Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, has filed a bill to exempt undocumented students in grades K-12 from deportation. (Photo: John Partipilo)
King Solomon of the Old Testament is purported to have said many years ago, “there is nothing new under the sun.” And so it will be with the 2025 session of the Tennessee General Assembly.
While private-school vouchers are expected to garner the lion’s share of attention, immigration bills will fill lawmakers’ plates with annual upheaval.
Republican Sen. Todd Gardenhire of Chattanooga is sponsoring a measure designed to exempt undocumented immigrant students who otherwise would be reported by local authorities to federal immigration officials for deportation. The Senate Judiciary chairman’s bill follows up on a law passed in 2024 and requires local law enforcement to tell the feds the immigration status for anyone arrested for a criminal offense. It also puts a $1,000 civil penalty on law enforcement agencies that don’t comply.
Yet it also has the caveat for K-12 students in that it would not apply to school resource officers and students’ immigration status. In addition, it would exempt individuals who haven’t been arrested by local law enforcement or come into contact with police as victims or witnesses.
I don’t think we ought to punish children for the sins or the wrongdoing the parents have committed. Not only is that a personal belief, but that is all through the Bible.
– Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga
Gardenhire said Thursday the bill that passed last year was “poorly written” and bypassed the Judiciary Committee because it had no penalty for law enforcement agencies that decided not to enforce the law. He contends all bills affecting law enforcement should be written correctly.
The crux of his argument, though, is to protect school kids.
“I don’t think we ought to punish children for the sins or the wrongdoing the parents have committed,” Gardenhire said. “Not only is that a personal belief, but that is all through the Bible.”
Thus, Gardenhire’s comment meshes with the Ecclesiastical reference, which also gets into “chasing after the wind” and how meaningless our earthly possessions can be.
Regardless of the biblical basis, look for Gardenhire’s bill to bring plenty of attention and conflict with other pieces of legislation.
Republican Rep. Todd Warner of Chapel Hill, for instance, is sponsoring a measure that goes the opposite direction by putting pressure on the federal government to deal with undocumented immigrants.
Under his bill, after 48 hours in detention, an undocumented immigrant would be taken by law enforcement to the nearest sanctuary city up to 700 miles away. That local government would bill the Tennessee Department of Revenue to pay for transportation and housing. Then the state would send an invoice to the U.S. Department of Treasury to pay for the expenses. If the state isn’t reimbursed in 30 days, it would withhold a portion of federal motor fuel taxes sent to Washington. The Senate version is sponsored by Republican Sen. Joey Hensley.
“It don’t [sic] affect people with work visas or people with papers. This is people who cross illegally,” Warner said.
The bill also would fit well with President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to deport undocumented immigrants. While pushing that measure, Warner said he has a “big problem” with Gardenhire’s exemption bill, and Hensley is likely to balk too.
Warner said a Williamson County teacher recently told him she had 25 students in her class, only three of whom could speak English. The main problem with that is if we start deporting people based on poor English skills and bad grammar, we might not have a person left in the state. The Constitution also requires that children go to school.
But based on Trump’s agenda, and that of the Tennessee legislature, everyone better start conjugating in English — or beware that knock on the door.
Still hunting for votes
Coffee shop talk is that Gov. Bill Lee will call a special legislative session for the last week of January to take up his private-school voucher bill, which in the second year would offer $7,000 to every student in the state to enroll at a private school, in addition to money for one year to keep local school districts from going broke immediately.
That chip, chip, chipping away you hear is not the thawing of the polar ice cap.
Of course, nobody will admit to the special session talk, which makes one wonder if he’ll pour out his soul at the State of the State and beg lawmakers to pass his “legacy” initiative.
Lt. Gov. Randy McNally said this week talks are “ongoing” but that no decisions have been made or dates set “for any such special session.”
Spokesperson Elizabeth Johnson said Thursday Gov. Lee remains grateful for the legislature’s “continued commitment to deliver Education Freedom Scholarships to Tennessee families by keeping funding for last year’s proposal in the budget. We continue to work in partnership with legislative leadership to deliver on this promise, and all options are on the table.”
The comment fails to point out that the legislature failed spectacularly to pass the voucher bill last year because three bad bills couldn’t merge into one.
House Minority Leader Karen Camper proposed a laundry list of education ideas, such as a revised K-12 funding formula, school support measures and “accountability” for schools that take voucher money.
Conventional wisdom is that Gov. Lee would call a special session only if he has the votes to pass it, and if he had them, he would have called one already for early January.
Never one to give up, he’s said to come bearing gifts to lawmakers who oppose the voucher plan. (Sorry for the belated Wise Men reference.)
Of course, if the plan is so good, why does he have to cut deals? Maybe that’s because it’s not so special, and besides: Who wants their legacy to be undermining public schools?
Quit the trash talk
State Rep. Vincent Dixie and the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators are asking Comptroller Jason Mumpower to lighten up on former Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover as the State Building Commission delves into the college’s troubled finances.
The lawmakers sent Mumpower a letter this week challenging his recent line of questioning about whether TSU had severed ties with Glover, including keeping her from having a campus “parking place” as it rescinded payments for her to serve as an adviser.
“Your assertion that Dr. Glover ‘made out like a bandit while leaving only a legacy of dysfunction’ is deeply troubling,” their letter says.
It adds that Glover helped bring national acclaim to the university but that Mumpower goes out of his way to “disparage and disrespect” her.
The letter also says Mumpower’s suggestions to sell TSU assets to developers “raises serious ethical concerns” and calls on the state to support TSU considering historical underfunding – up to $545 million based on a state study and $2 billion according to a federal report. The comptroller urged TSU to sell the Avon Williams Campus in downtown Nashville and property at John C. Tune Airport, which he said has received a $9 million offer.
Letter to Comptroller Mumpower (002)
Mumpower issued this statement: “While I certainly respect the members’ opinion, my role as Comptroller is to ensure decisions are made that protect the financial and operational functions of Tennessee State University. A successful TSU is vital to our state.
TSU is facing a critical situation, and this is the time to ask tough questions and for university leaders to make difficult choices.
I stand by my comments regarding the former president. There is clear and overwhelming evidence that her administration placed the university in financial peril. I am pleased to hear that the new administration and board has ended that relationship.”
No doubt, people were flabbergasted when they found out TSU signed a contract to pay $800,000 to Glover, then agreed to pay her another $800,000 to provide advice, even though the university couldn’t make payroll in the fall and laid off some 113 employees. That’s apparently why the interim president left the campus and was replaced by former Board of Trustees member Dwayne Tucker. The matter could well play out in court.
In the meantime, the group of lawmakers wants Mumpower to reconsider his “aggressive” stance against the historically Black university and the Black leadership of Mason, Tennessee, which he hammered for weak finances caused by the preceding white administration.
It’s sound advice, but don’t hold your breath waiting for Republican leaders to rein in the rhetoric.
“It’s all about money / Ain’t a damn thing funny / You got to have a con in this land of milk and honey.” *
* “The Message,” Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
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