Bredesen signs spending plan
The Democratic governor and lawmakers cut nearly $500 million from the spending plan toward the end of the legislative session because of worsening economic conditions.
Lawmakers only constitutional responsibility is to pass a balanced budget. The state’s July-through-June budget year begins Tuesday.
The cuts included reducing the number of state employees by 5 percent, eliminating a planned increase in K-12 education funding and no new money to expand the state’s public pre-kindergarten program.
Only one state senator and four House members voted against the budget proposal when it came up for votes last month. All five are Republicans.