The TNDP is all over the governor and his lieutenant on tuition:

Republican politicians in Tennessee have thumbed their noses at calls by Democratic leaders to come back to Nashville and focus on efforts to ease the burden on middle class families trying to send their kids to college.

“Students and families buried under college debt want solutions, not excuses from politicians,” said Jennifer Baldwin, President of the Tennessee Federation of College Democrats and a student at UT Knoxville.   “We need leaders who understand that access to college is more than just part of the American Dream — Tennessee’s future and our economy depend on educating the next generation.”

On June 28th and 29th the Tennessee Board of Regents will meet to discuss tuition and fee increases of up to 4-7% for Tennessee’s colleges and universities, and earlier this month the UT Board of Trustees voted to increase tuition by 8% at UT-Knoxville.  Seeking to stave off yet another large increase in tuition rates, House and Senate Democrats have called on Governor Haslam and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey to hold a special session to use the extra revenue to address our underfunded higher education system in Tennessee.

“After a legislative session that was long on right-wing rhetoric and short on solutions to the problems faced by the middle class; Republicans adjourned without accounting for the over taxation and over-collections of revenue and now, the price is being paid by our students and their families who choose to better their lives.  This is the working people’s money, if we are not going to be spending it on the people we should give it back,” said Chip Forrester, Chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party. “House and Senate Democrats are showing the courage that Tennesseans need, but haven’t seen out of Bill Haslam and Ron Ramsey.”