WKRN, Nashville, Tennessee News, Weather and Sports |Governor wants to cut 1,200 state jobs by 2013

State jobs have decreased since a high of nearly 50,000 in 2008, but that figure could be around 44,000 by 2013 if Governor Bill Haslam's budget proposal is approved by the General Assembly.

"Last year's saving ended up nearly $20 million below budget which obviously means considerable savings to the taxpayer," said the governor during his State of the State speech where he introduced the budget.

The governor proposes to cut nearly 1,200 jobs in the coming fiscal year.

Of those potential job cuts, 600 of them are currently filled.

About half of the those 600 jobs are at Knoxville's Lakeshore Mental Health Institute and Bledsoe County's Taft Youth Center for juvenile offenders.

The other reductions will be scattered among the state's 22 departments.

"Shutting down Taft saves about $4 million," said Senator Eric Stewart, who represents the area.  He also said the center's youth will go to other similar state facilities.

Workers are hoping for jobs at a new state prison being built in the county.

"You are talking about a county with double digit employment, they were counting on those jobs at the prison to help rebuild their economy to where it was in 2006-2007, we are saying never mind, we are going to settle for where you are now," said Stewart.

Ryan Haynes has the Knoxville state facility in his house district.

He said the state will contract with local group homes to take control of Lakeshore's population.

"We have to give taxpayers the biggest bang for their buck, that's why we are closing Lakeshore, quite frankly expand more capacity out and service more people," explained Rep. Haynes.

Another 24 positions are being cut from the Department of Safety, but they will not be troopers.  State officials term them as "administrative."

"State government's role is to provide the very best service we can at the very lowest price," Governor Haslam said.

Like previous governors before him, Haslam wants to make the most with the least, and affect the fewest people as possible with a shrinking state government.

Related Stories:

• Jan. 30, 2012: Haslam presents $31.08B budget plan to lawmakers
• Jan. 30, 2012: Gov. Haslam to give second State of the State address