Republican Leaders Say Selecting State Officers To Be More Open

Tennessee Republicans say they plan to make the process of selecting the state’s constitutional officers more transparent.

Republicans won a majority in both the state Senate and House in elections this month and now control the appointments of Tennessee’s Secretary of State, Treasurer and Comptroller. Republican leaders in the two chambers said today/yesterday that they will post on their Caucus websites the duties of each position, as well as the application form.

Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris and House Majority Leader Jason Mumpower say an eight-member nominating committee of Republican lawmakers will narrow down applicants to three for each office and then interview the finalists. The legislature will then vote on the candidates.

Norris and Mumpower say by posting the jobs, they’re hoping to broaden the talent pool and get away from a “closed-door system of selecting political insiders.”