Saturday, August 03, 2019

School voucher bill to be implemented in 2020
Ignoring concerns, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says he is sticking with a new plan to implement his controversial Tennessee school voucher program in the fall of 2020, a year earlier than expected by lawmakers. "What we found was the implementation could occur more efficiently and more effectively in a short time frame," Lee told reporters Thursday, regarding the program which is very unpopular with taxpayers. It funnels $7,300 annually per student in tax dollars, to pay for private education. Because of it's unpopularity, the bill deadlocked for 40 minutes in a 49-49 House tie vote, resulting in the governor, his lobbying team and then-House Speaker Glen Casada, reportedly offering incentives to individual legislators to vote for the bill. Those efforts generated a major controversy after the bill finally passed 50-49. And it continues to raise ugly questions and charges over what offers were made and deals struck not only on the House floor but in committees to force the bill through. Jim Wrye, chief lobbyist for the Tennessee Education Association an organization representing teachers, said the governor's effort to move more quickly shouldn't come as much of a surprise. "I think the administration with the constant revelations of the corrupt practices that it took to pass the bill would like to get started sooner rather than later," Wyre said. Because of the alleged bribes, he says the General Assembly is talking about throwing out the legislation. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Stewart of Nashville says of the maneuvering to pass the private tuition bill "it can only be assumed to represent bribery. And it needs to be fully investigated as a criminal matter."


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