2011 General Assembly: Floyd withdraws from House leadership post
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette
Thursday, Jan. 6, 2011, 11:40 a.m. – As leadership for the 2011 General Assembly was taking shape on its opening day Tuesday, Rep. David Floyd withdrew his name for re-election as House minority whip and nominated Rep. Brad Montell of Shelbyville for the leadership post.
Montell lost in voting to Rep. Danny Ford of Mount Vernon.
“We want to move our caucus forward,” Ford told Kentucky Public Radio’s Tony McVeigh. “We want to continue to try to elect new members to our caucus. Our goals right now are to take care of the budget and make sure we don’t have the run and spend everything that we get our hands on, and hopefully tighten the reins a little bit.”
The person serving as whip – in either the majority or minority party of the General Assembly – is responsible for monitoring legislation as it advances, securing votes within the party and making sure party members are present when their votes are needed.
In other House Republican leadership changes, Bob DeWeese of Louisville defeated Jim DeCesare of Rockfield for minority caucus chairman. Rep. Jeff Hoover was re-elected minority floor leader for a record sixth-consecutive term.
Hoover, DeWeese and Ford will serve in their posts for the next two years.
House Democrats re-elected Rep. Larry Clark of Louisville as speaker pro tem. Rep. Tommy Thompson of Owensboro replaced Rep. John Will Stacy as House majority whip. House Speaker Greg Stumbo announced Tuesday the unanimous support of the House’s 58 Democrats for the re-election bid of Gov. Steve Beshear.
SENATE. Senate Democrats elected a less confrontational leader when they chose Sen. R.J. Palmer of Winchester over Sen. Julian Carroll of Frankfort, former governor and a very vocal critic of Senate President David Williams. Carroll said he had support from those who wanted him to vigorously challenge Williams.
Palmer told Ronnie Ellis of CNHI News Service that he felt he and Senate Democrats are “capable of standing up and call his hand.”
Palmer replaces Sen. Ed Whorley, who retired last year.
Democrats re-elected Sen. Jerry Roads of Madisonville as whip and Sen. Johnny Ray Tuner of Drift was re-elected caucus chairman.
Senate Republicans re-elected their leadership team of Williams as president, Sen. Katie Stine of Southgate as president pro tem; Sen. Robert Stivers of Manchester, majority floor leader; Dan Seum of Fairdale, majority caucus chairman; and Carroll Gibson of Leitchfield, majority whip.
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