Tennessee House narrowly advances voucher bill

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — An already contentious voucher-like proposal took a dramatic turn in Tennessee as Republican leaders refused to acknowledge a vote spiking the proposal on the House floor and Senate leaders advocated for a drastically different version.

Tuesday’s action marked the latest evolution stemming from Gov. Bill Lee’s education savings account proposal — known as a voucher-style program allowing families to take public dollars to pay for private school tuition and other expenses.

In the House, Speaker Glen Casada refused to accept a vote tally spiking the voucher bill by just one vote. Instead, he held the floor in limbo for more than 30 minutes until he had successfully lobbied a fellow Republican to flip his vote.

Casada’s action sparked outcry from Democrats, who argued the decision likely violated the state’s constitution.