NASHVILLE - Gov. Phil Bredesen told GOP senators Thursday that he will ask three Democrats serving on the Tennessee Board of Regents to resign and replace them with Republicans.
The move is being made to comply with a state law that says at least three appointees must be members of the minority party, lawmakers said.
Earlier in the day, Bredesen, a Democrat, told reporters he wasn't aware of the requirement until GOP lawmakers began raising the issue in recent days. Republicans continue questioning the board's naming of Bredesen's top deputy, John Morgan, as the higher education system's new chancellor.
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, and Sens. Bill Ketron, R-Murfreesboro, and Jim Tracy, R-Shelbyville, told reporters Thursday they met with Bredesen. Republicans got the governor's attention after announcing they intended to hold hearings on the issues.
Republicans also had requested a state attorney general's opinion on whether the Board of Regents was legally constituted and if board actions affecting the 45 Regents colleges and universities have been legal.
During the closed-door meeting, Bredesen was upfront about the oversight, Ramsey said.
"The governor said, 'OK, let's just hit this head on. I was supposed to have three Republicans on the Board of Regents. I didn't know that. I overlooked that. I have 4,000 appointments, and I made a mistake. I'm just going to say that right up front. I'm going to fix that,'" Ramsey quoted Bredesen saying.
Ramsey said he followed up, asking Bredesen, "You mean you're going to kick three people off the Board of Regents? And he said, 'Yeah.'"
In a later e-mail, Bredesen spokeswoman Lydia Lenker refused to confirm Ramsey's account, stating, "the governor considers this a private conversation, and as he stated during today's media availability, he's not yet ready to discuss his strategy."
The 18-member board has 12 public members appointed by the governor.
Earlier in the day, Bredesen told reporters he "accepted" there was an issue, but noted, "I wasn't aware of it. I was mad when I found out about it. But we're going to take care of it."
Efforts to contact Regents member Howard Roddy, of Chattanooga, were unsuccessful. Regents institutions include Chattanooga State Community College and Cleveland State Community College.
During remarks to reporters earlier, Bredesen reiterated his frustration and irritation over the entire matter, saying he worried it might set back efforts to make Tennessee colleges do a better job in graduating students.
"This (board makeup) is an issue no one has cared about for 7 3/4 years," Bredesen said. "Suddenly now an election season is coming up and people are making a big deal out of it."
Republican deny politics was behind the issues they raised.
Bredesen's concession comes as Senate Republicans plan to hold hearings later this month on the board and members' decision to eliminate Ph.D. requirements for chancellors. Morgan does not hold a doctorate degree.
The governor, who said he did not push the board to name Morgan, noted that the deputy governor, a former state comptroller, has had a long interest in higher education issues and played a key role in developing the legislation that ties state college funding more closely to graduation rates.
The three Republicans said they can accept the appointment of Morgan but still want to ask Board of Regents' members what their thinking was in changing resume requirements and hiring Morgan.