The Knoxville News Sentinel reports:

Gov Bill Lee wants all Tennessee students, in both K-12 and higher education, to be "informed patriots."

To do that, he's reworking civics education in part by creating a new institute at the largest public university in the state.

Lee is budgeting $6 million to create an "Institute of American Civics" at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. The institute will be located within the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, and is still in its infancy stage.

"This will be a flagship for the nation — a beacon celebrating intellectual diversity at our universities and teaching how a responsible, civic-minded people strengthens our country and our communities," Lee said.