MARYVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today signed legislation to support TN Together, the governor’s aggressive and comprehensive plan to end the opioid crisis in Tennessee through three key areas – prevention, treatment and law enforcement. “This legislation is a major step in helping fight this epidemic by limiting the supply of opioids and providing resources to provide treatment for those addicted,” Haslam said in a ceremonial bill signing at the Blount Memorial Hospital. “I am proud to sign the TN Together legislation today and I thank the members of the 110th General Assembly for their commitment to addressing this crisis. Opioid addition affects the entire state in some form, and with this comprehensive plan I feel confident that we can make a difference in the lives of Tennesseans.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tennessee was honored this week with two national awards for education innovation from the Education Commission of the States at its annual National Forum on Education Policy in Washington, D.C. The 2018 James Bryant Conant Award was formally presented to Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today. The 2018 Frank Newman Award for State Innovation was awarded to Tennessee for the Seamless Alignment and Integrated Learning Support (SAILS) program, which helps high school students become college-ready in math and avoid remediation.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced the appointment of David B. Rausch as director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). Rausch, 55, has served as chief of police for the Knoxville Police Department (KPD) since 2011, overseeing an agency of more than 500 employees, including some 400 sworn police officers. Rausch joined the KPD in 1993 and rose through the ranks, serving in several different roles, including as deputy chief and a member of the special operations squad. Throughout his 25 years with the KPD, Rausch has focused on community policing and building relationships with local, state and federal agencies.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips announced today that Tennessee’s May 2018 statewide unemployment rate of 3.5 percent marked the 11th consecutive month the figure has been 3.5 percent or lower. While the May unemployment rate represents a slight uptick of 0.1 of a percentage point compared to the April rate of 3.4 percent, year-to-year, it is 0.3 of a percentage point lower than it was in May 2017.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced a $2,500 reward for information leading to the apprehension, arrest and conviction of Steven Wiggins, the suspect wanted for the homicide of Dickson County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Daniel Baker on Wednesday. Sgt. Baker was found dead inside his vehicle around 7 a.m. Wednesday on Sam Vineyard Road in Dickson County after responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle. Baker, 32, was a former Marine and served as a Dickson County Sheriff’s deputy since 2008.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced a $2,500 reward for information leading to the apprehension, arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of Cordell Breighner on July 15, 2017.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips today announced county unemployment rates decreased in all 95 counties across Tennessee in April and all counties are at or below 5 percent. “Our investments in education and workforce development are showing results in all corners of the state and to have such low unemployment rates in each county is great news for every Tennessean,” Haslam said. “Tennessee will lead in job recruitment because we are focused on developing a high quality workforce.”

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips today announced that Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate for April was 3.4 percent, the third consecutive month the rate has held steady. The seasonally adjusted rate represents 0.6 of a percentage point decrease in unemployment compared to the same time period in 2017. April 2018 marks one year since Tennessee’s unemployment rate dropped to 4 percent for the first time in recent history. In May 2017 the rate dipped to 3.8 percent and has remained under that mark ever since. The state recorded an all-time low unemployment rate of 3.3 percent in September of last year. That figure is just 0.1 of a percentage point lower than the latest rate.

NASHVILLE — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today joined Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson to encourage Tennesseans to make an impact on the state’s opioid crisis by cleaning out their expired or unwanted medications on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The biannual event urges citizens to find the medications in their homes, including prescription opioids, and safely and securely dispose of them. During the most recent national take back event last October, Tennesseans disposed of more than 68,000 pounds of medication.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today thanked members of the 110th General Assembly for keeping Tennessee on pace to lead the nation in jobs, education and efficient and effective government.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Burns Phillips today announced the March 2018 statewide unemployment rate for Tennessee remained near historic lows and matched the revised rate from the previous month. The preliminary, seasonally adjusted rate for March was 3.4 percent, which mirrored the revised rate for February and was nearly one percentage point less than the March 2017 rate of 4.2 percent. Tennessee’s statewide unemployment rate has remained below 4.0 percent since last May, hitting an all-time low of 3.3 percent last September.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced a partnership with the Country Music Association (CMA) Foundation to launch a $1 million competitive grant opportunity focused on expanding students’ access to high-quality music and arts education. Tennessee: State of the Arts is a first of its kind public-private partnership to ensure more students across the state of Tennessee will have access to a quality arts and music education. School districts in Tennessee will have the opportunity to apply for funding to improve or develop their music education programs. The statewide initiative will kick-off with the 2018-19 school year.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced that more than 10,000 adults have applied for Tennessee Reconnect, the state’s program for adult learners to earn an associate degree or technical certificate tuition-free. The application for Tennessee Reconnect opened on February 15 and 10,497 applications had been submitted as of April 10. Tennessee Reconnect is Haslam’s groundbreaking program that covers tuition and mandatory fees at a Tennessee community or technical college for eligible adults that do not yet have a college degree.

A Kentucky native with roots in family farming, Meghreblian has been active in environmental and business advocacy across Tennessee for more than two decades. She was appointed by Gov. Haslam in 2015 to serve on Tennessee’s Rural Development Task Force. In 2013, she was appointed by the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) to serve as the chair of its Federal Facilities Forum. She is also a board member of the West Tennessee River Basin Authority. Meghreblian has more than 20 years of combined experience in private sector manufacturing and environmental management systems. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Management and a master’s degree in Engineering from Vanderbilt University, and a bachelor of science in Marketing/Economics from Western Kentucky University.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today praised passage of the University of Tennessee Focusing On Campus and University Success (FOCUS) Act, legislation that restructures the UT Board of Trustees to improve governance of the UT system and establishes advisory boards for the primary UT campuses to create a local focus for each campus. The University of Tennessee FOCUS Act, SB2260/HB2115, reduces the current size of the UT Board of Trustees, empowering the reconstructed board to better oversee the multiple campuses that comprise the UT system. In addition to modernizing the focus and responsibilities of the UT Board of Trustees, the legislation establishes advisory boards for the primary UT campuses: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; The University of Tennessee at Martin; and The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. These advisory boards will allow each campus to have a local focus.