More delay on governor’s pre-K plans
NASHVILLE — Lawmakers are again delaying the governor’s pre-K proposal, amid concerns it will cost too much and burden the state with a big obligation in years to come.
House Republicans issued Thursday a two-page list of issues they have with the measure, and the Senate Education Committee put the bill off for three weeks.
“It’s in trouble in the form that it’s in,” Senate Majority Leader Ron Ramsey said. “I predict that the bill will pass in some form, but I think there will be a lot of amendments and changes made to it.”
The pre-K proposal is one of the centerpieces of Gov. Phil Bredesen’s agenda for the year. He has proposed using $25 million in lottery money to start a voluntary preschool program for “at-risk” 4 year olds, with the hope of eventually making it universally available.
Critics worry the state shouldn’t be starting a program that could eventually cost $300 million while $650 million in TennCare costs hang in the balance. Others think it’s too early to start siphoning lottery money away from a fund they want to remain dedicated to college scholarships.
Sen. Jamie Hagood, R-Knoxville, who heads the education panel, said legislators need more time to go over the governor’s proposal.
Bredesen spokeswoman Lydia Lenker said the bill is still on pace to get through the General Assembly.
“This is something that is going to happen,” she said. “This bill has not been delayed or sidetracked. Members have questions and the bill was rolled to give time to answer those questions.”
Sen. Steve Cohen, the architect of much of the state’s lottery laws, said legislative leaders are discussing what to do with the pre-K program and how to pay for it.
The Memphis Democrat tempered some of his opposition this week, saying he’s willing to discuss using lottery money — a proposition he once adamantly opposed in favor of more money for scholarships.
“I don’t know how the funding on pre-K will go this year,” Cohen said. “It may be from the lottery, it may be from others things. There are several things being discussed concerning funding.”
Republicans said they worry that Tennessee, already one of the lowest states in K-12 funding, can’t afford another program. And they want to know if lottery money will be used to pay for the preschool down the road, or if the burden will shift to general tax dollars.
“We have a program that in a few years could balloon up to $300 million, then where would we be?” said House Republican Leader Tre Hargett of Bartlett. “There are a lot of questions people have.”
The bill has cleared the education committee in the House, which is controlled by Democrats. The Senate, though, has decided to slow down.
“We’ve got several issues that are before us, and I think that in this three weeks there will be a continued thoughtful consideration on the pre-K program,” Hagood said. “Where those dollars come from will be an issue.”