NASHVILLE – Gov. Phil Bredesen today said lawmakers did an “extraordinary job” dealing with education reform in this year’s special session and handling a recession-battered budget in the just-completed regular session.
He called the Tennessee First to the Top Act of 2010 and the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010 “landmark legislation that will leave a legacy of educational improvement for our state.”
“These reforms, enacted with overwhelming bipartisan support, will change the way both K-12 and higher education work in Tennessee,” the governor said in a news release, “and that is going to make a significant difference in the years ahead.”
The General Assembly adjourned for the year early this morning, more than six weeks later than the planned end of the session.
House Speaker Kent Williams, the Elizabethton independent, said in an interview today that legislation allowing Tennessee to compete for federal Race to the Top money “was probably the high point” of this year’s session.
Tennessee passed legislation that for the first time ties student achievement to teacher evaluations and tenure. The state netted $500 million in Race to the Top’s first round of funding.
Dealing with the budget proved “difficult,” Gov. Bredesen said, “but we proved once again we can make the tough choices required to manage our state through this difficult economy. Even as we have made some painful cuts, we have made some amazing progress as well.”
The $29.9 billion state budget, which includes $12.8 billion in state dollars, represents an overall decrease of 0.3 percent from FY 2009-2010. The budget also draws down $245 million from the state’s Rainy Day Fund.
See Friday’s Times Free Press for complete coverage.