In April Tennessee Governor Bill Lee promised to bring his plan to let parents use taxpayer dollars to send their children to private school back next year, and this week he’s taking a new step to help it pass.¶
The governor announced his endorsement of Blount County attorney Jason Emert in the House District 20 race. Emert is facing county commissioners Tom Stinnett and Nick Bright in the August Republican primary.¶
“Thank you Gov. Bill Lee! I am deeply humbled by your support,” wrote Emert on social media.Of the three Republican candidates in the race, Emert has been the most vocal about his support for the Governor’s Education Freedom Scholarship Plan, sometimes referred to as vouchers. Governor Lee noted that support in making his endorsement.¶
“Jason Emert is a strong conservative and reserve military officer who will work to expand opportunity for Tennessee families by empowering parents with school choice, creating quality jobs and cutting taxes,” said Governor Bill Lee. “I’m honored to support Jason’s election to the Tennessee House of Representatives, and I look forward to working with him to create a brighter future for Tennesseans.”¶
Governor Lee unveiled the Education Freedom Scholarship plan to much fanfare last November to expand on the existing Education Savings Account program that’s available to families in Davidson, Shelby, and Hamilton County and offer families across the state more than $7 thousand each year to send their children to private school.¶
The plan ran into a roadblock in the Tennessee General Assembly when leaders in the House and Senate proposed vastly different plans and failed agree on a path to reconcile those differences. The topic has divided opinions statewide, with some believing that the push for school “vouchers” diverts public education funds away from public schools that already rank low in per-pupil public school spending.¶
At last week’s House District 20 debate in Blount County neither Stinnett nor Bright expressed full support of the governor’s plan while Emert enthusiastically embraced it.¶
“I’m all for vouchers and school choice. I’m a product of school choice. School choice saved my life,” said Emert. “I was bullied so severely [in public schools] that I contemplated my own demise.”¶
State Rep. Bryan Richey, R-Maryville, left the House District 20 seat open for challengers this year when he opted to run for State Senate. Richey was among those who voted against the “voucher” plan in the House Education Administration Committee.¶
The winner of the House District 20 Republican primary will be heavily favored over Democratic candidate Karen Gertz in November.¶
