TN ED REPORT: “100% FOR CHARTERS, 2.5% FOR TEACHERS” #StateOfTheState

/in , , /by

Andy Spears owns the public policy consulting firm Spears Strategy which provides policy and advocacy consulting to school systems, non-profits, and parent groups. Spears holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration with an emphasis in education policy. Over the past 15 years, he has worked in public policy roles in state and local government in Kentucky and Tennessee. Follow @TheAndySpears for his take on politics and policy and subscribe to the TN ED REPORT HERE.

—–

Tonight, Governor Bill Lee outlined his proposed budget for 2019-2020. Lee’s budget doubles the fund for charter school facilities to $12 million. This amounts to a benefit of $342 per student (there are roughly 35,000 Tennessee students in charter schools).

Meanwhile, he announced a meager improvement to teacher salaries of around 2% – $71 million. This amounts to $71 per student.

So, charter schools — which serve only 3.5% of the state’s students — will see a 100% increase in available facility funding from the state while teachers will see only a 2% increase in pay.

If the two investments were equal and funded at the rate granted to charter schools, there would be a $342 million investment in teacher salaries. That’s roughly a 10% raise. A raise that’s desperately needed as Tennessee leads the nation in percentage of teachers with little to no classroom experience. We also have one of the largest teacher wage gaps in the Southeast.

As one Nashville teacher pointed out, Nashville – and the entire state — have a failed business plan:

I’m starting a business and looking for workers. The work is intense, so the workers should be highly skilled. Experience preferred. Starting salary is 40k with the opportunity to get all the way to 65k after 25 years of staying in the same position. See how dumb that sounds?

Now, those are numbers for Nashville. Some teachers around the state have to teach for 10 years before they even hit $40,000. Still, the point is clear: The value proposition for teachers in our state is not very good. Unfortunately, Governor Lee’s first budget is not doing much to change that. It’s the status quo. A nominal increase that will likely not entirely make it into teacher paychecks.

Tennessee’s numbers when it comes to both investment in schools and educational attainment are disappointing. Continuing along the same path means we’ll keep getting the same results.

The bottom line: Money matters.

 

 

HYPOCRISY ALERT: TN GOP To Pass Sex Abuse Awareness Resolution While Silent On Byrd

/in , , , , /by

Yet another incredible chapter of the Rep. David Byrd saga is unfolding right before our eyes, albeit under the radar.

Rep. Mike Sparks (R-Smyrna) is carrying a joint resolution to be heard by the Judiciary Committee Wednesday morning that “Urges the state to increase awareness of sexual abuse and the substance abuse and crime that result from sexual abuse.”

It passed a subcommittee by voice vote last week.

This is happening while still not a single Republican member of the legislature has spoken out against Rep. David Byrd, who apologized on tape to 1 of the 3 women who have now accused him of sexually molesting them when they were high school basketball players playing for him at Wayne County High School.

Former Speaker Beth Harwell asked Byrd to step down. Current Speaker Glen Casada not only hasn’t done that, he promoted Byrd to chair of an education subcommittee.

Here’s some video of Sparks presenting the resolution to a subcommittee, where it passed by voice vote:


The hypocrisy levels are off the charts on this one. From the Resolution:

“It is vitally important that victims of sexual abuse receive appropriate treatment and care that involve understanding, recognizing, and responding to the types of trauma to help them become survivors and rebuild a sense of control and empowerment.”

It’s almost as if they’re trolling Byrd’s victims and everyone who stands with them, including the women Speaker Casada had thrown out of Byrd’s subcommittee hearing last week for no reason.

All this comes after Casada blatantly lied about ever meeting with the victims, who he proceeded to run ads against calling them fake news.

This resolution rings hollow given the current situation. If you agree, holler at Sparks, and Speaker Casada.

And feel free to join Enough is Enough at Byrd’s subcommittee hearing Tuesday afternoon at 4pm at the Cordell Hull Building.

