Speaker of the House Kent Williams announced the House committee assignments for the 106th General Assembly on Thursday.

In the Tennessee House of Representatives, the Speaker appoints members to all committees as well as appoints the chairperson, vice chairperson, and secretary of each committee.

Traditionally, the majority party tends to dominate committee chairmanships and leadership positions. Speaker Williams divided the leadership of the 13 committees so the Republicans will chair seven of them and the Democrats will chair six.

The committee appointments include Republicans as chairman of seven committees: calendar and rules, commerce, consumer & employee affairs, conservation & environment, education, government operations and state & local government.

Democrats will continue to chair six committees, including the finance, judiciary and transportation committees.

“When I was elected Speaker, I promised to serve in a fair, balanced and bipartisan fashion,” said Speaker Williams. “These committee assignments for the House of Representatives have been selected with that same mindset and I am proud of this first step toward a more bipartisan system of government.”

“Because of the odd number of standing committees, I made the determination that the Republicans would chair seven and the Democrats would chair six,” said Speaker Williams. “This is as close to a perfect balance as possible. It is a major step forward and one that will hopefully be a first step for future committees.”

Only in two cases were the standing committees not precisely divided. The Calendar and Rules Committee, by virtue of House rules, has a one member Republican majority. The Government Operations Committee has a one member Democratic majority. All other standing committees and subcommittees are equally divided.
Standing committee Officers will only be allowed to vote in subcommittee if they are a named member of the subcommittee.

Speaker Williams said, "We have to get past the bickering and partisanship. We have a tremendous budget crisis on our hands. We have a lot of work to do. We have to put our distractions behind us, join hands and work together."
"I feel like we have a lot of capable and smart people in the House from both parties. In this time of crisis we need to utilize all of this talent and harness everyone who has the desire and ability to be a leader. I have put in place the most balanced committee system possible. Now it is up to the individual members to decide if they want to work together for the good of our state.

Robin Smith, chairman of the Tennessee Republican party, said, "While Republican lawmakers should have been appointed to chair all of the committees, we are gratified that the Republican caucus leadership fought hard and secured seven committee chairmanships in the wake of last week's backroom deal in which the minority-party Democrats installed their choice as speaker."

She said, "Tennessee is facing tough times and serious choices, and voters last November voted for conservative leadership, but Kent Williams has decided to create a system designed to create gridlock in the House.

"That's unfortunate, but the Republican-lead Senate, under the capable leadership of Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, stands ready to lead Tennessee through tough times based on sound conservative principles and honest dealings with the public and with fellow lawmakers.”

Rep. Brian Kelsey, who filed an ethics complaint against Speaker Williams for alleged acts of sexual harassment on Wednesday, said, "For the Speaker to go ahead and appoint the members of the Ethics Committee, knowing that they will be hearing a pending complaint against him shows a further lack of ethical judgment. It's a clear conflict of interest for the speaker to hand-pick all his own jurors."

The committees are as follows:
Consumer Employee Affairs:
Matheny; Chair
Hackworth; Vice-chair
Bell; Secretary
McDonald
Moore
S. Jones
Richardson
Hardaway
Eldridge
Campfield
Swafford
Kelsey

Employee:
McDonald; Chairman
Campfield; Vice-Chair
Moore
S. Jones
Kelsey
Bell

Consumer:
Eldridge; Chairman
Hackworth; Vice-Chair
Richardson
Hardaway
Matheny
Swafford

Education:
H. Brooks; Chair
Winningham; Vice-Chair
Coley; Secretary
Brown
Cooper
U. Jones
Maddox
Pitts
Towns
L. Turner
Windle
Barker
J. DeBerry
Hawk
Dunn
Harwell
Haynes
Lollar
Hill
Weaver
Hensley
K. Brooks

K-12 Subcommittee:
Winningham; Chair
Lollar; Vice-Chair
U. Jones
Maddox
Brown
Barker
L. Turner
Hensley
Harwell
Hawk
Dunn
Weaver

Higher Education Subcommittee:
Hawk; Chair
Brown; Vice-Chair
Cooper
Towns
Windle
J. DeBerry
Pitts
Coley
Haynes
Hill
K. Brooks
H. Brooks

Government Operations:
Lynn; Chair
Kernell; Vice-Chair
J. Cobb; Secretary
L. DeBerry
Odom
M. Turner
Camper
Cooper
Hardaway
Mumpower
Casada
Campfield
Bell

