Bill Lee’s signature proposal for a statewide school voucher program is dead for the year, with Lee acknowledging there is no way forward for the legislation despite last-ditch negotiations through the weekend to revive the stalled bill.
The school choice legislation, a longtime priority for Lee, stumbled out of the gate over vast differences between dueling Senate and House versions, in addition to significant pushback from local public school stakeholders across the state.
“While we made tremendous progress, unfortunately it has become clear that there is not a pathway for the bill during this legislative session.”
The House GOP version sought to make sweeping reforms to public school testing requirements, teacher and principal performance assessments, and increase the state’s contribution to teacher health benefits — in addition to establishing the $144 million voucher program.
Dozens of school boards — many in conservative parts of the state — and other local officials, along with major teachers groups, opposed the bill.
“90% of Tennessee’s students are educated in public schools, and today is a great day for them and their parents,” Tennessee Education Association President Tanya Coats said in a statement.
Despite Republican leaders frequently signaling optimism for the negotiations, the bill was constantly delayed in committees.
Lawmakers refused in the last days of the 2023 legislative session to do so and the legislation was never formally introduced.
TN Gov. Despite desperate attempts over the weekend to bring the deadlocked bill back to life, Bill Lee’s signature proposal for a statewide school voucher program is officially dead for the year. Lee acknowledged that there is no way forward for the legislation.
Lee has long supported school choice legislation, but it was hampered from the start by sharp differences between the Senate and House versions and strong opposition from state stakeholders in local public schools.
According to a statement released early on Monday, Lee expressed her “extreme disappointment for the families who will have to wait yet another year for the freedom to choose the right education for their child, especially when there is broad agreement that now is the time to bring universal school choice to Tennessee.”. “Although we made great strides, it is regrettably evident that the bill will not proceed through this legislative session. “.”.
This version of the bill will never come back to life because a new General Assembly will take office following this fall’s elections and swear in. The governor might convene a special legislative session to revisit the issue, but this would probably not be well received because it would require the legislators to take a break from their campaigns.
Lee intends to return to the program the following year. He stated on Monday that the negotiations were “very close” to a final version, and he anticipates that work will continue throughout the summer to ascertain the details of a revised version of the law.
I’d like to express my gratitude to the thousands of parents and students who spoke up. I’m more inspired than ever to give them the power to decide what’s best for their family. The speakers and leaders of both chambers have committed to pursuing education freedom in the upcoming year, and for that I am grateful,” Lee added. The goal is to ensure that every student in Tennessee has the chance to succeed, irrespective of their income or ZIP code. Empowering parents is, without a doubt, the best way to make sure that happens. “.
Unlike the governor, Republican lawmakers did not find the endeavor to be quite as straightforward.
Lee presented his idea for the program in November, but he didn’t make the specifics of the plan public until well into 2024. By then, Republicans in the House and the Senate had developed radically different versions of the proposal, and each chamber seemed set in its ways.
In addition to creating the $144 million voucher program, the House GOP version aimed to make significant changes to the state’s contribution to teacher health benefits, the requirements for public school testing, and performance evaluations of principals and teachers.
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Out-of-county public school enrollment was allowed, and Senate Republicans wanted to mandate achievement testing for students who take part in the program. Lee lobbied for the creation of a voucher program free from testing specifications.
Democrats have opposed the voucher program for a long time, arguing that it could jeopardize funding for public schools and comparing it to “coupons” for wealthy families who already send their kids to private schools.
Noting poor performance at private schools and a dearth of accountability measures, Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, claimed Monday vouchers in other states have a “terrible record.”.
In an extensive social media statement, Akbari said, “Let’s invest more in our public schools to give students the tools they need to be successful instead of throwing millions into a program that isn’t effective.”. “Let’s discuss practical, effective solutions: increasing funding per student, increasing teacher compensation, and expanding academic support services for math and reading. Ensure that urban and rural schools have equal access to resources as their more affluent suburban counterparts. It is our responsibility to improve. “.
Major teacher organizations opposed the bill, as did dozens of school boards, many of whom were located in conservative areas of the state, and other local officials.
“Today is a great day for Tennessee’s parents and the 90 percent of students who attend public schools,” said Tanya Coats, president of the Tennessee Education Association, in a statement.
Even though Republican leaders consistently expressed hope for the negotiations, committee hearings on the bill were continuously postponed. There hasn’t been any concrete evidence released to the public in months suggesting that a compromise has been reached.
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Rumors surfaced last week that negotiations had broken down, and Republican lawmakers were expecting a statement from Lee shortly admitting the bill was dead. Still, things quickly deteriorated as the leadership insisted that negotiations continue.
However, the budget bills’ passage on Thursday complicated the negotiations, and legislators eager to adjourn session and focus on their reelection campaigns faced a crucial deadline this weekend.
As late as April 11, Lee stated without providing any details that he “feels like they’re close” and that he was “very encouraged and very confident that we are going to move forward with the legislation.”.
Although the governor has publicly backed school choice, he hasn’t put much public pressure on his Republican colleagues to move the legislation along; instead, he has chosen to discuss differences in private.
The General Assembly, which is becoming more and more divided along fundamental lines between its upper and lower chambers, lost the Education Freedom Scholarships bill this year, making it the second significant bill that Lee has failed to get passed.
Lee urged lawmakers to enact extreme risk protection order legislation last year in order to prevent firearms from being in the possession of anyone who a court has determined poses a risk to themselves or others. It was not possible for lawmakers to introduce the bill formally because they declined to do so in the final days of the 2023 legislative session.
Upon calling them back for a special session later in the year, the governor’s proposal was not filed by any Republican.
For The Tennessean, Melissa Brown and Vivian Jones cover state politics and government. vjones@tennessean.com and mabrown@tennessean.com are the email addresses to contact them.
