Free Republic

In Tennessee last May, Republican Gov. Bill Haslam appointed Samar Ali as international director of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD). Attempts to connect her to stealth jihad have been ridiculed. Yet when one connects the dots between Ali and several organizations and individuals, a number of troubling relationships arise, especially regarding the phenomenon known as Sharia-compliant finance (SCF).

Now my favorite football team will be owned by the brother of a Republican Governor who also runs an incredibly successful business and donates to Republican candidates. Can it get any better? Pilot Flying J CEO James "Jimmy" Haslam is set to own the team, per ESPN: NFL ownership is expected to approve Haslam's purchase at its October meeting. Commissioner Roger Goodell could expedite the process by calling a special meeting, although that is considered unlikely. The NFL helped bring Haslam to Lerner so that a sale could be completed smoothly, efficiently and with a high probability of success. Haslam...

NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam declares that he is successfully presiding over a "cultural shift" in Tennessee's government operations and the state's education system, though occasionally dealing with a "perception factor" caused by inordinate media attention to some legislative activities. His own relationship to the Legislature, dominated by fellow Republicans, is marked by a general unity of purpose and broad support on substantive issues, Haslam said in an interview last week. He discounts talk of a conservative-moderate split in Republican ranks. "I honestly think that's exaggerated. I really do," he said, though acknowledging that "Any time you have a party...

NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam has declined to sign a resolution that denounces "the destructive and insidious nature of United Nations Agenda 21," passed by Republican legislators over Democratic complaints that it buys into a bogus conspiracy theory. The resolution, HJR587, was approved 72-23 in the House and by a 19-11 vote in the Senate. "Resolutions are position statements by the General Assembly, not a law to be implemented," said Haslam spokesman David Smith in an emailed response to a question. "The governor doesn't support Agenda 21, but he didn't feel compelled to and isn't required to take any action...

NASHVILLE -- Occupy Nashville was given a seven-day warning on Friday to take down its encampment on the War Memorial Plaza next to the state Capitol. Gov. Bill Haslam signed into law the measure that makes it illegal for anyone to camp on state-owned land that is not specifically designated for that purpose. Bill sponsors say the law is aimed at evicting Occupy Nashville protesters. But homeless advocates worry that it will lead to the arrest of homeless people camped far from the Capitol. Violators can face nearly a year in jail or a fine of up to $2,500 or...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has named Gov. Bill Haslam his campaign chairman in Tennessee. The Romney campaign also announced Tuesday that it has gathered a full slate of 48 delegate candidates on the Tennessee ballot, led by former Gov. Winfield Dunn. Haslam said in a statement that the delegates represent the statewide strength of the Romney campaign in Tennessee. SNIP Romney supported Haslam in the state's 2010 governor's race, and Haslam's father and brother also hold leadership positions in the former Massachusetts governor's Tennessee operations.

NASHVILLE — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's administration has fired two top officials at the Department of Environment and Conservation, while a third has announced his retirement. The department said in a statement Friday that the changes are "designed to streamline our structure and build management efficiencies." Changes are to include the creation of a single water resources division encompassing the department's pollution control, water supply and groundwater management programs, according to the statement. The fired officials are Mike Apple, head of the department's solid waste management division, and Paul E. Davis, who was in charge of water pollution control. Meanwhile,...

NASHVILLE -- Gov. Bill Haslam said Wednesday that untaxed Internet sales are eroding Tennessee's tax base and said he's willing to take a leadership role among governors in urging Congress to pass a national approach to collecting sales taxes on goods sold over the Internet. He said Tennessee is already losing between $300 million and $500 million a year on untaxed Internet sales --- a growing number since the states and Congress have been unable for more than a decade to agree on a "streamlined sales tax" process enabling online retailers to collect taxes easily for the nation's thousands of...

NASHVILLE - Gov. Bill Haslam said Tuesday that he will "probably" endorse a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination at some point but will remain strictly neutral in Knoxville races this year for mayor and a state Senate seat. Haslam was an early supporter of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the 2008 Republican presidential race. Records show he and his wife, Crissy, gave $2,100 each - the maximum allowed for individuals under federal law at the time - to Romney on Jan. 8, 2007

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A proposal that requires Tennessee voters to show photo identification before they can cast ballots has been signed by the governor. Under the proposal, a person who can't show proper identification would be able to vote by provisional ballot, and individuals in nursing homes or group homes would be exempt. Supporters say the law is needed to protect the integrity of the ballot box, while opponents are concerned it might disenfranchise voters.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is not among those attending President Barack Obama's visit with troops at Fort Campbell to celebrate the successful military operation against Osama Bin Laden.

As expected - at least here in these parts - Gov. Bill Haslam presented a common-sense budget this week, reducing state spending to $30.2 billion for 2011-2012 from anticipated 2010-2011 levels of $32 billion. It's a good start. Haslam spoke of our tepid economic and fiscal conditions as being the "new normal," even though Tennessee tax revenues are rising and income for the current year is projected to come in almost $500 million more than originally anticipated. Haslam held the line anyway. Within the budget, Haslam proposes investment. Almost $100 million will go to get an Electrolux plant up and...

NASHVILLE -- Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam says the "easy money" answers to budget problems have been used up and that dealing with the recession's aftermath and a loss of federal stimulus funds is going to hurt. "We have to now go back and make those hard decisions, and I think they're even harder than I thought they would be," the Republican governor said last week as he finished four days of public hearings on the state's 2011-12 budget. SNIP Last week, heads of 26 agencies trooped before Haslam, outlining their best efforts to identify additional cuts of 1 percent to...

Haslam showed up at a Tennessee Firearms Association meeting last night. Me and a couple of other guys including richard hamblin got him to say he would sign legislation. This helps pressure the legislature. This has been spreading all over Tennessee. It is a big deal because Haslam has a B rating with the NRA. He was a member of Bloomberg's Mayors against guns. As Mayor he oversaw the banning of guns in Knoxville City Parks. My audio on youtube which is only edited for time (I took out a few people's questions because they made little sense and had...

I just sat through a Bill Haslam ad for TN Governor. He went into detail about he was strong second ammendment. I thought well, why would a good Republican have to worry about such things as basic gun rights, especially here in the south. But I did a search and found his name on this list: http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Federal/Read.aspx?ID=2533 There he is mayor of Knoxville on Michael Bloomberg list of anti gun mayors. And this guy is the front runner in Tennessee. I have no dog in this fight, I live in Mississippi, but just want to get this out there.