Tennessee Comptroller releases critical report of state civil service system

photo Justin P. Wilson, Tennessee Comptroller
Arkansas-Tennessee Live Blog

NASHVILLE - State Comptroller Justin Wilson today released a critical report on the state's civil service system that is likely to aid arguments by Gov. Bill Haslam, a fellow Republican, that it needs a major overhaul.

"The civil service system was designed to meet the needs of Tennessee coming out of the Great Depression," Wilson said in a news release. "It met the needs of the first half of the 20th century, but a lot has changed and our system needs to change to meet the needs of the 21st century."

He said there are about 34,500 state workers covered by civil service.

"The system used to hire them needs to be as efficient, fair and transparent as possible," Wilson said.

Haslam said his legislation does just that: It eliminates most civil service protections for employees, changes the emphasis from seniority to performance when it comes to promotions and layoffs and offers incentive pay.

The Tennessee State Employees Association and legislative critics warn it could result in unhampered political patronage and favoritism.

For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press.

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