New TNJ edition alert: Sexton defends members against ‘intimidation’ tactics
The latest print edition of The Tennessee Journal is out. Here is what’s in it:
— Sexton lowers boom on aggressive Right to Life lobbying stance
— Evaluating the vagaries of the lawmaker ratings game.
— Wait until next year? Call for opting out federal education money will take some more work.
— AG leaves few multi-state initiatives unjoined, but was quick to back off on defending state gun law.
Also: Compromise appears to be in the works to tone down legislature’s fight with Nashville, Torrey Harris gets a reprieve from his domestic violence and theft charges, Brent Taylor’s trial balloons, and House committee chairs give bill opponents the red card.
As always, access the your copy of the TNJ here.
Or subscribe here.
Oops, I did it again? Arnn strikes differing tones in Tennessean, USA Today op-eds
Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn penned two op-eds last week to try to explain his remarks about teachers and education programs. “Teachers are trained in the dumbest parts of the dumbest colleges in the country,” Arnn said at the event attended by Gov. Bill Lee, who has refused to repudiate the comment.
One of Arnn’s op-eds appeared in The Tennessean while the other was published in Gannett’s flagship USA Today. They struck surprisingly differing tones. In the USA Today piece, Arnn started out by declaring “I have said this many times, in public and in private, and will likely say it again.” He also said he’d apologize to Lee if he caused him any embarrassment.
Arnn did not pledge to “say it again” in the Tennessean item and also made no offer of apology to Lee. Both op-eds are dated July 18 and it’s unclear why Arnn took differing approaches for the national and local audiences.
Here’s the top of the Arnn piece in The Tennessean:
At a recent event with Gov. Bill Lee, I remarked that “Teachers are trained in the dumbest parts of the dumbest colleges in the country.” I’ve made similar critiques of the education bureaucracy my entire career.
This does not contradict my deep and abiding affection for teachers. After the students, the most important people in the college where I work are teachers (the maintenance workers are third — and I tell everyone this often).
Dumb can mean “unintelligent,” which I did not mean. Dumb also means “ill-conceived” or “misdirected,” which is, sadly, a fitting description for many education schools today.
And here’s how Arnn started out in in USA Today:
During a recent event in Nashville, I made news by saying, “Teachers are trained in the dumbest parts of the dumbest colleges in the country.”
I have said this many times, in public and in private, and will likely say it again. This time it was important because Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee was present. Many were outraged. I was not speaking for the governor, and I would rather do anything than embarrass him. If I have done that, I apologize to him.
New TNJ edition alert: Redistricting lawsuit, oral arguments over vouchers, 5th District field grows
The latest edition of The Tennessee Journal is out. Here’s what’s in it:
— Democratic lawsuit claims GOP remap unlawful for county splits, district numbers.
— Likely swing vote silent in Supreme Court rehash of voucher arguments.
— Harwell, Winstead join 5th District race despite Trump endorsement.
— Slatery slams legislative proposal to move consumer advocate office.
— After pandemic-related stagnation, lobbying spending on rise in 2021.
Also:
Lee unveils details of proposed overhaul of school funding formula, Juneteenth holiday runs into House roadblock, HBO’s John Oliver mocks John Ragan, and a fee to access to the Sunsphere observation deck.
As always, access the your copy of the TNJ here.
Or subscribe here.
Lee unveils details of school funding overhaul
Gov. Bill Lee is unveiling his proposal to overhaul the state’s school funding formula.
Here’s the release from the Education Department:
Nashville, TN – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn released the details of the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) Act (SB2396/HB2143) that would transition Tennessee’s K-12 public schools to a student-based funding approach. Starting in the 2023-24 school year, the TISA would invest an estimated $9 billion in education funding for the state, including state and local funds, which includes $1 billion in new recurring state funds and $750 million in one-time state funds this year.
The TISA will update the way Tennessee funds public education for the first time in over 30 years to empower each student to read proficiently by third grade, prepare each high school graduate for postsecondary success, and provide resources needed to all students to ensure they succeed. Under the TISA districts would receive more than they would under the BEP should enrollment remain stable. Access an overview PowerPoint presentation of the TISA and associated bill language here. To learn more about the student-based funding formula, visit FundingforStudentSuccess.org.
