Republican senators are crucifying the Tennessee Board of Education and the Oversight Association after this year’s blow fight over the governor’s private school voucher bill.
Sen. Adam Lowe, a Calhoun Republican, sponsors Senate Bill 2017. The bill that Lowe postponed on Tuesday for discussions until 2026 clearly targets the Tennessee School Board and the Supervisory Association.
In addition To the legislation, Republicans on the Senate Education Committee informed the Tennessee Board of Education last week that they were asking the group to voluntarily provide all communication between the association and its members on private school vouchers by April 5th.
A letter signed by Senate Education Chairman Dawn White and other Republicans on the committee on March 19 said the debate surrounding Gov. Bill Lee’s plan “creates a situation in which much of the information about the purpose, provisions and elements of the bill was misrepresented to the community, committee, council and committee.… We understand that we may differ in these controversial moments, but the fact is not. ”
Republican lawmakers want to know how the association communicated with members to cut “the speculation and misconceptions that could have arisen during public discourse” about the bill.
The voucher bill narrowly passed the House and Senate during a special session in February when Gov. Bill Lee was called, setting up a program that would provide statewide $7,000 scholarships, enrolling in private schools, spending around $220 million a year. Approximately two-thirds of students expected to receive state money are already registered in private schools.
Some of the bills Lee signed into law a month ago include provisions to give teachers a $2,000 bonus.
White said Wednesday that the School Board Association may have mistakenly told members that it must approve a resolution to support the voucher program in order to receive the bonus.
“We just want to get to the bottom of this and see what was actually said, not said,” White said.
The Law’s companion bill, sponsored by Republican Rep. Mary Littleton of Dixon passed the House Education Committee on Tuesday, but is currently pending.
Lowe said he does not want a association that paid membership fees using public funds to use “lobbying for taxpayer interests using taxpayer dollars.”
“They use the money from the General Fund paid by taxpayers and they will be lobbying against the interests of those who gave them the money,” Lowe said.
Lowe denied that his bill targeted the School Board Association, but he said it was “clear” that the group opposed the governor’s bill.
“I don’t think it’s punitive, but it’s revelation,” he added.
Tennessee has dozens of government-related groups that lobby councils, ranging from cities that employ their own lobbyists to associations representing mayors and sheriffs.
Republicans have long complained about government-related groups using public funds for lobbying, including state departments. However, these groups argue that business interests have an advantage in dealing with lawmakers without the ability to lobby.
Lowe said under his bill, the School Board and the Council of Supervisors would need private funds or other “pots of money” to continue lobbying the legislature.
Representatives from the Tennessee School Board Association and the Tennessee Supervisors’ Agency could not be contacted Wednesday for immediate comment.