VIDEO: Rep. Faison’s “Facts” Flub – On Guns & the Bahamian Death Penalty

/in , , , , /by

This week Rep. Jeremy Faison made an inaccurate statement in his defense of HB 1264, a bill that would would create a new concealed handgun carry permit process that requires no fee and only a 2 hour online training, meaning people would be able to get permits and carry guns nearly everywhere without ever firing one.

Here’s our previous video of highlights from the hearing, in case you missed it.

The bill is being carried by Rep. Andy Holt. It passed the House Judiciary Committee easily, despite the fact that even Speaker Casada’s own polling shows 93 percent of Tennessee voters – including 93 percent of Republicans, 94 percent of Democrats, 88 percent of gun owners and 89 percent of current permit holders – support the state’s current permit requirement for carrying a handgun in public.

For some context: Tennessee is already the 11th worst state when it comes to gun deaths. 6 of the 10 that are worse have laws that make guns easier to get and carry everywhere. In 2017, Tennessee led the entire nation in shootings involving children with access to unsecured, negligently stored firearms.

Studies have repeatedly shown states with stricter gun laws have fewer gun deaths, but some refuse to accept that and cite exceptions to the rule – like Chicago, or in Faison’s case the Bahamas – to “prove” that the correlation is not causation.

At the hearing Rep. Jeremy Faison – who thankfully seems to be recovering well after his recent accident – decided to go with the Bahamas as his example, saying:

“The places where the highest amount of crimes where a gun was used in America… those were in places that we have some of the most strict, draconian, anti-constitutional laws. So somehow this notion that if we pass what y’all call ‘common sense gun laws’ – which don’t exist – that crime’s just gonna go away… ask the Bahamians how that works. In the Bahamas you can get the death penalty for having a gun, and they have major gun crime every day. So I just want to encourage you when you’re trying to use that as an argument – you might want to research your own facts.”

Here’s the video:

Ok Jeremy, let’s “research the facts”.

Faison is simply wrong that “you can get the death penalty for having a gun in the Bahamas”. From the Bahamian Firearms Act:

Any person who purchases, acquires or has in his possession, uses or carries a gun without a licence therefor shall be liable —

  1. (a)  on conviction on information, to imprisonment for a term of ten years and to a fine of ten thousand dollars;
  2. (b)  on summary conviction before a Stipendiary and Circuit Magistrate, to imprisonment for a term of five years and to a fine of ten thousand dollars

There’s more to it, and the years have since been amended, but absolutely nothing in their laws that says “you can get the death penalty for having a gun.”

As one lawyer in the Bahamas told us:

“I have not heard of anyone being subject to a penalty of death upon being convicted of possessing a firearm in the Bahamas. Those convicted are often given a custodial sentence or made to pay a fine at the discretion of the court.”

Another Bahamian resident:

“Frankly, I don’t think you’ll get the death penalty for anything in the Bahamas. The Privy Council has effectively abolished the death penalty.”

Turns out the last execution in the Bahamas was in the year 2000, and as of August 2012 only one man was under the sentence of death – and he killed a police officer.

So that’s a big ol’ whiff from Jeremy there.

Where Faison has an inkling of a point is that the Bahamas does have restrictive gun laws and yet still high gun violence rates, but pointing to that as proof that in general stricter gun laws don’t work is no more valid than it would be to say that one country with much stricter gun laws has almost no gun violence proves they DO work.

Say Japan, for instance.

Again, studies of the issue in general have shown repeatedly there is a relationship between gun laws and the amount of guns, and gun deaths.

This is a complicated problem with many factors playing a part. The Bahamas and some other impoverished countries do have higher gun violence rats, but when it comes to the richest countries in the world, the United States is simply off the charts regarding gun deaths and gun ownership:

 

The Key Word is “Rich”.

The element that often gets left out of the gun violence conversation is the societal factor that has the highest correlation with gun violence is far and away poverty and wealth inequality.

The World Bank has a study that found:

“violent crime rates decrease when economic growth improves… faster poverty reduction leads to a decline in national crime rates.”

