Tennessee private-school voucher bill clears House Finance Subcommittee

Lawmakers cast votes during a floor debate about the state's annual spending plan in Nashville on Thursday, April 10, 2014. From left are Republican Reps. Paul Bailey of Sparta, Bill Dunn of Knoxville and Harry Brooks of Knoxville. Lawmakers cast votes during a floor debate about the state's annual spending plan in Nashville on Thursday, April 10, 2014. From left are Republican Reps. Paul Bailey of Sparta, Bill Dunn of Knoxville and Harry Brooks of Knoxville.

By Andy Sher January 20, 2016 1 min read

Republican Rep. Bill Dunn of Knoxville

NASHVILLE — With one legislative opponent away for a surgery, a private-school voucher bill finally cleared the Tennessee House Finance Subcommittee today after years of effort.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville, approved on a voice vote, allows the bill to move on to the full Finance Committee.

Proponents said the bill will help lower-income children “trapped” in failing public schools. But critics say it will strip badly needed taxpayer funds for public schools and send them out of the system.

The bill had long been bottled up in the House Finance Subcommittee. But a change of chairman — Rep. Mike Harrison, R-Rogersville, resigned his seat late last year and was replaced by Rep. Curtis Johnson, R-Clarksville, a voucher supporter.

Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, is the Senate sponsor of the bill, which passed the upper chamber last year. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, who had raised concerns about other iterations of the bill since 2011, is OK with the bill as now written.