A Prospect Of A New State House Speaker

By Kleinheider Posted on October 31, 2008 at 2:44 pm

Joe Lance ponders the current situation:

Whatever Rep. Odom’s specific plans are, I struggle to understand why good Democrats (and a dwindling number of Republicans) continue to prop up Jimmy Naifeh as the Speaker. I know why my Republican friends want to see him go: they want one of their own in the chair. But since I’m an independent, it’s not about party for me. I’d be just as comfortable with a Democrat. I’d want either to bring new principles to presiding over the chamber, and to avoid the seeming conflicts of interest (such as being married to one of the top lobbyists in the state).

I would enjoy an opportunity to meet Speaker Naifeh and talk to him face-to-face. I realize that from this distance, he comes across a bit caricatured, and that he might not seem such a “bogeyman” in person. But without such firsthand knowledge, I can only state that I feel his time with the gavel should end, so that our citizen legislature has the “breathing room” it needs to operate as intended. Therefore I support neither Rep. Odom nor Rep. Jason Mumpower specifically (should the Republicans gain a majority of seats); but I do support the process of reforming the General Assembly — one member at a time, but also in how and why its leaders are chosen.

What do you think? Will Gary Odom go for it? And if he does, will he win it?

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