The Tennessee General Assembly wrapped up its 2024 legislative session with some bills making the cut and others biting the dust. After weeks fraught with debate and division, key policies concerning school vouchers, arms in schools, and a host of tax breaks stayed at the forefront.

Despite the buzz it created, the "Education Freedom Scholarship Act," Gov. Bill Lee's blueprint for expanding school vouchers across the state, was stamped out. According to a recent report by WBIR, supporters were left licking their wounds after Lee announced the initiative's dead end. The legislation, seeking to funnel public funds toward nonpublic tuition fees, drew heavy flak from critics who argued it was a diversion of resources from public schools. Statements by Lee expressed extreme disappointment, stressing the missed opportunity for Tennessee families to select educational institutions that best fit their needs.

While the voucher program failed to launch, a separate bill aiming to arm teachers successfully cleared the legislative hurdle. As per a report by The Commercial Appeal, K-12 teachers and staff in Tennessee will now have the option to pack heat — provided they meet the set criteria involving training and background verifications. However, it was clear after several school districts opted out, deciding to stick solely with trained law enforcement officers in terms of guns on school property.

Elsewhere in the session's outcomes, the legislature passed measures to dampen abortion access for minors and tighten restrictions around gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth. On the fiscal side of things, lawmakers endorsed about $400 million in annual tax breaks, alongside $1.5 billion in business refunds. Citing an article from WBIR, despite the contention stirred by the voucher bill and other contentious topics, divisions within the Republican supermajority were laid bare as they grappled to come to a consensus on several key issues.