NASHVILLE – Embattled Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada made it official Tuesday, saying he will step down Aug. 2 in the wake of fellow Republicans’ no confidence vote last month in response to a storm of controversy over sexually explicit text messages and other issues.
After talking with top GOP leaders earlier in the day, Casada sent out a one-paragraph letter, announcing his resignation on the first Friday of August at 8 a.m. He also asked Republican Gov. Bill Lee to call lawmakers into special session to elect his replacement.
But that’s not soon enough for some GOP and Democratic leaders, with Republicans preferring a resignation later this month and the chamber’s top Democrat calling for Casada to resign immediately.
In a later statement, Lee said “now that the Speaker has announced his intended timeline, we will continue to be in close communication with House leadership and members to determine the best outcome for the House and for Tennessee.”
Earlier, Lee told reporters he would consider calling a special session if House leaders requested it, noting “I’ll be listening for the House’s intent and their process about how they’re going to choose their next leader.”