Bryson Kicks Off Campaign With Statewide Fly-Around

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2006

CONTACT: Lance Frizzell
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Bryson Kicks Off Campaign With Statewide Fly-Around

Visits to Chattanooga, Knoxville, Kingsport, Jackson, Memphis and Nashville highlight itinerary

(NASHVILLE, TN) ? State Senator Jim Bryson (R-Franklin) kicked off his campaign for Governor today with press conferences in Chattanooga, Knoxville, Kingsport, Jackson, Memphis and Nashville. Sen. Bryson spoke about his big vision for education, healthcare, illegal immigration and restoring integrity in state government on the statewide fly-around.

?I?m running for governor because Tennessee needs better leadership and I can provide it,? said Sen. Bryson. ?As Governor, I will work to graduate every Tennessee teenager from high school. This is a big idea. But if we can put a man on the moon in the 20th century, surely we can graduate our kids from high school in the 21st century.?

?We need a governor who thinks big.?

Sen. Bryson and his wife, Carol, appeared at each event. He discussed the direction he would take the state?s ailing TennCare program during his remarks.

?Tennesseans deserve a governor with a big heart. I will work to make sure no life is lost due to a lack of access to health care,? Bryson said. ?I will implement cost-savings measures and make structural changes to reduce TennCare costs rather than eliminating the safety net for the terminally ill.?

?Another major initiative of my administration will be to reduce the sales tax on food with an eye toward permanent elimination. I?ll be a Governor with his eye on the family budget as well as the state budget.?

Sen. Bryson also addressed the ongoing series of scandals within the executive branch.

?As governor, I will carry a big stick when it comes to cleaning up government corruption. I will hold every member of my administration in every department accountable for their actions,? said Sen. Bryson. ?I will hire people based on their qualifications, not their political associations or their campaign contributions.?

Illegal immigration has become a major issue in the campaign because of Governor Bredesen?s refusal to require state law enforcement to work with federal authorities in detaining illegal immigrants who commit crimes.

?When I wanted to do something effective about illegal immigration, the Governor fought me tooth and nail,? said Sen. Bryson. ?In the Bryson administration, Tennessee will be a state where legal immigrants are welcomed and illegal immigrants who commit crimes are punished to the fullest extent of the law.?

http://www.brysonforgovernor.com/news/show.asp?id=33