Health & Human Resources:
Armstrong; Chair
Hensley; Vice-Chair
Favors; Secretary
Pruitt
C. Cobb
Curtiss
L. Deberry
Ferguson
S. Jones
Odom
Richardson
Shepard
M. Turner
J. DeBerry
J. Cobb
Dean
Ford
Maggart
Ramsey
Shipley
Mumpower
Harrison
Halford
Dennis
Rich
Evans

Professional Occupations:
Harrison; Chairman
Favors; Vice-Chair
M. Turner
Armstrong
Ferguson
S. Jones
Odom
Shepard
Rich
Mumpower
Hensley
Maggart
Ramsey
Shipley

Public Health:
Hensley; Chairman
Richardson; Vice-Chair
Maggart
J. Cobb
Dennis
S. Jones
Curtiss
C. Cobb

Health Care Facilities:
Pruitt; Chair
Ford; Vice-Chair
L. DeBerry
J. DeBerry
Shepard
M. Turner
Evans
Dean
Halford
Rich

Judiciary:
Coleman; Chair
Lundberg; Vice-Chair
Sontany; Secretary
Bass
Camper
Fincher
Stewart
Kelsey
Watson
Dennis
Matheny
Faulkner

Civil Practice:
Kelsey; Chair
Fincher; Vice-Chair
Lundberg
Dennis
Stewart
Coleman

Criminal:
Watson; Chairman
Sontany; Vice-Chair
Faulkner
Matheny
Bass
Camper

Agriculture:
Bone; Chair
Ford; Vice-Chair
Borchert; Secretary
Bass
Litz
Shaw
Windle
Niceley
Faulkner
Weaver
Halford
McDaniel

General Subcommittee of Agriculture:
Nicely; Chair
Litz; Vice-Chair
Bone
Ford
Borchert McDaniel

Children & Family:
J. DeBerry; Chair
K. Brooks; Vice-Chair
Brown; Secretary
S. Jones
Hardaway
Richardson
Shaw
Rowland
Campfield
Bell
Rich
Weaver

Domestic Relations:
S. Jones-Chair
K. Brooks; Vice-Chair
Brown
Shaw
Campfield
Weaver

Family Justice:
Rowland; Chair
Richardson; Vice-Chair
Bell
Rich
J. DeBerry
Hardaway

Commerce:
Harwell; Chair
Shepard; Vice-chair
McManus Secretary
Curtiss
Ferguson
Towns
Naifeh
Favors
Fitzhugh
Pitts
Stewart
Hackworth
Harmon
C. Cobb
L. Turner
Yokley
Gilmore
C. Johnson
Roach
McCord
Matlock
Lynn
Lundberg
P. Johnson
Montgomery
Todd
Sargent
Carr
Casada
McCormick

Industrial Impact:
Curtiss; Chair
Roach; Vice-Chair
Ferguson
Favors
Naifeh
Shepard
Towns
McCord
Sargent
Todd
McCormick
Lundberg

Utilities & Banking Subcommittee:
Montgomery; Chairman
Pitts; Vice-Chair
McManus
Casada
Phillip Johnson
Curtiss Johnson
Fitzhugh
Stewart
Hackworth
Harmon

Small Business Subcommittee:
C. Cobb; Chairman
Matlock; Vice-Chair
L. Turner
Yokley
Gilmore
Lynn
Carr
Harwell

Conservation & Environment:
McCord; Chair
Tidwell; Vice-Chair
Floyd; Secretary
Gilmore
Borchert
Kernell
McDonald
Fraley
Lollar
Hawk
Niceley
Rowland

Wildlife Subcommittee:
Lollar; Chair
Borchert; Vice-Chair
Floyd
Kernell
Niceley
McDonald
McCord
Tidwell

Environment Subcommittee:
Tidwell; Chair
Rowland; Vice-Chair
Hawk
Borchert
Lollar
Fraley
McCord
Gilmore
Niceley
McDonald

Parks Subcommittee:
Gilmore; Chair
Floyd; Vice-Chair
Hawk
Fraley
Rowland
Kernell

Calendar & Rules:
Dunn; Chair
L. Turner; Vice-chair
Hill; Secretary
Odom
M. Turner
Moore
Towns
Bone
J. DeBerry
Armstrong
Coleman
Fitzhugh
Harmon
Harwell
Mumpower
McCord
Casada
Matheny
H. Brooks
Lynn
Todd
McManus
McCormick

State & Local:
Todd; Chair
U. Jones; Vice-Chair
Swafford; Secretary
Miller
Yokley
Ty Cobb
Pruitt
Litz
Tindell
West
Moore
McCormick
Ramsey
Evans
Haynes
Carr
Coley
Watson

