Nashville, Tenn. – Tennessee legislators approved on Thursday the legislation that drastically expanded the number of families that can use taxpayers in private schools, regardless of income, a victory for a long time for Republican governor Bill Lee with some help from President Donald Trump to win over those retired from the Republican Party.
The bill is directed to Lee for his almost safe firm. Tennessee would join a dozen other states that have eliminated traditional strict income requirements for families who seek to access public dollars to finance alternatives to public education for their children.
According to Tennessee’s proposal, 20,000 educational coupons of around $ 7,000 each would be available next year. Half of them would go to students who have lower, disabled income or can participate in the new coupon program, but any student with the right to attend a public school could access the remaining 10,000.
The approval of the Chamber and Senate on Thursday occurred within a session especially convened by Lee, which allowed it to closely focus the attention of legislators instead of waiting for the action during the continuous regular session and for months that it covers all kinds of topics. The special session began on Monday.
Trump intervened on social networks on Tuesday. He praised the legislators of Tennessee for “working hard to approve the election of the school this week, which totally supports.” In addition, the Trump administration told the United States Department of Education to use discretionary money to prioritize School choice programs and provide states with a new orientation on how they can use federal money to support K-12 coupons programs.
The Chief of the Conservative Club for Growth, which is publishing television ads praising the coupons plan, also warned the Republican legislators who would finance the challengers of the primary elections to try to defeat anyone who opposes the bill.
Supporters have repeatedly argued to expand the choice of school is essential to support parents’ rights and give families the best options for their children. In the Republican National Convention, Lee even called the election of the school the “theme of civil rights of our time.”
However, the Democrats, who only have a splinter of power in Tennessee, but led the position to publicly question the governor’s coupons plan, the unexpected costs that have appeared in other states repeatedly indicated this week and emphasized that the legislation would benefit in Great measure to rich families that do not need financial assistance. Legislative analysts assume that approximately two thirds of coupons will go to students who already attend private schools.
“Do not be mistaken, this is welfare for the rich,” said Democratic Representative John Ray Clemmons during Thursday’s debate.
Republicans have defended lax income limits, arguing that parents need more options, regardless of their wealth.
“As a sponsor of this legislation, I have never said once this was a program designed for disadvantaged families,” said Senator of the Republican Party Jack Johnson.
The impulse to expand school coupons occurs as Republicans throughout the country have increased their criticisms to public schools in recent years. They have said that some public schools were too slow to reopen in the Covid-19 pandemic, they tried to limit what public schools can teach about race and sexuality, and adopted laws and rules that prohibit transgender athletes in school sports.
However, when they are presented directly to voters, the expansion efforts of the school choice have been hesitated. Last choice, Kentucky voters rejected a measure To enable public funds for private school assistance and Nebraska voters partially repealed A law that uses taxpayers money to subsidize private education. A constitutional amendment proposed in Colorado that would have established the “right to choice of school” of schoolchildren He was also defeated.
In Tennessee, multiple local school boards approved resolutions that indicate their opposition to the Lee coupon plan. The teachers and students went to the Capitol this week, holding signals and shouting while the legislators entered the floor sessions pleading with them that do not destroy the dollars of public education. On Thursday, some protesters delivered false money labeled as “rises of coupons scams.”
Another conflict point was the large amount of testimony of the families of students who have learning disabilities that indicate that private schools can reject students with certain impediments. A last minute amendment that would have prohibited deprived schools from discriminating students with disabilities was rejected from the camera.
Since he assumed the position in 2019, Lee has won the efforts to create a program of school coupons for low -income families in three counties. But last year, read Not enough support could be gained To launch a state program of school coupons, it is no longer based on income.
For next budget year, more than $ 400 million would be reserved for the coupons plan that folds in other educational initiatives. One of those accessories is $ 172 million for unique $ 2,000 bonds for teachers.
However, to receive it, a local school board would have to approve a resolution that opts for the bond section of the coupon bill. The requirement was added after several school boards approved widely opposite resolutions.
The legislative budget analysts project will cost $ 190.8 million annually in future years.
While the Republicans promoted their focus on adding billions of dollars to education K-12 in recent years, Democrats noticed that Tennessee is located near the bottom of all states in students per students for education K-12.
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