TENNESSEE, USA — There’s a week to go before the Tennessee state legislature begins its session in Nashville. Lawmakers are expected to start the year by discussing a new universal school voucher bill after the proposal failed in the last legislative session.
The proposal would use public money to pay for families’ private school expenses, but the new bill includes requirements for private schools to be accredited and has some small tweaks to benefit teachers. Republican Governor Bill Lee supported the proposal last year and is supporting it this year.
The new bills in the Tennessee House and Senate are the same. Last session, three different versions of the bill were introduced — one in the House, another in the Senate, and one introduced by Lee. They resulted in discussion, but no agreement on a specific plan…