NASHVILLE – Joined by mayors from across the state and leaders in the manufacturing and trucking industries, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced a comprehensive and strategic plan to cut taxes on food and manufacturing while updating how the state provides Tennesseans the safe and reliable transportation network needed to support future job growth. The IMPROVE Act, “Improving Manufacturing, Public Roads and Opportunities for a Vibrant Economy,” is the first piece of Haslam’s NextTennessee legislative plan, policy proposals aimed at building and sustaining economic growth and the state’s competitiveness for the next generation of Tennesseans.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam will announce tomorrow, Wednesday, January 18 the first piece of his legislative agenda. The governor’s legislative agenda will focus on building and sustaining economic growth and the state’s competitiveness for the next generation of Tennesseans.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today issued the following statement regarding the settlement reached between the Department of Justice and Volkswagen: “Volkswagen is incredibly important to Chattanooga and the state’s economy. I have spoken with Volkswagen officials several times over the last couple of days, and they have assured me that this settlement won’t restrict in any way their capital expansion plans in Chattanooga. In fact, they have committed to bringing even more jobs to Chattanooga. So the future is bright for our workforce, and VW can continue doing what it does best, which is building great cars in Tennessee.”

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has proclaimed Thursday, January 12, as the first “TN FAFSA Frenzy Day,” encouraging high school seniors and current college students to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by January 17 to maintain eligibility for key scholarship programs including Tennessee Promise. Tennessee Promise is the state’s groundbreaking scholarship and mentoring program that provides high school graduates two years of community or technical college free of tuition and fees. “Across Tennessee, 60,000 high school seniors submitted a Tennessee Promise application this fall and made a commitment to higher education. Submitting the FAFSA is the next step,” Haslam said. “This Thursday, January 12, is our first TN FAFSA Frenzy Day, and you’ll see colleges, nonprofits and state government agencies partnering with high schools statewide to ensure that as many students as possible get their FAFSA submitted. For the past two years our state has led the nation in FAFSA filings, one of the best indicators of a growing college-going culture in Tennessee. We want to continue that momentum this year and encourage students to apply by January 17.”

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD) Commissioner Randy Boyd will return to the private sector February 1, serving as chairman of Radio Systems Corp., the business he started in 1991. During Boyd’s two-year tenure as commissioner, the state has been recognized as first in the nation for advanced industry job growth, first in foreign direct investment, and second in the growth of household median incomes. ECD has also set several records and generated nearly 50,000 new job commitments and nearly $11 billion in capital investment in the state.