Tennessee Gov. Bill HaslamNASHVILLE — Top House and Senate Democrats on Monday called on Republican Gov. Bill Haslam to block GOP legislative efforts they say would slash more than 5,000 lottery-funded college scholarships in the future.
“This legislation is short-sighted, unnecessary and harmful to our students and our economy,” Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle, D-Memphis, said. “The governor has stated that college isn’t for everyone, but that it needs to be for a lot more Tennesseans.”
Kyle said that under the bill, which toughens qualifications for students receiving HOPE scholarships, “college will be something else for thousands of Tennesseans. It will be out of reach.”
Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey and Senate Education Committee Chairman Delores Gresham, R-Somerville, said the bill is needed because the lottery is running a deficit, pegged at $17 million to $19 million.
But Democratic critics say with lottery revenues up $10 million over projections so far this year, the crisis is overstated and the lottery’s $360 million to $380 million in reserves can tide shortfalls over for years until it is absolutely necessary to act.