“The Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement formula will be a powerful tool the state can use to ensure we are putting all students on a path to success,” said Governor Bill Lee. “By serving our students well and giving the public greater insight into how their tax dollars are supporting students, the TISA represents an exciting opportunity to improve educational outcomes, strengthen our workforce and propel Tennessee forward.”
“Updating our public education funding model is an investment in our state’s students and our state’s future,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Months of public feedback highlighted how committed Tennesseans are to strengthening how we fund public education, and the TISA puts the focus of education funding right where it belongs – on students.”
The Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement is a student-based funding formula that will include the following proposed investments for each of these components:
— $6.6 billion for base funding for every public school student.
— $1.8 billion in additional funding to be allocated based on weights to address specific student needs.
— $376 million in direct funding for students to receive additional funding allocations to support specific programs, like tutoring.
— $100 million in outcomes funding to be awarded based on achievement to empower schools to help all students reach their full potential.
Additionally, the TISA has reporting and district accountability requirements, including an annual TISA report delivered to the Tennessee General Assembly by the department and individual district-level accountability reports to be submitted by local school boards to the department to establish goals for student achievement in the current school year, explain how the goals can be met within the local budget, and describe how the local budget and expenditures for prior school years enabled districts to progress student outcomes.
U.S. education secretary questions legality of Lee’s mask opt-out order
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order allowing parents to opt out of universal masking rules at Tennessee public schools may infringe on federal laws requiring districts to adopt policies “to protect students and educators as they develop their safe return to in-person instruction plans,” according to a letter from U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.
The letter comes as public schools in Nashville and Shelby County have refused to adopt Lee’s opt-out order as they look into whether he has the legal authority to require the change.
Read the full letter dated Aug. 18 below:
Dear Governor Lee and Commissioner Schwinn:
As the new school year begins in school districts across Tennessee, it is our shared priority that students return to in-person instruction safely. The safe return to in-person instruction requires that school districts be able to protect the health and safety of students and educators, and that families have confidence that their schools are doing everything possible to keep students healthy. Tennessee’s actions to block school districts from voluntarily adopting science-based strategies for preventing the spread of COVID-19 that are aligned with the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) puts these goals at risk and may infringe upon a school district’s authority to adopt policies to protect students and educators as they develop their safe return to in-person instruction plans required by Federal law.
We are aware that Tennessee has adopted an Executive Order prohibiting local educational agencies (LEAs) from adopting requirements for the universal wearing of masks. This State level action against science-based strategies for preventing the spread of COVID-19 appears to restrict the development of local health and safety policies and is at odds with the school district planning process embodied in the U.S. Department of Education’s (Department’s) interim final requirements. As you know, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP Act) requires each LEA that receives Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds to adopt a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services. (See section 2001(i).) The Department’s interim final requirements clarify that such plan “must describe…how [the LEA] will maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff and the extent to which it has adopted policies, and a description of any such policies, on each of the following safety recommendations established by the CDC…” The safety recommendations include “universal and correct wearing of masks.”
The Department is concerned that Tennessee’s actions could limit each LEA’s ability under the ARP Act to adopt a plan for the safe return to in-person instruction and continuity of services that the LEA determines adequately protects students and educators by following CDC guidance. The Department stands with the dedicated educators who are working to safely reopen schools and maintain safe in-person instruction.
The Department also emphasizes that it is within an LEA’s discretion to use ARP ESSER funds for implementing indoor masking policies or other policies aligned with CDC guidance. Section 2001(e)(2)(Q) of the ARP Act explicitly gives LEAs the authority to use ARP ESSER funds (as well as ESSER funds granted through prior relief funding) for “developing strategies and implementing public health protocols including, to the greatest extent practicable, policies in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the reopening and operation of school facilities to effectively maintain the health and safety of students, educators, and other staff.”
We are eager to partner with Tennessee on any efforts to further our shared goals of protecting the health and safety of students and educators. In addition, the Department will continue to closely review and monitor whether Tennessee is meeting all of its Federal fiscal requirements. It’s critical that we do everything in our power to provide a safe environment for our students and staff to thrive.
Sincerely,
Miguel A. Cardona, Ed.D.
Lee revives $250M mental health trust fund proposal for K-12 students
Republican Gov. Bill Lee is reviving a proposal to create $250 million trust fund to tackle mental health issues for K-12 students. Lee made a similar proposal last year, but it was abandoned amid uncertainty about the state’s budget picture amid the pandemic.
