Shock And Appall

By Kleinheider Posted on February 18, 2009 at 8:56 pm

TNGOP spokesman Bill Hobbs on the news that Speaker Emeritus Jimmy Naifeh will have the benefit of two assistants:

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Republican Party is appalled to learn from news reports that former House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh has been assigned two assistants at a time when the state is facing huge deficits and many lawmakers are having to share a single secretary.

“Jimmy Naifeh is no longer the speaker and there is no reason he should have two secretaries and assistants at a time many lawmakers are having to share just one assistant, and the state is facing a severe budget crunch,” said Bill Hobbs, communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party.

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Tags: Bill Hobbs, Jimmy Naifeh, Speaker Emeritus  

When Did Naifeh Become Speaker Emeritus?

By Kleinheider Posted on January 16, 2009 at 4:37 pm

Did I miss the vote on this resolution or did somebody go and jump the gun again?

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Tags: Jimmy Naifeh, Speaker Emeritus  

On Speaker Emeritus

By Kleinheider Posted on January 15, 2009 at 10:29 am

As we know, plans are in the works to give now Rep. Jimmy Naifeh the title of Speaker Emeritus.

Being a new office, the position could be simply ceremonial as Senator John Wilder’s was or it could be something more. Let’s look at another state and their experience with the office.

In Pennsylvania:

In a move that demonstrates the ever-resilient nature of John Perzel, Republican leaders in the State House have voted to name him Speaker Emeritus, and give him extra staff and leadership office space.

This means that Perzel has, depending on his wishes, either a graceful position from which to exit the Pennsylvania House for a much more lucrative private sector career, or a platform from which to launch another bid for a third term as Speaker.

This should be an easy agreement to sell to rank and file Republican members, because it does not require any incumbent Republican leader to be bumped out of his position, nor does it require any Republican caucus committee chair to be removed.

Again from Pennsylvania:

Mr. Perzel’s new salary of $73,000 is the same as rank-and-file House members, Mr. Miskin said. But it is considerably less than the $112,000 he received last year as speaker. Mr. Perzel will have a slightly larger staff of three or four people, compared with the normal rank-and-file lawmaker’s staff of one or two, Mr. Miskin said.

But he insisted that’s fair because, as speaker emeritus, Mr. Perzel will be on a par with chairmen of standing House committees, such as appropriations, finance and others, who have staffs of up to four aides.

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Tags: Jimmy Naifeh, Lurleen Wallace, Speaker Emeritus  

Just Call Him Lurleen: Kent Williams And The Creation Of The Office Of Speaker Emeritus

By Kleinheider Posted on January 14, 2009 at 5:31 pm

A new plan may be in the works to put the power to run the state House of Representatives back in the hands of Rep. Jimmy Naifeh:

On Thursday morning, Democrats are expected to introduce a resolution creating a new position called Speaker Emeritus.

The plan is to put former Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, a Democrat, in that newly created job.

“He’s got a wealth of knowledge. There’s nothing sinister it. Nobody’s reading anything into it. It’s an honor to him,” said Rep. Mike Turner, a Democrat from Old Hickory.

While many Democrats said this is a symbolic gesture of support for a longtime public servant, many Republicans are suspicious.

“It almost looks like they’re trying to give power back to Representative Jimmy Naifeh who once was speaker and take that back from Kent Williams. There are so many unanswered questions,” said Rep. Glen Casada, a Republican from Franklin.

While the wording is still being decided, Naifeh could in theory be given the power to run the House once again.

“That is my concern. We could de-facto be letting Jimmy Naifeh be Speaker of the House again,” said Casada.

There’s also the question of votes, and the ability to get work accomplished in the future. Will Democrats be able to get republican support? Will lawmakers break ranks from their party?

It appears that Naifeh has yet to move his belongings from his Speaker of the House office.

SEE ALSO: Kay Brooks

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Tags: Jimmy Naifeh, Kent Williams, Speaker election, Speaker Emeritus