As Mark Kaplan professor of Social Welfare at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs put it:

“There is a strong correlation between homicide per million and income inequality… countries that are most equal have the lowest rates of gun-related homicides.”

Here’s a good conversation about it.

So yes, the Bahamas and Chicago have high murder rates. They also have high poverty rates.

When poverty and inequality are rampant in certain countries/neighborhoods, and people are in dire straits and desperate, bad things happen – particularly when guns are extremely accessible within the vicinity. (Chicago has states with lax gun laws right next door, and the Bahamas has the United States nearby)

This doesn’t mean gun safety laws don’t work. On balance the numbers are clear: They do.

What it does mean is if we’re serious about addressing gun violence in our communities, making them cheaper and even easier to get in already dangerous states is not the answer. Instead, we should be focusing on gun safety legislation and policies that address inequality and poverty:

…Raising our $7.25 an hour minimum wage to a livable one…expanding medicaid… subsidizing daycare for low income families… lowering health care costs and drug prices… tax reform that actually helps regular Americans (rather than corporations and the wealthy)… criminal justice reform…

Programs that put more money directly in people’s pockets, makes their lives better, and takes them out of desperate situations will save lives when it comes to gun violence.

In summation: The Bahamas doesn’t tell us gun laws don’t work. The Bahamas reminds us gun violence is a poverty/inequality problem as much as anything else.

And with all due respect to Rep. Faison, maybe next time you should “research your facts” before saying things that aren’t true on a legislative committee, especially one that’s helping to create a more dangerous environment for our children.

Letting people carry in public without ever firing one is like doing away with Driver’s License tests. If you agree, holler at Rep. Faison HERE.

(P.S. – Gun safety laws and the 2nd Amendment are not incompatible. Ask Justice Scalia.)

 

VIDEO: Holt’s Easy Gun Permit Without Ever Firing A Gun Bill Clears Hurdle

/in , , /by

A bill that would create a new concealed handgun carry permit process that requires no fee and only a two-hour, online-training certificate will be heard again March 6.

Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden, District 76, presented HB1264 to House Judiciary Committee members on Feb. 26. The bill passed by voice vote with three Democratic members requesting their opposition be recorded.

The proposed legislation would create two handgun permits in Tennessee: an “enhanced handgun permit,” which tracks closely to the existing permit process; and a new “concealed handgun permit,” which eliminates the registration fee and live firearm training requirement. This means that people may start to read into this Boberg XR9-L – an honest Review or others involving other firearms. Leading them to purchase one and be permitted and licensed much faster than they’ve been able to in the past.

In testimony, Beth Joslin Roth, policy director for the Safe Tennessee Project, said data and statistical evidence suggest that less firearm training for handgun carriers will increase the likelihood of gun-related injury and death in Tennessee. She is backed up by numerous studies.

She pointed out that Tennessee is 11th in gun deaths, and that 6 of the 10 states that have more already have these “Wild West” laws, as Rep. Bo Mitchell referred to them

Watch some of the testimony here:

Joslin Roth said:

“As a researcher, I’m concerned about the reducing the training requirement to carry loaded guns in public. This legislation seems to be moving Tennessee closer to becoming one of the handful of states that do not require gun permits and, therefore, allow the carry of guns without any firearm safety or range training.”

If enacted, the concealed handgun permit would become available Jan. 1, 2020.

Rep. Jeremy Faison questioned Joslin Roth’s statistics on stricter gun laws and fewer gun deaths, which were correct, and our old pal Micah Van Huss chimed in at the end saying:

“Guns everywhere sounds like freedom to me.”

Next we’ll be giving out drivers licenses without ever making anyone get behind the wheel. If you think this is a step in the wrong direction, holler at your reps.

Next step:
HB1264 is scheduled to be heard in the House Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee on March 6.

