The Tennessee State House, dominated by a white Republican majority, recently voted 66-25 against Democratic opposition to vacate the entire board of Tennessee State University (TSU), the state's sole publicly funded Historically Black College or University (HBCU), affecting all 10 board members. This decision has sparked considerable controversy, highlighting the decades-long issue of underfunding faced by the institution. Following the House's vote, Republican Governor Bill Lee now holds the responsibility of appointing new board members. The move has been met with widespread criticism, particularly from Black lawmakers, students, and alumni of TSU, who have expressed outrage over what they view as an unprecedented and destructive action against the college's governance.
Last Thursday Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill to vacate all eight seats on TSU’s board and named replacements hours after the legislation officially passed the House. https://t.co/tF3pUjg4lq
Good news: Tennessee governor signs bill blocking new anti-public safety moves by Left. https://t.co/zyzeHNUUsv
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed a bill into law this week that nullified ordinances enacted by Memphis leaders following the 2023 police killing of Tyre Nichols, enabling the Republican-led legislature to undo the work of the Democratic-leaning city. https://t.co/HlhTzAnha9
Republican lawmakers in Tennessee replaced the board of trustees at the state’s only public historically Black college, claiming that leaders had mismanaged money. https://t.co/NlZVRPqzAm
Tennessee governor signs bill blocking police reform law inspired by Tyre Nichols’ killing https://t.co/S6Tl2SlLrO
Black lawmakers, students and alumni of Tennessee State University are outraged that Gov. Lee, in an unprecedented move, signed into law legislation that dismantled the storied historically Black college’s Board of Trustees. https://t.co/hK6yiDCNQD
Tennessee’s majority-white legislature removed, in one fell swoop, all 10 board members at the state’s only publicly funded historically Black university, a move Democrats slammed. https://t.co/049TlWMYZ7
Tennessee politicians strip historically Black university of its board https://t.co/c0gi2tmXFy
Republicans in Tennessee just voted 66-25 to vacate the entire board of Tennessee State University, a historically Black college that has been underfunded by the state for decades. https://t.co/aW2NfSllep
Tennessee House Republicans have voted to vacate the entire Tennessee State University board, over the outcries of Democrats who pointed to the decades of underfunding of the HBCU Now, the Republican governor will be tasked with appointing a new board https://t.co/raH62F9g9A
The white Republican majority in the Tennessee State House have just voted, against Democratic objections, to vacate the entire board of Tennessee State University, an historically Black college that has been underfunded by the state for decades. https://t.co/QuBgJWchQI
NEWS: The GOP-controlled Tennessee House votes to vacate the board of Tennessee State University, the state's only Historically Black College or University. Gov. Bill Lee (R) will have sole authority to appoint new members. https://t.co/UH7ugBcmvP