Governor Bill Lee confirmed in a Monday press conference that he is “engaged” with Republican candidates to determine their stance on school choice following the defeat of his Education Freedom Scholarship Act, which would have provided 20,000 Education Savings Accounts for Tennessee students.
Lee said he has “met with several candidates, some who are in open seats; some who are incumbents,” with the governor specifically asking the candidates for their stances on “what I’m talking about is education freedom and choice for parents.”
The governor explained, “I want to know where new candidates stand on that issue because it’s so important to me, so you’ll see me talking to candidates.”
Lee said he intends to “find out everything about all the candidates in a particular district,” including their stance on school choice, to help him “understand who I can be most supportive [and] most helpful to” ahead of the primary elections on August 1.
While Lee’s school choice program failed during the 2024 legislative session, with the governor officially admitting defeat in April, his latest remarks come amid speculation he could revive the plan in 2025.
Acknowledging the defeat of his proposal, Lee previously stated, “While we made tremendous progress, unfortunately it has become clear that there is not a pathway for the bill during this legislative session.”
He added, “I also want to thank the speakers and leaders of both chambers for their commitment to pursuing education freedom next year.”
The news that Lee is now vetting Republicans to determine their position on school choice comes after Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition Executive Director Aaron Gulbransen, who formerly reported for The Tennessee Star, predicted Lee’s proposal would be approved by lawmakers in January 2025 during a recent appearance on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.
“The General Assembly is going to pass school choice next session. All of the kinks are going to be worked out,” said Gulbransen. “I believe we will have a final bill before the General Assembly session starts.”
Gulbransen added, “I do believe we will have a final bill, or as close to a final as you can have without it being officially final, but there will be a bill that will be agreed upon before the General Assembly session in 2025 starts.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Bill Lee” by Bill Lee.
