February 7, 2011 Governor's Update : Budget Hearings

Governor Haslam: We just finished our first budget hearings, and it was really encouraging to see the steps being taken by every state agency to address the tough choices we face in balancing our budget. The decisions we are making now will set the course for our future direction. In my inaugural address you heard about this administration's commitment to job creation, quality education for all students, and improving the health of Tennesseans. These goals will be a primary focus in our budget. Department of Health Commissioner Susan Cooper explained the agencies plan to eliminate more than 2.9 million dollars in spending, while focusing on a message of personal accountability in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Commissioner Cooper: We have to keep it simple; we make things way too hard. So, we've kept our... I mean our messages are pretty clear. Eat better, move more, and don't use tobacco. And everywhere you go, eat better, move more, don't use tobacco. Governor Haslam: I mean if you look at the state's budget, more of it is impacted by how we take care of ourselves. This administration is committed to fund the 70 million dollar basic education program or B.E.P as you may know it. But there will be some other reductions as we move forward with our educational reforms. It will take cooperation as we work to increase graduation rates, to equip students for better jobs, while tracking new businesses with the quality of Tennessee's workforce. Commissioner Smith: There are also ways through our dual enrollment program where students in high school can go ahead and start taking some college courses, that there's interaction there. And we would like to do our part cut down on remedial education costs in our education, and we're hoping Race to the Top will drive some academic prudence to reduce those costs. Dr. Dipietro: So we will be trying to teach more, do more research with fewer people around. Still we will do our very best to be a first rate institution offering excellent education opportunities. We will pursue top 25 status, as I mentioned earlier, at UT Knoxville, and we have set similar goals or are in the midst of doing gap analysis with UT Chattanooga, and UT Martin, and the Institute of Agriculture, and the Health Science Center. The Health Science Center will continue to turn out professionals for our state, doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and they will continue to be very well trained. Regents Chancellor Morgan: Space is a real issue for technology centers, and in many cases there is sufficient demand from students, that we could... if we could physically offer the courses we would be able to make some pretty significant improvements. Governor Haslam: Making healthier choices, quality education, and educational reforms are all important components for strengthening our work force. We need to look for ways to attract new businesses in both urban and rural areas throughout our state. Commissioner Hagerty: The Hemlock Project in Clarksville, that project is a little over halfway through a 96 million dollar grant. We met with their team this morning for a couple of hours. They're making great progress there. The construction is ahead of schedule. They've got over a thousand job... a thousand construction jobs there on sight right now, and they plan to hire between five and seven hundred people full-time once that facility is up and running. Right Now they've got two hundred students enrolled at Austin Peay going through a training program Governor Haslam: On July 1st we lose one and a half billion dollars in federal stimulus funding, but after four days of budget hearings, I can assure you that each state department is taking a hard look and making the appropriate choices to be good stewards of your taxpayer dollars. Although there is no way we can fund every service or program, we can prioritize our focus, creating jobs, education reform, and a commitment to excellent customer service. Thanks for listening and we promise to be back with you on a regular basis to update you on your Tennessee state government.