Gov. Lee signs law to vacate TSU Board of Trustees, lawmakers blindsided in the House

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Gov. Bill Lee signed into law a bill that would vacate the Tennessee State University’s Board of Trustees, and allow the governor to reappoint members, which the legislature must approve first.

The Tennessee House took after the Senate to vacate the Tennessee State University Board of Trustees. But some lawmakers said that’s not what was supposed to happen.

During the House floor session, lawmakers were supposed to vote on a bill that would vacate only three members of the TSU board. However, some members said they were blindsided when Republicans introduced an amendment to take them all away.

The amendment is the same one the Senate passed one week earlier.

But House Democrats argued that was not the version that was passed through committee months and weeks before the House floor session on Thursday.

“Your committee passed that amendment, and we had an agreement,” said Rep. Sam McKenzie, D-Knoxville. “Because it was the right thing, the House was right. But now, at the 11th hour we’re going to pull this.”

The bill passed even though Democrats tried to compromise.

“It’s not like it looks like it’s being portrayed on the House floor,” said Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville.

House leadership told reporters after the Thursday session they have given the TSU board many chances over the years to fix scathing audit

s. They also said some democrats were OK with vacating the board.

“We talked with some Democratic lawmakers who said they understood, and they said vacating the board is not a bad idea,” said Sexton.

But Rep. Harold Love Jr., D-Nashville, said that was not the case for him.

“I was told when session started that there would be a substitute in conforming to the Senate bill,” he told reporters.

Thursday, the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury also came out with the latest TSU forensic audit. That shows while there is no fraud or wrongdoing, there were 56 observations and 60 recommendations. It said the university made unsustainable increases to student scholarships. They also failed to charge $1.46 million in tuition and fees to graduate students.

TSU is currently looking for a new school president, and Love wonders what that means for the university’s future.

“I don’t know, and I think that is a valid question to ask,” said Love. “What role will the old board play? But then what will be signed into law?”

The university said in a statement the vote to vacate the Board of Trustees is “unprecedented.”

“This is unprecedented, unfortunate, and uncharted waters for any public university in the state,” the university said in the statement. “We believe this legislation will disrupt our students’ educational pursuits, harm the image of the University, and remove a Board that had achieve success in its enhanced governance of TSU.

“While we are very disappointed by today’s vote, we will continue to work with the General Assembly and the Governor’s office to pursue options, both in funding and governance, that allow TSU to continue the momentum it has achieved in enrollment, research, academics, and providing great opportunities for students.”

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