Tennessee House Approves Spending Plan

The Tennessee House has passed Governor Bill Haslam's $30.4 billion dollar spending plan after rejecting several efforts to restore programs and make a greater reduction in the state's sales tax on groceries. The chamber voted 66-30 yesterday to pass the bill. Approval was delayed by more than an hour by a spirited debate over Haslam's plan to close a Youth Development Center in Bledsoe County. But after a break - and heavy lobbying by Republican leaders and Haslam staffers - the chamber moved on. The Senate has yet to vote on its version of the spending plan.