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The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
Democrat Representative G.A. Hardaway (Dist. 93- Memphis) has filed a bill, HB0092, which would allow school board members to be recalled, spurred in part by the Memphis-Shelby County School Board’s (MSCS) controversial desire to remove its superintendent.
MSCS Superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins is facing a vote by the school board on January 21 where her contract could be terminated after only eight months into her four-year tenure.
The board is reportedly calling into question her performance after many changes in the district during her short term including layoffs, contract cuts, and leadership resignations.
But community members and students have risen in force to passionately defend Feagins and express their displeasure with the board’s allegations, giving praise to her “radical changes” and saying Feagins deserves time to do the job given the two-year search to find this new superintendent, in which many community members participated.
The community’s vehement protest to her firing has prompted the Shelby County Commission to become involved, ultimately leading the commission to take a vote of no confidence against the school board and create a new governance plan designed to offer the public more transparency about how the district manages its resources and makes decisions.
Now, the situation has become so turbulent even state lawmakers are weighing in on the matter.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton said, “If the school board goes through with this, there are options that we have. They’re nuclear options. We could come in and start running the school system ourselves. At some point, the state and community have to say what is best for these students.”
Rep. Hardaway stated of his bill, “The goal is for the public to have the ability to hold everyone accountable, and if the people aren’t happy, then they can make a change. That’s how democracy should work.”
According to the text of the bill, to facilitate a recall, a petition for the recall of the local official must be filed with the county election commission with a general statement about the grounds for removal. The petition must then be signed by registered voters within the official’s jurisdiction, garnering a number of signatures equal to at least 66% of the total vote cast for that office in the last regular election.
Once the appropriate signatures have been collected and determined sufficient by the election commission, a recall election shall be called where 66% or more of those who vote must vote “for recall” for the office to be declared vacant and the official removed. The vacancy will then be filled in accordance with any applicable laws.
However, the proposal does require that the recall rules be adopted by a local governing body, such as a city council or county commission, by a two thirds majority vote.
HB0092 has picked up two additional sponsors, Democrat Rep. Torrey Harris (Dist. 91-Memphis), and Republican Mark White (Dist. 83- Memphis), who serves as the Chair of the Education Administration Committee.
White’s belief that the disarray and turmoil surrounding the superintendent’s firing is unacceptable has resulted in his willingness to co-sponsor the bill. “I hope that our school board puts first things first, let’s work things out, but the main thing is to make sure that our school system in our City of Memphis is performing the way it should for the future of our children,” he said.
The impact of this bill could be significant as it would not just apply to school board members, but all “local officials” including, “an elected member of a legislative body, mayor, sheriff, trustee, register, clerk, assessor of property, or a member of a school board.”
This would potentially give the citizenry of Tennessee unprecedented voice and power over local lawmakers or officeholders who do not represent their best interests and apply pressure on elected representatives to offer more transparency and accurate governance.
Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
