The week in politics: Key voucher ally calls Gov. Lee's school choice plan 'terrible'

A key voucher supporter in the Tennessee House called Gov. Bill Lee's education scholarship proposal "terrible" at a Maury County candidate forum, telling an audience that Lee's "wide open" proposal could have plunged Tennessee into dire financial straits.

Rep. Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, criticized Lee's bill in response to a question from a public school teacher about the potential for vouchers in the state.

Cepicky, a voucher backer who Lee has endorsed in a competitive primary against Maury County Commissioner Ray Jeter, pointed out that both the Senate and House declined to act on Lee's proposed legislation and instead carried their own bills. Cepicky was the architect of the House version.

"The governor's bill was never heard in committee," Cepicky said. "We said, 'Absolutely not.'"

Though Lee had for months telegraphed his plans to push a statewide voucher plan in 2024, his office did not release proposed bill language until well into the legislative session earlier this year. By then, both the Senate and House had developed dueling versions that neither side would compromise on, leaving Lee's voucher hopes dead in the water for the year.

"There were three bills. The governor's bill, I'm not afraid to say this, was terrible," Cepicky said. "It was wide open, it would have probably added a billion dollars to the budget. It would have put us in the same pitfalls as Arizona."

Arizona, which passed a universal school program in 2022, is now facing a $1.4 billion budget shortfall in part driven by the voucher program, which was originally estimated to cost under $65 million but ballooned to $332 million last year and is only expected to grow in the coming years.

Cepicky said he'd "written out" homeschoolers from his House bill over their concerns they could be held to public accountability measures under the legislation.

"We put parameters in place to make sure this would not break the bank in Tennessee," Cepicky said. "The growth would be measured so we could get to year four and start to track the academic success of these kids. Homeschoolers were out, private schoolers had protections, and we put protections in the bill to protect your tax dollars from getting out of control like in Arizona."

In response, Jeter said he "fundamentally supports" school choice, but he does not want to see public schools defunded, which he believes Cepicky's voucher legislation would do.

Jeter also warned against government getting involved in private education.

"It's very important to me, very important to me, that government stays out of our private educations," Jeter said. "Bottom line, whether that's homeschooling or a private education. No offense, but what he just described to you sounds a whole lot like government regulation in private schools. I don't want to see that."

Lee has stood by his proposal, saying during a speech at the Republican National Convention that school choice was the "civil rights issue of our time."

Registry dismisses complaint against Lundberg

Members of Tennessee’s Registry of Election Finance on Tuesday dismissed a complaint filed against incumbent Tennessee Sen. Jon Lundberg, R-Bristol, which made vague allegations of coordination. Registry members determined that the complaint is “factually insufficient,” lacking specific claims or any evidence of coordination.

The registry board considered offering the complainant an opportunity to clarify the claims, but ultimately voted to dismiss the matter, citing concerns that the complaint process could be “weaponized.”

“We have a legally insufficient complaint before us, and we’re wanting them to flesh it out,” registry board member Tom Lawless said. “Running on the theory of weaponization, which is what seems to be happening more and more especially this year, but you flop something out there, it hits the news cycle, and the damage is done. To keep it percolating along and giving them another shot at it just seems wrong.”

The registry briefly discussed sending a letter to the complainant outlining civil penalties the board could choose to impose for wasting the board’s time by “filing a complaint dismissed facially,” but ultimately decided against it.

A complaint may still be re-filed, with specific allegations supported with proper evidence.

Ogles endorsed by PAC that shares a treasurer with his campaign

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Columbia, who is seeking reelection this year, was endorsed this week by the Competitive Markets Action, an advocacy nonprofit whose political action committee shares a treasurer with Ogles’ campaign.

Competitive Markets Action works to “raise awareness of the harm caused by multinational conglomerates to the American family farmer, the consumer, and the U.S. economy.”

Ogles supported an amendment to reform the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Commodity Checkoff Programs, and co-sponsored the bipartisan Crop Insurance Transparency Act, which would require the USDA to publicly disclose names of producers who receive federally subsidized crop insurance and their federal subsidy amounts.

He also wrote a letter to the House Agriculture Committee leadership opposing reference price increases proposed in the Farm Bill that the group says would add to the national debt and drive inflation.

“Rep. Ogles has proven himself a stalwart advocate for competitive markets and transparency in agriculture, and we are proud to endorse him,” said Marty Irby, president and CEO at Competitive Markets Action.

The treasurer for Competitive Markets PAC is Thomas Datwyler, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Datwyler also serves as treasurer for Ogle's campaign.

Mckenzie calls Burchett DEI comments 'delusional'

Tennessee state Rep. Sam McKenzie, D-Knoxville, slammed "asinine" comments from U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Knoxville, claiming Vice President Kamala Harris was an unqualified "diversity" hire with little evidence to back it up.

In a statement, McKenzie pointed to Harris' legal and public office record as a prosecutor, local district attorney in San Francisco, California attorney general and later elected U.S. senator before she was tapped as VP.

"Burchett seems to believe that only white men are qualified to serve in leading our great nation," McKenzie said. "It’s sad that instead of working to unify the divisions in our country, he has chosen to fan the flames of misogyny and bigotry. It’s disappointing and the people of Knoxville and East Tennessee deserve better.”

Burchett's comments, which critics have deemed both racist and sexist, sparked a censure threat from Texas Democrats after he suggested President Joe Biden only chose Harris, an experienced prosecutor and public official, due to her race.

More: What does censure mean in Congress? Here's what could happen if members criticize Burchett

“Biden said, first off, he’s going to hire a Black female for Vice President, and he just skipped over — what about white females, what about any other group? When you go down that route, you take mediocrity, and that’s what they have right now as the vice president,” Burchett told CNN’s Manu Raju, saying, “100% she was a DEI hire."

Even high-ranking Republicans have chastised the criticism leveled at Harris. Politico reported leaders warned GOP lawmakers to stop making race comments about Harris over concerns about how it could play out on the campaign trail. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, has publicly urged his colleagues to stick to policy criticism as race-based criticism of Harris has ratcheted up in the days since she emerged as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

“Her ethnicity and her gender have nothing to do with this whatsoever. This is about who can deliver for the American people and get us out of the mess that we’re in,” Johnson said at a news conference.

Burchett has double downed on his comments, despite the criticism from both sides of the aisle.

“Do I wish I’d said it? No, but it was the truth," Burchett said on a Wednesday radio show.

Catch up on the week

Tennessee's Democratic delegates vote to endorse VP Kamala Harris for president

Johnson, Bradshaw vie for Democratic US Senate nomination, seek to push party ahead

Tennessee campaign finance officials blast AG, calling deferral of inquiry an abdication

Johnston touts record, wins traditional GOP backers in race for Tennessee's 5th District

Andy Ogles touts legislation, gets AFP backing for reelection for Tennessee's 5th District

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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TN politics: Scott Cepicky, a key ally, slams Bill Lee's voucher plan