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Subcommittee advances SJR 650 urging Tennessee prepare for dismantling of U.S. Department of Education
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Summary
The Education Administration Subcommittee advanced SJR 650, a resolution sponsored by Deputy Speaker Zachary that urges state preparation if the U.S. Department of Education is dismantled; the measure passed on a 6-0 vote and will move to the full education committee.
Deputy Speaker Zachary’s resolution urging Tennessee to prepare for the possible dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education cleared the Education Administration Subcommittee on a 6-0 vote and will be considered next by the full education committee.
Zachary, the resolution’s sponsor, told the subcommittee the U.S. Department of Education should be dismantled and that ‘‘education is a state and local responsibility,’’ citing the Tenth Amendment and arguing federal controls have expanded without improving outcomes. He said the department ‘‘has 4,000 employees and an $80,000,000,000 budget,’’ and encouraged the governor to create a task force to prepare the state for a federal drawdown.
The resolution (SJR 650) does not appear to set policy itself; according to Zachary, it would express legislative support for restoring authority to states and urge executive preparation. Zachary said the resolution ‘‘will pave the way for Tennessee to take a driver's seat in providing the best educational outcomes.’’
Representative Bridal spoke in support of greater state authority and cited figures she said represented the Department of Education’s budget growth, saying it rose from ‘‘$71,200,000,000’’ in 2014 to ‘‘$268,000,000,000’’ in 2024 and asking what Tennessee could do with even a portion of that money.
Representative Glenn questioned whether returning authority to the states would improve education, warning that ‘‘states are now making education about ideology, and we’re doing that here in the state of Tennessee,’’ and pointing to recent changes such as partisan school-board elections as evidence that local control can produce politically driven outcomes rather than child-focused policy.
Zachary responded that Tennessee has seen measurable gains under state-led reforms, said the state led national improvements when reforms began in 2015, and cited higher teacher starting pay and rising third-grade reading rates as examples. He also referenced Medicaid-related savings his members have used to support state priorities.
A motion to move the previous question was called, and without objection the subcommittee voted. The clerk recorded six votes in favor, none opposed. The chair announced that ‘‘SJR 650 moves on to full education.’’
The subcommittee recessed after announcing the vote; the full education committee will consider SJR 650 at a later meeting. The resolution’s text encourages executive planning but does not itself reassign federal authority or create statutory changes.
