NASHVILLE - After becoming Tennessee's new House speaker last week, Republican Cameron Sexton made relatively few changes in appointed leadership and committee posts, but several he made have an impact on Southeast Tennessee lawmakers.
The Crossville banker named Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, as the new chairman of the Insurance Committee, replacing Rep. Ron Travis, R-Dayton.
At the same time, Sexton made a near clean sweep of the chamber's Ethics Committee. Panel members bogged down in April over an ethics advisory opinion sought by then-Speaker Glen Casada, R-Franklin, regarding the leaks of sexually explicit text messages between him and a top aide. The controversy helped lead to Casada's resignation under pressure as speaker after just four months in the chamber's No. 1 post.
In January, Casada had used his power of appointment in a spoils system fashion, rewarding supporters and sidelining rivals and critics.
Sexton, however, appointed his main rival in the GOP Caucus race for speaker, former Speaker Pro Tem Curtis Johnson of Clarksville, as deputy speaker. In doing so, he replaced Rep. Matthew Hill, R-Jonesborough, a Casada ally and then-Ethics Committee chairman who also competed in the speaker's race. Johnson replaced Hill as Ethics Committee chairman.
Robin SmithBut Sexton went on to name Hill to chair a newly created Finance Committee panel, the Appropriations Subcommittee, while also leaving Hill in charge of the Rules Committee.
Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, who also ran for speaker, remains as chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil Justice. Sexton removed both Carter and Smith from the 10-member Ethics Committee, along with six other lawmakers.
"I would expect that after the problems I caused," Carter said of Sexton's decision to remove him from the Ethics Committee.
Carter continues serving on the Local Government Committee but is now also a member of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.
During the GOP's civil war over Casada, Carter, a former judge, charged the speaker was seeking to "rig" a favorable ethics committee ruling over his dealings with top aide Cade Cothren. That, along with Carter's later call for Casada's resignation as speaker, helped fuel the growing revolt over Casada's leadership.
"I would certainly expect [Sexton] to start with a new ethics committee. I'm not upset about that at all," Carter said, adding, "I think that's a smart thing to do."
Carter also pointed out that Sexton left him with his subcommittee chairmanship, noting, "he didn't punish me."
Smith also was taken off the ethics panel. In fact, only two current members remain. New members include Finance Committee Vice Chair Patsy Hazlewood, R-Signal Mountain, an early critic of Casada, and Rep. Yusuf Hakeem, D-Chattanooga. He also named Rep. Dan Howell, R-Georgetown, to the panel. Howell also retains his chairmanship of the Transportation Committee.
A nurse by training and now a business and political consultant, Smith had been serving as chair of the Subcommittee on Life and Health Insurance. A Casada supporter, Smith had considered running for speaker and another leadership position. But Smith, who also has long-standing ties to Sexton, ultimately did not run for a higher elected post.
Travis, who owns an insurance agency, was seen on Capitol Hill as more favorable to insurers' positions in the perennial battle between health care providers and insurers.
Making no mention of Travis, Smith said she "just communicated I'd prefer to keep my subcommittee gavel because my heart is in health care, making life better for patients here in Tennessee."
Smith said she only asked Sexton that given "the alignment of issues nationally, at the state level now that our governor is very committed to health care reform, I wanted to be at the table in some type of leadership capacity."
Sexton also removed Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden, a Casada supporter, as chair of the finance subcommittee. But Sexton went on to name Holt to the agriculture subcommittee.
Rep. Gary Hicks, R-Rogersville, is the new chair of the Finance Subcommittee.
Two lawmakers who were entirely on the outs under Casada, former GOP Caucus Chairman Ryan Williams of Cookeville and Rep. David Hawk, R-Greeneville, are now back in the fold.
Williams, who also ran for speaker against Sexton, is replacing Smith as chair of the Life and Insurance Subcommittee. Hawk, meanwhile, is in charge of the TennCare Subcommittee.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.