Tennessee Senate Passes 35K School Vouchers

0:00It's April 17th, from your city to your ears. This is Canada News Today, powered by AI. Tennessee Synod just greenlit 35,000 school vouchers for the 2026-27 year, passing 18-14, that lines up with the house bill from earlier this week, which squeaked by 52-43. Both fell short of Governor Bill Lee's push for 40,000, and now it's all headed to his desk for a signature. Some makers hashed out some big tweaks during an hour-long Senate debate, mainly hitting the whole harmless rule that protects public school funding. Now districts only get reimbursed for kids who bolt to vouchers, and only of those students gave their social security numbers when they first enrolled. Democrats and a few Republicans pushed back hard, warning it phases out those funding safeguards and sparks privacy nightmares. They say tying cash to social security numbers breaks federal rules, since schools can't force parents to share them, and they might scare off immigrant, families from even enrolling kids, tanking public school budgets further.

1:03Critics also slammed the expansion without proof. Private schools deliver better results, pointing to a state report showing past voucher kids lagging, behind public school peers on tests. GOP leaders countered with massive demand over 56,000 families applied this year, arguing parent choice trumps test scores every time. As the bill awaits the governor's okay, this voucher push keeps stirring up the education