How they voted:
House Judiciary Committee, Feb. 28, Voice Vote – Ayes Prevail:
Rep. Martin Daniel, R-Knoxville, District 18
Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, District 29
Rep. Michael Curcio, R-Dickson, District 69
Rep. Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville, District 45
Rep. Clay Doggett, R-Pulaski, District 70
Rep. Rick Eldridge, R-Morristown, District 10
Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, District 11
Rep. Andrew Farmer, R-Sevierville, District 17
Rep. Bruce Griffey, R-Paris, District 75
Rep. Dan Howell, R-Cleveland, District 22
Rep. Bud Hulsey, R-Kingsport, District 2
Rep. Curtis Johnson, R-Clarksville, District 68
Rep. William Lamberth, R-Portland, District 44
Rep. Mary Littleton, R-Dickson, District 78
Rep. Brandon Ogles, R-Franklin, District 61
Rep. Iris Rudder, R-Winchester, District 39
Rep. Bill Sanderson, R-Kenton, District 77
Rep. Paul Sherrell, R-Sparta, District 43
Rep. James “Micah” Van Huss, R-Gray, District 6
Rep. Jason Potts, D-Nashville, District 59
Rep. Joe Towns, Jr., D-Memphis, District 84

Requested to be recorded voting No:
Rep. Bill Beck, D-Nashville, District 51
Rep. Karen Camper, D-Memphis, District 87
Rep. Antonio Parkinson, D-Memphis, District 98

Fidel Casada: “Your 1st Amendment Rights End At Your Nose”

/in , , , /by

Today the Tennessean has a story out from Natalie Allison detailing all the ways Speaker Casada has silenced dissent in recent days, particularly with regard to the admitted sex offender he has appointed to chair of an education subcommittee.

Aside from removing peaceful protestors from that committee, here are just some of the ways the Tennessean reminds us Casada is removing transparency from our legislature:

“Under Casada’s leadership, he’s implemented a rule change limiting debate on the House floor. That led to Casada cutting off the microphones of two Democrats on Thursday as they questioned the speaker.”

Here’s VIDEO of that, in case you missed it:


The Tennessean then goes on to point out:

“Several of his appointed committee chairmen have banned livestreaming from personal devices in meetings. A Casada spokesman has said a similar rule is in place in the House chamber… Last week, Casada hastily left a news conference with the help of state troopers, who subsequently temporarily blocked reporters from exiting the room… In a separate incident, a state trooper was dispatched to a legislative office lobby after a television reporter posed questions to Casada’s chief of staff about Rep. David Byrd.”

Regarding removing the peaceful protestors (watch our video HERE), Speaker Casada again perpetuates the lie that they were a “disruption”.

The Meeting was not in session. The women sat silently when it was. Here’s the proof.

The Speaker then goes on to rewrite the constitution, saying protesting is “good” but:

“in an orderly manner… Your First Amendment rights end at your nose.”

“Your first Amendment rights end at your nose”?

What does that even mean? We don’t remember that part of our country’s original document.

Casada isn’t alone in his efforts to silence the women. Jerry “We All Make Mistakes” Sexton, who engaged with the protestors when the Byrd hearing was in recess, also chimes in in the article, as does Rep. Cameron Sexton, both helping Casada perpetuate the falsehood that the women were a “disruption”.

The women were quiet when the meeting was in session, and as Allison points out in the article the 8×11 pieces of paper they had were within the rules of the legislature.

Here’s the back story on that:

“In December 2017, former House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, implemented a policy that sought to prohibit hand-carried signs and signs on “hand sticks” because they were deemed dangerous… The policy received pushback, including in an online petition, and was altered to allow small letter-sized signs. When the policy was updated in January 2018, Connie Ridley, director of legislative administration, said “large signs on sticks or poles” would be prohibited. The policy has not been updated since then… In recent years, protesters have frequently brought signs with them to criticize or encourage lawmakers to take action on legislation.”

So the signs were allowed, the women were quiet… and these men are completely in the wrong. If you have an issue with dissent being silenced in our country, holler at Fidel Casada HERE. 