Here is the full release from the Lee adminstration:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee re-introduced the Mental Health Trust Fund in a renewed proposal to assist K-12 families who are facing significant mental health issues in the wake of COVID-19. This proposal allocates $250 million in available funds to create strong mental health services for school-aged students through a systemwide, evidence-based approach.
“The mental health of all Tennessee students is essential to their safety, education and success beyond the classroom,” said Gov. Lee. “While my administration proposed these critical mental health supports last year, we now have the available funding and a greater need than ever before to ensure our students have access to mental health resources. I thank the members of the General Assembly for their partnership in this important effort.”
“We know the earlier we can intervene, the better outcomes are for children and families,” said TDMHSAS Commissioner Marie Williams, LCSW. “The services that will be funded by this investment will allow us to increase the services available from community mental health providers and schools, preventing children from entering mental health crisis situations and ending up in an emergency room.”
Services supported by the Mental Health Trust Fund would include: –
– Direct clinical services in schools
– Mental health awareness and promotion
– Suicide prevention and postvention strategies
– Trauma-informed programs and practices
– Violence and bullying prevention
– Project Basic, which includes mental health supports
There is a significant need for strong K-12 mental health supports:
– Nationally, one in five children has a mental health diagnosis in any given year
– Over 60% of children who receive mental health services do so through their school
– Youth mental health has worsened in the last decade: From 2014 to 2019, the prevalence of Major Depressive Episode (MDE) in Tennessee youth ages 12-17 increased from 9.1%
– The approximate prevalence of any mental illness in the past year among Tennessee youth is about 300,000
– In January 2021, Tennessee ranked 28th in overall mental health and 34th overall in youth mental health
– School closures during COVID-19 limited students’ access to mental health services and caused a pause in critical mental health reporting
The Lee administration has taken strong action to address mental health:
– Behavioral Health Safety Net for Children: Essential mental health supports for uninsured children age 3-17 beginning September 2020
– School Based Behavioral Health Liaison (SBBHL) Expansion:Expanded proven program to all 95 counties
– TN Suicide Prevention Network: Expanded regional directors to increase coverage and boosted training in suicide prevention
– Youth and Young adult Mental Health Awareness and Promotion:Funding granted to three separate programs that reached more than 11,000 individuals
Here is Gov. Bill Lee’s special session address to lawmakers
Here is the full text of Gov. Bill Lee’s speech to lawmakers Tuesday, as prepared for delivery:
Thank you Lt. Governor McNally and Speaker Sexton, Speaker Pro-Tem Haile and Speaker Pro-Tem Marsh for the opportunity to convene on behalf of our students.
I also thank Leader Johnson, Leader Lamberth, members of the education committee who have worked closely with us, and I want to thank all the members of the General Assembly.
We have a shared belief that the foundation of our state is the strength of her people.
As we approach the one year mark of managing the COVID-19 pandemic in Tennessee and facing the number of other challenges in this state and on the federal level, it’s a common refrain to hear “this is a historic time”, or an “unprecedented time” or “never before have seen a challenge of this magnitude.”
In many ways, that’s certainly true, and I’ve found there has been no greater place for COVID to cause sweeping disruption than in our K-12 school system.
This disruption has left students to navigate unprecedented challenges without the routine of learning in a classroom, with classmates and a trusted teacher.
We’re meeting today because it’s time to intervene for our kids who are staring down record learning losses, that in the short-term, mean an inability to read at their grade level or understand basic math.
But in the long-term, those learning losses mean higher incarceration rates and poverty as adults.
Our work here this week bears great significance on the safety of our neighborhoods and the prosperity of our state for a generation.
Big challenges require decisive action, which is why we have agreed to meet this week in an extraordinary legislative session.
We cannot wait, because our students cannot wait.
It would be much simpler to hope or to assume that disruptions to school caused by COVID will just come out in the wash.
But unfortunately, the data – the science – tells us that isn’t true.
Data suggests there are very real consequences to keeping students out of the classroom for this long.
Nationally, that looks like a 50% drop in reading proficiency and a 65% drop in math proficiency with third grade students.
That sort of forecast is forcing an unacceptable future on our kids and it’s why we are proposing a series of reforms around learning loss and literacy. We are also proposing a pause around some aspects of accountability.
