“After careful consideration and consultation with my family, I have decided that I will no longer be a candidate for Governor of Tennessee.

It is clear to me that while our campaign had the assets to be competitive in the Primary, the legislative fundraising restriction, the economy, and my duties as Senate Leader have severely hampered my ability to generate resources which would have been vital to our success in the general election. Our state faces unprecedented budget and funding issues that cannot wait for the next Governor, and I plan to devote all my energies to working with Governor Bredesen and my colleagues in the legislature to ensure that the best interests of all Tennesseans are placed first.

I started this campaign for governor to help our state create the recession-proof jobs that will move us forward. My vision for accomplishing this task was to take “Higher Education to a Higher Place,” and make our colleges economic engines for Tennessee. While no longer a candidate for Governor, I will continue to be an outspoken advocate to promote and define the solutions that answer our state’s most pressing challenges, in both higher education and job creation. Perhaps, my exit from this race will enable some of my legislative initiatives, which will address these challenges, to be seen and heard more clearly.

For a guy whose Mom worked in a tire factory and whose Dad drove a truck, perhaps the most humbling support has been from Tennessee’s working families. My parents’ jobs were hard jobs, and because of the Unions they belonged to, they were able to provide a better life for our family.

I would like to thank each and every Tennessean who has assisted me in this campaign. I am proud to call Tennessee home. I have built a career in this great state, raised my family here, and will continue to pursue the same goal I set for this campaign: that we have a government that measures its success one citizen at a time.”

Such bills should never become law. Newspapers perform a vital watchdog role in publishing such notices, and the public shouldn’t have to rely solely on the government for information about its activities.

“A lot of people across the state still get their news from newspapers,” says Sen. Jim Kyle, D-Memphis. He voted no in the Judiciary Committee Tuesday to a bill by Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, that says the publication requirement for a proposed constitutional amendment is satisfied if it is posted on the official Web site of the secretary of state or of the General Assembly in a timely fashion.

The committee approved the bill, amending it to say the secretary of state must issue a press release about the proposed amendment to newspapers statewide. The bill moved to the Senate Finance Committee.

“When there is a constitutional amendment proposed or a foreclosure notice going out, there ought to be written notice and a full text provided,” Kyle said. “We’re shirking our responsibility to the public when we do otherwise.”

Proponents of the bill say a 2006 ruling by the Tennessee Supreme Court allows for public notices to go out without having to be advertised.

In that case, the court ruled that a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union failed to establish injury due to the short notice given for a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. Voters rejected the measure that November.

“A minimum notice shouldn’t be the standard,” Kyle says. “An accurate notice should be the standard.”

That should also be the case whether the public notice is about a proposed constitutional amendment or whether a city council would control the Web site announcing public meetings or even court clerks issuing notices about such things as foreclosures only over the Internet.

“When a public notice is given in print, it is verifiable,” says Frank Gibson, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government. “You can always go back and look at … a newspaper, but there’s no way to go back and see for sure that a notice has been posted on the Web site. It could have been hacked.”

Proponents of Kelsey’s bill say the state could save about $24,000 a year by posting notices online only, but it also costs money to operate Web sites. And while the Internet is fast, who is to say notices will be posted in time for the public to have input and attend government meetings?

This is not just about newspapers and transparency; it’s also about consumer protection when it comes to whether a clerk has posted information about a foreclosure in time for the owner to possibly save a home.

As Kyle told fellow Senate Judiciary members Tuesday, government officials shouldn’t be trying to make it harder for the public to get information but doing all they can to make it easier.

“I’m going to restructure our higher education system and make it more effective and more efficient,” he said. “When a student graduates from high school, junior college, community college or a four-year institution, then everyone wins.”

Simply stated, there’s a connection between education and jobs. He asserted high-paying recession-proof jobs do not exist in Tennessee, but are going elsewhere.
He aims to change that.

“We are the 43rd state in the nation when it comes to what the Census Bureau calls ‘educational attainment,’” he said. “We have to ask ourselves this question: Are we against education or do we have an education system that has barriers and blockades that keep you from getting an education?

