Tennessee lawmakers to consider school immigration data legislation

A bill requiring Tennessee school districts to collect immigration data on students is on Thursday’s Senate calendar.House Bill 793 was amended from its Senate version, which would have allowed school districts to charge tuition to students not legally in the country. It now only requires that schools check students’ immigration status.
The amended version of the bill passed the House 70-25 on Monday and was sent back to the Senate. Three House Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill.
Hixson Republican Bo Watson, the bill’s sponsor, asked that the bill be moved to “next week” during Thursday’s Senate floor session.
The bill has opposition from some Republicans, Democrats, educators and the Tennessee Small Business Alliance.
“This delay is a hopeful sign that support for this bill is crumbling,” said Lenda Sherrell, director of the organization, in a news release. “Lawmakers are hearing from their constituents, and they are realizing this bill creates more problems than it solves.”
The progressive group Tennessee Progress said more than 100 Hamilton County educators oppose the bill. Watson represents Hamilton County.
“Children should not carry the weight of adult policy decisions when they walk through our doors,” said Dr. Jill Levine, principal at Chattanooga High Center for Creative Arts, and vice president of the Hamilton County Principal’s Association, in a statement provided by Tennessee Progress. “Our job is to protect them, teach them and support them, without conditions that could create fear or uncertainty in their daily school experience.”
House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, said the bill is about “data” that can be used for policy decisions.
“And then we can take whatever action down the road that this body would chose to take,” Lambert told the House Finance Ways and Means Subcommittee on March 5.

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