In a recent press article, Democrats in Tennessee have called for the resignation of Tennessee Department of Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds. It was revealed that despite serving as commissioner since last July, Reynolds’s primary residence is in Texas and not in Tennessee. This issue has been brought to light as Republicans are planning to implement an education freedom voucher scholarship program that will give public tax money to private school families.
While technically not illegal for Reynolds to live in a different state, Democrats argue that it raises ethical concerns, as she is avoiding Tennessee’s property tax. This has sparked a bill filed by Rep. Caleb Hemmer and Sen. Jeff Yarbro, requiring any Tennessee commissioner to live in the state for at least 30 days and creating a process for impeachment if this requirement is not met.
House Democrats are criticizing Reynolds for not investing in Tennessee’s public schools as a resident of the state. They argue that she has been making policy decisions detrimental to the future of Tennessee’s children, while benefiting from Tennessee taxpayer money as one of the highest-paid members of the governor’s cabinet. The issue will be discussed in a committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
Source
Photo credit www.wkrn.com