Tennessee Gov. Bill HaslamOther changes
• Restoring $1.4 million in funding for mental health peer support centers across the state.• Inclusion of another $3.9 million to fund Healthy Start and health department programs for children previously slated for cuts.• Restoring $250,000 in cuts to Child Advocacy Centers across the state, including a program in Hamilton County.• Providing $5 million in state funds for Tennessee Career Centers to address the past practice of funding their annual operations with one-time federal dollars.• Restoring $375,000 in cuts to the state’s Poison Control Center.• $250,000 to support the Amachi mentoring program for children of inmates through the Big Brothers Big Sisters organizations.• $122,000 to fund legislation that requires jobless people on unemployment to verify their job search efforts.
NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday he is including a deeper cut in the state sales tax on groceries as part of an administration amendment to his proposed $30.2 billion spending plan for 2012-13.
The move is just one of at least $25 million worth of changes the Republican governor is making.
Others include boosting the state’s daily payments to local jails for housing state felons from $35 to $37 per prisoner per day at a cost of $4 million annually. He also is restoring $3 million in funding to family resource centers, including one operated by Hamilton County Schools.
The centers use the funding to help lower-income students and their families with food, clothing, tutoring and other issues.