Tennessee – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee marked the conclusion of a special legislative session with the passage of his full agenda, including the Education Freedom Act, a disaster relief package, and measures to strengthen immigration enforcement.
Lee highlighted the collaboration with the General Assembly in addressing key priorities, including school choice, additional funding for East Tennessee disaster recovery, and efforts to align the state’s immigration policies with federal enforcement initiatives.
The Education Freedom Act establishes Tennessee’s first universal school choice program while increasing funding for public schools, teacher bonuses, and K-12 infrastructure. The disaster relief package creates funds for ongoing recovery efforts and future emergency preparedness, with significant allocations for local governments and hurricane recovery.
The new immigration enforcement framework includes the creation of a Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division, stricter state ID requirements, and incentives for local law enforcement participation in federal immigration programs.
Gov. Lee expressed appreciation for state leaders’ swift action, emphasizing that the legislation aims to ensure opportunity, security, and freedom for Tennesseans.