An accompanying legislative resolution is sponsored by Rep. John Fogerty (R-Athens) and Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville).

Here are video snippets of Wednesday’s announcement:

Here is the press release provided by the governor’s office.

I could have missed them, but I didn’t see the Occupy Nashville arrests, nor the subsequent apology for same, among the events listed. (Yes, I’m kidding.)

From Gov. Haslam, here’s a video explaining why we citizens should care:

And from Gov. Ramsey, here’s a prepared statement:

Tennessee has proved it can outperform any state in the union even in the midst of the Obama recession. Tennessee keeps its debt low and pays what it owes quickly and in full. These ratings are proof that a united Republican government determined to cut government and promote economic growth works. It’s that simple. I’m proud of our Governor, our legislature and our constitutional officers. I’m proud to be a Tennessean.

Jeff Woods reports that Gov. Bill Haslam thinks 2,200 bills in one legislative session is a tad too many.

To reporters after his speech, Haslam said he planned to “have a conversation” with legislative leaders about redundancy and wasting time.

“A lot of times there’s three or four bills filed about the same thing by the same party members. … As Republicans, we’re the party of smaller government. Let’s see if we can do that in terms of bill proposals.”

One candidate has already stepped forward. Marilyn Roddy, a two-term Knoxville City Council member, had been running for the city mayor post vacated by Gov. Bill Haslam, but explained her decision to switch directions in a statement emailed to the press.

Roddy’s decision to seek the Senate Seat and forgo her Mayoral bid was based on her belief that she could make greater impact on education reform in the State Senate, ”As a former educator, I am deeply committed to improving education. The State Senate offers the best platform to achieve the education reform necessary to attract 21st century jobs to Tennessee and Knox County,” said Roddy. “I believe that at this point in time I can best serve the citizens of Knox County in the legislature.

While additional political figures sort out whether they want to invest in running for this seat, a question on another front is when the election would actually take place. Woodson announced that she will resign on the last day of the General Assembly session or July 1st, whichever comes first. It is likely that the Legislature will adjourn before then, so the moving target presents a statutory challenge in terms of when the governor must issue a writ of election versus how many days are required before an election can be held.

Arguably, it would be ideal for this election to coincide with the Knoxville municipal elections, but it is likely that a couple of legal hurdles would have to be jumped in order to arrive at that common-sense solution. When asked for comment on how this uncertainty affects organizing a campaign, Roddy spokesperson Chris Connolly said that he is sure that Gov. Haslam and state officials will do what is best for the voters in the 6th Senate District.

(Note: Rep. Dunn has told Michael Silence that he is ruling out a run for the seat, but that’s not enough evidence to keep his name out of a cheesy title.)

This is a sad day for Tennessee. Governor McWherter was a true statesman who cared about this state and its citizens. He had a long and distinguished career in the legislative and executive branches as well as in business. I will always be grateful for his personal kindness to me and the wise advice he gave me during my first months in office. Crissy’s and my thoughts and prayers go out to Mike and the entire McWherter family during this difficult time.

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey released the following:

Few men have meant as much to as many Tennesseans as Gov. Ned Ray McWherter. This state has lost a true statesman and a true original. My heart and the hearts of all Tennesseans go out to the McWherter family today.

Here’s a partial statement from Sen. Roy Herron, who is regarded by some as McWherter’s political heir. (Herron was first elected to the Legislature in the House seat held by McWherter before the latter became governor.)

Governor McWherter was our greatest governor during my lifetime, and I believe he was our greatest governor during Tennessee’s lifetime.

Governor McWherter led Tennessee to set records in the economy, job growth, education, building roads, criminal justice, healthcare, lowering taxes and debt.

While I certainly remember McWherter being in office during my first years in Tennessee, I was not a student of state government at the time. It’s too bad, because I likely could have learned a lot about the state’s politics from studying this apparent master.

Much more recently I met Mike McWherter, and the admiration he holds for his father was immediately recognizable.

My thoughts are with the McWherter family and with all Tennesseans as we celebrate the life of the departed.

More remembrances can be found at WBIR’s website.

The film’s protagonist, Geoffrey Canada, spoke recently in Chattanooga as part of the George T. Hunter Lecture Series at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Canada discussed two principles which he believes are key to the success of [Harlem Children's Zone]: high expectations and real accountability.

Every student, regardless of their background or disadvantages, is expected to attend college. There is no second track, which Canada said serves as a way of giving up on difficult students.

And every employee, from the teachers to Canada himself, is held to a “no excuses” standard of accountability. Noting that many find the statement controversial, he said, “The adults who take the money should be held responsible for the success of the children.”

One of the groups participating in today’s forum, the Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies, has previously announced plans for a “Chattanooga Promise Zone” to be piloted at Hardy Elementary.

Promise Zone volunteers have pledged to track all of the area’s children from birth through college graduation, providing them with all the resources they can. They hope to guarantee every student the best chance possible at flipping their tassels and tossing their caps.

But all are not of one accord when it comes to reforms that could help ensure successful education for more students. Another group involved in today’s event, the Tennessee Education Association, opposes Governor Bill Haslam’s legislative push to expand the number of charter schools in the state. And Democratic state Rep. Mike Stewart said last month that he will fight charter school expansion “because it goes to the very core of how our state education system is funded and who controls it.”

Before and during Canada’s UTC lecture, Chattanooga Organized for Action co-founder Chris Brooks tweeted his disagreement with the assumptions in Waiting for “Superman” and with several of the speaker’s remarks.

Below are the press announcement for today’s event and a map showing its location. The forum begins at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

Chattanooga Organized for Action, the Hamilton County Democratic Party and the Hamilton County Young Democrats are co-hosting the second State of the City forum, giving our community an opportunity to take part in a candid discussion about the problems facing our educational system and the solutions needed to solve them. We hope to see you there!

Chattanooga Organizado de Accion, el Partido Democrata del Condado de Hamilton y el Condado de Hamilton Jovenese Democratas son co-anfitrion del segundo Estado del foro de la ciudad, dando a nueastra comunidad la oportunidad de participar en un debate franco sobre los problemsas que enfrenta nuestra educcion sistema y las soluciones necesarias para resolverlos. Esperamos contar con tu presencia!

Participating in the forum are representatives from: the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Hamilton County Educational Association, the Hill City Neighborhood Association, the Ochs Center for Metropolitan Research, the Tennessee Educational Association, CreateHere, and students from Chattanooga State Technical Community College and Hamilton County High School.

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