Tennessee

05/18/2007 -- Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen today announced plans to lead a trade delegation to China in October 2007 to open the state’s first-ever economic development office in Beijing and to build greater economic and cultural ties with one of Tennessee’s fastest growing customers.    » read more »

May 15, 2007 -- The Department of Defense announced today the death of three soldiers who were supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

They died May 12 in Al Taqa, Iraq, of wounds suffered when their patrol was attacked by enemy forces using automatic fire and explosives.

They were assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

Killed were:

Sgt. 1st Class James D. Connell Jr., 40, of Lake City, Tenn.

Pfc. Daniel W. Courneya, 19, of Nashville, Mich.    » read more »

05/03/2007 -- Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen today outlined plans for a dramatic overhaul of education funding in Tennessee, a strategy developed in concert with members of the General Assembly and designed to restore fairness, sustainability and accountability to the funding process.    » read more »

May 02, 2007 -- A Clarksville, Tenn. woman who pleaded guilty to embezzling nearly $280,000 from the Guthrie Senior Citizen Center’s bingo operation has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after Todd Circuit Judge Tyler Gill rejected a plea agreement that would have kept her out of jail.    » read more »

Report Is the First to Examine What Happened to People Affected by the Largest Public Program Cuts in History

Washington, D.C. – Today, Families USA released a report that examines the tragic consequences of Tennessee’s massive cuts to the state’s (TennCare) Medicaid program. The report chronicles the lives and experiences of actual people who lost their coverage entirely or who saw a dramatic reduction in crucial services and benefits.    » read more »

Team of Tennessee Legal Experts Lists Many Problems in State Capital Crime System

NASHVILLE, April 23, 2007 — A team of Tennessee legal experts, working under the auspices of the American Bar Association Death Penalty Moratorium Implementation Project, today cited problems in the state's use of capital punishment that range from excessive caseloads and inadequate standards for defense counsel to racial disparities and inadequate review of death row inmates’ claims of actual innocence.    » read more »

04/19/2007 -- Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen today declared Friday, April 20, 2007 a statewide Day of Mourning for victims of the Virginia Tech shootings, joining Tennessee with other states expressing sorrow and support for the families and friends of those who were killed and injured.    » read more »

03/08/2007 -- Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen today traveled to a small restaurant in downtown Nashville to officially launch CoverTN, an affordable and portable health insurance initiative for working Tennesseans who are uninsured. More than 4,500 small businesses have pre-qualified to participate in the program, which will be administered by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.

“Far too many working people have not had access to health insurance in our state, but starting today they have a choice and it is CoverTN,” Bredesen said. “We’re putting access to the most needed medical services within reach of working Tennesseans and making great progress to open the doors of our health care system to Tennesseans who have been without options for too long.”

CoverTN creates a partnership between the state, small businesses and their employees to provide coverage for the most needed medical services. It’s not a mandated program or an entitlement program - it is a voluntary initiative for uninsured Tennesseans to obtain private insurance. The individual owns the plan, not the state or the company.    » read more »

03/06/2007 -- Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen was joined today by officials from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administration on Aging and the Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability to announce the statewide launch of “Own Your Future,” an awareness campaign to encourage Tennesseans to start planning now for their future long-term care needs.

“None of us likes to think about getting older and the possibility that we might one day be unable to do simple things - but the reality is that many of us will need a little help with the daily activities of living as we age,” said Bredesen. “This campaign is designed to educate Tennesseans about preparing now for the future. By planning ahead, you know that you are the one in charge.”    » read more »

02/27/2007 -- Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen addressed the national Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's annual conference in New Orleans, La., today. The Governor gave the following remarks at the event:

"First of all, let me thank you for the chance to be here and to present some thoughts to you. As I looked at the list of keynote speakers—Steve Ballmer and Colin Powell and Mike Leavitt, among others—I was reminded that this is fast company, and I’m genuinely honored to be invited here and sharing this stage with people of such accomplishment.

I’m not an expert on eHealth matters. This room is full of men and women who are experts, who know vastly more about the field than I do, who deal with issues relating to it daily, who are much more conversant with the latest efforts and issues. I want to do two things in my presentation this morning; update you on the Alliance for e-Health, and then challenge you to think differently about how we bring eHealth to life in the broad world of health care.    » read more »

02/20/2007 -- Governor Phil Bredesen today delivered his Fiscal Year 2007-2008 budget proposal to the General Assembly, his fifth balanced budget representing a practical, common sense approach to move Tennessee forward in a fiscally conservative manner. The $27.48 billion budget – including $13.3 billion in state dollars - funds key priorities in education, job creation, public safety and conservation.    » read more »

02/14/2007 -- Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen today named a round of appointments to 26 state boards and commissions.

“I am pleased to name these Tennesseans today who have made a commitment to serve our state through its boards and commissions,” Bredesen said. “I appreciate the time and energy they are willing to commit to serving the State of Tennessee, and am confident that each of them brings unique experience, skills and knowledge that will be valuable to our boards and commissions.”    » read more »

02/12/2007 -- The State of Tennessee today joined the nationwide initiative on value-driven health care, joining major private employers who have expressed support since the effort was launched by HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt last November.

"Transparency in health care pricing and services is critical to both improving the quality of care Tennesseans receive, and to lowering the overall cost of health care for all Tennesseans," said Tennessee Governor Bredesen. "It's important that people know how much health care services cost - and what they are getting for the price. I would like to personally thank Secretary Leavitt for his leadership in this area."

"At this point, aggressive efforts are underway to invite all of America's public and private sector employers to join the federal government in committing to four cornerstone actions to achieve better health care and lower health costs," Secretary Leavitt said. "Employers can help their employees identify and select high quality health care at competitive prices. And when a substantial number of employers commit to these improvements, our health care system as a whole will improve for all Americans."    » read more »

02/05/2007 -- Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen today delivered his 2007 State of the State Address to the 105th Tennessee General Assembly, proposing new initiatives to strengthen education in Tennessee at every level.

“Tennessee is ready - we’re ready,” Bredesen said during his address in the State Capitol’s House Chambers. “We’re ready to lift our sights even higher. We’re ready to take the next steps to seize the future for ourselves, for our children and for our children’s children. I believe that we start with education.”

Moving forward, Bredesen’s strategy for strengthening Tennessee’s public education includes four pillars:    » read more »

01/31/2007 -- Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen announced today that his proposed 2007-2008 budget will include $61 million for a comprehensive alternative fuels strategy to position Tennessee to be a national leader in the production of biomass ethanol and related research.

Combined with $11.6 million in existing funding for an ongoing related project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the Governor’s proposal represents a $72.6 million comprehensive plan.

“This proposal, at its core, is about joining the best of Tennessee’s agricultural and academic resources and leveraging them in a unique way that will position us to take advantage of the opportunities of tomorrow,” Bredesen said. “These investments will help secure our economic and environmental future and allow us to maximize our potential to be a farm-based fuels leader.”    » read more »