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Tennessee's Free Community College Program Touted in SOTU Address

White House Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz spoke with WKNO about the President's proposal to make two-year community college free for all Americans.

Modeled after Republican Governor Bill Haslam's "Tennessee Promise," it was just one of many proposals offered during Tuesday's State of the Union speech centered on "middle-class economics." President Obama also pushed affordable child care, paid sick and maternity leave and equal pay for women.

While these proposals could have a substantial impact on the Mid-South, pundits expect few to fall in line with the goals of what Iowa senator Joni Ernst, in her response, labeled the "new Republican Congress."

Reporting from the gates of Graceland to the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, Christopher has covered Memphis news, arts, culture and politics for more than 20 years in print and on the radio. He is currently WKNO's News Director and Senior Producer at the University of Memphis' Institute for Public Service Reporting. Join his conversations about the Memphis arts scene on the WKNO Culture Desk Facebook page.