Tennessee lawmakers kick off session to mull voucher expansion and changes after school shooting
11 months, 2 weeks ago

Tennessee lawmakers kick off session to mull voucher expansion and changes after school shooting

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE — Tennessee lawmakers returned Tuesday for months of election-year work, anchored by the debate over whether taxpayer money to help students attend private schools should be available statewide for families of any income level. Lawmakers also have a third chance to pass gun control measures in reaction to a deadly Nashville Christian elementary school shooting last March. Lingering tensions over the lack of movement on gun control were quickly on display as a protester was escorted out of the House gallery for yelling during a moment of silence to think of the six people killed — including three 9-year-old children — during the March 27 shooting at The Covenant School. House Majority Leader William Lamberth is proposing bills that make it a misdemeanor to violate bond conditions; require mental health evaluations and treatment after misdemeanor charges if someone’s mental capacity or competency to stand trial is in question; allow aggravating stalking victims to ask for lifetime restraining orders; and develop safety plans for when a school fire alarm goes off.

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History of this topic

Tennessee lawmakers adjourn after finalizing $1.9B tax cut and refund for businesses
7 months, 4 weeks ago

Tennessee lawmakers adjourn after finalizing $1.9B tax cut and refund for businesses

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s GOP-controlled General Assembly on Thursday adjourned for the year, concluding months of tense political infighting that doomed Republican Gov. “Unfortunately some really really bad bills ended up passing.” While Lee was unable to find consensus on his voucher pitch — an initiative that he vowed to renew next year — he was able to secure a …

Tennessee Gov. Lee admits defeat in school voucher push
8 months ago

Tennessee Gov. Lee admits defeat in school voucher push

Associated Press  

GALLATIN, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee conceded defeat Monday in his push to enact universal school vouchers this year, acknowledging there was not a “path forward” after months of Republican infighting. I feel confident it will be, but we couldn’t put the final pieces together this year.” According to the National Education Association, the largest U.S. teachers union, 11 …

Tennessee lawmakers approve $52.8B spending plan as hopes of school voucher agreement flounder
8 months ago

Tennessee lawmakers approve $52.8B spending plan as hopes of school voucher agreement flounder

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s Republican-dominant Statehouse approved a $52.8 billion spending plan Thursday for the upcoming fiscal year that includes an eye-popping $1.95 billion tax break and refund for businesses, but little new tax relief for most Tennessee families. The House version would overhaul standardized testing for public school students, change teacher and principal evaluation requirements, cover more of the …

South Carolina House votes to expand voucher program. It’s fate in Senate is less clear
9 months ago

South Carolina House votes to expand voucher program. It’s fate in Senate is less clear

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Republicans in the South Carolina House gave key approval Wednesday to a bill expanding a program allowing parents to spend taxpayer money on private and home-school education even as a pilot plan is just starting and the state’s highest court is considering whether it is legal. “We can support our public school and our public school teachers, …

Alabama lawmakers have approved a school choice program
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Alabama lawmakers have approved a school choice program

Associated Press  

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday signed legislation creating a program similar to school vouchers that would provide eligible families with as much as $7,000 to help pay for private school and $2,000 for homeschooling expenses. The state, he added, should “focus on the students and not so much institutions.” The legislation will allow eligible families to …

School voucher ideas expose deep GOP divisions in Tennessee Legislature
9 months, 3 weeks ago

School voucher ideas expose deep GOP divisions in Tennessee Legislature

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With a supermajority grip over the Tennessee Statehouse, there are very few things Republicans can’t push through even with the harshest of criticism and public opposition. Yet, after weeks of working behind closed doors on a sweeping school voucher plan that would give coveted public dollars to many more families to spend on private schools, deep divisions …

Tennessee bill addressing fire alarms after Nashville school shooting heads to governor
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Tennessee bill addressing fire alarms after Nashville school shooting heads to governor

Hindustan Times  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee lawmakers have passed a bill requiring that public and private schools determine why a fire alarm went off before evacuating children from classrooms, sending the governor a proposal Monday inspired by a deadly Nashville elementary school shooting. Lawmakers have directly tied the bill to The Covenant School shooting where a shooter killed six people, including three …

Tennessee governor’s budget plan funds more school vouchers, business tax break, new state parks
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Tennessee governor’s budget plan funds more school vouchers, business tax break, new state parks

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As Tennessee’s recent boom years fade with slower tax revenues, Gov. Bill Lee is forging ahead on some big-ticket items in his state budget proposal — among them, a dramatic expansion of taxpayer-funded vouchers to help kids attend private schools, a big tax break for businesses, and growth of state parks and natural areas. The Republican’s spending …

Tennessee governor pitches school voucher expansion as state revenues stagnate
10 months, 2 weeks ago

Tennessee governor pitches school voucher expansion as state revenues stagnate

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nearly five years after narrowly convincing lawmakers to allow a select number of families to use tax dollars for private schooling, Tennessee Gov. Lee maintains that the state still has enough money to spread around more school vouchers to families, properly fund public schools, distribute pay raises to state employees and even set aside more money for …

Tennessee governor unveils push for statewide school voucher expansion, no income limitations
1 year ago

Tennessee governor unveils push for statewide school voucher expansion, no income limitations

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday backed a plan to expand beyond a three-county school voucher program for low-income kids by offering public money for private schooling statewide, regardless of family income. The current program awards eligible families around $8,100 in public tax dollars to help cover private school tuition and other preapproved expenses for up to …

