[5] A controversial figure in the state's history, Forrest was a slave trader and one of the first leaders of the Ku Klux Klan.
[7] In legislative hearings, Bowling said the vaccines could lead to genetic modification, a theory deemed “misinformation” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
[7] Bowling opposed allowing COVID-19 vaccination for minors above the age of 14 and criticized the public health official who supported it by citing Tennessee law.
[10] In her letter, Fiscus explained the state's “Mature Minor Doctrine,” a legal mechanism based on Cardwell v. Bechtol, 724 S.W.2d.
[12] The legislation was signed into law by Republican Governor Bill Lee, effective May 25, 2021, despite the vocal and aggressive opposition of several organizations for physicians, first responders and other health-care providers.