As our state faces a manufactured crisis in the form of an extraordinary session called by Governor Lee, I write to you with grave concern about both the substance and procedure of what lies ahead. The timing and nature of this special session represent not just questionable governance but a continuation of concerning patterns that have plagued our state’s education policy for over a decade.
Since 2013, when then-Governor Bill Haslam first pushed the Tennessee Choice & Opportunity Scholarship Act through House Majority Leader Bill Dunn, our state has witnessed a coordinated campaign to fundamentally alter the distinctions of both public and private education through voucher programs. This effort, consistently driven by special interests rather than public demand, has now reached a critical juncture with Governor Lee’s proclamation for a special session on January 27, 2025.
The influence of this coordinated campaign can be traced back to the Haslam era, which laid the groundwork, establishing the legislative framework and building support among special interests. The second wave came under Governor Lee in 2019, culminating in a voucher push so corrupt that it led to federal indictments against then-Speaker Glen Casada and his Chief of Staff Cade Cothren. Subsequently, Bill Lee (aka Haslam 2.0) then hired Bill Dunn in November 2020 as the Senior Advisor to the Commissioner of Education, no doubt to work behind the scenes and continue to push Haslam’s agenda to make school vouchers the law of the land in Tennessee. Now, in 2025, we face the third wave: an attempt to use extraordinary constitutional powers to force a vote on vouchers while the legislature is already in session, and notably, before the Casada/Cothren trial can expose the full scope of corruption surrounding the 2019 efforts of various GOP members of leadership.
The pressure tactics being employed – threats regarding committee assignments, chairmanship positions, and political retribution – mirror the very behaviors surrounding those indictments.
The Governor’s call for this session deserves particular scrutiny. While packaging his voucher agenda with genuine emergencies like hurricane relief and immigration enforcement, he has created a false urgency around a policy that has been debated for more than ten years. Hurricane Helene struck Tennessee in September of last year, yet only now – when it can be bundled with voucher legislation – does it warrant emergency action. Immigration enforcement is already being addressed in the regular session. This tactical bundling of issues represents a concerning abuse of executive authority.
Article III, Section 9 of our state constitution grants the Governor power to call extraordinary sessions for genuine emergencies, not to override an already-convened legislature or to force consideration of long-standing policy preferences. This use of broad constitutional powers while the legislature is already in session represents a dangerous overreach that threatens our separation of powers.
As duly elected members of the Tennessee House of Representatives, you hold sacred constitutional powers that cannot be usurped by either the Governor or the Speaker. Article II of our state constitution vests in you, as representatives, the authority to govern your own chamber. With 51 votes, you can check any overreach by House leadership. This isn’t just a procedural detail – it’s a fundamental constitutional principle that places power in the hands of the representatives, not the Speaker.
Moreover, you serve as the essential check against executive overreach. The Governor’s authority to call special sessions was never intended to override an already-convened legislature or to force consideration of non-emergency matters. When the executive branch attempts to use emergency powers to advance a decade-old policy agenda, it falls to you to maintain our constitutional order.
Your primary duty lies not with the Governor’s office, not with special interest groups, and not with party leadership – but with the citizens of your districts who entrusted you with their voice in our government. The pressures you face – whether through committee assignments, leadership positions, or political threats – pale in comparison to your constitutional obligations.
Today, Tennesseans are looking to you to preserve our educational system, our fundamental liberties, and our constitutional order. They depend on you to vote your conscience, represent their interests, and maintain the separation of powers that safeguards our republican form of government. The choice before you transcends any single policy decision.
In this pivotal moment, your courage to stand on principle, to represent your districts faithfully, and to defend our constitutional framework will resonate far beyond this special session. History will remember those who chose to uphold the sacred trust placed in them by the people of Tennessee.
In Liberty,
Gary Humble
Executive Director, Tennessee Stands