Tennessee House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga, right, participated in a legislative roundtable at the Times Free Press with state Sen. Mike Bell, R-Riceville, on Friday. Legislators discussed several topics including health care reform, higher education and the state budget.NASHVILLE — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam says he’s learned a few lessons during his first year in office and plans a more sure-footed approach for 2012, from the budget to working with the General Assembly.
“If you don’t climb the learning curve in any new job you’re in, there’s something wrong,” said Haslam, a Republican who was elected in November 2010 to replace Democrat Phil Bredesen.
“There’s a significant advantage to being here a year and having gone through everything once.”
Regarding the Legislature, Haslam said, “We’re further down the road and so we can be a little bit more engaged on the rest of the process [with lawmakers] as well.”
Still, he noted, “I have a very healthy respect for the proper role of the Legislature. While I think the governor is obviously supposed to be involved with legislation — and we will be more this year than we were last year — my job is not to be the chief executive of the Legislature.”