NASHVILLE - Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton has named state Rep. Patsy Hazlewood, R-Signal Mountain, as chair of the Finance Ways and Means Committee, making her the first Hamilton Countian to head the powerful panel in at least 48 years and its second female chair ever.
"She's highly respected by members and the public," Sexton, R-Crossville, said in an interview. "I think she will do a wonderful job as chairman and she has the experience and knowledge to do it."
Hazlewood, a retired director of CapitolMark Bank & Trust who previously worked for AT&T and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, had been serving as vice chair of the panel, which is responsible for all measures relating to taxes, raising revenues, bond issues and the state's annual budget and all spending bills.
"It's an incredible honor to now chair the committee," Hazlewood said. "I am grateful for the Speaker's faith in me and for the team he's assembled. With the help of an enormously capable legislative staff, I'm confident we can address the challenges and opportunities before us."
Hazlewood replaces Rep. Susan Lynn, R-Old Hickory, as chair. Her elevation to chair means Hamilton County lawmakers occupy the General Assembly's two top spots on financial matters, with Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, serving as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
Meanwhile, Rep. Robin Smith, R-Hixson, is no longer chair of the House Insurance Committee. Smith, a business and political consultant, is one of three Republican state legislators, including former House Speaker Glen Casada of Franklin, whose homes and legislative offices were searched by FBI agents last week in conjunction with a yet-to-be-specified federal probe.
Smith's attorney said she is not a target in the probe and the lawmaker said she has agreed to help investigators. In her letter to Sexton, Smith thanked him for having appointed her last year to head the Insurance Committee.
"I am submitting this letter as a request that no leadership post, appointment or position be assigned to me until the ongoing investigation is concluded relative to my involvement," she wrote. "The respect I have for this body and its members are great."
Smith also wrote that "my pledge is to fully cooperate with authorities but do so with as little intrusion and distraction as possible."
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.