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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- A proposal to grant free community-college tuition to high school students with a C average was among only a handful of legislative defeats for Gov. Phil Bredesen during the recently completed session.
Bredesen, a Democrat, said the proposal was overshadowed by the heated debate over an increase in the cigarette tax.
"I should have learned this in my time in politics so far, but anytime you use the 't-word,' everything else sort of just disappears in the background until that gets done," he said.

