Senator Joey Hensley

Joey Hensley (born July 28, 1955) is an American politician and a physician. He earned his AS from Columbia State Community College, his BS from the University of Memphis, and his MD from the University of Tennessee-Memphis College of Medicine. Hensley serves as the Lewis County Medical Examiner

In the Tennessee legislature, Hensley introduced a bill nicknamed “Don’t Say Gay” in 2012 and 2013, aiming to ban schools from discussing LGBT issues. Although the bill eventually failed, he continued to cosponsor legislation allowing counselors and therapists to refuse counseling based on religious beliefs, including those related to LGBT clients. This bill became law in 2016.

Hensley also introduced a bill classifying children born through artificial insemination as illegitimate, even if both parents are married and consent to the insemination. Additionally, he sponsored the “Milo bill,” requiring public universities to be open to any invited speaker. In 2020, he opposed including female hygiene products in a state sales-tax holiday, citing concerns about limiting purchases.

In 2021, Hensley called for the firing of everyone on the historical commission after they voted to remove the bust of Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Tennessee state capitol.

In 2022, he introduced a bill designating enhanced handgun carry permit holders as members of law enforcement. The bill faced opposition from the Tennessee State Lodge for the Fraternal Order of Police.