Tagged: Bill Haslam

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.

Tenn Gov. Bill Haslam is expressing reservations about a bill seeking to cap the number of foreigners working at Tennessee charter schools.

The Republican governor says he is concerned about the measure headed for his consideration after passing both chambers.

Haslam says the state is trying to promote more science, technology, engineering and math classes in the state, and he doesn't want to close off a potential pipeline of teachers with expertise in those subjects.

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam's effort to close off public access to company information used to decide economic development grants has been withdrawn for the year. Republican Senator Bo Watson says the decision followed a failure to reach a compromise. The Haslam administration argues the measure allows the state to ask for more details about businesses seeking cash grants while assuring companies’ proprietary information would not become public. Open government advocates argue that information is already exempt from public records laws.

Tennessee parents would grade themselves on how involved they are in a student's school performance under legislation headed for a state House floor vote.  The measure passed the House Finance Committee Tuesday on a voice vote.

Hacker group Anonymous claims to be responsible for the attacks against Chinese websites this week.

NPR reports hundereds of Chinese government sites and companies have been defaced within the space of a few days. On some of the sites hackers even posted tips on how to circumvent the Great Firewall of China.

Opponents of a Tennessee proposal protecting teachers who allow students to criticize evolution and other scientific theories like global warming are urging Governor Bill Haslam to veto the measure.  Several opponents of the legislation delivered a petition containing more than 3,000 signatures to Haslam spokesman David Smith outside the governor's office Thursday.  Smith told those who brought the petition he would make sure the governor got it.  Haslam says he’ll sign the proposal, which he says encourages critical thinking by protecting teachers from discipline if they help students crit