NASHVILLE - With some GOP senators voicing concerns Tuesday about a proposed overhaul of Tennessee's higher education system, Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey said he doesn't think lawmakers have to "rush through" the legislation during this week's special session.
"I'm not sure anyone wants to tackle anything too controversial in this one week of special session that we have," Sen. Ramsey, R-Blountville, said. "We don't want to rush through anything."
The speaker said that, unlike last week's passage of changes in K-12 education in the special session, changes to the funding formula for state colleges and universities are "not something that has to be done this week is all I'm saying. If we reach consensus, great, let's do it. But if we don't, it's not the end of the world."
It can be readily handled in the regular legislative session, Sen. Ramsey said.
Bredesen administration officials have voiced openness about addressing the issue.
Will Pinkston, a senior adviser to Gov. Phil Bredesen, said "it's only natural for everyone to be asking a lot of questions about how this affects their local institutions. After they get a chance to process the proposals in front of them, our hope is they agree it is the right thing to do to drive degree completion in the state."
Last week, lawmakers enacted major changes in the state's K-12 teacher tenure laws that Gov. Bredesen said were necessary to make the state competitive in its application for $485 million in federal Race to the Top grants.
The state submitted its application Tuesday morning about seven hours before the deadline for proposals.
Several questions have been raised about the higher education legislation. For example, University of Memphis and Memphis business leaders have voiced outrage over the school's omission from provisions that boost research capabilities at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
In the House and Senate Education Committees Tuesday, members listened to presentations on the legislation, which would reward institutions for graduating more students.
Other provisions elevate the role of two-year community colleges and technical schools and require standardization of basic courses that would have to be accepted by four-year institutions.
Gov. Bredesen also has talked about creation of a vice chancellor in the Tennessee Board of Regents to oversee community colleges. That issue also was raised by Complete College America President Stan Jones, a state consultant.
That drew concerns from Sen. Ken Yager, R-Harriman, who teaches at Roane State Community College.
He told Mr. Jones that he had failed to "convince me that creation of such a unified statewide system would fulfill any of the goals you mentioned."
In fact, Sen. Yager said he thought it would "add another layer of bureaucracy to the system which will remove the flexibility of your local community college to respond to local needs, particuarly the work force."
Mr. Jones said he believes community colleges have been a "stepchild" of the Board of Regents. He said he believes in flexibility, but noted "you can do that and have a unified system across the state that provides more quality, more uniformity" and a common course catalogue.
Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, a co-sponsor of the higher education bill, said, "I think that we are addressing concerns and questions and moving towards passage of the bill. ... I see no reason why we can't address the issues, get out the facts and vote on the bill in special session."
In discussing the higher education bill last week, Gov. Bredesen, a Democrat, said, "we're going to put the money, as I think the taxpayers would expect us to do, with the organizations that are trying to get things done, which is to graduate the students."
The governor said he would phase in formula changes and doesn't envision any institution failing.
"I think there probably would always be a safety net that they don't absolutely fail, but I can easily imagine some institutions becoming smaller than they are today. Or probably more likely they'll find a new president who will do the job in the institution."