With his trademark bow tie neatly fastened, Tennessee Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, took the floor at the monthly Friends of Hixson coffee meeting, standing in front of a projected presentation.
Watson and Rep. Greg Martin, R-Hixson, clicked through slides in the regular meeting space at Clear Creek Church of Christ, recapping key policy discussions and decisions made during the 113th General Assembly. They did so in front of a friendly crowd of about 35 people, some longtime attendees, some busily taking notes. They discussed the $52.8 billion budget, how roads are never built in Tennessee until they’re paid for first and even some of the basics, like how many part-time legislators meet each session. And they talked about school choice.
It’s about explaining policy and how the government works, Watson said during an interview afterward, to drive important points home that may get lost in newspaper headlines or sound bites during prime-time news shows. One of those points is school choice, available in Hamilton County, but not statewide.
“Why should this family be allowed to send their child to their school of choice and another cannot?” Watson said.
Watson paused on purpose, and watched the audience lean in.
He wanted them to think about the policy, to wrestle with it.
“Because we’re wrestling with it,” he told them.
Gov. Bill Lee’s proposal to take his school choice initiative statewide — which contained some ideas Watson has supported and discussed for about a decade — failed during the last session. Named the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, the legislation would have provided just more than $7,000 to 20,000 students to put toward private or homeschool educations.
“It’s a scholarship, not a voucher program,” Watson said.
One of the slides explained some details of the bill, including that to be eligible, each applicant must be a U.S. citizen.
It’s not about forcing everyone into the same system, Watson said, it’s about providing students the opportunity to use the best option for them.
Watson went over financial details, to describe how tax dollars are put to work.
He broke down how roads are paid for, how other states take on debt to get them built but Tennessee doesn’t. It’s about fiscal responsibility, a common theme throughout the presentation.
“If we run into a financial calamity, and I don’t think we’re going to, we have an enormous debt capacity,” Watson said.
He also went on to describe the strategy behind the statewide rainy day fund, a $2.15 billion pot that can protect the state from being harmed by immediate and enormous costs.
(READ MORE: Gov. Lee touts school voucher program during Chattanooga visit)
But nothing controversial surfaced, only a brief explanation of a new bill that would allow some teachers to carry guns but with the ultimate decision on who can carry a weapon left up to the school principal. It was an opportunity for Watson to correct potential confusion.
While there was no group question and answer session, Martin and Watson remained after to talk with their voters.
“It’s a community forum,” Watson said. “We try to set politics aside.”
Martin agreed.
“I have 75,000 people in my constituency,” he said. “While I care about what everybody else in the state thinks, I care about what (my constituents) think first.”
Contact William D’Urso at wdurso@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6125.