Rep. Weaver To KKK Bust Protestors: “Some Of My Best Friends Are Black”

/in , , , , /by

There were more fireworks at the capitol today as police arrested a group of young voters who were again there to protest the bust of the KKK’s first Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest, which remains prominently featured in the lobby.

This was not their first clash with Speaker Glen Casada. Previously Casada and Justin Jones, a leader of the group, had a run-in after Chief of Staff Cade Cothren told Jones that the reason Casada wasn’t getting their emails was because Jones had misspelled “Capitol” in the email address.

We obtained proof that this was not true.

This time things escalated further as Jones threw a drink at Speaker Casada as he fled into the elevator.

Physical contact of any kind is something nobody condones. Jones and Jeneisha Harris were both arrested by troopers, and according to Natalie Jones of the Tennessean Jones has been charged with 2 counts of simple assault for hitting Casada and Rep. Debra Moody with his drink, as well as with disorderly conduct.

This confrontation comes on the heels of Casada cutting the mics of Rep. Mike Stewart and Rep. Bo Mitchell today as they were speaking up for a group of peaceful women Casada recently had escorted out of a hearing presided over by Rep. David Byrd. His office says the women were “disrupting the legislative process”. Video shows they were not, and that the hearing was actually in recess when they were taken out by troopers.

Before today’s arrests, Jeneisha Harris had asked Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver to sign their petition to have the bust of the KKK’s first Grand Wizard removed from the state capitol. Weaver would not sign, defending her position with a familiar line:

“Some of my best friends are black.”

It’s worth noting that Weaver previously used a similar defense when she was called out for posting a Halloween picture of herself with her pastor posing in blackface as Aunt Jemima, which Weaver captioned:

“Aunt Jemima, you is so sweet.”

Weaver’s defense when confronted about that?

“I’m the least racist of anyone. Some of my greatest friends are black.”

Maybe one of those friends should have a little chat with her.

If you agree having black friends doesn’t make supporting having a KKK Grand Wizard’s bust in the state capitol, feel free to holler at Weaver HERE.

And Casada is calling anyone who disagrees with him a “radical”, but if you think wanting a KKK Grand Wizard bust removed from the state capitol and an admitted sexual molester to step down is the opposite of “radical”, holler at Casada HERE.

VIDEO: WSMV Report on Speaker Casada Having Protestors Dragged Out of Byrd Hearing

/in , , , , , /by

Here’s the WSMV News 4, Nashville report last night from Jeremy Finley on speaker Glen Casada having peaceful women removed from a hearing chaired by Rep. Byrd that wasn’t even in session, simply because they made Byrd uncomfortable.

Last we checked free speech was an important part of the constitution:

Heartbeat Bill Van Huss “Can’t Find Evil” In Coach Raping/Impregnating Teenage Girl

/in , , , , /by

Yesterday at a Health Committee hearing Rep. Micah Van Huss (R) once again presented his “Heartbeat Bill” – HB 0077 – and reiterated that the bill, which outlaws abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected, often around 6 weeks, does not provide exceptions for rape and incest.

Critics note that many women don’t know they’re pregnant until after 6 weeks, particularly in the case of an unplanned pregnancy, and that the committee is almost entirely male.

Van Huss made headlines last week with his responses to questions from Rep. Vincent Dixie (D), saying that incest is “either consensual or rape” implying that incest should not be included in the abortion exemption conversation, and that rape was a “sin” of both the father and mother that the “baby” should not pay for.

At today’s hearing Dixie and Van Huss again went toe to toe, and again Van Huss gave an answer that elicited gasps from the audience when Dixie presented a detailed scenario in which a high school basketball player was raped by her coach, impregnated, and forced to carry his baby to term.

Dixie asked Van Huss if he can find the evil in that scenario, to which Van Huss replied:

“I cannot. Because the evil I find is what you left out. I don’t believe it’s right to rip an innocent baby limb from limb.”

