Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) compared running state government during a national economic slowdown to being the captain of a ship in stormy waters in his address Jan. 28.
Before a politically split Legislature, the governor announced plans to cut crime, increase jobs, improve health and expand education in a $27.9 billion budget, which is about $170 million less than the current budget.
Bredesen’s most detailed plans involved education. He asked for $25 million to set up more pre-kindergarten classes across the state, and suggested lowering the 3.0 GPA threshold that college students have to maintain to keep their Tennessee Hope Scholarships to 2.75. Republicans have opposed similar proposals in the past.
Although Bredesen did not include any additional money for the state’s colleges and universities, he suggested using lottery income to increase needs-based scholarships.
The governor’s budget also includes $12 million to find more alternatives to nursing homes for elderly senior and disabled people, $29.3 million for a jobs-creation initiative, and money for more prison beds and increased DNA collection from criminals.
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