Abortion, Guns Top new Tennessee House Speaker’s Agenda

[ZenDog]

Abortion, Guns Top new Tennessee House Speaker’s Agenda

Reported by: Associated Press

Email: web-team@myeyewitnessnews.com

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/story/Abortion-Guns-Top-new-Tennessee-House-Speaker-s/djXE5h5KSE-VwC8MAoTLWA.cspx?rss=59

By ERIK SCHELZIG

Associated Press Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- New Tennessee House Speaker Kent Williams has indicated that abortion restrictions and gun rights issues will be at the top of his agenda this legislative session.

The Elizabethton Republican was the surprise winner of the chamber's top post last week when he was joined by all 49 Democrats to beat House Republican Leader Jason Mumpower of Bristol by one vote.

He immediately announced he wanted to quickly pass a long-stalled measure to restrict access to abortions and to expand the areas where people with handgun permits can carry weapons.

Those measures had previously been killed in House subcommittees controlled by Democrats.

With only one term behind him, there are few clues what other issues might drive his agenda.

[Guest bkelm18]

Who knows. This might just be a ploy from the Dems to get us off their back since their dirty little trick has angered many people. He'll get my respect when he does what he says.

[Guest db99wj]

I posted this thread, didn't title it very well, but this is an insiders view of what went down in his election to speaker.

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16370

While I do hope he does increase places we can carry, he apparently remains a douche nozzle!

[Punisher84]

We'll see. I'm not believing any politicians right now.

[Fadex]

I'll believe it when I see it. He's already proven his dishonesty and lack of loyalty.

[towerclimber37]

he's a politician. he's dirty no matter how you look at it. Politicians are like any snake oil salesman..except you can beat the crap outta the snake oil salesman when he swindles you. Politicians, you have to hang...and it takes awhile..anyway, he's a ba#*ard but we have yet to see if he's OUR ba*&ard.

I am not sanguine about the outcome.

[tnfan]

I will believe it when it happens. This guy is a snake in the grass. I have no doubts that he and Naifeh are hooked up.

[Guest 270win]

We'll see if some votes do make it to the floor. I hope that this guy can work with democrat and republican legislators and the democratic governor to improve the firearms laws in this state. There are a lot of pro gun democrats in TN that are often more pro gun than the republicans.

[TripleDigitRide]

Well, I'm with him on half of this agenda. I'm Pro Choice.

[Oh Shoot]

Well, I'm with him on half of this agenda. I'm Pro Choice.

Gummit should stay out of guns AND wombs (and lots of other things too).

- OS

[Guest TN_Mike]

I'll wait to see what he really does. I still think he is Nafie's lap dog. I hope he actually does what he says he wants to do but he's a scum bag, so I doubt he will follow through.

It sure would be nice to be able to go to a sit down restaurant here in Tennessee to have dinner with the wife and kids instead of driving all the way to Mississippi like we do now. Unless we are going to the Cracker Barrel. We don't disarm just to have dinner.

[analog_kidd]

So, anyone want to hazzard a guess at when the first restaurant carry bill will show up and he can put his money where his mouth is?

[Guest VolGrad]

With the bad press he got today (alleged -but seemingly admitted- sexual misconduct) I wonder if he will back down on these "promises" and lay low. I sure hope not.

I hate coming home to TN and having to disarm to go to dinner. Finally got this law changed for us in GA last year now hoping TN can do the same.

[Guest canynracer]

I posted this thread, didn't title it very well, but this is an insiders view of what went down in his election to speaker.

http://www.tngunowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16370

While I do hope he does increase places we can carry, he apparently remains a douche nozzle!

hmmm...the nozzle is not the bad part

[Guest db99wj]

hmmm...the nozzle is not the bad part

What?

Where you been?

[Guest HVAC Worker]

Kent M.F. Williams is a low life snake sucking,pill jerking,stab you in the back low life SOB.Nafieh and him are one in the same,worthless M.F.ers!!!!!!!!!!:poop:

[Steelharp]

We'll see. I'm not believing any politicians right now.

Did we ever?

