Daily Dose for March 29, 2006

Daily Dose

Bredesen: I Don't How We'll Fund CoverTN -- Governor Bredesen unveiled his new health care intiative earlier in the week, but he told the Chattanooga Times Free Press yesterday he isn't sure where funding for the sustained state spending project will come from. Bredesen said he prefers state and private sources - and not under TennCare. However, Bredesen would not rule out taking matching federal dollars for the CoverTN plan. To fund the first three years of the program, Gov. Bredesen proposed using $100 million in TennCare reserves, which now total about $350 million. After that, the state would have to find a permanent revenue source to pay for the plan, he said. Bredesen also suggested raising the cigarette tax to fund the program, but would not rule out other ways to fund the program. Bredesen:

This is something I simply don’t know how much money it’s going to take...We have funded a lot of things through the normal growth of (state) revenue.

Bredesen also added in a Tennessean report that the inherent limits on coverage would keep the overall cost of the program down, however. Republicans have already expressed skepticism about the program. Rep. Beth Harwell said, "the devil is in the details" on CoverTN. Sen. Mae Beavers has already offered a conflicting bill that would simply reestablish the high risk pool.

Dean Likely to Get Caretaker Seat -- East Ridge Mayor Vince Dean will likely get the appointment to replace Rep. Jack Sharp in the General Assembly, although Commission Chairman Larry Henry said he is concerned about the process leading to that choice. Democrat Greg Ezell said he stopped pursuing the appointment after talking to three commissioners because he "saw the writing on the wall." Hamilton Co. Commissioner Curtis Adams, whose East Ridge-area district is in the House district, recommended Mr. Dean from the beginning. Dean and Ezell are expected to run for the seat in November. Bob Johnson, a formerly mentioned candidate has withdrawn.

Republicans Abstain on Minimum Wage Increase -- The Democrat-dominated House Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee approved a bill that increases the state minimum wage along an 8-1 vote. Three Republicans, abstain on the bill and one Republican was not present, however. The National Federation of Independent Business is lobbying against the bill in committee. One political obsever commented that Republicans abstained on the bill after they knew it would pass to avoid election year criticisms.

Wilder, Cooper: We Haven't Been Subpoenaed -- State Sens. John Wilder and Jerry Cooper contradicted earlier media reports that they had been subpoenaed in a land fraud trial currently going on in Chattanooga. Cooper says he will be called to testify, but has not yet been subpoenaed. Lt. Gov. Wilder had no comment on the reports. U.S. Attorney Gary Humble said this week that Sen. Cooper and Lt. Gov. Wilder, D-Mason, were subpoenaed by the defense. See yesterday's dose for background on the case.

U.S. Senate Race in Contrasts -- The Nashville City Paper profiles the contrasts in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. The long and short of it: Corker has the money, even though Bryant and Hilleary have high name identification. Bryant has the interest group coaltions, and Van isn't worried about "Washington endorsements."

Neutralizing the Illegal Immigration Vote -- A bill sponsored by Rep. Donna Roland that would have ended the program that gives driving certificates to illegal immigrants has been canned. According to an article in today's Chattanoogan, neutralizing the bill has political implications, since the program will remain in place, though suspended until the next General Assembly. State Rep. Stacey Campfield says that a bill which is very similar, but with a ban of the program for only one year, is sailing through the Legislature because it has been sponsored by a Democrat. The Chattanooga Times Free Press also looks at the issue.

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