Area Democrat cites ‘trickery’ in changed school voucher vote; GOP Sen. Briggs also votes ‘no’
Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-District 13)
“Why would you vote to do something to other counties you won’t do in your own?” Johnson, who voted against the bill, asked in reference to Zachary (R-Farragut/West Knox County), who has been a supporter of school vouchers yet wanted Knox County exempted. “How is that benefitting the whole state?”
When presented with Zachary’s justification for changing his vote (see related story starting on this page), Johnson presented her “problem with that argument.
“Those kids that are in those ‘poor performing schools’ are not going to be able to go anywhere with a $7,300 voucher,” she said. “It doesn’t pay for a reputable school in either Davidson or Shelby (urban counties, where the voucher program is targeted due to a much high number of failing and poor performing schools).
“They need another $10,000 to add on to that,” Johnson added. “What kid in a struggling neighborhood, in a struggling school, is going to be able to add another $10k to actually use a voucher? Plus have transportation, plus have uniforms? Plus, they don’t provide free lunch in private schools.”
Moreover, “in no other state do kids with vouchers perform any better that their peers who go to public schools,” Johnson said.
As for the process, it involved Zachary changing his vote — his original “no” vote left the House 49-49 because Zachary said Knox County was included in the state voucher plan. His vote change happened after House Speaker Glen Casada “held the voting board open” for about 40 minutes and went into a private “back porch” discussion with Zachary and a handful of other lawmakers, where Casada reportedly assured Knox County would be exempted from the final bill when hammered out in conference with the Senate, which also passed the bill.
“I think it happened by trickery, by holding the board; I don’t think that was fair because initially the vote (49-49 meant) it wouldn’t have passed,” Johnson said. “They had to make some deals and twist some arms to get folks to change their votes, and I don’t think that is how democracy works, quite frankly.”
Zachary denied accepting any deals, either personally or on behalf of his 14th District (see related story), other than being assured the final bill would exempt Knox County.
Though it is rare in General Assembly to “hold the voting board,” Casada and other Republicans made reference to a similar action in 2002 by then Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, a Democrat.
“Do two wrongs make a right?” Johnson asked. “... It doesn’t excuse what they did.”
Briggs also a “no”
State Sen. Dr. Richard Briggs (R-Farragut/West Knox County) was among a handful of GOP senators and reps voting against the bill.
“The simple answer is because I believe firmly in public education, public schools and public school teachers, and we need to keep our education funding in public schools,” he said.
