Heritage Foundation briefs TN legislators on issues

About 35 legislators turned out for a 90-minute  briefing on issues of interest to The Heritage Foundation that was arranged by Republican state Rep. Jason Zachary of Knox County, reports the Nashville Post.

One of the ideas floated was an education savings account — which the Beacon Center has also announced is on its legislative agenda for this session. The idea is similar to vouchers, in that parents receive the amount of money the state spends per pupil each year and can spend that money on private school tuition; however, if the tuition is less than the amount from the state, parents can keep the money in a savings account to later use for college costs.

Several legislators also seemed receptive to Heritage’s complaint that too many transportation dollars are wasted on things like mass transit, bike lanes and sidewalks. Heritage also stated opposition to further gas tax increases, saying that a better way to fund road improvements is through public-private partnerships and toll roads.