Rep. William Lamberth told the Tennessee House of Representatives K-12 subcommittee his bill is simple.
The Portland Republican's proposal allows Tennessee's local school districts and charter schools to ask for proof of U.S. residency before a child can attend school. Opponents who spoke to the committee before a packed room Tuesday said they viewed the legislation as an assault on children's rights.
"It would take away their freedom to learn simply because of who they are and where they were born," said Jean Myers, a Tennessee teacher. "To put it in clear terms, this bill is an attack on our values as Tennesseans and upon our children."
Lamberth said there is a legal immigration system that has been broken for a couple of decades.
