21′ SB0856/HB0576 – Bowling/Ragan
Bill Description
Education - As introduced, requires the department and the governing board of each public institution of higher education to promulgate rules to ensure compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; allows the comptroller to conduct a thorough review of the department's office for civil rights and the governing board of each public institution of higher education.
TLRC Position
TLRC strongly supports this important legislation that would put guardrails on education departments and institutions, hold them to existing law, and end pseudo-social justice and liberal race and sex programs and policies that are encouraged by federal entities.
TLRC Observed Process
In Higher Ed Subcommittee, with the exception of Mark Cochran (R, Englewood), members seemed not to understand constitutional principles and the rule of law. Chairman Ragan repeatedly made it quite clear that this bill simply requires the educational institutions and departments to follow existing law.
Suggested by legal counsels from UT and the Board of Regents, the fear of the possibility of losing federal funding if they did not comply with federal “policies” or guidelines, trumped state sovereignty, the US and TN constitutions, and federal and state statutes (the rule of law).
Members lavished compliments on Chairman Ragan for his knowledge and eloquence but then voted no on the bill, —again with the exception of Mark Cochran.
TLRC finds it difficult to understand how a law-making body can uphold practices that disregard the very laws that they make!!! –That is what they did in denying this important legislation.
Members Lafferty, Baum, Darby, Gillespie, Hakeem, Parkinson, and White all listened to reason and then voted against it.
Vote Result: Failed
