TN May Reject Federal Ed Dollars Over LGBTQ Rights

The Associated Press reports:

Tennessee Republican leaders are escalating their calls to reject millions of federal dollars rather than comply with requirements over LGBTQ+ rights, abortion access and other hot-button issues.

Already this year, the Volunteer State has rebuffed federal funding designed to prevent and treat HIV and money that would help clinics serving low-income women. Now, GOP lawmakers are talking about cutting off nearly $1.8 billion in federal education dollars — much of it targeted to serve low-income students, English learners and students with disabilities.

The U.S. Department of Education criticized the idea earlier this year as “political posturing” as Tennessee has emerged as a leader in enacting the most anti-LGBTQ laws in the United States. Many of those laws have targeted schools and placed limits on what cannot be taught inside classrooms.

Read the full article. Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton [photo] recently appeared here when he appointed a QAnon nutjob to oversee the state’s social studies programs. Among her claims: 9/11 was an inside job, January 6 rioters were Antifa, and Barack Obama causes tornadoes.

Tennessee GOP is willing to reject millions in funding, if it avoids complying with federal strings https://t.co/iJGuajRFog

— KSAT 12 (@ksatnews) October 24, 2023