NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Speaker-Elect Glen Casada says that as Speaker, his job is “to find the strong conservatives, put them in the right committee, and let them lead.” Casada’s statement was made to a group of middle Tennessee activists in response to a question about the key things he wants to focus on during session. Casada easily won the nomination of the House GOP caucus for the Speaker’s position last month. The formal election for Speaker and Speaker Pro- Tempore will be held when the Tennessee General Assembly convenes in January. The House Republican Caucus Bylaws require that members vote for the nominated Speaker and Speaker Pro-Tem Elect, or be automatically expelled from the Caucus. With a Republican super majority in the House, holding 73 of the 99 seats, Casada’s election as Speaker of the 111th General Assembly is a virtual certainty. During this interim period he is generally referred to as “Speaker-Elect,” though he could also be called the “Presumptive Speaker.” The group, Nashville Sentinels, organized around the Heritage Action For Action (HAFA) model and is spear-headed by longtime Nashville Republican Ed Smith. The Nashville Sentinels meet monthly and at its February meeting then Majority Leader Casada spoke to…
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