The bill (HB 2532) to expand vouchers from 20,000 students to 35,000 secured passage in the House late Monday by a tight 52-43 vote. It now heads to the Senate, where continuing differences could derail the two bills coming together for final passage.
A key “hold harmless” provision that enabled passage last year, guaranteeing that public school districts would not lose funding based on students exercising their “choice,” is amended in the current House version. That protection for school district funding (beginning in 2028) would only apply if departing students move to private schools with the state’s $7,300 voucher payment. The requirement of school districts tracking students by social security numbers is part of a plan to help identify illegal aliens in the school systems.
Voucher opponent Tennessee Stands made sure to identify those in the House who voted against the expansion, and who will certainly face well-funded opposition from voucher proponents such as Americans for Prosperity, for their vote.
Representative Barrett and Warner have been among the most vocal critics of the scheme. Democrats have been unified in their opposition to the voucher plan and its expansion while there has been zero evidence of it promoting academic progress for students receiving the taxpayer funds.
The Senate is expected to move their version forward this week.
TIKTOK BILLIONAIRE YASS SAYS YES TO MARSHA (MARSHA,MARSHA).
Jeff Yass has just made a million-dollar donation to Senator Marsha Blackburn’s Team Tennessee PAC that is promoting her campaign for Governor. Marsha has been critical of TikTok’s Chinese ties, but her support for the voucher plan that Yass has strongly supported through donations to Club for Growth was apparently enough to overlook her claims that TikTok posed a national security threat. The Team Tennessee PAC has raised over $3 million to aid Marsha’s gubernatorial ambitions. The close ties between the PAC and Blackburn’s campaign has raised questions about whether or not the two groups have engaged in illegal coordination, but Tennessee campaign regulators have been reluctant to investigate the relationship between the entities and overlap of personnel, consultants and spending.
SHIRLEY, YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS.
Actually, Nick Shirley is seriously coming to Tennessee this week for a Reagan Society event. The Reagan Society is hosting independent journalist Shirley in Franklin, Tennessee, on May 17th. The event will feature an in-depth interview conducted by WTN 99.7 radio personality Matt Murphy, followed by an audience Q&A session.
Shirley has distinguished himself as one of the nation’s fastest-rising journalists, known for his unfiltered investigations into migrant shelters, government facilities, and international conflict zones. His work continues to spark national conversations and influence important policy debates by highlighting stories often overlooked by mainstream media. The state of California is considering legislation to prevent journalists like Shirley from continuing to expose their fraudulent and illegal activities!
STATE REVIEW CLEARS RUTHERFORD COUNTY PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS. Rutherford County Tax Assessor Rob Mitchell says the state has given his office a clean bill of health following a detailed review. Mitchell said the Tennessee Division of Property Assessments confirmed the county’s appraisal system is operating with a high degree of accuracy following its review.
