Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam Named Policy Chairman Of The RGPPC

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Republican Governors Public Policy Committee (RGPPC) announced today that Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam will serve as its Policy Chairman for 2014.

“Governor Haslam has emerged as a true pioneer in the public policy sphere over the course of his first term in office,” said RGA Chairman Chris Christie. “Under his leadership, Tennessee is thriving. The state’s economy is strong, job creation is up, taxes are down, the workforce is growing, and more than ever, a great education is within reach for all Tennesseans. The results Governor Haslam has achieved are a striking example of what can be accomplished when states take the lead and his insight will be invaluable to the organization as many of our governors prepare for re-election this year.”

“Just as we’ve done in Tennessee, Republican governors across the country are drawing on conservative principles and applying creative solutions in order to reform government and reinvent their states,” said Governor Haslam. “While the federal government balloons in size, gets in its own way and fails repeatedly to implement its policy priorities, states are flourishing. I am honored to serve as Policy Chairman at a time when Republican governors are widely recognized as standard bearers for truly meaningful reform, and I am eager to encourage and enable the kind of innovation and experimentation that yields state-level success.”

The Republican Governors Public Policy Committee (RGPPC) is the policy arm of the Republican Governors Association (RGA) and the official policy organization of the nation’s Republican governors. With a strong majority of 29 governors, the RGPPC is working to impact public policy on both the state and national levels.

Since taking office in 2011, Governor Haslam has worked diligently to improve education in Tennessee. Accomplishments include eliminating enrollment restrictions for charter schools; overhauling teacher tenure; and implementing a leading edge evaluation system for teachers. These efforts and others resulted in Tennessee becoming the fastest improving state in math and reading in 2013 as measured by National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Business Facilities magazine recently named Tennessee the State of the Year citing its creation of jobs and success in diversifying sector growth. Additionally, Governor Haslam has improved the overall business climate through significant tort reform and an overhaul of the state’s worker’s compensation system.

Through comprehensive civil service reform, Haslam has created a more efficient and effective state government, and with conservative, business-principled management, has reduced the government footprint in Tennessee.

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