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Article published Jun 19, 2009 Expansion of charter schools headed to governor
The Associated Press
NASHVILLE -- A proposal to expand who would be eligible to attend charter schools in Tennessee was sent to the governor for his consideration on Thursday.
Charter schools are funded with state and local tax dollars but don't have to meet some of the state regulations regular schools do as they try to find innovative ways to improve student learning.
Under the proposal -- which passed the Senate 27-2 and the House 79-15 -- children in school systems with at least 14,000 students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunches would be eligible to enroll. Preference would be given to students with failing grades or those from failing schools."I'm a strong believer that we need to have a variety of options in our portfolio for children," said Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Jamie Woodson, a Knoxville Republican and Senate sponsor. "One shoe doesn't fit every child, and it's just one more tool in our tool box to provide excellent choices for children in Tennessee."
The measure also would cap the number of charter schools in the state at 90, and limit the number to 20 in Nashville and 35 in the city of Memphis.
The only dissenting Senate votes were from Democrats Charlotte Burks of Monterey and Beverly Marrero of Memphis. Both have said charter schools absorb funding that should be going to regular public schools.
Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle of Memphis agrees charters shouldn't replace public schools but said they have a place.
Sixteen charter schools operate in Tennessee and 10 have been approved to open in August.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan has warned that Tennessee could lose out on more than $100 million worth of federal stimulus money if it doesn't expand access to the schools.McCord's bill on fundraising fails
In other legislative news, a proposal to allow sitting lawmakers to raise money for their gubernatorial campaigns during the legislative session was killed in a House committee Thursday.
The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Joe McCord of Maryville died on a 10-10 vote in the House Calendar Committee, the last stop before a full floor vote.
The bill would have limited the in-session fundraising to lawmakers running for positions outside the Legislature.
But House Minority Leader Gary Odom, D-Nashville, argued that nothing in the bill would have stopped lawmakers from filing papers to run in outside races and then spending the money on their own legislative campaigns.
"To think about making that dramatic change in our campaign finance laws in the last hours of the legislative session is just absurd," Odom said.
The proposal would have benefited two lawmakers running for governor, Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville and Democratic Sen. Roy Herron of Dresden. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle of Memphis is also considering a bid.
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Turner of Old Hickory said he voted in favor of the bill because two independently wealthy candidates -- Republican Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Democratic Nashville businessman Ward Cammack -- are in the gubernatorial race.Standalone ethics panel dropped
In other matters, the legislature has voted to do away with the standalone Ethics Commission that lawmakers created in 2005 in response to an FBI sting that netted four sitting lawmakers and an ex-senator accused of selling their votes.
Legislation sent to Gov. Phil Bredesen's desk late Wednesday night would merge the Ethics Commission with the state Registry of Election Finance in a move sponsors say will streamline government and save about $300,000 -- a relatively small sum in a $29.6 billion budget but an argument that resounded in a year of spending cuts and slumping revenues.Bill to delay new paper ballot rules fails
Also Thursday, the state Senate narrowly rejected a measure Thursday that would have delayed implementing a Tennessee law requiring authorities to create a paper trail from voting machines.
Under the Tennessee Voter Confidence Act passed last year, new optical-scan machines to be phased in for elections are required to create a paper trail as a safeguard against balloting irregularities.
Every county in the state was supposed to have the machines ready in time for the 2010 governor's race, but the measure rejected Thursday would have delayed that implementation.
State Elections Coordinator Mark Goins told the Knoxville News Sentinel that failure to pass the bill will likely lead to a lawsuit overturning the law now on the books to mandate the new machines.
Proponents cited cost and technical concerns for delaying the law from taking effect until 2012. But those who oppose delaying implementation of the plan say putting off the date will erode public confidence in the state's electoral process.