In first act as state senator, Bill Powers flips stance on school vouchers

Sen. Bill Powers was sworn in to Tennessee's upper chamber on Thursday morning, just in time to cast a vote on the governor's controversial school voucher plan.

Just two days after Powers, R-Clarksville, was victorious in a special election for the state Senate seat vacated by Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Green, he provided a vote in favor of Gov. Bill Lee's education savings account legislation. The bill passed the Senate 20-13 on Thursday.

But Powers' first vote as a state senator went against the platform on which he has campaigned: Powers said on the campaign trail that he opposed school vouchers.

"I would be one on record of saying I would be against it," Powers said during a February candidate forum hosted by the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce. "I don’t believe in vouchers."

Powers said at the time his position was influenced by having spent six years on the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Foundation.

"I have discussed this with teachers throughout the system, and they are adamantly against it, and they say that these monies being diverted out of their system in favor of other choices, it just kind of dilutes the system," Powers said.

"I think us in Montgomery, Houston and Stewart counties are fortunate to have a great public school system, and I wouldn’t want to do anything that would take away from that."

Powers declined after the Senate session to answer a question about why he previously said he'd vote against the bill at the community forum, only to later vote yes on the bill. 

His office later released a statement saying he believes Lee "deserves to have his agenda enacted" and looks forward to working with him.

"I’m a product of public education and believe we have a commitment in improving our schools," Powers said. "I had the opportunity to meet Governor Lee and hear his personal story about why school choice can work and how it can transform a student’s life."

Lee acknowledged afterward that he had made an appeal to Powers, among many other lawmakers.

"Certainly I talked to him about it, along with multiple legislators," Lee said.

The governor said he shared with Powers about his "passion" for the legislation and the outcomes Lee expected from it. Lee denied that any incentives were offered to Powers as a result of his vote.

Powers' vote in favor of the governor's ESA legislation came less than a week after Lee made an announcement endorsing Powers in the special election.

"We need more leaders like Bill Powers," Lee said. "Bill will champion policies that grow the economy and create jobs, advocate for a strong education system, and create safer, healthier communities.

"That's exactly why I need Bill fighting by my side in Nashville."

Clarksville school district opposed voucher plan

Like a number of other public school districts around the state in recent months, the Clarksville-Montgomery County school board passed a resolution in opposition to voucher-like proposals.

The Senate version of the governor's education savings account plan applies only to Davidson and Shelby counties. 

The board's decision to speak out against ESAs came as some school systems expressed opposition to the plan Lee unveiled in early March at his first State of the State address.

Powers won all three counties of Senate District 22 on Tuesday against Democrat Juanita Charles, finishing with 54% of the vote to Charles' 45%.

Green, who previously occupied the seat, was elected to Congress in November, taking now-U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn's place in the U.S. House of Representatives. He finally resigned from the Tennessee General Assembly on Jan. 3.

Rosalind Kurita, a political independent who previously served in the Senate, had filled the seat in the interim after being appointed by the Montgomery County Commission in January. 

Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.

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