Gov. Lee’s voucher scam will cost at least $1.1 billion in five years
2:30 p.m. CT - SB 6001 - Senate Education - Watch
- Gov.
Bill Lee’s voucher scam will get its first shot in the Senate Education Committee today. But the legislation is already sending shivers down the spines of true fiscal conservatives with estimated costs soaring above $1.1 billion in just five years.
- The biggest beneficiaries of this new government largesse will be families who are already enrolled in private schools, according to the fiscal note.
- Despite fantastical voucher claims from Gov. Lee, reputable private schools will still be inaccessible for low and middle-income families due to tuition costs above the amount of the voucher, strict admission policies and capacity issues. So taxpayer-funded vouchers will flow to families who are already enrolled in private schools no matter how high their household income is.
- The end result is a budget-busting, new government subsidy for high-income families.
- With the governor poised to funnel millions of tax dollars to well-off families, two important notes:
Gov. Lee dedicates $5.6 million to mass deportation czar, grant program
9:30 a.m. CT - SB 6002 - Senate Government Operations - Watch
11 a.m. CT - SB 6002 - Senate Transportation - Watch
1 p.m. CT - SB 6002 - Senate Judiciary - Watch
- In the department of “putting the cart before the horse,” Gov. Bill Lee’s mass deportation legislation creates a four-person government office for a state deportation czar and a grant program for local governments to assist with federal immigration enforcement — all before President Trump has issued new immigration guidelines for states.
- The legislation also changes driver’s license rules for migrant workers and creates a felony for local officials who enact or even vote for “sanctuary city” policies, as determined by the Republican attorney general. But it’s already illegal for local governments to enact “sanctuary city” policies due to an earlier law.
- Be careful what you wish for, GUV. The mass detention and deportation of Tennessee’s immigrants may not just devastate families. It could also cripple economic sectors, like agriculture, construction and tourism, that rely heavily on an estimated 100,000 migrant workers in the state.
Gov. Lee wants new ‘financing authority’ to take on debt for toll roads
9:30 a.m. CT - SB 6006 - Senate Government Operations - Watch
11 a.m. CT - SB 6006 - Senate Transportation - Watch
- Gov. Bill Lee is asking the legislature to create a new transportation financing entity that can take on debt to finance his toll road projects.
- By creating a separate entity that finances these privately-run toll road projects, Gov. Lee and Republicans can still proudly say the state is technically “debt free.” We’re so proud.
Legislation establishes two separate disaster relief funds
10 a.m. CT - SB 6003 - Commerce & Labor - Watch
- Senate Bill 6003 would establish two new government funds:
- Hurricane Helene Interest Payment Fund. TEMA may issue grants from this fund to local governments for the purpose of paying interest costs on money borrowed to pay for eligible disaster recovery costs.
- Response and Recovery Fund. TEMA may issue grants or loans from this fund to “third parties” for the purpose of responding to or recovering from a state of emergency or disaster.