NASHVILLE – Efforts by Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey’s gubernatorial campaign to use his opposition to Gov. Phil Bredesen’s plan to lift the sales tax cap on big-ticket items drew a sharp response from the governor today.
“For the next month or so while the legislature’s here, I need a little more Ron Ramsey the speaker than Ron Ramsey the gubernatorial candidate,” said Gov. Bredesen, a Democrat who cannot run for reelection, told reporters this morning. “I certainly understand if you’re running for governor, you want to take positions … But at the same time if you’re a sitting official of the state, I think he needs to engage with this issue.”
On Monday, Speaker Ramsey, whose position also carries the title of lieutenant governor, highlighted his previously stated opposition to the Bredesen plan in a campaign e-mail. It proclaimed “Ramsey Battles Bredesen Tax Hike on Behalf of TN. Small Business.”
“This week, Lt. Governor Ramsey will be laser focused on working through the budget and presenting a Republican alternative to an $85 million tax hike proposed by Gov. Bredesen,” the e-mail states. It claims that the Bredesen proposal “will effectively slap a tax on the purchase of larger office equipment, machinery such as back hoes, and other necessary items used by Tennessee’s small businesses.”