Was Illegal Alien Housing Bill Shelved To Pave Way For Immigrant Education Bill?

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The Tennessee Conservative [By Kelly M. Jackson] –

Last week, The Tennessee Conservative reported on a bill that would have made housing illegal aliens on state owned property a violation of law in the state of Tennessee being deferred until 2024.

Incidentally, this week, a caption bill with controversial amendments hidden inside, sponsored by House Speaker Cameron Sexton and the recently besmirched Lt. Governor Randy McNally is slated to be heard before The House Education Administration Committee that could be used to house illegal immigrant children at the expense of the taxpayers in the Volunteer state. 

The amendment inside House Bill 1214 states that it would provide “For any public charter school that is authorized to and provides a residential or boarding program for at risk students, a permissive increase in local expenditures will occur.”

The issue here has to do with what the state defines as “at risk” students. In the Tennessee Comptroller’s website of glossary terms, the term “economically disadvantaged” reads like this:  

Beginning in the 2016-17 school year, economically disadvantaged students (or “at risk” students) are defined – for purposes of school accountability and BEP funding – as those who are directly certified for specific state and federal assistance programs, and those who are identified as homeless, migrants, or runaways as well as students in foster care.”

As is demonstrated here, the terms “at risk” and “economically disadvantaged” are essentially interchangeable. And one of the types of students included in these definitions, is migrant children. So, it begs the question, was a bill that was designed to criminalize housing illegal immigrants shelved intentionally in order to avoid the state breaking its own law? 

While residential boarding schools are not a totally foreign concept, and the fact that a 1975 Supreme Court case  made educating the children of illegal immigrants a federal requirement, a law like this would be taking that up several notches. This bill would not just be providing access to the local public schools, as the case precedent imposes, but full-time educational housing for illegal immigrants who find their way to Tennessee. And on taxpayer dollars. 

In email correspondence obtained by The Tennessee Conservative, when Speaker Cameron Sexton has been questioned about the “at risk” portion of the amendment and the implications of that regarding illegal immigrants, his response has consistently been to refer to the Supreme Court ruling from 1975, shrug his shoulders, and then use it to his advantage.

The legislation has been effectively stalled for this session due to the Senate version being “general subbed”, which implies that the efforts to gain passage have ceased. 

However, the fact that the bill is still being heard on the House side indicates that there is still an interest in getting these amendments passed, possibly attached to another seemingly innocuous caption bill, sitting at the ready should HB1214 develop too great a reputation to be ignored. 

If you disagree with this legislation and would like Tennessee Representatives to vote NO on HB1214 or any other bill that makes the same allowances, contact the following Reps. listed below.

Email Speaker Cameron Sexton here >> speaker.cameron.sexton@capitol.tn.gov

House Education Administration Committee Members

Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) – rep.mark.white@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-4415

Rep. William Slater (R-Gallatin) – rep.william.slater@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-2534

Rep. Charlie Baum (R-Murfreesboro) – rep.charlie.baum@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-6849

Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) – rep.gino.bulso@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-6808

Rep. Ed Butler (R-Rickman) – rep.ed.butler@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-1260

Rep. Monty Fritts (R-Kingston) – rep.monty.fritts@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-7658

Rep. Ron Gant (R-Piperton) – rep.ron.gant@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-6890

Rep. John Gillespie (R-Memphis) – rep.john.gillespie@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-8201

Rep. Kirk Haston (R-Lobelville) – rep.kirk.haston@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-0750

Rep. Chris Hurt (R-Halls) – rep.chris.hurt@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-2134

Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) – rep.justin.jones@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-2184

Rep. Justin Lafferty (R-Knoxville) – rep.justin.lafferty@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-4110

Rep. Harold Love, Jr. (D-Nashville) – rep.harold.love@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-3831

Rep. Sam McKenzie (D-Knoxville) – rep.sam.mckenzie@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-0768

Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis) – rep.antonio.parkinson@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-4575

Rep. John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge) – rep.john.ragan@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-4400

Rep. Robert Stevens (R-Smyrna) – rep.robert.stevens@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-3830

Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill) – rep.todd.warner@capitol.tn.gov – 615-741-4170

About the Author: Kelly Jackson is a recent escapee from corporate America, and a California refugee to Tennessee. Christ follower, Wife and Mom of three amazing teenagers. She has a BA in Comm from Point Loma Nazarene University, and has a background in law enforcement and human resources. Since the summer of 2020, she has spent any and all free time in the trenches with local grassroots orgs, including Mom’s for Liberty Williamson County and Tennessee Stands as a core member.  Outspoken advocate for parents rights, medical freedom, and individual liberty. Kelly can be reached at kelly@tennesseeconservativenews.com.