NASHVILLE (AP) — Members of the House and Senate both unanimously honored former Tennessee Gov. Ned McWherter with a resolution on Thursday.
McWherter, a two-term Democratic governor and longtime House speaker from West Tennessee, died Monday of cancer at the age of 80.
As the state's 46th governor, he supported education improvements — called the "21st Century Classroom" — that put more computers and technology in classrooms, increased teachers' pay, shrunk class sizes and gave local school boards more control.
Two funeral services are planned for McWherter this weekend. One will be at 2 p.m. Saturday in the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville and the other is set for 1:30 p.m. Sunday in Dresden on the front lawn of McWherter's home.