Speaker Ramsey slams teachers union

NASHVILLE -- Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey said Thursday that the state's largest teachers union made a "failed attempt of everything they could" to keep both him and Rep. Beth Harwell from being elected speaker.

But Ramsey, R-Blountville, said that has nothing to do with a raft of legislation from Republicans that seeks to ban collective bargaining by teachers unions, remove Tennessee Education Association representatives from state boards and end government payroll deductions for the group's dues.

"Absolutely not. Absolutely not," Ramsey told reporters. "My philosophy is the same as it was five years ago ... but they did make a failed attempt of doing everything they could to keep me from being speaker, doing everything they could to keep Beth from being speaker."

Earlier this month, Harwell, R-Nashville, was selected as the first female speaker of the House.

The Tennessee Education Association endorsed Democrat Mike McWherter over Republican Bill Haslam in the governor's race, and the teachers' political action committee gave McWherter $15,000, according to state Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance.

The teachers' group also made substantial contributions to legislative Democrats and gave $25,000 to the state Democratic Party.

Ramsey said TEA in the past has "blocked" issues such as tenure reform and making it easier for charter schools to operate.

"I just think that this will be a chance to promote what has normally been a Republican agenda of more school choice, of charter schools, of re-evaluating tenure and not giving lifetime tenure and all those things we wished to push in the past," he said. "There's no payback."

Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550.