Facing down leftist protesters, the Tennessee Senate on Thursday voted to approve a Republican-backed measure that would allow schools in the state to charge illegal aliens tuition.
The bill, introduced by Republican State Senator Bo Watson, seeks to deal with an influx of illegal aliens into the state who have strained the resources of local schools. Backers of the bill hope to challenge Plyler v. Doe, a Supreme Court decision that forced states to provide education to illegal aliens.
“The Plyler decision in 1982 was the voice of the court being imposed on the people,” Watson said. “This is the voice of the people being exercised through their elected officials.”
The legislation was approved 19-13 on Thursday, with some Republicans joining the Democrat minority in opposition to the bill, which has drawn weeks of activist protests at the state capitol in Nashville. Republicans…