[memphismason]

Kent M.F. Williams is a low life snake sucking,pill jerking,stab you in the back low life SOB.Nafieh and him are one in the same,worthless M.F.ers!!!!!!!!!!:poop:

No need in holding back, tell us how you really feel.

[Guest jackdog]

oh crap, Maybe it means they are going to make an abortion out of all the good cary laws.

[Guest Boomhower]

Somebody help me out here.....Fallguy or others.....Which committee is it that all gun bills are sent to before they make it to the house floor for vote? Would it be Judiciary, or maybe State & Local Government??

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2009/01/19/daily34.html

[Fallguy]

Somebody help me out here.....Fallguy or others.....Which committee is it that all gun bills are sent to before they make it to the house floor for vote? Would it be Judiciary, or maybe State & Local Government??

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2009/01/19/daily34.html

Yes, they will go to the Judiciary committee. However it is actually the Criminal Practice and Procedure sub-committee of that committee where the bills have been killed each session.

[Guest Boomhower]

Yes, they will go to the Judiciary committee. However it is actually the Criminal Practice and Procedure sub-committee of that committee where the bills have been killed each session.

So maybe his strategy is to swoop in like King Jimmy and throw his vote in to get any gun bills out on the floor for a vote, since he appointed a Dem as chairman over these committees? ........I don't know how Mr. Coleman's voting record is, and correct me if I'm wrong, but Dem's have always voted against bill's such as restaurant and park carry with King Jimmy voting against if he needed the advantage swing.......If he's serious about his agenda, I just don't get it.

Edit: According to his bio., he's been in this position since the 103rd.

Edited January 25, 2009 by Boomhower

[Fallguy]

So maybe his strategy is to swoop in like King Jimmy and throw his vote in to get any gun bills out on the floor for a vote, since he appointed a Dem as chairman over these committees? ........I don't know how Mr. Coleman's voting record is, and correct me if I'm wrong, but Dem's have always voted against bill's such as restaurant and park carry with King Jimmy voting against if he needed the advantage swing.......If he's serious about his agenda, I just don't get it.

Edit: According to his bio., he's been in this position since the 103rd.

That is actually incorrect, there are many pro carry Dem's in the TN House. Last session some did vote to pass these bills and all but one (can't remember if it was carry by teachers or another one) would have passed out of the sub-committee had it not been for Nafieh's vote.

Williams very could sit in and vote in this sub-committee, the trouble is, DeBerry as Speaker Pro-Tem can as well, so they very well could cancel each other out.

[Guest Boomhower]

That is actually incorrect, there are many pro carry Dem's in the TN House. Last session some did vote to pass these bills and all but one (can't remember if it was carry by teachers or another one) would have passed out of the sub-committee had it not been for Nafieh's vote.

Williams very could sit in and vote in this sub-committee, the trouble is, DeBerry as Speaker Pro-Tem can as well, so they very well could cancel each other out.

Some may have voted, but since Nafieh felt that he had to vote in order to squash it, that tells me there are more anti's then pro dems. I'm not doubting that there are pro-dems by any means, but there sure wasn't enough of them surfacing when the vote mattered.....I'm just saying, it looks to me that things are shipping up to be the same ole bull that we've been putting up with. Haven't the committee's always been reasonably split (R/D)? If so, no real change here then, right?

Edited January 25, 2009 by Boomhower

[Fallguy]

Some may have voted, but since Nafieh felt that he had to vote in order to squash it, that tells me there are more anti's then pro dems. I'm not doubting that there are pro-dems by any means, but there sure wasn't enough of them surfacing when the vote mattered.....I'm just saying, it looks to me that things are shipping up to be the same ole bull that we've been putting up with. Haven't the committee's always been reasonably split (R/D)? If so, no real change here then, right?

Dems did vote to pass the bills last year, enough that they would have passed had Nafieh not cast his vote...and this was with a Dem majority in the sub-committee. If the Dems would have had the votes to kill the bill, Nafieh would not have needed to vote.

In the past most committees had slight advantage of Dems over Rebs instead of an even split like now.