Expected GOP House speaker Casada: ready for action
As Republican Glen Casada was nominated for speaker last week by the House GOP Caucus, the Franklin representative made it clear — if it wasn’t already — that his public leadership style will differ from that of his predecessor, Republican Speaker Beth Harwell of Nashville.
And he has some goals he intends to press. Casada’s pitches to fellow Republicans included a call for the House to assume a greater role in formulating the state’s annual spending plan. That comes with Gov.-elect Bill Lee, a fellow Franklin Republican, taking office on
Jan. 19.
Casada later told reporters that the Tennessee Constitution is
“very clear” about the role of the state House. “And, we are the people’s body,” he added. “And I think
Gov. Lee will be very comfortable with a partnership with the state
House.”
Harwell eight years ago defeated Casada in GOP Caucus elections for the speaker nomination and went on to become Tennessee’s first woman speaker. Publicly, she was often guarded and cautious, although lawmakers say that in private she can be tough.
She didn’t seek re-election to the House this year, instead mounting an ultimately unsuccessful bid for governor, losing to Lee in a four-person GOP primary.
Asked later by reporters about Casada’s stance, Lee, who is working on assembling his cabinet, filling other top posts and preparing for his first legislative session, said, “I have no idea that that’s going to happen. What I do know is that we’re going to be working together and we’ve already started that process.
“I believe that we can work together as an executive branch and a legislative branch to advance the common good for Tennesseans,” Lee added.
Adam Kleinheider, spokesman for Senate Speaker Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, said the “General Assembly, both the House and the Senate, have always taken a prominent role in thoroughly reviewing the governor’s appropriations bill.
“Lt. Governor McNally expects these thorough reviews to continue under Governor Lee,” Kleinheider added.
Before becoming Senate speaker in 2017, McNally had been Senate Finance Committee chairman. In Tennessee, the Senate speaker also is the state’s lieutenant governor.