These data points are important, and indeed we have used data to make all decisions impacting our schools.
Months ago, when critics were loud and the scare tactics were louder with all the reasons why we couldn’t safely return students and teachers to the classroom, we traded that speculation for science.
We followed that science down a path that would make us one of the first states in the country to get students and teachers back in the classroom this fall across 145 of our 147 districts.
Tennessee has thus become a national leader in embracing the courage to get back in the classroom and show that it can be done.
I commend those districts, those local leaders and educators for not settling for the path of least resistance and hiding behind month after month of virtual learning with no end in sight.
Instead, we saw the vast majority of our schools, led by determined superintendents put in the work that was needed for one reason: their students were counting on them.
And kids have a lot to say about in-person learning or the lack thereof.
In a survey of more than 20,000 school kids across nine states, only 39% of students in grades 5 through 12 reported that they ‘learned a lot almost every day’ during the shutdown.’[1]
64% of students overall reported experiencing distractions at home that interfered with schoolwork.
And worse so, Black and Latino students reported facing more obstacles to learning at home than white and Asian students.
Here’s the bottom line: you can’t say “follow the science” and keep schools closed.
You can’t say “I believe in public education” and keep schools closed.
And you can’t say you’re putting the needs of students first and keep schools closed.
Kids do better in school: we know that – parents know that.
That’s why I’m so proud of our districts who have kids in school, and to those who remain closed, I would offer this simple encouragement: follow the science.
Getting kids back in the classroom is imperative. But the reality is that the impacts from COVID would require us to act urgently even if every student was back to in-person learning tomorrow.
First, let’s talk about learning loss.
Paired with a full return to the classroom, we are proposing a targeted intervention to reach those kids who are falling behind in reading and math.
Existing laws have created an environment of too little, too late when it comes to helping kids before third grade.
We are proposing a third-grade reading gate which means that we make sure students are prepared before we pass them through to the fourth grade.
When we stop the cycle of passing without preparation, we give kids a better chance at succeeding in middle school and beyond.
Our proposal also includes a full-time tutoring corps, after school camps, learning loss bridge camps and summer learning camps.
Upon passage of our proposed legislation, we will be prepared to execute and administer these targeted interventions beginning this summer.
Now, let’s talk about literacy.
So much of our success in K-12 hinges on building better readers. When only 34% of Tennessee students are proficient or advanced readers by fourth grade, and that’s pre-COVID, something isn’t working and it’s time to get back to the basics.
We need to teach our kids to read with phonics.
It’s the way we learned to read. It’s the way we taught our kids.
With this proposal, kindergarteners through third grade will be taught phonics as the primary form of reading instruction.
And to make sure our progress is on track, we’ve developed a screening tool to help parents and teachers identify a struggling student more quickly.
Simple methods like phonics serve our kids better – Commissioner Schwinn knows it and I know it and that’s what we’re going to use in Tennessee.
We believe that these tools will work for our students but we have to have a clear picture of their starting point to get a window into the progress that they’ll make.
So we will keep TCAP testing in place for the 20/21 school year so that parents and teachers know where students stand.
However, there will be no negative consequences associated with student assessments so that the focus can remain on getting firm footing back in place after the uncertainty of time away from the classroom.
To be clear: no teacher will be penalized due to test results this school year. But we’ll be relying on teachers and districts like never before to help us get these kids back on track.
This approach isn’t going to be easy but as leaders we must do what it takes for our kids.
We’re pursuing both bold interventions and a return to the basics and for any of these goals to come to fruition, we have to account for our teachers.
We are proposing additional funding through both an appropriations bill this week and our upcoming budget to give a pay raise to every single teacher in Tennessee.
We are proposing to increase the salary component of our funding formula by 4%. This is not just about compensation – it’s an investment in better outcomes for our kids and we should all place an expectation on school districts that these dollars get passed directly to our teachers.
In the last decade, our students have made great strides in both reading and math and yet the events of the last year stand to threaten that progress.
We aren’t where we want to be as a state but we have a tremendous opportunity here and now to not only stave off a monumental crisis but to forge a new path.
Our new approach isn’t just about making up the losses.
These changes to our education system will actually educate our kids better in the future than we did before the pandemic.