Elections:
Yokley; Chairman
Watson; Vice-Chair
Moore
Tindell
Coley
Evans

State Subcommittee:
McCormick; Chairman
Pruitt; Vice-Chair
Haynes
Carr
Litz
West

Local Govt Subcommittee:
Miller; Chairman
Swafford; Vice-Chair
U. Jones
Ty Cobb
Todd
Ramsey

Finance, Ways & Means:
Fitzhugh; Chair
Sargent; Vice-chair
Shaw; Secretary
Tindell
Armstrong
Bone
Brown
Coleman
Winningham
L. DeBerry
Maddox
Miller
Odom
Sontany
Naifeh
M. Turner
Dunn
H. Brooks
Harrison
K. Brooks
McDaniel
Mumpower
Roach
Casada
Montgomery
McManus
Maggart
C. Johnson
Eldridge
Rowland

Budget:
Tindell; Chairman
Sargent; Vice-Chair
Armstrong
L. DeBerry
Fitzhugh
Odom
Naifeh
Shaw
McDaniel
Harrison
Roach
Montgomery
Mumpower
Rowland

Transportation:
Harmon; Chair
Dean; Vice-chair
Fraley; Secretary
West
Ty Cobb
Fincher
Tidwell
Barker
P. Johnson
Matlock
Floyd
Shipley
Hill
Rich

Public Safety:
West; Chairman
Dean; Vice-Chair
Fincher
Ty Cobb
Rich
Shipley

Rural Roads:
Phillip Johnson; Chairman
Fraley; Vice-Chair
Harmon
Tidwell
Barker
Matlock
Hill
Floyd

House Rules Committee:
S. McDaniel; Chair
Mumpower
Turner
Sargent
L. DeBerry
Montgomery
Fitzhugh Brooks
Fincher Roach
Litz Casada
Maddox Brooks
Naifeh Williams
Odom

House Ethics Committee:
U. Jones; Chair Mumpower
Odom
Casada
L.Deberry
Harwell Fincher McCord
Maddox
McDaniel
Turner Sargent

Joint Legislative Services Committee:
Williams
Mumpower
Casada
Odom
Mike Turner

Corrections Oversight
Turner
Fitzhugh
Curtis
Harmon
McCord
Ford
Matheny

Education Oversight:
Maddox
Brown
U. Jones
Winningham
Hawk
Lollar
Brooks
Roach
Rowland

Children & Youth:
Faulkner
Maggart
ep. Montgomery
Rep. Harwell
Rep. Sontany
Rep. J. Deberry
Rep. L. Deberry
Rep. Tommie Brown
Rep. Sherry Jones

Health Equity Commission
Rep. Armstrong
Rep. Miller
Rep. Hensley

Council on Pensions and Insurance
Recommended by Chairman Fitzhugh
Approved by the Speaker
Rep. Bone
Rep. Dunn
Rep. McDaniel
Reps. Fitzhugh, Sargent and Shaw are members by virtue of their
Finance Committee Officer Positions

Long Term Care Oversight Committee
Rep. Ferguson
Rep. L. Deberry
Rep. Tindell
Rep. McDaniel
Rep. Maggart

Veterans’ Affairs
Rep. Borchert
Rep. Curtis
Rep. Litz
Rep. Windle
Rep. Lundberg
Rep. McDaniel
Rep. Ford
Rep. Curtis Johnson
Charitable Gaming
Rep. Harry Tindell
Rep. Gary Moore
Rep. Steve McManus

TennCare Oversight
Rep. Armstrong
Rep. Shepard
Rep. Odom
Rep. Hensley
Rep. McDaniel
Rep. Harrison
Rep. Mumpower
Workers’ Compensation
Rep. Curtis
Rep. Fitzhugh
Rep. McDonald
Rep. Pitts
Rep. McCord
Rep. Matlock
Rep. Sargent
Rep. McDaniel

Business Tax
Rep. Tindell
Rep. Eldridge
Rep. Sargent
Rep. Curt Cobb
Rep. Hackworth
Rep. Lundberg
Rep. Mike Stewart
Lottery
Rep. Harry Brooks
Rep. Winningham
Rep. Todd
Rep. McCormick
Rep. U. Jones
Rep. Mumpower
Rep. Tindell
Rep. Miller
Rep. McManus

Joint Committee on Diabetes Prevention
Speaker Williams
Rep. Shipley
Rep. Favors
Rep. Brown
Rep. Gary Moore

TACIR
Rep. Naifeh
Rep. Odom
Rep. Mumpower
Rep. Todd