Thanks to the Washington Monthly, I learned that there are some tricksy Dems and one ballsy, turncoat Repub. To set the scene, the TN GOP stood poised to control the TN State House of Reps for the first time since Reconstruction and to elect fire-breathing conservative Jason Mumpower as speaker. Well, it didn't work out as planned:
When lawmakers returned from break, now an hour into session, they tackled the Speakers position. Representative Jason Mumpower of Bristol received the first nomination. Republicans hoped to end the nomination process there, but after more political wrangling, allowed Democrats to submit a candidate.
What happened next some may describe as the political play of the decade as all 49 Democrats backed Kent Williams, a Sophomore Republican from Carter County, a district just miles from Mumpower's hometown.
During the voice vote on the Speaker's position, the House clerk called every Democrat first, then every Republican, except Williams. The 49 to 49 split was then decided by Williams.
Williams accepted the position amid cheers and boos, prompting state troopers to enter the House chambers ready to respond to an outburst.
According to the Nashville Tennesseean these legislative shenanigans pretty much derail the TN GOP's legislative agenda. Awesome.
3 comments:
sorry dave, we must have been posting at the same time. why does this not surprise me.
I love that the State Troopers marched in, ready to drop a beat down on the state representatives. Is there another state where that would happen?
btw--this may be the first best story of the new year. the next comes on tuesday.
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