NASHVILLE — State House Speaker Kent Williams be may still be officially on the outs with the Tennessee Republican Party, but U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., still will attend a fundraiser tonight to benefit Rep. Williams’ political action committee, according to organizers.

Sen. Alexander “is an invited guest and is not a contributor,” said Mike Alder, a Republican activist involved in the Williams fundraiser. “We are all very pleased he is coming and this underlines the Speaker's determination to strengthen our Republican majority.”

Immediate efforts to obtain a comment from Sen. Alexander’s office were unsuccessful.

Rep. Williams, of Elizabethton, was cast out of the Tennessee Republican Party earlier this year by then-Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Robin Smith of Hixson. Republicans were angry that Rep. Williams joined with all 49 House Democrats to elect himself speaker over House Republican Leader Jason Mumpower of Bristol. The vote was 50-49.

Democrats said they backed Rep. Williams, figuring he would deal more fairly with them than Rep. Mumpower.

For complete details, see tomorrow's Times Free Press.