‘Vouchers are a scam’

Sen. London Lamar will oppose G.O.P.’s new private school voucher expansion

MEMPHIS — Tennessee Republican lawmakers today filed HB 1/SB 1, legislation to enact Gov. Bill Lee’s private school voucher scam. Sen. London Lamar, the chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, issued a statement opposing the bill.

Full statement by Sen. London Lamar:

“Once again, Tennessee Republicans are pushing an expansion of their failed private school voucher scheme. This isn’t about improving education; it’s about diverting public dollars away from underfunded public schools to private institutions that are unaccountable to taxpayers and don’t serve every student. Vouchers are a scam — they aren’t working to improve student outcomes here in Tennessee, nor have they succeeded at this scale anywhere else in the country.

“The economics of this plan simply don’t make sense. Wherever universal voucher programs have been implemented, they’ve led to runaway spending, benefiting a few at the expense of our neighborhood schools. Instead of funneling taxpayer money into unproven programs, we should be focusing on strengthening our public schools so they can serve every child, in every community, with the resources and accountability they deserve.

“The legislature should reject this misguided proposal and work on real solutions that empower all students to succeed.”

The 114th Tennessee General Assembly officially begins today. Lawmakers will gather for legislative business in January.