Tennessee’s Lee faces deadline to sign state budget, HOPE scholarship expansion bills

(The Center Square) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will decide on whether or not to sign the state budget appropriations bill, a bill expanding the state’s HOPE scholarship program and a bill that will establish a one-year moratorium on state personal vehicle and motorcycle registration fees this week.

The bills were sent to Lee on May 23 and he must act on those bills, by signing, returning the bills to become law without his signature, amending or vetoing the bills by the 10-day deadline, which does not count Sundays.

The appropriations bill is highlighted by a $500 million payment to the Tennessee Titans toward an estimated $2.2 billion new stadium on the East Bank next to the current Nissan Stadium. The funds will be paid in $55 million annual payments toward $500 million in bonds toward the project, which would require $1.5 billion in public funds while Titans ownership and the NFL will bring $700 million to the deal.

The budget appropriations are part of a $52.8 billion budget proposal in the House includes $82 million for an August grocery tax holiday proposed by Gov. Bill Lee. The proposal also provides $121.6 million to fund a one-year moratorium on vehicle registration fees for all Tennessee residents on personal vehicles and motorcycles.

Bill sponsor Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, said it was intentionally done to give a direct tax break to those who live and drive vehicles in Tennessee. A $100 registration fee for electric vehicles, however, will not be waived.

Motorcycle license fees are $16.75, and vehicle registrations are $23.75, according to the bill’s fiscal note.

Senate Bill 2405 increases the HOPE scholarship for all eligible students who graduate from a Tennessee high school with a 3.0 GPA or higher and have a 21 on their ACT test or 1060 on their SAT test.

To maintain the scholarship, the student must have at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA at the end of the semester when the student attempted to reach 24 and 48 semester hours and then a 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of the semester when they attempt to reach 72 hours and every 24 hours attempted after that.

The scholarship award will surge from $3,500 to $4,500 per year for freshmen and sophomores at a four-year institution and from $4,500 to $5,700 for junior and seniors.

It will increase from $3,000 to $3,200 per year for students at two-year schools.

The program is funded from revenue from the Tennessee Lottery. The bill also increases eligibility for scholarships to the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, aiming to target the 12.6% of Tennesseans ages 16 to 24 who are not in school currently.