And that is a redemption story for our education system that will have ripple effects on our students’ lives for decades and well beyond the classroom.
Thank you for your time today and careful consideration to each of these proposals. We should not miss this opportunity and together we’ll change the future of Tennessee. Thank you.
Lee releases special session legislation
Gov. Bill Lee is releasing the Republican’s package of bills to be taken up by lawmakers in a special session scheduled to begin on Tuesday.
Here’s the release from the governor’s office:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced special session legislation addressing K-12 student learning loss and the adverse effects on Tennessee students’ proficiency in reading and math after extended time away from the classroom due to COVID-19.
“COVID-19 has disrupted every aspect of education and we are on the cusp of severe consequences for our students if we don’t act now,” said Gov. Lee. “Data suggests that Tennessee third graders are facing an estimated 50% drop in reading proficiency and a projected 65% drop in math proficiency and that is not an acceptable path for our kids[1]. I thank Lt. Gov. McNally, Speaker Sexton and members of the General Assembly for acting quickly on behalf of our students and taking up intervention measures during the special session.”
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reports that only 34% of Tennessee students are proficient or advanced readers by fourth grade. Research shows that students who do not achieve reading proficiency by third grade are more likely to drop out of high school, be incarcerated or experience poverty as adults.
In addition to learning loss interventions and accountability hold harmless measures, Gov. Lee will propose adding funding for teacher salaries.
“Educators across the state are working tirelessly to turn the tide for their students and help them regain critical math and reading skills,” said Gov. Lee. “We believe they should be compensated for their efforts and look forward to working with the General Assembly to provide funding for our teachers.”
Intervening to Stop Learning Loss – SB 7002
- Requires interventions for struggling students including after-school learning mini-camps, learning loss bridge camps and summer learning camps, beginning summer 2021
- Program prioritizes students who score below proficient in both reading (ELA) and math subjects
- Creates the Tennessee Accelerated Literacy and Learning Corps to provide ongoing tutoring for students throughout the entire school year
- Strengthens laws around a third grade reading gate so we no longer advance students who are not prepared
Building Better Readers with Phonics – SB 7003
- Ensures local education agencies (LEAs) use a phonics-based approach for kindergarten through third grade reading instruction
- Establishes a reading screener for parents and teachers to identify when students need help, well before third grade
- Provides training and support for educators to teach phonics-based reading instruction
Accountability to Inform – SB 7001
- Extends hold harmless provisions from the 2019-20 school year to the 2020-21 school year so that students, teachers, schools and districts do not face any negative consequences associated with student assessments
- Provides parents and educators with assessment data including TCAP testing to provide an accurate picture of where Tennessee students are and what supports are needed to offset any learning losses
Lee calls special session for Jan. 19
Gov. Bill Lee is calling a special session the week of Jan. 19 to address a range of education issues, including a literacy proposal that has run into trouble with lawmakers in the past.
Lawmakers will be in town anyway, as they as scheduled to gavel in the 112th General Assembly on Jan. 12.
Here’s the release from the governor’s office.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee today announced a call for the Tennessee General Assembly to convene for a special legislative session on January 19, 2021 to address urgent issues facing Tennessee students and schools in the 2021-22 school year.
Preliminary data projects an estimated 50% decrease in proficiency rates in 3rd grade reading and a projected 65% decrease in proficiency in math. This loss only exacerbates issues that existed prior to the pandemic, where only one third of Tennessee third graders were reading on grade level.
“We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused immense disruption for Tennessee’s students, educators, and districts, and the challenges they face must be addressed urgently,” said Gov. Lee. “Even before the virus hit, and despite years of improvement, too many of our state’s students were still unable to read on grade level. I’m calling on the legislature to join us in addressing these serious issues so we can equip our hardworking educators and districts with the resources and supports they need to set our students on the path to success.”
“As we have heard from districts since March, students need their teachers and schools like never before,” said Department of Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “No child’s future should suffer academically because of COVID-19. Not only as commissioner, but as a mother of two school-aged children, I am grateful for the bold solutions that our governor and legislature will provide for our students and schools across the state and the department stands ready to work together to accomplish this mission-critical work.”
