When Gov. Bill Lee called a special session to review education vouchers among other legislative matters, some said they believed he had the votes to pass the school initiative.

Lee has advocated for vouchers since before he was elected governor. He campaigned on the matter in 2018 and has tried multiple times to get the measure passed. This year he’s called a special session — allowing a laser focus on funding for Hurricane Helene’s damage in East Tennessee, support for President Donald Trump’s initiatives and what Lee calls the “Education Freedom Act.”

The school measure is another name for vouchers, which would allow public funds to be used for private school costs. Last year, the effort failed in the final week of the legislators’ session. Part of the issue was the state House of Representatives and state Senate had irreconcilable differences in the bill. It came to a screeching halt in the final days of the 113th General Assembly.