106th General Assembly: 1st Organizational Day

I purposely allowed myself 24 hours to cool down before I pontificated on the events which transpired yesterday on the floor of the House of Representatives of the State of Tennessee. Many bloggers, commentators, and newspeople have already presented the facts and opinions surrounding this story, but I feel that I should write a full account of the events as I saw them – sort of as an affirmation of the posts by other bloggers or an alternative point of view to what the newsmedia may be presenting.

Without further ado – here goes:

Arriving at the Legislature

I walked into the main entrance to Legislative Plaza shortly after 7 am, spoke briefly to the THP Officer at the desk and made my way down the hall fo the main lobby. Nodding at a few Representatives who arrived early (Frank Niceley comes to mind), I jogged up the escalator and the flight of stairs to the first floor of the War Memorital Building where Republican staffers were working on what could only be called (at that point) as a Republican Victory Breakfast.

As people began to trickle in, I made acquaintances and spoke to several people I knew. Bobbie Patray, President of the Tennessee Eagle Forum, was particularly perky. Congressman Zach Wamp, TNGOP Chairman Robin Smith, and many other people showed up to the breakfast. I met up with Representative Stacey Campfield, R-Knoxville, and David Oatney, a fellow blogger from East Tennessee with whom I have had minor disagreements before. I learned Oatney is a very articulate and opinionated individual – it was a great opportunity to meet another person from the political realm who keeps Conservatives and Republicans accountable in East TN.

Shortly after assembling in the office, we made our way to the Capitol. It was only about 9am by that time, but reports from the Capitol were that the Gallery was filling up quickly, and we wanted to make sure we could find our way onto the House Floor.

Republicans had a Caucus meeting at 11 am to organize and ensure that everyone knew what was going to happen. After their respective meetings, the Democrats and Republicans began to file into the Chamber. I sat between Representative Glen Casada, R-Franklin, and freshman Representative Vance Dennis, R-Savannah. As 12:00 approached, I began to get nervous…

And So It Begins…

At just after NOON, Speaker Jimmy Naifeh gaveled the House into Session, and the events on the Floor began to unfold. The Members-elect were sworn in [with minor difficulty: Representative Donna Rowland's (R-Murfreesboro) residency was challenged and that challenge was entered into the Journal], and Representative Gary Odom, D-Nashville, called for the House to recess for thirty minutes. It was properly seconded (by whom, I don’t know) and objected (by Representative Jason Mumpower, R-Bristol. After a brief procedural scuffle on the Floor, a vote was taken on whether or not there was an objection: a “yes” vote meant there would be no recess, and a “no” vote meant there would be a recess.

I have a pretty good feeling that freshman Representative Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster) was not paying attention, but I will give credit to Representative Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet) for trying to inform Weaver to change her vote. It was too late, however – Speaker Naifeh closed the vote with 50 Members voting “no” – which meant the House entered a 30 minute recess.

What happened now is crucial: Democrats and Republicans left the Chamber and went to their respective meeting places and reorganized. Undoubtedly, Democrats were informed that there was something brewing, and that all those Democrats who thought about voting for Mumpower for Speaker should hang on tight.

As Members filed back into the House Chamber, Naifeh’s unusually smug look worried me. Representative Charles Sargent (R-Franklin) rose and nominated Jason Mumpower as Speaker of the House. It was seconded, and immediately after the second, Representative Glen Casada (R-Franklin) moved to cease nominations.

Nominations Ceased?

Representative Odom immediately rose in objection to the motion and – after a brief legal struggle – Representative Casada withdrew his motion. Odom proceeded to nominate Representative Kent Williams (R-Elizabethton) for Speaker of the House, which effectively swayed the one vote majority in favor of the Democrats. Apparently, this had been planned back in November – according to certain reports.

As Gary Odom built up the resume of the one-term Representative from Elizabethton, the Gallery began to laugh, hiss, and boo. Halfway through the nomination speech, many thought the nomination was for Jimmy Naifeh. When Odom hinted at nominating a Republican, the GOP members went silent.

It was apparent what would happen next. Naifeh split the votes into Democrats first, Republicans second – by roll call. One by one, the Democrats shouted “Williams!” and as the Democrats finished, Kent Williams had received 49 votes. As the Clerk began to read off the Republican names, Jason Mumpower garnered 47 votes, then 48 votes, then 49 votes, then… then Kent Williams shouted “Williams!”

Democrats rejoiced.

The Gallery boo’d again.

Sometime during the vote, Naifeh called in several members of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, which reminded many conservatives of the Income Tax Debate – when Naifeh called State Troopers out onto the Capitol to frighten angry Tennesseans.

As Williams was sworn in, the crowd continued to express their disdain. A man is only as good as his word – how good is Kent Williams?

What about the Speaker Pro-Tem?

After another brief recess, the Republicans decided to nominate Beth Harwell as Speaker Pro-Tempore of the House. It was overheard (through Williams’ hot mic) that newly-elected Speaker Williams would NOT be voting for Beth Harwell. Democrats nominated Lois “The Preacher” DeBerry, who received 50 votes – Williams’ vote included.

[There is more to come - I just haven't had time to continue. Check back later for the conclusion of this story.]