The much talked about special legislative session begins Monday in Nashville.
State Representative David Hawk of Greeneville says “it will be more than a one day deal, most likely three to four days. We’ll convene in a regular session Monday afternoon, recess and go into a special session later Monday afternoon. Tuesday morning we will read the bills and begin a committee process on Tuesday and Wednesday. We will possibly vote on some bills on the house floor Wednesday night and likely Thursday morning. It looks like we’re going to have a full week of discussion which is really what we should do to take the proper time to thoroughly vet the bills before us .”
Hawk believes several bill proposals will face legislators during the Special Session. “I foresee seven, eight, nine bills coming before us in the topics of hurricane relief, a potential voucher plan and immigration issues and what we may need to do in the state to support immigration inititives the federal government is talking about. Hopefully we will come up with a few good bills and maybe a few bills we do not need to pass so we will see how that goes.”
One of those bills Hawk does not want to see passed is the Governor’s “Education Freedom Scholarship” plan. “do not favor the voucher bill. In Greene County we have robust choice, a really good Greene County School system, a Greeneville schools system that is an option, some private schools that are really filling the needs of what they do and a very string home school organization that does a good job. so we’ve got plenty of choices in Greeneville and Greene County and I fear that the finances behind the voucher can’t be sustained long term legislation can’t be sustained long term and on top of my other reasons , now that we see a financial obligation, it’s going to be hard to sustain that financially for the years to come if it does pass”
The House will convene at 3 pm eastern Monday, and the Senate at 4pm eastern.
AGENDA ITEMS from capitol.tn.gov
Education Freedom Act
Gov. Lee and legislative leadership introduced the unified Education Freedom Act (SB1/HB1) on November 6, 2024 with the recognition that every Tennessee child deserves to attend the school that best fits their unique needs, regardless of income or zip code.
In addition to establishing Education Freedom Scholarships, the Act further invests in public schools and teachers by delivering teacher bonuses to recognize their unwavering commitment to student success, increasing K-12 facilities funding, and ensuring state funding to school districts will never decrease due to disenrollment. Gov. Lee and the General Assembly will maintain their commitment to public schools by further investing hundreds of millions of state dollars in the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) formula, and raising starting teacher pay.
Learn more at TNEducationFreedom.com.
Hurricane Helene + Disaster Relief
Hurricane Helene was an unprecedented disaster that primarily impacted at-risk and distressed counties, with eligible damage-related costs estimated at $1.2 billion. Gov. Lee proposes immediate legislative and budgetary action to support ongoing recovery efforts and allow for proactive preparation for future emergencies. The comprehensive plan invests more than $450 million in direct disaster relief. Key components of the plan include:
· Disaster Relief Grants (DRG) Fund: $240 million to bolster Tennessee’s existing disaster relief fund, as well as reduce the local cost-share burden from 12.5% to 5% and fund the state match requirement in order to access federal funds and cover administrative costs.
· Hurricane Helene Interest Payment Fund: $110 million to establish a new fund that will help local governments manage loan interest for recovery costs by covering interest costs at 5% per year for three years on loans for recovery expenses.
· Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund: $100 million to create a new program inspired by the HEAL Program that will provide flexible financial resources for future emergencies, including agricultural recovery, unemployment assistance, and business recovery efforts.
· $20 million for the rebuilding of Hampton High School in Carter County, which was destroyed in Hurricane Helene.
Public Safety + Immigration
The Tennessee General Assembly will consider public safety measures related to illegal immigration to ensure the state is prepared for federal policy implementation.
Last year, Gov. Lee directed key state agencies to begin making preparations and stand ready on Day One of the Trump Administration to support efforts to secure our Nation’s borders and keep communities safe.
