Super Majority Could Expose Old Divisions

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A GOP supermajority in the state house may not be all its cracked up to be. Republican Governor Bill Haslam sees two sides in controlling so much of the General Assembly.

This walkout-proof majority would allow GOP lawmakers to pass legislation even if the minority party tries to be difficult and not show up for work. Two seats in the Senate and another pair in the House would have to flip from Democrat to Republican tomorrow.

Haslam predicts it will happen, but more GOP manpower won’t necessarily make life easier for his office. He sees the possibility that old divisions will be exposed, like when Democrats ran the state.

“You could go back to a situation like we have historically had in Tennessee, some Republican/Democrat, some urban/rural, some business interests verses other interest. I think you could see a little bit more of a mixed board like that as we go on.”

Haslam says it may be no easier to get the General Assembly on board with his proposals than it is now. Still, Haslam says he’d much prefer working with huge majorities of his own party, than of Democrats, the way former Tennessee Governor Winfield Dunn did.