Steven Dickerson

{{short description|American politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Steven Dickerson

| image =

| state_senate = Tennessee

| district = 20th

| term_start = January 8, 2013

| term_end = November 3, 2020

| predecessor = Joe M. Haynes

| successor = Heidi Campbell

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = American

| party = Republican

| spouse =

| children =

| residence = Nashville, Tennessee

| education = Sewanee: The University of the South (BA)
Wake Forest School of Medicine (MD)

| profession = Physician

| religion =

| website = {{URL|votestevedickerson.com}}

}}

Steven Dickerson{{cite web |url= http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/125592 |title= Steven Dickerson's Biography |publisher= Project Vote Smart |accessdate= March 19, 2014}} is an American politician and a former Republican member of the Tennessee Senate, representing District 20 from January 8, 2013 until November 3, 2020.{{cite web |url= http://www.capitol.tn.gov/senate/members/s20.html |title= Senator Steven Dickerson |publisher= Tennessee General Assembly |location= Nashville, Tennessee |accessdate= March 19, 2014}}

Education

Elections

  • 2020 Ran unopposed in the August 6, 2020, Republican primary. Lost to Heidi Campbell in the November 3, 2020, general election 54,399 (48.3%) to 58,101 (51.7%).{{Cite web|title=Steven Dickerson|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Steven_Dickerson|access-date=2020-11-12|website=Ballotpedia|language=en}}
  • 2016 Defeated Ron McDow in Republican primary winning 5,222 (60%) to 3,490 (40%). Defeated Erin Coleman in the general election winning 52,966 (56%) to 41,172 (44%).
  • 2012 Redistricted to District 20, and with incumbent Democratic Senator Joe M. Haynes retiring and leaving the seat open, Dickerson ran in the three-way August 2, 2012 Republican primary, winning with 3,921 votes (48.5%),{{cite web |url= http://tennessee.gov/sos/election/results/2012-08/RepPrimaryPrecinctTotals.pdf |title= State of Tennessee August 2, 2012 Republican Primary |publisher= Tennessee Secretary of State |location= Nashville, Tennessee |page= 115 |accessdate= March 19, 2014 |url-status= dead |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20140313183820/http://tennessee.gov/sos/election/results/2012-08/RepPrimaryPrecinctTotals.pdf |archivedate= March 13, 2014 }} and won the November 6, 2012 general election with 46,254 votes (54.1%) against Democratic nominee Phillip North.{{cite web |url= http://tennessee.gov/sos/election/results/2012-11/TNSenatePrecinctTotals.pdf |title= State of Tennessee November 6, 2012 General Election |publisher= Tennessee Secretary of State |location= Nashville, Tennessee |page= 17 |accessdate= March 19, 2014}}
  • 2010 Dickerson, initially to challenge District 21 incumbent Democratic Senator Douglas Henry, ran in the August 5, 2010 Republican primary, winning with 5,662 votes (56.6%),{{cite web |url= http://tennessee.gov/sos/election/results/2010-08/RepTNSenatePrecinct.pdf |title= State of Tennessee August 5, 2010 Republican Primary |publisher= Tennessee Secretary of State |location= Nashville, Tennessee |page= 17 |accessdate= March 19, 2014}} but lost the November 2, 2010 general election to Senator Henry.{{cite web |url= http://tennessee.gov/sos/election/results/2010-11/TNSPrecinct.pdf |title= State of Tennessee November 2, 2010 State General |publisher= Tennessee Secretary of State |location= Nashville, Tennessee |page= 19 |accessdate= March 19, 2014}}

Legislative history

Senator Dickerson sponsored legislation to allow for the use of medical cannabis. Dickerson's bill allowing for "behind the counter" access to hormonal contraceptives made Tennessee only the third state to have a similar law enacted. Additionally, Dickerson sponsored and passed legislation allowing for syringe exchange programs.

Medicare and Medicaid fraud lawsuit

In July 2019, Senator Dickerson, along with a now-defunct company he co-owned, Comprehensive Pain Specialists and other defendants, were sued by the federal government and the state of Tennessee for allegedly engaging in a fraudulent scheme to bilk government healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare, for millions of dollars by billing the government for unnecessary and expensive toxicology tests and via other schemes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.newschannel5.com/news/tennessee-state-senator-steve-dickerson-among-those-sued-for-medicare-tenncare-fraud|title = Tennessee State Senator Steve Dickerson among those sued for Medicare, TennCare fraud|date = 22 July 2019}}

References

{{reflist}}