Tennessee Senate Bill SJR0144

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/13/25
• Engrossed: 2/27/25
• Enrolled: 3/7/25
• Passed: 3/12/25

Caption

A RESOLUTION to honor and commend Andre Jones upon receiving the 2024 Charter Champion Award for Advocate of the Year from the Tennessee Charter School Center.

Summary

SJR 144 is a ceremonial joint resolution honoring and commending Andre Jones for receiving the 2024 Charter Champion Award for Advocate of the Year from the Tennessee Charter School Center. The resolution highlights Jones’s work supporting students at Crosstown High School, including creating a $6,000 “Financial Freedom” scholarship challenge designed to encourage financial literacy, independence, and long-term stability. The measure also notes that Jones personally contributed to and fundraised the scholarship funds, mentors the student winners, and is seeking to establish the scholarship in perpetuity. The resolution does not create a new program, mandate, or regulatory change; instead, it serves as a formal legislative recognition of an individual’s community service and advocacy on behalf of students and charter school education.

Impact

This resolution has no direct effect on Tennessee statutes, appropriations, or agency duties. Its legal impact is limited to official legislative commendation, with the only practical consequence being public recognition of Andre Jones and the Tennessee Charter School Center’s award. It does not alter education law, charter school policy, or scholarship rules.

Sentiment

The sentiment around the bill is strongly positive and unanimous. Both recorded floor actions passed without opposition, including a 32-0 motion to adopt and a 91-0 consent calendar passage on third consideration. The resolution’s language is entirely laudatory, reflecting broad bipartisan approval of Jones’s work and the underlying emphasis on student financial literacy and support for charter school students.

Contention

There is no evident substantive contention in the available record. Because the resolution is honorary rather than policy-making, the votes show no disagreement, and there were no committee transcripts indicating debate. Any potential points of interest are limited to the broader themes of charter school advocacy, student financial education, and the use of scholarship fundraising, but none of these appear to have generated opposition in the legislative process.