Sen. Akbari condemns legislation forcing Shelby County Schools to transfer ‘three Gs’ to Germantown
‘If the three Gs are ripped away from Shelby County Schools, the theft started in the Tennessee Senate’
NASHVILLE — Around 4:30 p.m. April 7, the issue appeared settled. Legislation, designed to force Shelby County Schools to transfer ownership of three school buildings on 60 acres of land to the city of Germantown, was dead.
Senate Bill 898 failed in the Senate Education Committee by a vote of 5 noes to 4 ayes. Germantown elementary, middle and high schools were safe. Shelby County Schools officials worried about overcrowding and the 3,000 plus families zoned to the “three Gs” could breathe a sigh of relief.
But then, just two hours later, after members of the committee returned from a break, Sen. Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) produced a surprise amendment containing most of the words from the forced sale bill, which had died earlier.
“So I want to be clear what we’re doing: there was a bill that just failed earlier in committee and we are taking portions of that and amending an existing bill while we’re in committee, right now?” Sen. Raumesh Akbari questioned.
“Yes,” said Sen. Kelsey.
This time, a majority of the committee’s members voted to approve the forced sale, albeit as an amendment to a completely different piece of legislation.
“If the three Gs are ripped away from Shelby County Schools, the theft started in the Tennessee Senate,” says Sen. Raumesh Akbari, a member of the education committee who spoke against the surprise amendment.
“The bill authorizing this forced land transfer was dead and then resurrected under controversial circumstances,” Akbari says. “We’ll continue working to defeat this new bill, but it’s clear right now: The students and families that attend these school were disrespected by the highest levels of the state legislature.”
If the bill becomes law, thousands of Memphis and Shelby County students zoned for Germantown elementary, middle, and high schools could someday be forced to go to other schools, some of which are already at capacity.
Senate Bill 924, which now contains the forced sale language, will next be heard in the full Senate, but the legislation is not yet scheduled for a vote. The companion bill in the House is scheduled for a floor vote on April 12.
Watch:
Senate Bill 898, forcing the sale of the three Gs, fails
Senate Bill 924, with surprise Amendment #3 to force the sale, (starts at 4:17)
