The unfunding of the Rapid Response Team was the very first action the Haslam administration took up. The vote left out inviting testimony from the unions funded by the effort. They showed up anyway to voice their case for continuing their Rapid Response funding. State employees were threatened if they let the strategy slip out. The intimidation worked. I don't know if this is what Governor Haslam wanted, but this is what the staff and new Commissioner (now resigned) believed he wanted and it was accomplished through dirty tatics. You could have heard a pin drop when the union representative showed up at the meeting. The gasps could be heard when the union rep got thirsty during her testimony and picked up the Administrators water bottle to drank from it.

Basically, I boil it down to Republicans hate working people.