Updated at 3:49 p.m. on Friday, August 2, 2019, with more information and to change byline.
NASHVILLE -- Embattled Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada officially stepped down from the post Friday per a previous agreement made under pressure with fellow Republicans to resign following a series of political blow ups that began with sexually explicit and racist texts exchanges with a top aide.
Speaker Pro Tem Bill Dunn of Knoxville is now officially in charge of the House. But the 25-year House Republican veteran's reign as head of the chamber will be brief.
Dunn will serve 21 days with lawmakers set to return to the Capitol on Aug. 23 for a special session called by Republican Gov. Bill Lee where the chamber's GOP super majority is expected to elect Republican Caucus Chairman Cameron Sexton of Crossville as the new speaker for the remainder of the 111th General Assembly.
Casada controversies
- Embattled Tennessee speaker Glen Casada resigns from leadership role
- Gov. Lee says he knows nothing of alleged Casada bribe to break school voucher vote deadlock
- Tennessee House Republican Caucus Chairman Cameron Sexton nominated by GOP lawmakers to be next speaker
- Casada denies offering National Guard promotion, pork barrel projects to win votes on Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's school voucher bill
- Embattled House Speaker Glen Casada says he can't afford alimony
- Tennessee House GOP candidates for speaker vow not to follow Casada's style
- Democrats call on Tennessee Comptroller, Nashville DA to investigate Speaker Casada spending, hires
- Gov. Lee calls for August special legislative session to replace House Speaker Glen Casada
- Tennessee House GOP to meet July 24 to nominate replacement for Speaker Casada
- Gov. Lee to call Tennessee lawmakers into August special session to replace Speaker Casada
- House Democratic Caucus chairman says Speaker Casada's 'cronies' hope to retain power with special session
- Hamilton County lawmakers want House Speaker Casada to go sooner, not later
- Critics decry 'disgraced' House Speaker Casada's ability to name appointees to new sports gaming advisory, judicial discipline panels
- Rep. Curtis Johnson announces bid for Tennessee House speaker, pledges to 'restore credibility, trustworthiness'
- Vanderbilt poll: Voters across political spectrum say Glen Casada should step down from House speakership
- Casada, Carter trade barbs over Tennessee House speaker's resignation, replacement
- Embattled Tennessee House Speaker Casada announces Aug. 2 resignation, asks Gov. Lee to call special session on replacement
- Rep. Smith hopes to gain support from fellow freshmen in potential Tennessee House speaker bid
- Post-Casada job requirement: Ability to restore public trust
- Rep. Robin Smith on House speaker bid: 'I'm not saying I would never run, but at this time, I'm watching'
- Chattanooga area lawmakers share thoughts on GOP Caucus' no-confidence vote on Casada
- Timeline: The rise and fall of Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada
- Rep. Carter pledges 'clean break' as he announces bid to replace Casada as Tennessee House speaker
- Rep. Carter preparing petition to remove Casada as General Assembly member, not just as House speaker
- Tennessee Republican House Speaker Glen Casada announces his resignation
- Gov. Lee calls on House Speaker Glen Casada to resign or face special session
- Tennessee House GOP hits embattled Speaker Glen Casada with no-confidence vote
- Reps. Carter, Smith offer different takes on embattled Tennessee House Speaker Casada
- Embattled House Speaker Casada faces 'no confidence' vote today in GOP Caucus but supporters may offer censure motion
- Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada attacks Mike Carter over criticisms
- Former top aide for Tennessee's embattled House speaker to stay on payroll until July
- Rep. Carter: If ethics panel is not 'above rank political maneuvering and conniving then we as a body are lost'
- Ethics Committee member Mike Carter calls on Tennessee House Speaker Casada to resign amid text messaging scandal
- Tennessee House GOP Caucus members to meet to discuss political fate of embattled Speaker Glen Casada
- Glen Casada controversy opens old wounds from 2018 Hamilton County state House GOP primary
- Tennessee legislative Black Caucus calls on Speaker Glen Casada to resign over racial texts, other issues
- Yet another Tennessee Republican House member calls on Glen Casada to resign
- Embroiled in controversies, Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada battles on after Lt. Gov. McNally says it's time to go
- Reps. Hazlewood, Carter lose faith in Tennessee Speaker Glen Casada amid text messaging scandal, other issues
- Tennessee Firearms Association head calls on House to oust Glen Casada as speaker
- Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada apologizes for text message controversies, pledges changes after some Republicans call for his resignation
- Tennessee House Democrats demand federal investigation into claims that Casada eavesdropped on private meetings
- Bill Lee wants public confidence 'fully restored' after Casada text message scandal
- Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada 'sorry' over text scandal but won't resign
- After admitting drug use, Tennessee House speaker's top aide resigns amid allegations of racist and sexually explicit texts
Casada, who turned 60 on Friday, confirmed to WKRN in a text message that while he has stepped down as speaker, he isn't quitting representing his Franklin-based House district.
"I am not resigning my seat and I have not begun to consider next year...too far in the future to decide what I'm going to do regarding running for reelection or not," Casada said in the text message.
In early May, two thirds of the 73-member GOP Caucus voted to say they no longer had confidence in Casada's ability to serve. After Casada balked initially at stepping down, Lee stepped in to say he would call the legislature into special session to remove him if he did not. Casada agreed to go but set the Aug. 2 date.
In addition to the text message controversy, legislative critics charged Casada of using harsh tactics, threats, "spies" and fear to hold GOP and Democratic lawmakers in check.
Yet another major controversy involved Casada's tactics in muscling Lee's controversial school voucher bill through House committees and finally getting passed on the chamber floor after it initially snagged on a 49-49 tie vote for 40 minutes.
Casada's temporary replacement is Dunn, 58, a social conservative who has championed restrictions on abortion and school vouchers. Dunn, who was not part of Casada's clique, decided not to join the six-member field of Republicans, including Sexton and Rep. Mike Carter of Ooltewah, who vied to become the GOP Caucus nominee.
"I'm very happy being speaker pro tem and I also value my independence," Dunn said in a Friday interview, joking that the job of speaker seems to be "not telling 98 [other members] what to do, but 98 people telling you what to do."
Under House rules, Dunn is not giving up his speaker pro tempore post which means "temporary speaker" in Latin. The duties of the office are primarily filling the role of presiding officer of the House in absence of the speaker.
Asked how he thinks his brief tenure will go in comparison to the turbulent Casada era, the normally laid-back Dunn offered this: "It's going to be the reign of BoreDunn."
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow on Twitter @AndySher1.
