Despite the fact that the U.S. Department of Education funnels more than $800 million into Tennessee alone, some leading Republican legislators have signaled support for President-Elect Donald Trump’s promise to eliminate the department altogether.

Despite criticizing Gov. Bill Lee’s plan previously as “terrible,” Representative Scott Cepicky’s, R-Culleoka, expects lawmakers to iron out their differences about school choice legislation next year.

A new survey study from the Applied Social Research Lab at East Tennessee State University indicates that 56 percent of Tennesseans believe the state is “headed in the wrong direction.” Respondents cited concerns over the economy, as well as a divide over Tennessee school districts’ efforts to ban inappropriate books from school libraries.