By Rep. Bruce Griffey, R-Paris
Wednesday marked the beginning of the Special Session of the legislature called by Governor Lee to address education issues in Tennessee – specifically learning loss, funding, accountability, literacy and teacher pay.
TN House Representative Bruce Griffey (R-Paris) filed the first bill for the special session to address education funding and teacher pay. Griffey’s bill (HB7001) calls for a fee to be imposed on money transfers made by illegals in TN to foreign countries and 100% of the money generated to be used to fund teacher salaries in TN.
The Tennessee General Assembly Fiscal Review Committee has estimated that, in the initial year, the bill would generate $271,498,500 and the amount generated would increase in subsequent years. According to the Fiscal Note prepared by the Fiscal Review Committee, approximately $17 Billion is transferred annually from Tennessee and 91% of the transfers are sent outside of the United States. “Of the over $15 Billion of money transferred from Tennessee each year to foreign countries, the Fiscal Review Committee estimates that 20% is done by illegals in Tennessee. In other words, we have illegals in our great state transferring over $3 Billion every year from Tennessee to foreign countries,” stated Griffey. “If we can impose fees on that annual $3 Billion to generate money for Tennessee teachers and improve Tennessee’s public education system, then we should do it,” Griffey continued.
“This legislation would not only help teachers, who are a critical component to the well being of our state and communities, but it would also serve the purpose of deterring illegal immigration in Tennessee. A number of individuals enter the state of Tennessee illegally each year. They take jobs away from our own citizens. They depress wages, and they make cash that they send back to their home in a foreign country through money transfers and out of the Tennessee economy,” explained Griffey.