Prolonged cold temperatures prompted Gov. Bill Haslam to issue Tennessee’s first state of emergency in 2014, putting a freeze on restrictions placed on the number of hours worked by drivers transporting propane.Declaring a state of emergency will allow drivers to work longer hours to ensure propane availability to heat homes and businesses until this period of cold weather passes, says Haslam.“This has been a hard winter already for many home and business owners in Tennessee,” Haslam said. “This executive order will help families, farmers and businesses get the necessary energy resources to stay warm, stay open and keep operating.”Current federal law limits drivers transporting hazardous materials, such as propane, to driving 70 hours a week in stretches of no more than 11 hours a day.