NASHVILLE — A bill allowing taxpayer-funded vouchers to pay for some low-income students to attend private schools easily cleared the Senate Monday night.
The measure, sponsored by Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, passed on a 24-8 vote. The House companion bill is scheduled to come before the Government Operations Committee on Wednesday.
As passed, the voucher bill, dubbed “opportunity scholarships” by advocates, would initially apply only to children eligible for free or reduced lunch programs, a common measure of poverty, and who now attend public schools in the bottom 5 percent statewide.
The number of students it would apply to would be phased in over a several-year period, with a cap of 20,000 students.
But if the number of parents who take advantage of the vouchers falls below the cap, parents of low-income students attending any public school in the district would be eligible to use the vouchers.
The bill at this point would only apply to Hamilton, Shelby, Knox and Jackson-Madison county school systems as well as Metro Nashville.
“It puts pressure on the accountability of the local school district to finally help these students who are low-performing,” Gardenhire said.
But citing a fiscal note showing public schools could lose as much as $70 million, Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, warned the loss of money would only add to legal arguments that are part of an unrelated lawsuit filed by school boards in seven counties, including Hamilton County.
The schools charge state government is violating the Tennessee Constitution by failing to adequately fund public education through the Basic Education Program funding formula.
Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, argued that while the bill would divert state funding and some local per-pupil funding, it would by no means strip all the local funds, thus providing a net gain to the public schools.
The Senate previously passed much broader voucher bills sponsored by Kelsey in 2011 and 2014. They’ve failed in the House but appear to have momentum this year.
In other legislative matters on Monday
Legislation overriding local bans on guns in parks, public playgrounds and ball fields passed the House on a 65-21 vote Monday night after a lengthy debate.
The bill is scheduled to come up Wednesday on the Senate floor, which unlike the House has passed similar legislation in the past. It would apply to people with state-issued handgun carry permits.
House Democrats lobbed a series of amendments on the bill, all of them failing, including a ban on guns in parks on Sundays.
“What is more important?” asked Rep. Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, who unsuccessfully pushed another amendment that would have banned guns during religious-related events including baptisms, marriages, Christmas and Hannukah lighting ceremonies. “Is a gun more important for you than these other things?”
Rep. Tilman Goins, R-Morristown, countered with a Nashville television news station’s account of a rape in a Nashville park.
“It’s not about aggression, it’s about protection,” Goins said.
The bill is one of many moving in advance of the National Rifle Association’s national convention in Nashville next week.
In other action, the House voted 95-0 to confirm Robin Bennett of Chattanooga to a full six-year term on the Tennessee Regulatory Authority. The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Patsy Hazlewood, R-Signal Mountain.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550.