Image: Rep. Mark White speaks about the ‘Education Freedom Scholarship Act’ in the House Government Operation Committee. Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
The House version of this year’s school choice legislation, also called “The House Public School Omnibus Bill,” was passed out of the House Government Operations Committee on Monday via a voice vote.
There are currently two extremely different school choice bills under consideration in the Tennessee legislature, Senate Bill 0503 (SB0503) and House Bill 1183 (HB1183).
Discussion on HB1183 during a March 18th meeting of the House Government Operations Committee began with Chairman John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge-District 33) reminding members that bills brought before that specific committee are largely brought before them because they create an agency, terminate an agency, or have some sort of rulemaking authority.
“I’ll ask the members to concentrate your questions on those things that are surrounding rules,” stated Rep. Ragan.
Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis-District 83) introduced HB1183, noting that House leadership and the House education chairs have been working on this legislation since January.
“We are before this committee to discuss those sections [of the bill] dealing with rulemaking authority,” said Rep. White. “Should this legislation pass through the House and Senate, this legislation will be back before this committee under your authority. We also understand the actions of this committee are not a rubber stamp of the legislation.”
Following some discussion on the differing testing standards for public schools versus private schools that would be participating in the school voucher program, Rep. Yusuf Hakeem (D-Chattanooga-District 28) questioned if there was any other state that had attempted a school voucher program like this without “busting the bank.”
“You look at the State of Arizona that’s now funding almost a billion dollars in year two. A billion dollars. We’ve put parameters in here that keeps the general assembly in control of the expansion of this program,” said Rep. Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka-District 64). “We’ve put parameters in there that say that a institution has to be in existence for three years and get their accreditation, unlike other states that have allowed these micro schools to pop up and just drain all this money right away.”
Later on in committee, Rep. Sabi ‘Doc’ Kumar (R-Springfield-District 66) voiced his opinion on the idea that taxpayer dollars should not be allocated to private schools via a school voucher program.
“As it is most of the time and all the time, this discussion goes to dollars and money,” said Rep. Kumar. “Taking money out of public schools, and where is the money going, whose pocket it is going in. I thought the basic idea is education. I don’t care where the money comes from, I don’t care where the money goes…Teach and educate our children so they can read and learn better.”
“Money is coming from the citizens, and it is going to educate the children of those citizens,” he continued. “Choice to leave a school is complicated, but the only reason a parent would do that would be that they see their child not performing well or they see the opportunity for what they perceive to be a better education.”
About an hour into this meeting, the committee heard public testimony from Candace Ashburn, the mother of a special needs child who spoke on special education and in opposition of the legislation.
Walter Blanks spoke in support of the legislation and shared his positive personal experience with school choice growing up in Columbus, Ohio.
Before the committee voted on HB1183, Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville-District 55) asked Rep. Kirk Haston (R-Lobelville-District 72) if he would still vote for the legislation if any of the public-school transformation sections were taken out in conference committee.
“I wouldn’t,” said Rep. Haston.
For reference, because the House version of this bill is so different from the Senate version of this bill, the legislation will likely end up in a conference committee made up of just a few members of the general assembly who will decide what compromises should be made to create one piece of legislation.
It’s possible that many aspects of HB1183 could be done away with in favor of the Senate’s school choice legislation.
Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill-District 92) has previously shared concerns about this happening saying, “The House and the Senate is never gonna agree on this 39-page master growth of government. They’re never gonna agree on it. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. What’s gonna happen is this is gonna go to a conference committee at the end of session, into a backroom deal that we will get one hour, more than likely, on the House floor to discuss.”
Ultimately, HB1183 was passed out of the House Government Operations Committee by a voice vote and has been assigned to the House Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee for further consideration.
At the time of this article’s publication, any no votes recorded at the request of individual committee members have not yet been published to the General Assembly’s website.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee.
You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.