“In addition to presenting a public health crisis and disrupting our economy, the coronavirus also created enormous obstacles for our parents, teachers and students. Tennessee has made tremendous improvements in education over the last decade. The virus has begun to put all of that at risk,” said Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge). “It is of paramount importance that we take steps to reverse the learning loss that has taken place and prevent any further erosion of our progress. I appreciate Governor Lee calling this special session to draw our focus on the pressing needs of education in this state. The Senate will work with the House and the Administration to address these issues in an expeditious and efficient manner to the benefit of our students and our teachers.”
“I support Gov. Lee’s call for a special session on education,” said House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville). “The pandemic has caused considerable disruption for our students, teachers and schools. Our goal is to make sure students are learning in the classroom, teachers have the resources they need, and our students have additional assistance in their educational journeys to improve their chances of success.”
“Over the past few years Tennessee has seen exciting growth in student achievement and we must take all necessary steps to make sure our students continue to learn through this ongoing pandemic,” said Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin). “I salute the governor for calling us into special session to address this important problem and thank him for his continued commitment to education.”
“As a parent of two children in the public school system and a Representative of so many thousands of other families, I know it is critical for us to have the best education system in the nation,” said House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland). “I appreciate the Governor calling us into Special Session to ensure our children and teachers have the support they need in these difficult times.”
During the special session, the legislature will be tasked to take up five key education issues: Learning Loss, Funding, Accountability, Literacy, and Teacher Pay. Details on each proposal will be released by the Department of Education in the near future, in addition to the department’s plans to implement a new literacy program, “Reading 360.” The program will leverage one-time federal relief funding to support a phonics-based approach to literacy and will ensure Tennessee districts, teachers, and families are equipped with tools and resources to help students read on grade level by third grade.
Ain’t Dunn yet: Recently retired lawmaker named education adviser
Just days after officially ending his time as a state lawmaker, former Rep. Bill Dunn (R-Knoxville) has been hired as a senior adviser to state Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn.
Dunn, who was first elected to the House in 1994, was the longtime sponsor of efforts to pass school voucher legislation, which finally succeeded in 2019 only to be tied up in court over constitutional questions of having the program apply only to the state’s two largest counties without the backing of voters of local legislative bodies. The new job pays $98,000 per year.
Here’s an excerpt of what The Tennessee Journal wrote on the occasion of Dunn’s retirement announcement in September 2019:
An arborist by profession, the devout Catholic and father of five has referred to himself as a “bleeding heart conservative.” While he was unafraid to champion controversial causes and challenge Democratic leaders (on his first day in office in 1995, he was the only Republican to vote against the re-election of Rep. Jimmy Naifeh as speaker), Dunn became known for his easygoing style and sense of humor. For example, when a House subcommittee was on the verge of killing his proposal to convert pre-kindergarten to a summer program in 2006, Dunn suggested the panel instead study the idea over the summer. It didn’t work, but it got a good laugh. […]
Not all of Dunn’s efforts were futile. His multi-year effort to enact a constitutional ban on gay marriage overwhelmingly passed both chambers of the General Assembly while Democrats were in charge. The measure received more than 80% of the vote in the 2006 election. Dunn was also a major supporter of a constitutional amendment approved in 2014 to restore state lawmakers’ power to restrict access to abortions.
“You can go out dead, defeated, or on your own terms. I don’t like the first two choices, so the third one’s rather appealing.”
—Dunn to WKRN-TV about his plans to retire from the House.
The Republican takeover of the General Assembly cleared the path for several controversial measures sponsored by Dunn, including 2011 bills to do away with collective bargaining rights for teachers and dial back their tenure protections. He passed a 2012 bill to protect teachers who allow students to criticize evolution and climate change. Then-Gov. Bill Haslam let the so-called “monkey bill” become law without his signature.
Dunn supported Haslam’s Improve Act to boost road funding, which included a 6-cent gas tax hike but also featured several tax cuts in other areas. Dunn was one of two Republicans to vote against a 2016 conference committee deal to eliminate the state’s Hall income tax on stock and bond earnings by 2022 on the basis that it didn’t create a replacement tax or cut other programs. […]
Dunn flirted with a bid to succeed Casada as speaker on a platform of returning a “level of boredom” to the chamber, but ultimately bowed out of the race. In announcing his retirement plans, Dunn said he wanted to leave on a “high point” of passing the voucher bill and another law to trigger a ban on abortions in Tennessee should Roe v. Wade be overturned.
