At RNC, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee calls school choice the 'civil rights issue of our time'

MILWAUKEE — On the largest Republican stage in the country, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday called school choice the "civil rights issue of our time," bringing his signature issue to a national audience as he works the campaign trail this summer to elevate voucher-friendly legislative candidates who might finally push his statewide proposal across the finish line.

Lee spoke in his capacity as chair of the Republican Governors Association, which he called the "front lines" of a fight to defend "essential freedoms from the encroachment of the federal government," criticizing the Biden-Harris administration's record on inflation and immigration before turning to parental rights.

"They attacked parental rights. Republican governors fought back for a parent's right to choose their own child's education," Lee said. "President Trump was right when he said school choice is the civil rights issue of our time."

Lee traveled to Milwaukee amid a summer spent on the Tennessee campaign trail. Though he himself is not up for reelection, Lee is throwing his weight behind Republican primary candidates and incumbents who support his proposal for a statewide school voucher program.

"We need strong leadership in the White House," Lee said. "We know what that looks like. We've had it before, we need it again. That's why we as Republican governors are joining together, unifying in support for Donald Trump for president."

The governor has for years sought to establish a voucher program, dubbed "education freedom scholarships" this year, which he believes would offer families an opportunity to tailor a child's education to their individual needs. Lee's signature proposal died in the legislature this spring after House and Senate Republicans were unable to compromise on key aspects of the bill.

Democrats have long opposed school vouchers, warning they siphon much-needed funding from public schools and act as essentially a coupon system for wealthy families.

"No matter what Gov. Bill Lee calls his voucher scam, Tennesseans see it for what it is: a blatant scheme to subsidize private school tuition for wealthy families by defunding our neighborhood schools," said Brandon Puttbrese, a spokesperson for Tennessee Senate Democrats.

Lee spoke to the Tennessee delegation Tuesday at an afternoon event sponsored by U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee. The event was closed to press.

Lee was not initially listed as an RNC speaker.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: At RNC, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee calls school choice the 'civil rights issue of our time'