Watch the video here:

HB 0077 does not provide exceptions for rape and incest. It forces a woman to carry her rapist’s baby to term, and would make it a Class C felony for a doctor to perform an abortion after a fetal heartbeat is detected.

The bill passed 15-4 along party lines, with only 3 women voting. It will now be voted on by the legislature.

The bill has been called “constitutionally suspect” by the committee attorney and the attorney general has also questioned its constitutionality, which means costly legal battles are ahead which the taxpayers of Tennessee would be on the hook for.

Time to holler at your reps loud and clear.

OPINION: “Speaker Casada, We Need To Talk”

/in , , , , /by

Kristina Richardson is a mother, a veteran, and a rape survivor who lives in Rep. David Byrd’s district. She wrote this in response to an op-ed written by Speaker Glen Casada the Tennessean made a highly suspect decision to publish, which came in the wake of the video we put out last week showing Speaker Casada defending his support for Rep. David Byrd, who has apologized on tape for sexually molesting female high school basketball players he coached.

I write Speaker of the House Glen Casada on behalf of every person who may have seen your op-ed decrying “fake news” and false rape reports under the guise of advocating for sexual assault victims.

I write on behalf of every person who saw the video of you speaking with Justin Kanew, and heard the twisted tapestry of lies and half truths that you wove. I write on behalf of every rape survivor who heard the words come out of your mouth, “If I were raped, I’d move. And hell would hath no fury.”

I am a rape survivor, and I can tell you that your meaning was one hundred percent clear despite the pathetic spinning that you have done. As it seems that you are in dire need of an education on sexual violence in our country, I have taken it upon myself to provide you with some information.

Sexual and domestic abuse are bipartisan issues. They are not part of a left-leaning agenda, as you claim. Republicans, Democrats, men, women, children of all races, religions, sexual orientations, and income levels are victims of this type of violence.

The only political agenda that I have regarding sexual and domestic violence is that they be treated as the heinous crimes that they are, and that the accused perpetrators be thoroughly investigated without bias regardless of their wealth, power, or standing in their community.

In your post, you immediately make sexual abuse a partisan issue. You question why those on “the left” seem to receive less media attention when they are accused of abuse. I can’t answer that for certain, but I do have a theory.

I strongly suspect that there is less attention when Democrats are accused of abuse because they often quickly step down. They know that their constituents will not accept that type of behavior.

When you have a man like David Byrd, who refused to step down even when he was asked by his own party to resign, then this type of situation will obviously remain in the news cycle for quite some time.

And to clarify, we at Enough is Enough TN do our very best to remove abusers from positions of power without concern for political affiliation.

Men are more likely to be the victims of sexual assault themselves than be falsely accused of it. There have been numerous studies done on the subject of false rape reports. According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, there are three types of cases that can be classified as “false”:  unsubstantiated, baseless, or false.

Two of these have an element of presumed truthf but not enough physical evidence to prosecute the crime. The third includes accusations that can be proven to be entirely fabricated.

All three of the classifications fall under the umbrella term of a false report despite the fact that a crime may very well have been committed. Even with all of these cases lumped together, the Symposium on False Allegations of Rape estimates the number of false rape accusations is only two to six percent.

And remember – this is very important — many of those cases likely did involve an actual sexual assault.

In order to truly tackle sexual assault in this country, the answer is to start by believing. Approach each accusation of sexual or domestic abuse as if it merits an investigation. Do not let prejudice, prior relationships, money, social status, politics, or anything else prevent you from looking at the case with eyes wide open.

Examine the accusation, don’t try to discredit the victim. Because, if you have taken nothing else from this, I hope you’ve learned that the odds are exceedingly great that they are telling the truth.

Finally: Just because you don’t like something, doesn’t make it fake news.

Kristina is a volunteer with a local organization for sexual and domestic violence victims, Enough is Enough TN, and Indivisible Hardin County.

