Frist to Work on Education

Former Tennessee Senator Bill Frist announced earlier this month that he would not be seeking the Republican nomination for governor in 2010. WPLN’s Christine Buttorff caught up with the former US Senate Majority Leader about what he’ll be working on next.

Frist says he’s spent the last six years helping Republican state legislative candidates win office. But now that the Republicans have gained majorities in both houses, Frist says he’s shifting focus.

“By saying, ‘I’m not running for governor, I’m not running for political office,’ is a strong statement that these issues of health of infant mortality of quality of life, of education are totally non-partisan issues and my goal is to bring people together.”

Frist says his biggest initiative will be combating infant mortality in the state. He says infants are more likely to die prematurely when born to women with lower educational levels.

“And that linkage between health and education is something that I’ll address that has not been addressed in the state of Tennessee.”

Frist did not yet have any details about the project, but says he’ll be setting up a commission to look at the issue which will be ‘grass roots’ in nature.

Frist says his new project fits in well with the charity work he does on behalf of Save the Children, an international aid organization. Over the weekend, a Franklin church presented Frist with about 1,000 knitted caps. Frist is on the board of Save the Children, which will distribute the tiny hats all over the world to prevent infant hypothermia.