WHEREAS, The Republican Party (RNC) platform states, “Parents are a child’s first and foremost educators, and have primary responsibility for the education of their children. Parents have a right to direct their children’s education, care, and upbringing.”;
WHEREAS, The RNC platform states, “We reject a one-size-fits-all approach to education and support a broad range of choices for parents and children at the state and local level.”;
WHEREAS, The RNC platform states, “We support options for learning, including home-schooling, career and technical education, private or parochial schools, magnet schools, charter schools, online learning, and early-college high schools. We especially support the innovative financing mechanisms that make options available to all children: education savings accounts (ESAs), vouchers, and tuition tax credits. Empowering families to access the learning environments that will best help their children to realize their full potential is one of the greatest civil rights challenges of our time. A young person’s ability to succeed in school must be based on his or her God-given talent and motivation, not an address, zip code, or economic status.”;
WHEREAS, In 2019, TN adopted an education savings account (ESA) pilot program in Shelby and Davidson counties to uses tax dollars toward education expenses at private schools for eligible students from a household whose income does not exceed twice the federal income eligibility guidelines for a free school lunch.;
WHEREAS, Public Chapter 328 (2023) has expanded TN’s ESA program to Hamilton County.;
WHEREAS, Public Chapter 171 (2023) has expanded the eligibility of TN’s ESA program by allowing students currently enrolled in nonpublic schools to participate if from a household that meets current income guidelines.;
WHEREAS, A second public charter school in Knox County was approved despite opposition from Knox County Democrat politicians; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, _______________________________________________________ supports parents having more freedom to direct the education of their children, and more opportunities with additional school options including private, religious, parochial, at-home, specialized, charter, magnet, and nonpublic, and
RESOLVED, __________________________________________ encourages elected officials to aggressively seek expansion of school choice options and expand opportunities for families to participate regardless of their address or lack of financial means, and
RESOLVED, A copy of this adopted resolution be sent to all Republican Knox County State Delegation Members and Republican Knox County Board of Education Members.
Adopted the ___ day of __________,
2023
_________________ _________________
President Secretary

WHEREAS, Representation elected exclusively from voters of that district has a long historical precedent in the history of the United States;
WHEREAS, All United States House of Representatives, Tennessee State Senators, and Tennessee State Representatives are elected exclusively by voters of that district;
WHEREAS, In Tennessee almost all district county Board of Commissioners, Board of Education Members, and Municipal City Councilors are elected exclusively by voters of that district;
WHEREAS, Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) 6-53-110 requires candidates nominated from a district in a county, municipality, or school board to be elected exclusively by the voters of that district;
WHEREAS, TCA 6-53-110 allows some exceptions resulting in nominated district candidates being elected by voters at-large outside of that district;
WHEREAS, The exceptions in TCA 6-53-110 have resulted in districts being represented by elected officials the majority of the district did not elect, but instead elected by the voters at-large outside of the district;
WHEREAS, The exceptions in TCA 6-53-110 have resulted in district voters being disenfranchised by voters outside of that district;
WHEREAS, Requiring all district nominated candidates to be elected exclusively by voters of that district brings accountability, diversity of opinion, and reduces voter confusion;
WHEREAS, House Bill 817 by State Representative Elaine Davis and Senate Bill 526 by Frank Niceley would eliminate exceptions in TCA 6-53-110 and require all district nominated candidates to be exclusively elected by the voters of that district;
WHEREAS, House Bill 817 has been adopted by Tennessee’s House of Representatives, 73-20, passed the Senate State and Local Government Committee, and awaits action in Tennessee’s full Senate; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, Conservatives of Knox County 1st and 2nd Districts supports House Bill 817, by State Representative Elaine Davis, and Senate Bill 526 by State Senator Frank Niceley and encourages all Tennessee legislators to support efforts, including voting in the affirmative, to enact into law; and
RESOLVED, A copy of this adopted resolution be sent to all Tennessee Republican State Senators and the Republican Knox County delegation in the House of Representatives.

Adopted the 28th day of March, 2023