Gov. Bill Lee called a special session Wednesday for late January when Tennessee lawmakers will be asked to take up his private-school voucher bill, immigration measures and a plan to provide funding for hurricane-ravaged counties in Northeast Tennessee,

Republican Gov. Bill Lee on Wednesday doubled down on his efforts to enact universal school vouchers throughout Tennessee by ordering the GOP-dominant Statehouse to pause their regular legislative duties and focus on passing a bill that would allow families to use public dollars for private school tuition.

Gov. Bill Lee announced Wednesday that he'll call Tennessee lawmakers into a special session this month to take up his statewide school voucher proposal, as well as "public safety measures" to prepare for immigration policies under President-elect Donald Trump's administration.

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has called for a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly to pass his school voucher program, otherwise k