Grand Divisions

Tennessee Equality Project seeks to advance and protect the civil rights of our State’s gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons and their families in each Grand Division.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Williams upsets House Speaker race

Today in the State House of Representatives, Republican Kent Williams upset fellow Republican Jason Mumpower to win election as Speaker of the House. Williams signed a pledge in the Republican Party Caucus prior to the opening session that he would vote for a Republican for Speaker. He did. He voted for himself. That's all he needed with the house split between 50 Republicans and 49 Democrats.

I know Chris Sanders will want to add more to this since he was present during the proceedings. Boy, would I have liked to have been a fly on the wall.

UPDATE: The devil may be in the details:
Williams said that legislation Republicans have long sought to pass, including an anti-abortion constitutional amendment and more lenient gun bills, will make it to the House floor for votes under his tenure.

“I’m not going to stack committees against anything,” he said.

I worry about other conservatives bills like anti-GLTB measures on adoption and education will also make it to the House floor.

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