Republican Candidate for Governor Bill Haslam; TVA Coal Ash Spill

Last week, Democrat Kim McMillan visited our program to explain why she's running for the state's highest office. This week, the two-term mayor of Knoxville, Bill Haslam, discusses why he is seeking the Republican nomination for governor.

The TVA coal ash spill was the subject of a Senate hearing earlier this week. TVA CEO Tom Kilgore and others testified before the committee.

TVA officials still say they don't know what caused the spill, how much the clean up will cost, or how long it will take.

Representatives from TVA were scheduled to appear on this program but they had to cancel due to a spill at another TVA pond in Alabama on Friday.

Renee Hoyos, with the Tennessee Clean Water Network, is here to about the ash spill in Roane County and her group's concerns about its impact on the water there.

Then, joining Gene Patterson for the Final Word is Mike Cohen, with Ackermann Public Relations, and Lloyd Daugherty, who is head of the Tennessee Conservative Union.