From AP News: One of Tennessee's most influential Republican lawmakers says the state should stop accepting the nearly $1.8 billion of federal K-12 ed
From AP News: One of Tennessee’s most influential Republican lawmakers says the state should stop accepting the nearly $1.8 billion of federal K-12 education dollars.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton told The Associated Press that he has introduced a bill to explore the idea during this year’s legislative session and has begun discussions with Gov. Bill Lee and other key GOP lawmakers.
Sexton said, “Basically, we’ll be able to educate the kids how Tennessee sees fit. Rejecting the money would mean that Tennessee would no longer have “federal government interference.”
To date, no state has successfully rejected federal education funds even as state and local officials have long complained about some of the requirements and testing that are sometimes required to receive the money. The idea has also come up elsewhere in recent months among GOP officials, including in Oklahoma and South Carolina.
According to Sexton, Tennessee is currently in the financial position to use state tax dollars to replace federal education funds. He pointed to the $3.2 billion in new spending outlined in Gov. Lee’s recent budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year as proof that the state could easily cover the federal government’s portion.
A spokesperson for Governor Lee said yesterday, “Although we haven’t seen the details of the legislation yet, the governor is always interested in working with the speaker to ensure Tennessee students have the best access to a high-quality education.”
Meanwhile, the Teacher Education Association, better known as the TEA, says the bill would be a mistake. TEA President Tanya Coats said that Tennessee needs “every dollar we can invest” even if it comes with “federal strings.”
