Posted on 01/13/2005 11:28:52 PM PST by SmithL
NASHVILLE - Lt. Gov. John Wilder left many Republicans feeling shortchanged with his distribution of state Senate partisan power Thursday, but East Tennessee Sens. Jamie Hagood and Mike Williams were not among them.
Wilder kept five Democrats as chairmen of the Senate's nine standing committees. Republicans have majority membership on seven committees, but Democrats continue to dominate two of the most powerful.
In the House, Speaker Jimmy Naifeh stuck with his tradition of excluding Republicans from committee officer positions in the Democrat-dominated body. Among East Tennesseans, the most notable House change was the elevation of Rep. Harry Tindell, D-Knoxville, to vice chairman of the powerful House Finance Committee.
"The bottom line is, to the victor goes the spoils," said Senate Majority Leader Bon Ramsey, R-Blountville, after Wilder's committee appointments. "Obviously, I'm disappointed."
Ramsey and other Republicans had called on Wilder to give a majority of committee chairmanships to Republicans, to assure a GOP majority of members on all nine committees and to appoint one of their own as speaker pro tempore, officially the second most powerful position in Senate leadership.
Wilder met one of those requests by naming Williams as the new speaker pro tempore. He did not meet the other two.
Williams, who presided over the Senate during much of Thursday's proceedings, said he was unsure what duties he would have in the position.
The power of the position has varied widely in the past, depending on the duties assigned to the speaker pro tempore by Wilder, who did not comment on his plans along those lines for the current session.
"We have good, perfect communication. We are close," Wilder said of Williams.
But he said the position was not a payback for Williams voting to re-elect him as speaker.
"Sen. Williams has never asked me for anything in his life," Wilder said.
Burchett, the other Republican who supported Wilder's re-election as speaker, had asked Wilder in a letter not to appoint him to any leadership positions. Wilder said he had been considering Burchett for chairmanships, but "I decided to respect his wishes."
In assigning committee chairmanships, Wilder said he was unwilling to depose any of the five "qualified and capable" Democrats who held chairs in the last session, when Democrats held an 18-15 overall Senate majority. Thus, Democrats continue to hold a 5-4 majority in committee chairs.
"I've done the best I can do. I want the Senate to be the Senate," Wilder said in a speech. "I don't want us to be divided over party politics. Whatever mistakes I've made or whatever shortcomings I've had, I hope somebody can forgive me."
The most surprising chair appointment was Wilder's choice of Hagood, a freshman senator who previously served in the House, to head the Senate Education Committee. That post was held last session by Sen. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, who becomes vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
Hagood said she was "surprised and certainly honored" to learn of her selection as she arrived at the Senate chamber Thursday morning. She is the first freshman to be named a Senate committee chair in 20 years.
Wilder said he chose Hagood "because she is a lady and we need more ladies" in leadership positions and because of her ability. Hagood becomes the second woman to head a Senate committee, the other being Sen. Thelma Harper, D-Nashville, who remains chair of the Government Operations Committee.
When you make deals with the devil you dance to his tune. The 3 turn coats need bouncing.
It is to early to spell names right.
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