SUMMARY: Tennessee’s recent anti-LGBTQ legislation has led many lifelong residents to leave the state for more accepting places. Despite efforts by the Biden administration to challenge these laws, the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care, affecting half of U.S. states. Some, like native William Gwynn, fear losing the Tennessee they once knew, while others, including transgender students and local artists, choose to stay and fight for change. They find hope in supportive communities, schools, and a determination to build a more inclusive future, even amid the state’s challenging political climate.

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SUMMARY: In April, Memphis siblings Jasmine Ellington, 26, and Michael Ellington, 25, were killed in a shooting where over 70 rounds were fired. Their mother survived multiple gunshot wounds and is speaking out for the first time. The shooting stemmed from a domestic dispute involving Jasmine’s child’s father, Lorenzo Cross, who, along with Malik Merryweather, remains at large. Two brothers, Martavius and La Cameron Jenkins, are charged and facing a preliminary hearing. The family seeks justice for the deaths and trauma caused, urging the public to help locate the remaining suspects to ease their ongoing fear.

Jasmine and Michael Ellington were shot and killed in Frayser in April. Their mother was also shot that night and is now speaking out for the first time about what happened.

MORE: https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/fox13-exclusive-memphis-mother-shares-grief-of-losing-daughter-son-to-gun-violence/article_4079e694-9d90-4c4d-8545-62f134bf8ba4.html

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by Sam Stockard, Tennessee Lookout
July 7, 2025

Responding to criticism about Tennessee’s applications for private-school vouchers, Gov. Bill Lee said this week the state doesn’t need to know whether students were enrolled in private schools before seeking the funds.

Lee told reporters this week the Department of Education created the rules and application based on the bill lawmakers passed this year. The governor’s administration is coming under fire for subsidizing private schools with the $146 million program.

The applications for 20,000 vouchers don’t ask where students previously attended school or were enrolled in a private school. Nor do they request financial information from parents applying for “universal” scholarships, those without income restrictions.

The governor said in a press conference last week the data is not required by the legislation and noted “it’s not necessary to have, particularly because what we hope for is universal school choice, where every family regardless of their child’s past educational history has access to a scholarship.”

Families of more than 38,000 students applied for the funds this spring, nearly $7,300 each, to pay for tuition and other private-school costs after lawmakers narrowly passed the voucher program. Those were divided almost evenly between families without income limits and those at 300% of the poverty level with an estimated income of $175,000 for a family of four.

Another 5,000 slots could be offered next year.

Republican Rep. Jody Barrett of Dickson, a vocal critic of the program, told the Lookout the legislature should require a state study to determine whether students are using the money to continue attending private schools and where they live so lawmakers can decide if the program should be changed.

Democratic Rep. Caleb Hemmer of Nashville, who is trying to obtain information about the program’s applicants, called it the “educational equivalent of Cash for Clunkers,” a 2009 federal rebate program designed to boost the economy and encourage people to buy fuel-efficient cars.

In light of Lee’s comments, Hemmer said Tennessee residents “deserve full transparency” when funds are being “diverted” from public schools.

“The Department of Education and the governor’s refusal to ask for critical data on private and previously participating schools is deeply troubling – especially when other states with similar voucher schemes have faced significant fraud and abuse. We can’t afford to blindly walk into a system that lacks oversight and accountability,” Hemmer said in a statement.

Reports on Arizona’s private-school vouchers show the state’s budget ran into problems because funds had to be diverted from other programs to pay for the education program.

The legislature passed Lee’s main initiative even though the state’s own financial impact analysis showed 65% of the students who receive the vouchers would be enrolled in private schools already. Students from private schools surrounded the governor when he signed the bill into law at the State Capitol.

The governor further defended his initiative by saying, “Tennesseans broadly of multiple backgrounds and economic diversity want to have this for their kids.”

Data such as previous enrollment and income level for “universal” scholarships is “not helpful,” Lee said.

The state’s Education Savings Account program for low-income students in Memphis, Nashville and Chattanooga requires applicants to report their household income.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.

The post Tennessee governor defends voucher application process appeared first on tennesseelookout.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

This content primarily presents the perspective of Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, defending a private school voucher program, which is typically supported by conservative and center-right political actors advocating for school choice and reduced government regulation in education. The article also includes criticisms from Democratic and Republican legislators who express concerns about lack of oversight and transparency. While the criticisms provide balance, the tone and framing largely focus on defending free market principles in education, aligning more with center-right views.