A lot happened in this week's special legislative session. Here's a roundup, starting with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's $447 million universal school voucher plan passing, despite 20 Republican lawmakers splitting with their party to oppose the legislation: (1/7) nashvillebanner.com/2025/01/31/t... - ThreadSky

sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social • 33 days ago

A lot happened in this week's special legislative session.

Here's a roundup, starting with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's $447 million universal school voucher plan passing, despite 20 Republican lawmakers splitting with their party to oppose the legislation:

(1/7)
https://nashvillebanner.com/2025/01/31/tennessee-school-voucher-bill/

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sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social•33 days ago

The legislature also passed six other bills pushed by Lee in the four-day session, including a contentious immigration enforcement bill that, among other things, creates a Class E felony charge for local elected officials who support sanctuary city policies.(2/7)

https://nashvillebanner.com/2025/01/30/tennessee-senate-immigration-bill/

sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social•33 days ago

The bill also creates a new statewide enforcement division that will offer grants to local law enforcement agencies to incentivize them to join the federal 287(g) program, despite the program's troubled history in Nashville. (3/7)

https://nashvillebanner.com/2025/01/24/tn-lawmakers-287g-program/

sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social•33 days ago

The criteria for those grants aren't super clear and will be determined by the director of the new immigration division, who will be appointed by Lee. After some last-minute changes, the governor is putting $5 million on-time toward the program. (4/7)

https://nashvillebanner.com/2025/01/28/governor-bill-lee-immigration-plan/

sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social•33 days ago

One-time*

sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social•33 days ago

Between these two bills and about $450 million for hurricane relief, the special session cost nearly $1 billion. The school voucher program is also estimated to cost over $1 billion in the next five years. (5/7)

https://nashvillebanner.com/2025/01/28/tennessee-special-session-cost/

sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social•33 days ago

Lee was in lockstep with President Donald Trump the whole time, adding immigration to the scope of the session at Trump's behest and Trump adding encouragement for vouchers on social media and committing some federal funding to school choice Tuesday night (6/7)

https://nashvillebanner.com/2025/01/16/tennessee-special-session-immigration/

sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social•33 days ago

Now lawmakers are adjourned until they resume the regular session. On Feb. 10, Lee will deliver his State of the State address. Lee said yesterday he will use the speech to spell out new priorities since his top goal of vouchers has been met. (7/7)

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