We would like to believe there is still time for compromise on Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s bold educational savings account proposal.
The new governor wants legislation, where previous voucher bills had failed, that would give children in districts with low-performing schools an amount of money that would allow them to attend a private school or to use the money in other ways that could enhance their education.
The proposal only applies to school districts in Hamilton, Knox, Davidson, Shelby and Madison counties, and the state-run Achievement School District, where the lowest performing schools reside.
But state Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, has said he won’t vote for the bill in the Senate Finance Committee today.
If a senator from one of the few counties affected by the proposal doesn’t support it, and the other Chattanooga senator (Bo Watson) has expressed doubts about it, the legislation could have trouble finding wider support in the full chamber.