Haslam decisions due on refugee lawsuit, diversity bills

Friday, May 20, 2016, Vol. 40, No. 21

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam must decide Friday whether to sign, veto or allow two contentious Tennessee bills to become law without his signature.

One of the measures awaiting the governor's decision would require the state's attorney general to file a lawsuit over the federal refugee resettlement program. The other would strip funding from the University of Tennessee's office of diversity and direct the money toward minority scholarships.

The governor has 10 days from receiving bills and resolutions to make up his mind on whether to sign them. Haslam has only sparingly vetoed bills, though he scored a major victory earlier this year when lawmakers failed to override his veto of a bill seeking to make the Bible the state's official book.