“I think it is the latter. I think we have an education system that has barriers and blockades. I am going to hold higher education’s feet to the fire.

Community colleges and four-year institutions need to work together to educate citizens, he adds, instead of putting barriers and blockades into play.

“We have passed laws to encourage matriculation between our schools, but the educational bureaucracy has resisted it,” he said. “What I’m saying is, we are going to appoint people to the UT Board of Trustees who understand we need to make sure that when someone takes a course at a community college, it will be accepted by a four-year school.

“I think (change) can be done. It should be done. The overall goal should be getting people educated.”

Public service

Kyle is a graduate of Oakhaven High School in Shelby County and Arkansas State University. He earned a law degree at Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at what was then Memphis State.

At age 32, he was elected to the Tennessee State Senate. Since 2005, he has been the Senate’s Democratic leader.

Kyle characterized his presence in that legislative body as “a driving force in passing every positive education reform in Tennessee.”

“I served on every committee at one time or other,” he said. “I was part of the Senate Education Committee that worked with (former Gov.) Ned McWherter to create the BEP (Basic Education Program).

“When the federal government took over our prison system, I was made chairman of the Oversight Committee on Corrections. It took us 10 years but we got out from under court rule. It was a tough deal.

“More recently, I believe, with all modesty, that I am recognized as one of the more knowledgeable members that work on the budget and financial affairs of the (state) government. I have served as vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee I have managed the budget. I have been in on every budget (presented by Gov.) Phil Bredesen. I managed them through the legislature. I’ll be managing (this year’s budget).”

Ready to go

In summary, Kyle said, he’s been in state government 26 years, has worked with local and state leaders and for the people of Tennessee, as well as building a small business.

“I know how government works,” he said. “I feel that in this economic time, people need somebody who’s ready to govern on the first day as governor.
“I am that person, on either side of the aisle. I am that person who has been there, done that, and worked it.”

His family

Kyle and his wife, Sara, have three daughters — Sarah, Mary and Caroline — and a son — Jim Kyle II.

Unlike most people, Rex has to pay attention to these things. So he might as well dig in and break a couple things down.

Last week, the wannabe governors had to show how much coin they have in their pockets. Some were obviously better than others. Because, no matter how much you hate it, money wins elections.

Here’s how the cash cows milked for the six boys and one girl:

•State Sen. Jim Kyle raised $741,484.99 in the last six months, spent $153,442.33, and has a total of $588,042.66 in cash on hand. Lucky for him, Kyle can spend all that scratch on the Democratic primary, which will be competitive, as nobody’s pulling away from the pack. He is handicapped for the next few months, of course, because he can’t raise money while the legislature is in session.

•Riding behind is former state Rep. Kim McMillan. Her campaign raised $159,981.42 in the past six months, spent $198,372.72, and has a total of $106,726.47 in the bank now. The problem is that although she’s raised a total of $454,938.60, she’s barely topping $100K in the bank. Subtract $10,000 from that total because it was a contribution made to her general election fund, and she has less than a $100K going into a primary against two well-funded Democratic opponents. Yikes.

•Democrat Mike McWherter is coasting along fine right now, but he might’ve erred in holding out his own cash — a personal loan likely would’ve killed his primary competition. In the last six months, he raised $402,868.91, spent $389,091.03, and has $619,999.90 in the bank. Overall his campaign has raised $1,053,173.91, but $146,952.91 is marked specifically for the general election.

•The Republican in the biggest world of hurt is Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons. He raised $225,218.37 in the past six months, spent $279,870.22, and has $246,562.64 in the bank. Of that, $41,818.41 can only be used if he makes it out of the GOP primary. For the record, his campaign has raised $641,983.78 over the course of its entire life. Slim pickins.

•Moving on to the big dogs, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam raised $2,860,000 in the past six months, spent $1,090,031.18 and has $4,227,874.40 in the bank. Of that, $1,010,345 can only be used if he survives the Republican primary in August. His campaign has raised a total of $5,737,583 to date.

•Republican Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, like Kyle, is going to live off money already raised for the next few months, since he can’t solicit funds during session. Over the past six months, he brought in $1,420,000 and spent $317,925.34, leaving $2,353,042.30 in the bank, of which $467,920 is available only for the general election. All told, his campaign team has raised $2,756,642.

