Governor Phil Bredesen says he’s talked to legislative leaders about passing some stopgap measures immediately after they return to Nashville next month. The legislative package is aimed at giving the state extra flexibility just in case the economy worsens. For instance, Bredesen says current law requires any state bonds to be sold through an absolute auction process. He says the volatile market conditions could cost the state a lot of money. Instead, he wants to be able to sell state bonds through a competitive bid process. Bredesen also plans to seek some limited amendments to the state’s civil service employment process in order to avoid layoffs. He’s still putting together a comprehensive list of items to present to the legislature.
