School choice passes State Senate in wide bipartisan vote

NASHVILLE, TENN. (Mar. 30, 2015) – Tonight, the State Senate voted 23 – 9 in favor of the Tennessee Choice and Opportunity Scholarship Act. This bill and its companion in the House continue to gather momentum as it has received 55 out of 72 votes in the legislative process thus far. The Tennessee Federation for Children released the following statement in support:
“Parents and children should rejoice that school choice continues to gain momentum on Capitol Hill,” said Tony Niknejad of the Tennessee Federation for Children. “We are thankful to Senators Gardenhire and Kelsey, Lieutenant Governor Ron Ramsey, and Governor Bill Haslam who helped to usher a bill through the State Senate that received bipartisan support on the floor this evening and for the past three years. They stand with the strong majority of Tennessee parents who support school choice and want to give their children access to a high-quality education that they deserve. With this vote, our Senate has sent the message that parents should have the option to choose the school that best fits their son or daughter’s individual needs, interests, talents, and abilities. With 19 states that have implemented successful school choice programs– including five on our state border– and more than 300,000 students getting access to educational choice nationwide, we are pleased to see the Senate working to make sure that Tennessee children don’t fall through the cracks.”