NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee House Democrats — reacting to a secret audio recording obtained by NewsChannel 5 — called Tuesday for Republicans to back away from efforts to push school vouchers through the current session of the legislature.
They also demanded the resignation of longtime education activist Mark Gill from his seat on the Tennessee Board of Regents, which oversees the state's community colleges and technical schools. That follows the revelation of a 2016 recording in which Gill talks of utilizing heavy-handed political tactics to intimidate lawmakers into voting for vouchers.
"Mark Gill represents the worst of Tennessee. His attitude and demeanor and political threats have no place in the state of Tennessee," said House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, in a news conference called following NewsChannel 5's report.
Clemmons added that "Mark Gill must be made to resign from the Tennessee Board of Regents to which he was appointed by Gov. Bill Lee — or Bill Lee must ask for his resignation. His ilk has no place being aligned in any formal or informal way with education — K-12 or higher education — in the state of Tennessee."
Gill, through a spokesperson, declined to comment.
In that recording, Gill talks of targeting certain anti-voucher lawmakers for defeat as a form of "public hangings." At the time, Gill was a member of the board of directors for the pro-voucher group Tennessee Federation for Children.
Using their vast resources to defeat key incumbents, Gill argues, would send a signal to other lawmakers as they enter a legislative session.
"You go back into session, people are saying 'You need to steer clear of these guys just like you steer clear of the NRA because they are clearly able of taking down people who leave the reservation and they are much more of a threat than the school boards and the TEA.'"
Rep. Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, called for Gov. Bill Lee and Republican leaders to halt their efforts to force a vote on their plan to send taxpayer dollars to private schools.
"As we tell our kids sometimes, it's time for a timeout," Mitchell said.
Some voucher proponents have argued that Gill's statements from 2016 are not relevant to the current debate, but Clemmons disagreed.
"The type of heavy-handed political threats and tactics discussed on the tape are being used to threaten the integrity of our children's public schools right now in this very building," Clemmons said, adding for emphasis: "Right now!"
Watch Monday's story in player below:
SPECIAL SECTION: Revealed
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