•Finally there is Chattanooga Rep. Zach Wamp. His team raised $1,318,022 in the last six months, spent $552,523.83, and has $1,874,749.94 in the bank. Of that, $473,743 can only be used if he survives the Republican primary. He has raised $2,571,212 overall.

So what does it all mean? Simply put, McMillan and Gibbons better hurry up and show some momentum before the cash spigot closes on them. Rex won’t say their campaigns are on “death watch,” but he did check campaign receipts for signs of any defibrillators.

For all those people who are going to chime in here and say money has too much influence in campaigns, or the press only cares about money, Rex leaves you with this: You gotta have some muscle to play in the big leagues, kids. If you can’t get people to part with their bread for you, then you likely aren’t going to get people to vote for you.

“Jim Kyle is the only candidate running for governor who is laying out a plan to move the Tennessee economy in the right direction,” said Ward Cammack. “He knows what it takes to attract new jobs and industry to Tennessee.”

Cammack sited Kyle’s record and belief that he has the ability to lead Tennessee.

“Jim and I have discussed our views on the economy, education, jobs and healthcare,” Cammack said. “He has a concrete record that shows he means what he says and he knows how to get the job done. I am proud to be working with him on issues that are important to both of us.”

“Ward is a successful businessman and his guidance and advice is something I will call on. I know he will be an asset to our campaign,” Kyle said. “I am thrilled to have his support and trust in me to be the next governor of Tennessee.”

With Jim Kyle showing strong numbers in his first campaign finance totals released last week, the endorsement could send a powerful signal of the momentum the Kyle campaign is building.

Today the Kyle for Governor campaign has announced they have receipts of over $740,000.00 with more than $580,000.00 in available cash on hand heading into February.

Unlike other candidates who have raised money for both the general and the primary at the same time the Kyle campaign’s available cash on hand dollars are all primary election funds and are available for immediate use.

“We are excited about the support we have received across the state, ” said Jim Kyle. “I am extremely proud that so many hard-working men and women have donated to our campaign. I am in this race to win and be the next Governor of Tennessee.”

The state’s two U.S. senators and nine congressmen also have written a letter supporting the state’s application for $501.2 million in federal grants to pursue innovative education reforms.

Forty states are vying for the $4 billion in grants, which are being awarded competitively.

The four Republican and three Democratic gubernatorial candidates’ joint letter was included in Tennessee’s application in the Race to the Top competition.

“We’re uniting to express our support for the Volunteer State in the Race to the Top competition for education innovation,” the candidates said in the letter.

Republicans Bill Gibbons, Bill Haslam, Ron Ramsey and Zach Wamp signed the letter as did Democrats Jim Kyle, Kim McMillan and Mike McWherter.

“Should our state succeed in the competition, we will continue the focus on education and work tirelessly to implement the reforms necessary to transform our schools and offer our children a better future,” the letter said.

In their letter to U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, the state’s congressional delegation said, “In utilizing these federal funds, Tennessee seeks to capitalize on its assets — a rich pool of data, a plan for revamped standards and assessments, increasing collaboration with high-tech firms and facilities, and an expanded charter school system.”

The letter says Tennessee’s proposal “builds upon these assets and will accelerate reforms necessary to support educational achievement and excellence.”

U.S. Rep. Wamp also signed the congressional delegation letter.

State lawmakers last week approved major changes in the state’s teacher tenure laws that Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, said were needed to help bolster the state’s effort to win a grant.

Those changes included tying teacher tenure and evaluations to student achievement. Other provisions require annual teacher evaluations.

The House passed the measure 93-2 on Thursday and the Senate approved its version 32-0 earlier in the day.

Both chambers later agreed to minor changes between the House and Senate versions, and sent the measure to Bredesen for his signature.

A key element of the plan would change the way the state pays for higher education by basing the funding formula on graduation rates and student retention, rather than the number of students enrolled at a school.

The graduation rate at public four-year schools in Tennessee is 44 percent and just 12 percent at community colleges.

Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle said the measure is “about taking higher education to a higher place.”