Parents like private school vouchers so much that demand is exceeding budgets in some states
1 year, 1 month ago

Parents like private school vouchers so much that demand is exceeding budgets in some states

Associated Press  

In some states, higher-income families can now use taxpayer money to cover private school tuition -- and more people than projected are taking the offer, which might force scrambles to shore up state budgets. It’s especially an issue in states like Arizona and Iowa, where at least some families whose children were already in private school can now take advantage …

Tennessee GOP is willing to reject millions in funding, if it avoids complying with federal strings
1 year, 2 months ago

Tennessee GOP is willing to reject millions in funding, if it avoids complying with federal strings

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Republican leaders are escalating their calls to reject millions of federal dollars rather than comply with requirements over LGBTQ+ rights, abortion access and other hot-button issues. “Typically, there’s a fight for federal funding and states are more than eager to accept money,” Kahn said. “When you take federal government money, their philosophies and what they want …

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs school safety bill after Nashville shooting
1 year, 7 months ago

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs school safety bill after Nashville shooting

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gov. Bill Lee on Wednesday signed into law legislation designed to place more school resource officers in Tennessee public and private schools, funnel additional money into school security upgrades, and require every school to submit annual safety plans to the state. The new law is among the few changes the Republican governor and the GOP-dominated Legislature agreed …

Tennessee gun-control push at crossroads as proposal stalls
1 year, 8 months ago

Tennessee gun-control push at crossroads as proposal stalls

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Chances are shrinking fast for a key gun-control proposal to make it through the Tennessee Legislature in the wake of a deadly school shooting, as GOP lawmakers push back against the Republican governor’s proposal to keep firearms away from people who could harm themselves or others. Lee said top lawmakers gave input on the proposal and he …

Tenn. nears voucher growth, teacher dues limit with pay bump
1 year, 8 months ago

Tenn. nears voucher growth, teacher dues limit with pay bump

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Republican lawmakers in Tennessee on Wednesday put themselves a step away from expanding a school voucher program from two counties to four and raising the minimum teacher salary in a bill that also bans educators from deducting dues for professional organizations from their paychecks. Republican Rep. Gary Hicks, from Rogersville, said the current system ensures local control …

Tax money for students for private school on SC Senate floor
1 year, 11 months ago

Tax money for students for private school on SC Senate floor

Associated Press  

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina senators said a bill that would give some less well off parents and guardians up to $6,000 a year for private school tuition will be the first thing they debate in the 2023 session. Republican Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey told members the bill will come up for debate Tuesday on the Senate floor. The …

Tennessee judges uphold contentious school voucher law
2 years ago

Tennessee judges uphold contentious school voucher law

Associated Press  

A Tennessee judicial panel has upheld the state’s school voucher law, which allows public tax dollars to be given to families to pay for private schooling. Critics of vouchers argue that the law will weaken the state’s public education system, but the three-judge panel said counties and families who sued couldn’t prove how students would be immediately harmed by the …

Tennessee gov: School voucher program to start immediately
2 years, 5 months ago

Tennessee gov: School voucher program to start immediately

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Just hours prior to Lee’s announcement the voucher program would be implemented this year, the state’s attorneys told a panel of judges that “decisions haven’t been made.” Stephanie Bergmeyer of the attorney general’s office said that some of the deadlines would be based on the participating schools and when they would require a student to …

Court clears path for long-blocked Tennessee school vouchers
2 years, 7 months ago

Court clears path for long-blocked Tennessee school vouchers

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s highest court ruled Wednesday that Republican Gov. The Tennessee Supreme Court’s 3-2 decision overturns several lower court rulings that had previously determined the program violated the Tennessee Constitution’s “home rule,” which says the Legislature can’t pass measures singling out individual counties without local support. “Every child deserves a high-quality education, and today’s Tennessee Supreme Court opinion …

Court clears path for long-blocked Tennessee school vouchers
2 years, 7 months ago

Court clears path for long-blocked Tennessee school vouchers

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Tennessee Supreme Court's 3-2 decision overturns several lower …

Tennessee governor signs new K-12 funding formula into law
2 years, 7 months ago

Tennessee governor signs new K-12 funding formula into law

Associated Press  

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed into law Monday an overhaul he proposed for the formula for funding the state’s multibillion-dollar K-12 education system. Under the new school funding plan, Tennessee would join nearly 40 other states that attach a set amount of money per student. The bill states that schools will receive a base dollar amount of …

Tennessee nears overhaul of K-12 education funding formula
2 years, 7 months ago

Tennessee nears overhaul of K-12 education funding formula

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee’s Republican-dominated General Assembly neared the finish line Wednesday of an overhaul of the state formula for funding its multibillion-dollar K-12 education system, angering Democratic lawmakers who were abruptly blocked from floor discussion of one of this year’s most sweeping pieces of legislation. The school formula measure passed 65-27 in the House with Republican Rep. Mark White, …

Tennessee lawmakers OK education bills in special session
3 years, 11 months ago

Tennessee lawmakers OK education bills in special session

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee lawmakers on Friday finished tackling education issues that surfaced during the pandemic as Republicans fumed that some districts still are not back in classrooms but declined to act on their proposal to withhold state funding for staying virtual. “Opportunities present themselves, this is an opportunity we have to take advantage of.” For months, the state’s top …

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