East Tennessee Republicans confirmed Monday that Congress was pressured to vote for the governor’s private school voucher bill to speed up measures towards the vote.

“Yeah, you wouldn’t believe it,” said Rep. Kevin Raper, a second-term House Republican from Cleveland, who said he kept an eye on the lawmakers after they were called Monday. He refused to identify who was putting pressure on him to support the voucher, but voted against the bill when he passed the House Education Committee 17-7 on Tuesday.

Like other rural Republicans, he is feeling a fever from his district’s schools, government leaders, and the general public.

The Bradley County Board of Education, Cleveland Municipal Schools Education, and Bradley County Board of Education are publicly opposed to Gov. Bill Lee’s $450 million private school voucher program. Government agencies whose district is at least partly in the Raper district have publicly said they are worried that they will have a negative impact on public schools.

The state Republican-controlled Congress hopes to close the governor’s special session by the weekend, despite considering immigration enforcement, the Hurricane Relief Fund and other measures related to powers on future toll roads. and promotes voucher measures through the committee.

Rep. Jody Barrett, another House Republican from Dixon, said Monday that if Congress approves the governor’s voucher plan, the state will create a “qualification” program and ultimately drive away the “fiscal cliff.” Ta.

Republican critics of the plan predict that the state will receive funds from public schools as soon as private school vouchers dry out. The measure also includes “harmless” provisions to prevent districts from losing state funds when students transfer to private schools.

Lee and his supporters say it’s important to pass the law to give parents “school choices.”

Governor announces rural grants ahead of the special session

Democrats fighting to halt the measure said on Monday that the governor’s office eliminated two sets of grants within two weeks that could be considered an incentive for rural Republicans to vote for the voucher bill. I stated.

Rural councillors won $7.4 million worth of infrastructure grants for utility last week, while governor and economic and community development committee member Stuart McWater said 17 million on Monday for 11 site development grants. The dollar has been announced. Most of the grants were for rural areas, including $2.9 million at the Spring Branch Industrial Park in Bradley County.

House Democrat Caucus Speaker John Ray Clemons said the grant “occasionally pairs up with a lot of swing votes in the House.”

Last year, shortly after Congressional franchise and excise tax credits, it cut $700 million in rebates and $400 million in annual cuts over the next few years.

Tennessee Republican: Voucher sets state for “fiscal cliff”

“It’s a pure transfer of wealth,” said Democrat Sen. Jeff Yabro of Nashville.

The bill includes $144 million to provide up to 20,000 students with vouchers of over $7,000 in the program’s first year. The first 10,000 vouchers can go to a family of four with incomes under $175,000, while the other 10,000 have no income limit.

A one-off bonus of $2,000 will be provided to teachers. $77 million Proceeds from the state’s gambling can be used for local school construction projects.

However, a financial analysis of the bill shows that two-thirds of the voucher will be sent to students who are already enrolled in private schools. The law removes $45 million from the state’s K-12 funding formula, and costs just $3.3 million for 12 public school districts that lose students moving to private schools.

Dems complains about the time of discussion. Republicans refuse to link hurricane money with voucher votes.

Democrats complained in the House on Monday that the governor’s bill was being pushed to pass without sufficient time for discussion. For example, even if the session lasts only three days, the amendment must be submitted 24 hours before the bill is heard on the House floor.

Portland House Majority Leader William Lambers opposes the concept and Congress considers hundreds of bills in short time frames in regular sessions, making it easy to handle seven bills He said.

House Republicans also denounced the idea that lawmakers are being pressured to vote for the governor’s voucher bill, saying each measure is being handled individually.

However, funding bills totaling over $1 billion are expected to be taken as one measure.