Despite losing 14 seats in November, new House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh, D-Ripley, said Democrats will remain relevant in the 99-member chamber where the GOP has 68 members.
“I think our message is relevant,” said Fitzhugh, elected Democratic leader this week.
“I think possibly we need to be a little more strategic as a result of this past election about how we get that out. I think we need to focus on people, working men and women, healthy learning children; I think seniors, I think veterans, those in need. If we focus on those, then everything else is going to fall in place.”
Bunch a good choice, Hargett says
Tennessee Secretary of State Tré Hargett said former Sen. Dewayne Bunch, R-Cleveland, is “going to do a great job” as an administrative law judge.
Hargett appointed Bunch to the post this week.
“We have somebody who’s leaving Dec. 31,” Hargett said. “I was looking for somebody who could help us in East Tennessee, somebody I felt like had a good background and he came to mind this summer.”
Bunch served eight years in the House and four in the Senate before deciding not to seek re-election this year. He will be paid $97,728 a year. During part of his time in the House, Bunch served with Hargett, who was Republican leader.
Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, said earlier this week “There’s an issue here” and warned that former lawmakers who move into other state jobs must be “qualified people who can serve the state and not cronyism.”
Hargett denied any favoritism in the choice.
“I think anybody who sees him serve and knows the integrity he has, the skill set he brings, knows he’s certainly a qualified administrative law judge who’s going to do a great job for us.”
Hamilton gets its mojo back in Nashville
Four years ago, the Hamilton County state legislative delegation lost some of its most influential members through death, retirement and a federal bribery investigation.
But when lawmakers return to Nashville in January, state Sen. Bo Watson, R-Tenn., said Hamilton County will regain its clout with Deputy to the Governor Claude Ramsey, House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick, House Republican Floor Leader Vince Dean, and likely the Senate Democratic Caucus Secretary, Berke.
Watson himself was named Senate Majority Floor Leader.
“Hamilton County has spawned a good deal of leadership in our General Assembly, and we will be well represented,” Watson said.
Fleischmann ready for repeal vote
U.S. Rep.-elect Chuck Fleischmann said after voting to elect John Boehner, R-Ohio, as speaker of the House on Jan. 5, his next vote will be to repeal the health care reform law adopted by Congress earlier this year.
“Ideally, it would be repealed and we could start again,” Fleischmann told Hamilton County commissioners this week. “We need health care reform in this country, but this law is replete with problems. It’s not affordable, it did not accomplish what it was set out to do and it is going to be an abysmal failure.”
Without changes, Fleischmann said he expects over time that the Obama-backed health care plan “will force people to a single-payer, government option system, which I think would be a disaster.”
Compiled by staff writers Andy Sher and Dave Flessner.
Contact Andy Sher at 615-255-0550 or asher@timesfreepress.com
Contact Dave Flessner at 757-6340 or dflessner@timesfreepress.com