Attorney General Bob Cooper
By ERIK SCHELZIG / Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Attorney General Bob Cooper says he has constitutional concerns over a Tennessee law limiting the percentage of foreign workers at charter schools.
The legal opinion released Friday was requested by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, who allowed the measure to become law without his signature in May.
Under the law, a chartering authority can reject or revoke a school's application if more than 3.5 percent of the teachers and staff are foreigners in the H1B or J-1 visa programs.
The bill's sponsors, Rep. Judd Matheny of Tullahoma and fellow Republican Sen. Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro, did not immediately return messages seeking comment Friday afternoon.
The measure passed the House on a 63-29 vote, while the Senate approved its version 18-13 -- just one vote more than the minimum needed to pass.