CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Representative Michelle Reneau defended her decision to vote against the Tennessee Education Freedom Act earlier this year.This was during this week’s Hamilton County Pachyderm Club meeting.
She was the only Republican legislator in Hamilton County to vote against that bill, which creates a limited number of scholarships to private schools.
She says while she supports the idea of school choice, she didn’t think this particular bill hit the mark.
“We said that we wanted to help lift the poor folks out of poverty and the majority of those folks, even if you can find a school that is covered by that tuition, those folks will not be able to pay for uniforms, pay for books, or a multitude of things that are required to go to a private school…This is a redistribution of wealth which is socialist, it is not conservative,” said Rep. Reneau.
The first scholarships are being used this year after the passage of the Education Freedom Scholarship Act last spring.
