Mandy Cook
DemocraticQ1 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?
The onus should be on tech companies to use closed-loop systems that do not pass costs and environmental downsides on to Tennessee residents and wildlife. We need regulations on the federal, state, and local level to ensure that data centers are implementing renewable energy sources whenever possible and using emissions capture and filtration wherever there is significant risk of air pollution to surrounding communities or ecosystems.
We also need a broad set of overhauls of our energy systems in general, like those introduced in the Inflation Reduction Act. As is being illustrated by our current economy, we need to be relying on energy sources that aren’t subject to wild fluctuations due to fuel costs.
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?
Herd immunity does not work if we allow too much room for exceptions. Too much leeway has been given to parents claiming religious exemptions. In an era of vaccine misinformation, it is unfortunately necessary to end religious exemptions for childhood vaccinations who will be attended schools in a group setting. Medical exemptions would remain intact.
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?
As a baseline measure, we have to agree that Tennessee’s weather is becoming more extreme as climate change continues to impact our weather systems. We need to ensure proper funding and infrastructure for response to flooding, ice, tornadoes, and snowfall. We need to update dams and levies in the state and work with neighboring states to ensure our waterways can handle increased rainfall. In addition, we need to make sure emergency response crews have the tools, staff, and equipment they need to address needs and communicate. We also need to update our electrical grid by providing incentives for renewables.
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?
Phase out school vouchers. The cost of school vouchers in our state is approaching over $1billion dollars. We should be using that money to properly fund our public schools and pay our school teachers a living salary. We cannot keep teachers if we don’t pay them enough to live on.
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?
Policymakers, state legislators included, should not be adding fuel to the fire here. Science has become politicized, which puts the health of our people and planet at risk. State legislators should not be furthering this divide by introducing bills such as Bulso’s House Joint Resolution 28 that would further decrease the rate of vaccination in TN. Legislators should be relying on the scientific community to provide the state with the data we need to make good policy that preserves the physical welfare of our state and our local ecosystems. Scientists and policymakers can collaborate to educate the public in ways that are fun and engaging to repair public trust in science.