New Speaker of the House: Rep. Kent Williams

[Tim Nunan]

What is his NRA rating?

NRA gave him an A rating... for what that's worth.

[Guest db99wj]

Remember, not all Democrats are anti-gun. We need a vote on the floor, we need to contact our reps.

[Warbird]

Remember, not all Democrats are anti-gun. We need a vote on the floor, we need to contact our reps.

It will all depend on who is selected to the committee chairmanships and which party is given majorities on those committees.

[Guest bluecanary25]

Regarding how fast webpage is updated: The webmaster and the IT dept. are also closely watching the goings on....... info is updated ASAP, as you have seen.Have a good group of professional (maybe one is not as professional) people working hard to keep the technology running.

[Tim Nunan]

Told you guys not to count your chickens before they hatched.... It wont be as bad as it was but wont be all that much better either.

Btw, hows the NRA and TFA really feel about Kent Williams? Is John Harris in da house?

I don't want to speak for John Harris but the tone of John's comments in the TFALAC alert indicates to me a wait and see attitude. As stated perhaps gun friendly bills will at least make it to the House floor for a vote.

As for the NRA, :: shrugs:: they tend to play a "can't we all just get along" position rather than draw a line in the sand. The current NRA liason hasn't done us much good. She's apparently willing to talk to legislators but refuses to take advice from Tennessee gun owners/organizations. Quite a disappointment so far. We at least had the ear of her predecessor, Darren LaSorte.

[I_Like_Pie]

Whoa! A little drama there...there was actually a stand off.

The new speaker is kinda a dick!

[Guest db99wj]

So far, Speaker Williams seems to be an ass....unofficially.

After adjourment. "I sure can tell this ain't going to be easy, what, what was that all about"

[Guest c_o_jones]

Williams is one of the Naifeh 7, and that fact alone makes him a douchenozzle.

[Mike.357]

the local 4 oclock news is reporting the new guy is going to jump ship and become a Democrat.

[-boatman-]

the local 4 oclock news is reporting the new guy is going to jump ship and become a Democrat.

If this happens is there anything the repubs can do or are we stuck with him for the duration?

[Daps]

the local 4 oclock news is reporting the new guy is going to jump ship and become a Democrat.

I'm an Indy but ppl who switch parties in the middle of the game should be kicked out at the next election.

Don't know anything about the guy but he already sounds like a turn coat and not to be trusted..

[towerclimber37]

you just have to love Democrats.

for the most part, if they don't like the way the vote runs, they cheat!

SO! here we have a RHINO who's basically been voted in because of partisan politics...not to do what's best for Tn..but to do what's best for democrats. He's now going to change over to be a democrat in name huh?

Nice.

[Daps]

If he switches he should be required to give back any donations to him by ppl who gave to him as a republican if they desired.

[saintsfanbrian]

If he switches then there should be a revote for Speaker of the house since he was there in "good faith".

[GLOCKMEISTER]

guys face it were stuck, this is what happens when you play fair... you get f...

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

So my brother has apparently heard somewhere that Williams approached the Dems with the idea of nominating him in exchange for giving them some committee appointments.

[Guest slothful1]

Same thing that happened on the national level with Sen. Jeffords. I guess people are too stupid to learn that blindly voting for whoever has an 'R' next to his name always leads to being screwed.

[Punisher84]

AAHHHH F***!

[Guest bkelm18]

Wellllll sh*t. Can't say I am ultimately surprised. Politics always has been and always will be a dirty game of subterfuge and one-upmanship. Sad really.

[creeky]

So my brother has apparently heard somewhere that Williams approached the Dems with the idea of nominating him in exchange for giving them some committee appointments.

Ahhhhh... nothing like putting one's self above the people. Every day we inch closer to Rome, and the edge it fell off into.

[Tim Nunan]

http://commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jan/13/democrats-unite/

Democrats unite to elect moderate Republican as House speaker

By Richard Locker Memphis Commercial Appeal

Originally published 12:53 p.m., January 13, 2009

Updated 02:33 p.m., January 13, 2009

NASHVILLE — Republican Kent Williams won a stunning 50-49 victory for speaker of the state House of Representatives this afternoon.

The unexpected election of Williams, a moderate Republican from Elizabethton in upper East Tennessee, came after House Democrats nominated him in place of long-time Speaker Jimmy Naifeh of Covington. Williams won on the strength of his own vote plus all 49 Democrats.

He defeated Jason Mumpower of Bristol, who had been the pick of House GOP members.

Although he describes himself as conservative, Williams, 59, is viewed as a moderate by his peers and was opposed by conservative Republicans in his primary election last summer.

Republican spectators in the gallery erupted in loud boos when the vote was announced.

They booed him again when he took the podium, and someone shouted “traitor†as he pledged to be bipartisan. Republican representatives on the floor remained stony-faced.

In the aftermath of the booing, two state troopers entered the chamber and stood on both sides of the speaker’s podium.

This afternoon’s vote came after Republicans gained a 50-49 edge in the House in last year’s elections, winning a majority for the first time since 1869.

Williams, in his second two-year term in the House, owns a restaurant in downtown Elizabethton and also farms.

He plans to appoint Republicans to “at least half†of the committee chairmanships and said he plans to consult with both Republican and Democratic leaders on the appointments.

Williams said he approached Democrats about being a candidate for speaker about two days ago. When it became apparent there were not enough votes to re-elect Naifeh, Democrats threw their support behind Williams to ensure at least a share of power.

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.

[Volzfan]

the local 4 oclock news is reporting the new guy is going to jump ship and become a Democrat.

The people in his district voted for a Republican to represent them. He should be booted from office and the state Rep. party appoint his replacement until the next election. Today's vote for Speaker of the House should also be voided and since he was a Rep. at the time of his election to that position the Rep. party should be able to appoint the Speaker of the House.

[glockster157]

Somebody in his district needs to start a recall procedure, that would be fun and interesting for sure. Where is Elizabethton or wherever anyways? Wonder what it woould take to buy him back if we can't get rid of him? You know what Winston Churchill said about people like him, "We have established what you are, we need to negotiate price!"

[Guest grimel]

If he switches he should be required to give back any donations to him by ppl who gave to him as a republican if they desired.

The people who donated money should start a class action (or multiple individual) lawsuit to recover the money they donated based on his previous statements. IF they could find a sympathetic GOP lawyer to take the cases extra cheap (or free) the cost should just about bankrupt Williams.

I'd like to see the locals just stop eating at his food joint.

[Guest Spuds]

I, for one, am boycotting Williams' restaurant, Dino's. Easy for me, doubt I'll even be in Elizabethton during his tenure. But folks who are in that fair city and care about how they were played sure should think twice, and then again, before eating there.