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Welfare Penalty for Tennessee Parents Dead This Session

A proposal that would dock welfare payments of Tennessee parents whose children fail school is dead.

After a debate on the state Senate floor Thursday, Republican senator and bill sponsor Stacey Campfield decided to pull the bill so it can be studied over the summer.

Both Republicans and Democrats expressed concern about the legislation, which sought to cut Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits by 30 percent if a child fails to advance to the next grade.The money could be earned back if a parent attends two conferences with teachers, takes parenting classes or enrolls the child in tutoring programs or summer school.

Opponents of the legislation says it's constitutionally suspect and that it could lead to repercussions for a child in the home of an abusive parent.

Whitney grew up listening to Car Talk to and from her family’s beach vacation each year, but it wasn’t until a friend introduced her to This American Life that radio really grabbed her attention. She is a recent graduate from Union University in Jackson, Tenn., where she studied journalism. When she’s not at WKMS, you can find her working on her backyard compost pile and garden, getting lost on her bicycle or crocheting one massive blanket.
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