Rep. Steve McDaniel
House Speaker Kent Williams (R-Butler) on Thursday named State Rep. Steve McDaniel (R-Parkers Crossroads) to the post of Deputy Speaker of the House.
"Since I arrived in the Legislature, Steve McDaniel has provided me with helpful advice and counsel,” said Speaker Williams. “As Deputy Speaker, Steve will assist me in making key decisions as we progress toward a truly bipartisan House of Representatives.”
The Deputy Speaker is appointed to a two-year term by the Speaker of the House. The Deputy Speaker assists the Speaker of the House with administrative decision-making. He also helps to schedule and guide the flow of legislation on the floor. Additionally, the Deputy Speaker serves as a liaison with regional and national legislative bodies.
"I want to thank Speaker Kent Williams for asking me to serve as his Deputy Speaker," said Rep. McDaniel. "Speaker Williams is ready to govern and we are committed to moving forward in this new era of bipartisan cooperation.”
In addition, Speaker Williams has assigned Rep. McDaniel to chair the Rules Committee and the Study Committee on Subcommittees. This subcommittee decides what bills will be discussed in summer study.
“Right now Tennesseans are looking to the Legislature for leadership, not partisan politics,” said Rep. McDaniel. “As Deputy Speaker, it is my intention to move forward with the people’s business and put the politics of the past behind us.”
Deputy Speaker McDaniel began serving in the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1989. Most recently he served as a member of the House Agriculture Committee, the House Ethics Committee, and the Finance, Ways and Means Committee.
McDaniel remains active in his rural West Tennessee district. He represents Henderson, Chester and parts of Decatur and Wayne Counties. In addition to being a former Republican Leader of the House, McDaniel is also a member of the National Rifle Association, Tennessee Civil War Preservation Association, and the Tennessee Sesquicentennial Commission.
Additionally, he served as national chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council in 2001. Presently, McDaniel serves on the Board of Directors of ALEC.
"Many people are having a tough time putting food on the table and I know the economy has taken a toll on many of our friends and neighbors,” said Speaker Williams. "Deputy Speaker Steve McDaniel and I are committed to helping see that we all work together, Democrats and Republicans, in the best interest of Tennesseans."
"We have the chance of a lifetime to see that we put the interests of the people first," said Rep. McDaniel. “This is truly a new day in Tennessee.”