Williamson County’s Sen. Jack Johnson: “SCHOOL VOUCHERS FOR THEE, NOT FOR ME”

/in , , , /by

Fireworks about Speaker Casada’s support for Rep. David Byrd grabbed the headlines at a Williamson County town hall Friday morning when Lawrence County resident Ashley Massey confronted the rest of the Williamson delegation about the issue – prompting Rep. Sam Whitson to get up and leave the event.

Whitson took heat for his actions on social media. He later said he had told the audience he would be leaving early, but not stopping to apologize to an emotional Massey raised some eyebrows.

Whitson deserves more credit than Speaker Casada though, who was conveniently a no-show despite having been scheduled to be there, leaving his colleagues to handle his mess in front of CNN cameras.

As Massey spoke, Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson sat silently. The incident took the focus away from the policy discussions that had taken place earlier in the morning, where Johnson had more to say, particularly on the issue of school vouchers.

The idea behind vouchers, which are supported by Governor Lee, is that students in struggling Tennessee schools should be able to take the taxpayer dollars and use them towards tuition at other schools, including private schools.

It’s an issue that has become a source of contention throughout the country, particularly as Secretary of Education Betsy Devos has championed it despite “dismal” results in areas that have tried them.

Critics are concerned taking public dollars away from public schools do nothing to solve the issue of having troubled schools, and instead simply make matters worse for the kids who are left behind.

Some feel the agenda is being pushed on behalf of private religious school lobbyists, particularly Christian schools, which have their eyes on public dollars yet are not required to observe the same rules as public schools, meaning public dollars would be subsidizing schools that discriminate against certain communities with impunity, and who aren’t required to follow the same codes of conduct.

Asked whether Christian schools should continue to rely on giving—rather than pushing for taxpayer money through vouchers—Betsy DeVos famously replied:

“There are not enough philanthropic dollars in America to fund what is currently the need in education…Our desire is to confront the culture in ways that will continue to advance God’s kingdom.”

Public schools in rural communities would be acutely impacted, as private schools in those areas could theoretically be created to vulture those much-needed dollars away.

It’s worth noting that the idea of vouchers began when schools were desegregated and some white parents in the South didn’t want their children to go to school with black children.

At the town hall, Rep. Whitson said vouchers were going to be a difficult fight in the TN House, where there were strong feelings on both sides of the issue. Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) on the other hand said he supported vouchers “1000%” – although in the next breath he made it clear they would in no way affect Williamson County, which is where he lives, and which is where the town hall was being held:

He reiterated the point during the Q & A session when Franklin Alderman Bev Burger spoke up in support of vouchers, which she mistakenly appeared to believe would mean more money for the city.

They would not.

Johnson again hammered home the point that his pro-voucher stance is for all parts of Tennessee aside from Williamson County, which begs the question: If vouchers are a good thing for every other part of the state, why is Johnson being so careful to make sure the voters who vote for HIM know THEIR schools won’t be impacted?

Tennessee ranks near the bottom in per-student spending. If Johnson is concerned with Tennessee having “failing” schools, how about maybe addressing that problem itself by spending more money to fix that issue, rather than steering money away from those schools towards private schools owned by those who have money for lobbyists?

Imagine for a second a town. There’s one road in, one road out. The road has been decimated by a flood. There’s no way to drive on it. People can’t get out.

Now imagine if instead of fixing that road, the state offered to pay for helicopters for just a handful of kids whose parents can afford to pay for a portion of the helicopters themselves. What are the kids who can’t afford it supposed to do? How are they supposed to get out?

Vouchers don’t fix the issue of failing schools. Vouchers pick winners and losers, making the problem worse for a majority of students. If the governor wants to add money to help kids in failing schools and start a scholarship program, great.

But steering public dollars away from already struggling public schools is not a solution.

There’s a reason county commissions and school boards throughout the state are passing resolutions against them. Holler at yours if you think they should also, and holler at Jack Johnson to let him know you see his hypocrisy.

If vouchers are bad for Williamson County, they’re bad for the rest of Tennessee.