NASHVILLE - A top Tennessee House Democrat says he won't go along with GOP leaders' efforts to call a special session to replace Republican Speaker Glen Casada, charging it's a "transparent scheme" by Casada's "cronies" to hold onto power.
Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Stewart, of Nashville, said the GOP-led chamber should instead follow House succession procedures. Casada, he said, can just resign now with Republican Speaker Pro Tem Bill Dunn of Knoxville immediately becoming speaker.
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
He said Casada's plan to resign Aug. 2 "only puts him in a position to meddle in schemes, to perhaps try to retain power indirectly."
Stewart also said, "I know there are some Republicans who are in leadership who are urging a special session as a pretty transparent scheme to hold onto power."
He added that it's "obvious that Casada should resign and it's obvious that a special session of the sort that Casada's cronies are calling for serves no purpose other than to waste taxpayers' money and to serve their narrow interests."
A one-day special session would cost about $41,000 to bring both the House and Senate back to the state Capitol and pay for their expenses and operational costs.
Engulfed by controversies over racist and sexually explicit text messages and other problems, Casada was slapped by fellow Republicans with a 45-24 vote of no confidence on May 21.
The speaker initially said he hoped to work to regain GOP colleagues' trust. But he agreed to step down after Republican Gov. Bill Lee threatened to call lawmakers into special session to remove him if Casada did not agree to step down.
Casada did, but it was only last week that he finally set a date - Aug. 2 - to resign the speakership. He also urged Lee to call lawmakers into special session to replace him on that date. But a number of lawmakers want him to leave earlier and Majority Leader William Lamberth, a Portland Republican, who would like a special session in June, is asking Republicans what their appetite for that is.
It would take 66 votes in the 99-member chamber to call the House into a special session and the Senate would have to agree. But the governor himself could call one.
Lee said Monday in response to reporters' questions that he is talking to leaders and members "to gauge their temperature on this and to know where they want to go" and "help us make a decision about when or if to call a special session."
Six Republicans, including Rep. Mike Carter, of Ooltewah, and Rep. Robin Smith, of Hixson, have either announced bids to replace Casada or are taking a hard look at doing so.
Lamberth has been querying GOP lawmakers, who represent 73 of the chamber's 99 members, about a June special session to replace Casada.
Lamberth said in a recent interview that Casada's resignation itself "is not contingent on a special session.
"That is an absolute resignation day, I mean, he is resigning on Aug. 2," Lamberth said. "So with that information I think our members are taking some time to digest that, but they are also spending most of their time in their districts, jobs, families, vacation."
In the waning days of the session, a series of leaked text messages Casada had exchanged with a top aide, Cade Cothren, three years ago surfaced. Casada responded approvingly or jokingly to three sexually explicit texts.
But other issues came to the forefront. Carter, a member of the House Ethics Committee, charged that Casada was trying to whitewash an advisory ethics committee opinion the speaker sought regarding his actions involving Cothren, a charge Casada denied.
Besides Carter and Smith, other Republicans interested in succeeding Casada are Deputy Speaker Matthew Hill of Jonesborough, a Casada appointee; former Speaker Pro Tem Curtis Johnson of Clarksville; current GOP Caucus Chairman Cameron Sexton of Crossville; and former GOP Caucus Chairman Ryan Williams of Cookeville.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.
