State Democrats resolve dispute during closed-door session

NASHVILLE — Two top House Democrats say they have patched up their differences but are refusing to go into details.

Meeting in closed-door session Monday evening, the 49 Democrats appear to have resolved a recent controversy.

Partially at issue was how House Democratic Leader Gary Odom of Nashville, former Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, D-Covington, and minority Democrats pulled off an upset victory on Jan. 13 when all 49 banded together and elected then-Republican Kent Williams of Elizabethton speaker over Republican Leader Jason Mumpower of Bristol in a 50-49 vote.

Rep. Williams voted for himself and became speaker, replacing Mr. Naifeh, the long-time speaker whose relations with Rep. Odom have been strained.

The Memphis Flyer, an alernative weekly, recently quoted Rep. Odom telling a senior editor during a restaurant gathering in Memphis that Rep. Naifeh, who had been struggling for Republican votes to remain speaker, knew nothing of the plot until 5 p.m. of the day prior to the speakership vote.

Rep. Odom also was quoted saying then-Speaker Naifeh’s support of a state income tax in 2000, 2001 and 2002 had helped lead to a series of Democratic defeats. The article then stated that Rep. Odom chose “not to dispute” a suggestion that his goal in backing Rep. Williams was to undermine both Rep. Naifeh and Rep. Mumpower.

The article triggered a furor among Democrats and assertions by others that Rep. Odom overstated his role. Rural Democrats abruptly announced the expansion of the rural West Tennessee Democratic caucus to include all rural Democrats and reports in the Nashville Post, an online publication, of efforts to oust Rep. Odom as leader.

Rep. Odom had maintained his comments were misquoted or taken out of context.

Then came Monday’s closed-door caucus meeting. Leaving the meeting, Rep. Naifeh largely declined to comment but said “yeah” when asked if differences with Rep. Odom had been resolved.

“I made a personal decision not to comment and I’m not going to,” Rep. Naifeh said as to how matters had been resolved.

Leader Odom likewise was circumspect.

“Everything’s fine,” he said. “We’re united and ready to go, ready to conduct the business of the people.”

He shrugged off questions as to whether he had offered Rep. Naifeh any sort of an apology. He said “certainly” when asked if they were now on good terms.

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Turner of Nashville declined to shed any light on the matter, saying, “it really isn’t my place to say. But everything’s rosy. I’ll say that.”