Haslam discusses achievements, expectations in Collierville
Gov. Bill Haslam‘s term is coming to an end, but he remains adamant about his expectations for the state.
Haslam wants the next governor to continue the state’s progress.
“The main thing for the next governor is to make certain we keep the financial condition we’re in now, with it being the lowest tax and debt state and adequately funding public education and other important things,” Haslam said. “And second to make certain we don’t go backwards in education, it’s taken us a long time to crawl out from being one of the bottom states to being in the middle of the pack. We need to keep the progress going.”
Haslam spoke Wednesday during the Collierville Chamber of Commerce’s General Membership Breakfast at Ridgeway Country Club.
He encouraged residents to vote for a candidate who focuses on state issues, rather than federal issues that are out of a governor’s control.
“There’s a governor’s race going on now where there’s a whole lot of conversation about things that don’t really matter as much in what you do in the governor’s office,” he said. “There’s a whole lot of discussion about immigration and building a wall in Mexico and sanctuary cities. All of that, to be honest with you, is a federal issue and rarely comes across the governor’s office.”
Primaries for the gubernatorial race are Aug. 2, followed by the general election Nov. 6.
Haslam is term-limited and prohibited from seeking a third consecutive term.
A portion of Wednesday’s event focused on Haslam’s accomplishments as governor.
“Under his leadership, Tennessee is recognized as a national leader in education, development, efficient government and fiscal strength,” said Rep. Ron Gant, R-Rossville.
Haslam helped make improvements in the state’s education system and employment rate, among other areas.
“Since 2011, Tennessee students have been the fastest improving in the country in academic achievement,” Gant said. “First-time freshmen enrollment increased 25 percent at community colleges and 20 percent at technical colleges in one year, and the college-going rate in Tennessee increased to a high of 62.5 percent in 2015.”
Since Haslam took office in 2011, more than 378,000 net new private sector jobs have been created in the state, according to Collierville Chamber of Commerce’s website.
The state’s unemployment rate in June 2017 was 3.6 percent — the lowest since1976, the year statistics were first reported.
Before Haslam’s term ends, he will select a new leader for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and make a decision on the possible clemency of Cyntoia Brown, who is serving a life sentence for the homicide of a Nashville man in 2004.
“Three people were nominated for TBI and I interviewed all three of those last week, and I will be making a decision in the next week,” Haslam said.
Haslam said Brown appeared at a pardon board hearing a few weeks ago, and her files are in the board’s possession.
“The board is doing their paperwork, and it will come to us at that point and time and then we will review that,” he said. “We have a whole series of pardon and clemency that are before us now.”