Charles Morgan
IndependentQ1 Data centers and the TVA grid (Energy / AI / Environment) – Data center electricity use in the Tennessee Valley has grown roughly sevenfold since 2020, and in the Memphis area, gas turbines powering AI data centers have raised air-quality concerns. What specific policies, if any, would you support to protect Tennesseans’ electricity bills, grid reliability, and air quality as data centers expand?
Electricity bills — Make data centers pay their share of electricity used, including the cost of infrastructure. Since they benefit others outside the area and state, make them pay more to subsidize the area and Tennessee.
Grid reliability — Make them have a fund available to fund upgrades for their use of the grid and for others’ use statewide.
Air quality — Make them comply with air quality standards. Do not allow them to open if they don’t agree, and penalize them to force them to clean up the air if they fail.
Q2 Childhood vaccination (Public Health / Trust in Science) – According to the Tennessee Department of Health, roughly 80% of Tennessee counties fall below the 95% kindergarten vaccination rate needed to prevent outbreaks of diseases such as measles. What policies, if any, would you support to manage vaccine-preventable diseases in Tennessee?
Make them mandatory for public school attendance, and have publicly funded educational programs and training about vaccines available free to the public.
Q3 Flooding and extreme-weather resilience (Environment / Climate) – Two years after Tropical Storm Helene, East Tennessee communities are still rebuilding, and a 2026 winter storm left hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans without power. What specific steps, if any, would you take to prepare Tennessee’s communities, infrastructure, and power grid for severe weather?
Upgrade using already available funds. Use emergency funds to do this if necessary. Make emergency restoration based on need, not on the political convenience of those in power.
Q5 State Science Education (K-12 Science Education) Secondary science (biology, chemistry, and physics) is one of the subject areas where Tennessee schools most often face teacher vacancies or rely on teachers with emergency credentials, and Tennessee lost a larger share of its teachers between 2023 and 2025 than any other state. What specific state policies, if any, would you support to recruit and keep qualified science teachers in Tennessee classrooms, particularly in rural and high-need districts?
Offer better pay to the teachers who have stayed and incentives to bring in new teachers. Give teachers an overall pay raise across the board.
Q6 Trust in science (Policymaking Process / Trust in Science) – Distrust in science has been on the rise among the general public and policymakers, which has been associated with changes in federal funding for scientific research. In order to bridge this gap, how do you think scientists and policymakers can work together to strengthen their communication?
Science is the bedrock of our prosperity and that of future generations. Trust in science is fundamental to this. The scientific method is the best way to improve our lives. Education about how it’s done—as impartially as possible—as well as how things change with new knowledge will build trust.