Conaway: The governor’s wallet opens Jan. 27
“Every vote for vouchers takes tax money, your money, from already underfunded public schools and gives it to private schools.”
Topic: Gov. Bill Lee
RSSThere are 330 article(s) tagged Gov. Bill Lee:
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January 2025
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November 2024
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Tennessee teachers scoff at proposed bonuses linked to Gov. Lee’s school voucher plan
“It’s a one-time bonus that’s basically asking us to sell out our public schools,” said Liz Marable, a longtime Memphis educator who is currently president of the United Education Association of Shelby County. “But we are not for sale.”
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October 2024
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Tennessee is gearing up for another private school voucher debate. Here’s what we know.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson told school board members the governor is planning a “substantial” increase for public education funding in 2025 but didn’t specify how much or for what.
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May 2024
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Tennessee is the latest state to mandate automatic defibrillators at high schools
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell joined Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday to celebrate Tennessee’s new law requiring all high schools to keep an automated external defibrillator available during classes, athletic practices and games.
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Gov. Lee OKs bill allowing death penalty for child-rape convictions
The new Tennessee law, which goes into effect July 1, authorizes the state to pursue capital punishment when an adult is convicted of aggravated rape of a child.
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Lee says constitutional carry not a problem in Memphis, voucher bill to return
Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday, May 7, the ability to open carry firearms — and “constitutional rights” — are not the issue when it comes to Memphis and Shelby County crime.
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April 2024
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Tennessee lawmakers adjourn after finalizing $1.9B tax cut and refund for businesses
Gov. Bill Lee was able to secure a deal on the $1.9 billion tax cut and refund for businesses. The amount is almost 4% of the state’s $52.8 billion budget — which largely does not contain tax breaks for most Tennesseans.
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TN House passes bill allowing armed teachers year after Nashville shooting
Some opponents of the bill hope liability concerns may make teachers and schools think twice before adopting the program.
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TN lawmakers approve $52.8B spending plan as school voucher agreement hopes flounder
Even with the budget approved in the House and Senate, lawmakers still remained divided on whether they’ll advance any proposal to spend vastly more public money to send students to private schools throughout the state.
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Gov. Lee signs bill requiring local officers to aid US immigration authorities
The Tennessee bill says law enforcement agencies and officials “shall” cooperate in various immigration tasks already spelled out in state law, instead of saying they “are authorized” to do so.
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Tennessee lawmakers pass bill to require anti-abortion video in public schools
The bill says the video, produced by an anti-abortion group, must be shown as part of a school’s family life curriculum.
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March 2024
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Governor signs bill into law preventing limits on traffic stops
Bill Lee signed a law that nullifies a Memphis ordinance that banned pretextual stops, which was passed in 2023 after Tyre Nichols’ death.
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Tyre Nichols’ parents ask for meeting with Gov. Bill Lee
Tyre Nichols’ parents have released a letter asking to sit down with Gov. Bill Lee before he signs a bill that would ban traffic stop ordinances like the one passed by the Memphis City Council.
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Tyre Nichols’ parents furious after meeting with state Sen. Brent Taylor
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Tennessee reading law’s retention policies should start as early as kindergarten, state board says
In a rare action, the state Board of Education passed a resolution questioning whether the 2021 law targets the right age group.
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February 2024
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Gov. Lee proposes $1.2 billion in business tax refunds, $410 million annual cut
The tax cut is among the biggest expenses in the governor’s budget, and comes as state revenues are stagnating. Lee argues the state can afford it because revenue is stabilizing at a level significantly above where it was a few years ago.
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This Week in Memphis: Lee’s State of the State, NBA trade deadline
Also happening this week: The Memphis City Council votes on extending health benefits to themselves, and Monday is the first day to pull qualifying petitions for August state and federal primary elections.
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Memphis Judge Mary Wagner appointed to Tennessee Supreme Court
Gov. Bill Lee has now appointed a majority of the Tennessee Supreme Court’s justices.
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January 2024
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Draft of Gov. Lee’s school-voucher plan accidentally released, then withdrawn
The details of the Education Freedom Scholarship Act draft — which was filed and quickly withdrawn on Monday — conform to those Gov. Bill Lee laid out when he announced the proposal in late November.
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Conaway: Gov. Lee wants you to pay tuition at MUS and Hutchison
“Lee thinks his voucher program will become a national model. The lies told to get it, and the threats and pressure brought to bear, have already made it a national embarrassment.”
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Tennessee private school voucher law hits new obstacle in court
A legal challenge to Tennessee’s private school voucher law is back on track after a state appeals court ruled that a lower court erred in dismissing the case.
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December 2023
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Memphis homicides broke a record in 2023, Lee talks vouchers and more
Memphis’ homicide rate, school vouchers and passenger rail were among the topics discussed on this week’s “Behind The Headlines.”
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Gov. Bill Lee grants clemency to 23
The Tennessee governor has granted one commutation and 22 pardons, including a Sevier County woman convicted of first-degree murder. Two of those receiving pardons are from Shelby County.
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Lakeland Schools join chorus of opposition to vouchers
The list of government entities opposing a school voucher program continues to grow as the Lakeland School Board passes a resolution against Gov. Bill Lee’s plan.
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Governor calls school voucher plan ‘freedom,’ while opponents call it ‘a scam’
The General Assembly approved private school vouchers by a one-vote margin in 2019, with some supporting the program because it applied only to Memphis and Nashville. Now, Lee wants anyone, regardless of income, to have access to discounted private school tuition.
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November 2023
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Gov. Lee sends more THP troopers to Memphis — again
More than 50 troopers will contribute to an ongoing “surge” over the next few weeks, after state Sen. Brent Taylor pleaded for more help fighting crime in Memphis.
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