Congress managed by the Republican Party in Tennessee has approved a bill approved on Thursday. The purpose is to reduce fraudulent immigrants, use public funds for private school tuition, and reflect the new Trump administration's policy agenda.
The legislative leader had almost no discussion, pushing millions of dollars in a special session that lasted only four days, and made a vast policy change. One bill creates a new state immigration bureau that cooperates directly with the federal government to enforce the immigration law. The other is expanding the state school voucher program in Tennessee only in the largest school district of Tennessee.
President Trump's explicit support and a complete corruption campaign to overcome the Republican Party's majority resistance to school bills. The expansion of the voucher program was also a top priority for Governor Billley, and was handed 54 votes in the lower house and 20 in the Senate.
“We are now ready to support our state's public safety on further agenda,” said Lee, a co -war party, after a special session ended on Thursday afternoon. I mentioned. “And finally, thanks to the thousands of Tennessee who worked hard with the General Assembly, the universal choice is now a reality for Tennessee's family.”
The only provisions supported by the bipartisan were assigned millions of dollars to the Hurricane Helen, a community in East Tennessee, which was devastated last year due to floods. However, some Democrats voted for some of them. This is because the funds were wrapped in the same expenditure bill paid to the voucher expansion.
“In reality, it's about control, it's true for taxpayers' domination,” said Democratic Senior Hyde Campbell.
The lawmakers hoped that Lee would promote millions of dollars, but this was not sufficient support last year with hurricane assistance. However, after Mr. Trump signed a series of administrative orders to strengthen the federal immigration law, Lee added nearly $ 6 million immigration bills to be considered in special sessions.
At least one aspect of the bill caused a surprise between the Democratic and Republican members. It is a felony that local officials vote in support of the “sanctuary” policy for illegal immigrants. Such policies were already illegal under the state law, and the Freedom of Tennessee's Freedom Union said it would submit legal issues.
Senator Todd Garden Hier, a Republican member of Chartanuga, said: He quoted as an example of a conservative member of the Diet, punished for supporting democratic priority items such as abortion rights and gun control.
The expanded voucher continued to be the most divided issue for the Democratic Party and the Republican members. The program is estimated to be about $ 3500 million next year, and will cost millions of dollars in the future because it is open to more students. Some school districts have adopted a resolution opposing expansion.
As part of this measure, about 20,000 students have a qualification of about $ 7,000 used at private schools and charter schools in the next grade, and since then the number of qualified students has increased every year. Half of the students must be from a low -income family or have a disability.
Republicans have framed the voucher plan as a way to help parents and access more schools. The Democratic Party questioned whether a private school that receives money will be held in the same educational standards as a public school. They also questioned whether private schools might reject specific students who want to attend with voucher money.
“When we started taking them from public schools, we are hurt the children. We are hurt low -income children,” said Ronnie Glin, a Democratic member of Clarksville. The representative said. He added, “Many of your children in the countryside in Tennessee will never see the inside of a private institution.”
Some members of the Diet are also revised to awarded to a public school teacher to a public school teacher only when the school district passes the “positive” participation in the voucher program. did.
However, Republican members immediately emphasized the support of Mr. Trump, who celebrated social media in the bill. The American Tennessee Branch, a conservative advocacy organization, welcomed the parent, not the government bureaucrats today.
Tennessee will return for a regular legislative meeting next month.
