on the journey I am on today. Over the last few months, I have begun the task of building out tools that nonprofits across the country can not only use to manage their organization and donor base, but also engage in the kind of conservative advocacy work that we do without the fear of being deplatformed.
With that, my role is transitioning. I will now be stepping out of the day-to-day leadership role of Tennessee Stands and will immediately transition to Chairman of the Board. And with great excitement, I want to share that we have hired Anne Lowery as our new Executive Director.
Anne possesses a unique background in conservative advocacy. For over five years, Anne was part of the leadership team at Calvary Chapel Chattanooga, serving in their Civics + Culture ministry. Don’t miss the coolest part of that statement…a church with a civics department! For so long, I have hoped to see our work at Tennessee Stands be more engaged with the Church as we approach every bit of policy from a Biblical worldview and understand that our rights are first, God-given. Liberty that does not find its source in Christ is no liberty at all.
Anne holds a master’s degree in public policy and leadership from Union University and also currently teaches civics as part of a homeschool co-op in the Chattanooga area.
For one, I want you to be assured that I am going nowhere. I will continue to engage in the leadership of this organization as a member of the board, and I firmly believe that our very best days are ahead. It is a wonderful feeling to see something that you’ve started continue to grow and move forward into the hands of new leadership. Anne is a capable leader, and I am excited for you to meet her.
To all of our donors, volunteers, subscribers, and Tennesseans who support our work across the state, we need you. We are not punting or changing course. We are charging ahead with the work we began over five years ago. Tennessee Stands would not be here without you. And equally, it can only be sustained into the future with your continued support and involvement. Let’s put our foot on the gas.
Onward.
Gary Humble
A message from our new Executive Director, Anne Lowery.
My name is Anne Lowery and I am excited to accept the position of Executive Director at Tennessee Stands. To join alongside the foundational work of Gary Humble and you, the grassroots conservatives of Tennessee, is an honor.
Over the last five years, I have co-labored with our pastors to build a Civics + Culture Ministry at my church, Calvary Chapel Chattanooga. When the Black Lives Matter movement aligned themselves with the LGBTQ ideology, and our freedoms were being restricted due to the purposeful control of a world-wide virus, we realized the Church must get engaged. We were under spiritual attack and it was up to us, as Bible-believing Christians, to step up.
We were blessed to host Gary one night at our church to educate us on Tennessee’s Constitution and give an overview of the legislative process in our state. From then, I’ve been educating our church on important legislation, how to communicate a Biblical, constitution-based response and provide appropriate action steps.
Tennessee Stands will continue to educate and advocate using a Biblical worldview with the Tennessee Constitution as our guide. We will be a source for the grassroots community of Tennessee to link arms, be encouraged and protect our freedoms together.
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” 1 Corinthians 16:13
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Gary Humble
Gary Humble