Prophecies of angry Democrats not materializing yet

Among the many spiritual gifts on display this past week at the Legislature, the gift of prophecy was certainly prominent. Rep. Steve McManus (R-Cordova) predicted on the House floor that Democrats would have some explaining to do for voting for a Republican speaker. Clint Brewer has voiced some of the same concerns.

They could both be right, but so far anger isn't the emotion that is coming from Democrats.

In a talk to the Greene County Democratic Women's Club, Rep. Eddie Yokley (D-Greeneville) illustrates where things stand right now--relief, maybe even comic relief.

Yokley said that voting for Williams rather than Mumpower, who he said worked against him during his re-election campaign last fall, was "an easy decision for me."

He characterized his decision this way: "Do I want to support (Williams,) somebody I can talk to as a friend even though he may be a Republican, or someone (Mumpower) who doesn't talk to me, someone who came to Newport and Greene County and said how bad I was?"

He goes on...

Yokley noted that a handful of Republicans were saying Thursday that they would not accept committee assignments made by Williams. "That's fine with us; we'll take them [the committee assignments]," he added, triggering laughter from the Democrats at the meeting.

I don't think, at least for the first year, that this is going to be a hard one to explain to Democratic voters.

Germantown lawmaker calls for new Tenn. House speaker to resign

It's getting nasty on the Hill in Nashville. Following Rep. Kent Williams (R-Elizabethton) election as House Speaker, Republican Rep. Brian Kelsey of Germantown has called for him to resign:

I do feel that a falsehood was perpetrated on members of this body, to the people of Carter County (Williams' home), to the people of this state. The Lord admonished but selected capable men from all the people, men who fear God, truthful men who hate dishonest gain. . . .And Mr. Speaker, I feel personal ambition was put ahead of the state of Tennessee. It was done by a member of this body. . . .Mr. Speaker, that member is you and I call on you to go back and run as an independent or Democrat.

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.