Former govs

Former governors Don Sundquist and Ned McWherter, the widows of two former state executives, as well as the wives of two lawmakers all benefited from a recent pension hike bill passed in the state Legislature.

In the bill passed Saturday, which included a 3 percent pension hike for sitting lawmakers, the annual pensions of former governors went from $42,500 to $77,500.

In addition, the salaries of the wives of two state senators, Roy Herron (D-Dresden) and Jim Kyle (D-Memphis), were increased through a bill that both Herron and Kyle voted to approve in its final version.

The bill including the pension hike and the salary increases was pushed through on the last day of the legislative session.

As a result of the increased governor