Tennessee lawmakers have prioritized school vouchers and law enforcement during a lean budget year — and the last of Gov. Bill Lee’s term in the state’s highest office.
The state’s $58 billion budget is down $1.5 billion from last year as Tennessee contends with inflation. The Tennessee State Funding Board has forecasted shrinking revenue in the year ahead.
The legislature approved an expansion to Lee’s signature school voucher program, although not as many seats as the governor wanted. While Lee proposed an additional $112 million for 40,000 vouchers, the statehouse only approved 35,000. Still, the final budget granted Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship the full figure of $112 million for added scholarships, bringing the total cost of the program to $300 million. A House spokesperson told WPLN News that the surplus will not be spent on scholarships…