(The Center Square) – School choice and immigration garnered most of the attention during the Tennessee General Assembly’s special session, but lawmakers also approved $470 million in relief funds for those affected by Hurricane Helene.
The early fall storm swept through northeast Tennessee, killing 18 people and destroying 500 homes, according to information from the Senate Republican Caucus. More than 5,200 households were affected by the hurricane.
“What affects one part of Tennessee affects us all,” said Lt. Gov. Randy McNally.
Senate Bill 6003 created the Hurricane Helene Interest Payment Fund and the Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund. The $110 million interest payment fund covers interest for communities that took out loans for hurricane recovery efforts. The bill allocates $100 million to the governor’s fund that will help affected counties with agricultural losses, unemployment and business recovery, according to the bill.
The bulk of the money – $240 million – will go to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency to boost the Disaster Relief Grants Fund. Carter County received $20 million to rebuild a high school destroyed by the hurricane.
Sen. Rusty Crowe, R-Johnson City, sponsored a property tax break for residents in Carter, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Johnson, Sevier, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties affected by the storm. The comptroller’s office would issue tax breaks, which are estimated to be $4.6 million. Residents have until June 30 to apply.
“Hopefully this will ease the financial burden and also speed up the recovery efforts across communities,” Crowe said. “Many have lost everything and we need to do all we can to help ease the burdens they are facing.”
Disaster relief received unanimous support. Lawmakers were divided over school choice and immigration.
The Education Freedom Act of 2025 expanded the state’s school choice program from three counties to all of Tennessee’s 95 counties. The bill also gives teachers a $2,000.
The state’s new immigration law creates a Centralized Immigration Enforcement Division. The bill also creates a Class E felony for elected officials who vote in support of sanctuary cities. The ACLU said it will challenge the bill.
“Threatening officials with felony charges and criminal prosecution based solely on how they vote raises significant constitutional concerns,” the ACLU of Tennessee said in a statement. “This authoritarian legislation is incompatible with the bedrock American values of democracy and the rule of law, and we have no choice but to challenge it in court.”