House District 34 candidates disagree little on LGBTQ-related issues, charter school controversies

Voters in Tennessee House District 34 had the opportunity to question GOP primary candidates—incumbent Tim Rudd and challenger Tucker Marcum—on key education issues such as public charter school funding and protections for LGBTQ students during a Monday debate hosted by WGNS.

Both candidates praised the state’s recent efforts to ban books with sexual content or material deemed age-inappropriate, in line with a new state law that took effect this month. Rudd, who has consistently supported such measures, also expressed his approval of a 2022 law signed by Gov. Bill Lee that penalizes public schools for allowing transgender athletes to participate in girls’ sports. He framed these moves as part of a larger battle against "woke" ideology, which he believes promotes LGBTQ lifestyles in schools.

“It’s not really a matter of protecting LGBTQ and transgender rights. It’s protecting [the rights of] those who are not transgender,” Rudd said. “We’re losing focus on what’s right and wrong, and what’s normal and acceptable… It’s ridiculous to say that a boy who feels like a girl can participate in girls’ sports and take their scholarships away from them… No matter what type of treatments or plastic surgery you have, you’re not going to change that. You can’t change the DNA.”

Marcum, while generally aligning with Rudd on LGBTQ-related school issues, also expressed his support for keeping these matters out of public K-12 education.

“We’ve passed great pieces of legislation that keep this stuff out of our K-12 public education system, which I think is absolutely fantastic,” Marcum said. “A lot of those conversations should happen between parents and their child. So, I’ll continue to support those efforts as well.”

When asked about recent controversies surrounding state charter school funding, Rudd argued that much of the criticism was based on misinformation.

“Charter schools are an extension of public schools. They’re still part of the public school system… They also have outside investors that come in and build the buildings, which reduces the burden on taxpayers,” Rudd explained. “But a few issues did pop up, and we are addressing those with the State Department of Education.”

Marcum, meanwhile, focused on the broader need to reconsider how public education is funded. He cited a recent problem where regional school officials had only 45 days before the new fiscal year to adjust to state guidelines for a new charter school.

“I would also like to see us address how public school systems are funded, period,” Marcum said. “We’re adding between 1,200 to 1,500 students a year throughout the school year in the Rutherford County school system, and we’re missing out on millions of dollars because of how we’re funded.”

To listen to the full discussion, visit wgnsradio.com