Subcommittee advances resolution urging Tennessee to prepare for state control of education

The Education Administration Subcommittee voted unanimously to send SJR 650 to the full education committee, advancing a resolution that urges the governor to prepare the state to assume authority should the U.S. Department of Education be dismantled. The clerk announced a 6-0 tally after the previous question was called and members voted.

The sponsor, introduced by the chair as "Deputy Speaker Zachary," framed the resolution as a restoration of state authority under the U.S. Constitution’s 10th Amendment and criticized the federal department’s performance. "The department is the definition of bureaucracy without results," the sponsor said, arguing that long-term federal spending increases have not improved NAEP reading and math trends. Representative Freida raised budget-focused questions during debate, citing earlier federal budget figures and asking what Tennessee could do with redirected funds. Representative Lehi warned returning authority to states risks politicizing local school boards and said education should focus on students rather than ideology.

SJR 650 does not itself change any law; the resolution encourages the governor to convene a task force to prepare the state for potential changes in federal structure. With the subcommittee’s vote, the measure moves to the full education committee for further consideration.