NASHVILLE — Senate Republicans crashed a Bredesen administration news conference today to object to top officials’ characterization of their handling of pre-kindergarten funding as a first step toward “dismantling” the program.

“I guess some of us take this personally when you say we have the intent of dismantling the pre-k program,” Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, told Education Commissioner Tim Webb.

Comments by Lt. Gov. Ramsey, who is the Senate speaker, came after Mr. Webb spoke in favor of pre-k programs and largely had finished fielding questions from reporters. Senate Republicans earlier had trooped in to watch Commissioner Webb’s statements.

“We were disappointed to see a Finance Committee budget amendment approved along partisan lines that we believe will begin the process of dismantling our nationally recognized pre-kindergarten program,” the commissioner said. “To hear some folks say (it), it’s just an innocuous budget change that simply moves money around on paper. The reality is as, Gov. Bredesen has said, this is merely a precursor to doing away with pre-k funding in the future.”

But during the question-and-answer session with reporters, Commissioner Webb acknowledged to reporters “we simply don’t have any evidence that (intent to dismantle pre-k) is the case. However, it makes it much, much easier when the money becomes classified as one-time non-recurring money to make that actually take place.”

Soon after, Lt. Gov. Ramsey challenged him, saying, “I can firmly tell you there’s no intent, no intent, to dismantle the pre-k program in the state of Tennessee,” Lt. Gov. Ramsey told the commissioner. “I can assure you that’s the case.”

In his budget proposal this year, Gov. Phil Bredesen proposed moving $22 million in funding from the lottery due to shortfalls and making it a recurring, or ongoing, appropriation from the general fund. Senate Republicans last week made it a one-time appropriation from what they said today was the general fund.

Lt. Gov. Ramsey said the current $22 million from the lottery has been non-recurring.

Their version of the budget is expected to be up on the floor later today. The House has kept the governor’s recurring funding provision.

For complete details, see tomorrow's Chattanooga Times Free Press.