The graduation rate at public four-year schools in Tennessee is 44 percent and just 12 percent at community colleges, and the state ranks 42nd nationally.

The Senate voted 32-0 to approve the plan early Thursday, and the House approved its version 93-2 later that evening.

“We’re starting the process of eliminating barriers to people getting educated,” said Kyle, D-Memphis.

A key element of the proposal will change the way the state pays for higher education by basing the funding formula on graduation rates and retention, rather than the number of students enrolled at a school.

Republican Reps. Gerald McCormick of Chattanooga and Jon Lundberg of Bristol cast the lone nay votes.

McCormick said he couldn’t vote for the bill “because the funding formula is not clear to us yet.”

“It hasn’t been written,” he said. “And I’d like to see that before I’m comfortable with it.”

The measure also shifts all remedial courses from four-year schools to community colleges and automatically allows students with associate’s degrees to transfer as juniors to any four-year school except the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

“What we’re talking about is bang for the buck for the students, and in most cases the parents who are paying for their kids to be in school,” said Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville. “We will have truth in advertising that if you take a class at a two-year school that it ought to transfer to a four-year school.

Rep. Henry Fincher said he believes the legislation will “fundamentally increase the availability of higher education for Tennesseans.”

“As we go into this new century, education is the key to compete for jobs,” said the Cookeville Democrat. “And if we don’t have the education, we’re not going to get the jobs. This bill helps us get the jobs, because it gets us the education.”

The proposal was the second major piece of education legislation passed in a special session called by the Democratic governor.

Lawmakers last week approved a law that changes the way the state evaluates teachers and how it addresses failing schools. Bredesen called those changes key to Tennessee’s application for more than $500 million in federal “Race to the Top” money that was submitted on Tuesday.
Bredesen said he was pleased that lawmakers supported the higher education and K-12 proposals.

“I think it’s a huge step forward for the entire pipeline of education in the state of Tennessee,” he said.

In everything we do, we must require accountability. Just as every household has to make the tough choices — not spending more than you have or can afford — so, too, must Tennessee government. We must examine every state department to determine which ones are working and which ones aren’t. We must require any entity that receives state grants to be audited to ensure those funds are going to help people earn a living, and not for bonuses to well-paid executives.

To require this accountability of others, we as lawmakers must be accountable to Tennesseans. We must get back to the basics. For Tennesseans, that means jobs and education. We will make those two pillars of our state economy the top priorities in every sort of legislation we propose.

Small businesses create jobs and grow our economy, but they didn’t get the same bailout that big banks did. That’s why we led the charge to delay a state mandate forcing small contractors to carry workers’ compensation on themselves and anyone else working with them. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, but these increased costs could have broken their backs. We said no.

To create more jobs, we have to strengthen education, specifically in our colleges and universities. This week, we’re reviewing legislation that would tie more state funding to a proven measure of success: graduation rates. We will improve research opportunities to bring in more grants and increase economic growth. We will make transferring between two- and four-year schools easier.

Some Reforms In Place

These changes are necessary to help students achieve their main goal of finding a career. Newly arrived companies like Hemlock in Clarksville and Volkswagen in Chattanooga have already told us their top priority is recruiting skilled, educated workers. If we expect to continue to recruit new jobs to Tennessee, we as lawmakers need to make sure we make education accessible to all Tennesseans.

We are already walking the walk. We passed major education reform to provide more training for K-12 teachers and hold our schools accountable for teaching our students. If a school is struggling, we will do whatever is necessary to give our students the best opportunities to succeed. These efforts were part of an application for funds to help us in this endeavor, but we took the first step ourselves.

We can’t allow minor disagreements to distract us from our major goals. We must focus on growing jobs, improving education and working toward what really matters: improving day-to-day life for every Tennessean and giving future generations an even better chance for success than we have now.

It has been said that extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. In these extraordinary times facing Tennessee, we must call for common-sense measures. The people of this state are counting on us to make decisions that benefit not just those at the top, but all of us.

State Sen. Jim Kyle represents Memphis. State Sen. Lowe Finney represents Madison, Carroll and Gibson counties.